THE IMPACT OF THE BLOG

Thus, we should not view blogging merely as technological novelty.  Its impact on our world stretches beyond communication and personal entertainment and into the political and social realms of modern life.

Politics

Blogging has done wonders in reshaping politics, particularly in the West.  The first blog-driven political controversy led to the eventual downfall of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who had remarked at a party honoring Senator Strom Thurmond, that Thurmond's leadership abilities may have made him a good President.  Since Thurmond had spent much of his early political career sympathetic to white supremacists, Lott’s statements were interpreted in the media to be racist.  Consequently, in the aftermath, bloggers endeavoured to demonstrate that his remarks were not an isolated misstatement by finding evidence including quotes from other previous speeches of Lott’s which were also taken to be racist, and posting them on their blogs.   Intriguingly, the efforts of such bloggers not only kept the story alive in the press until a critical mass of disapproval forced Lott to resign his position as Senate Majority Leader, it started a hailstorm of similar blogs which took on political agendas.

Hence, after the controversy, a number of political blogs with nationwide audiences were created between 2001 and 2002.  They included Andrew Sullivan's AndrewSullivan.com, Ron Gunzburger's Politics1.com, Jerome Armstrong's MyDD.com, and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga's DailyKos – all of which are now popular blog sites which have large audiences.

Education

Blogs have also played a part in education.  In his studies of blogs used in elementary and high schools in the United States, David Huffaker argues that blogs often provide opportunities for educators to advance literacy through storytelling and dialogue. Storytelling and literacy are the foundation of language development, and more so, the foundation of learning. Since the format of blogs is similar to a personal diary, where recounting tales and autobiographical events is customary, blogs provide an arena where self-expression and creativity are encouraged. Its linkages to other bloggers establish the same peer-group relationships found in nonvirtual worlds (Huffaker, 2004).

Because blogs are both individualistic and collaborative, they allow self-expression, a place where the author can develop highly personalized content while simultaneously allowing students connection with an online community, for they can comment and give feedback to other bloggers, and they can link to fellow bloggers, creating an interwoven, dynamic organization. In the classroom, students have a personal space to read and write alongside a communal one, where ideas are shared, questions are asked and answered, and social cohesion is developed (Huffaker, 2004)

Hence,  the flexibility and scalability of blogs quickly emerge. Blogs are not limited to individual classes or even entire schools, resonating the power of building online communities.  According to his results, Huffaker argues blogs should used throughout the educational curriculum since they help promote reading and writing, to showcase the work of students or to exchange ideas among students, teachers or school administrators. In sum, blogs exemplify that online content creation is only limited by the creativity of its users (Huffaker, 2004).

Libraries

Intriguingly, blogging has entered the field of librarianship and library life as well, for it has become a convenient way for library staff to communicate with each other and spread-their message to a wider base.  For instance, Warwick University hosts its own blogs. Fourteen library staff have taken advantage of the University's blog hosting service, mainly to communicate with colleagues.

Librarian Gareth Johnson believes the informal nature of bogging can contribute to the culture of a library community.  Like Warwick, the University of Minnesota in the US has also got involved in blog hosting (http:/blog.lib.umn.edu/).  Impressively, the librarians there have even taken on the task of blog hosting for the entire university.  As web services coordinator at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Shane Nackerud, argues, “I think a library is the perfect place to host blogs especially on a university campus. Most importantly, it is a tangible way of demonstrating to the campus at large the commitment the library has to the concepts of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech.” (Caldwell, 2005).