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WHAT
ARE BLOGS? AND WHAT IS BLOGGING? A
weblog or blog (a derivative of “web” and “log”) is essentially an
online diary, where anyone with a basic knowledge of computers can post
anything – random thoughts, photos, homework, and poetry, just to name
a few – for
the rest of the world to
see. Blogs
range in scope from individual diaries to political campaigns, media
programs, and businesses. They range in scale from the writings of one
occasional author (known as a blogger), to the collaboration of a large
community of writers. Many blogs enable visitors to leave public
comments, which can lead to a community of readers centred around the
blog. Hence, the totality of weblogs or
blog-related websites is known as a “blogosphere.” In
general, not only do blogs contain several hyperlinks to other websites
and stories, there are usually a standing list of links to the
author's favorite bookmarks. Blogging technology gave users a huge
variety of templates, an easy-to-navigate five-minute
registration process, and (perhaps best of all) free web hosting.
It was one particular company, Pyra labs that made a revolutionary
insight
that made blogging very
popular by removing the common technological requirements of web
publishing, namely graphic design, simple coding, that made it
difficult for computer illiterates to use. Blogs
not only removed
these technological barriers, but made it all for free. Bloggers
no longer needed to buy their own domain; all one had to do was sign up
for an account, concoct a user name @blogspot.com, select a template,
and off they go (Jensen, 2003). But as this website will
reveal,
“blogging” is much more than just a technological novelty; rather, it
is a social, cultural, political, and economic phenomenon which has
reshaped the way we see and access information – or the world, for that
matter. Hence,
for this website,
I will not attempt to instruct the reader on how to create a blog nor
attempt to outline the technological aspect of blogs. Rather,
by focusing on "blogging" as a human activity rather than a
scientific innovation, my research examines blogs and blogging as an
experience which has not only reshaped
the way many people communicate, but also the manner in how they live
in our "information age." |