While blogging has certainly faced its fair share of criticisms – including these and others – I’m wondering how we might begin to understand its popularity. A 2005 Pew Internet report on The State of Blogging indicates:
By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs.So, how might be begin to explain the blogging phenomenon? What does the technology of the blog allow that attracts writers and readers? I’m particularly interested in hearing about your personal goals for blogging this semester: why might a graduate student want to use blogging for academic discussions of issues related to writing and technology?
As you think over these questions, it might help to take a look at some more examples of blogs, thinking about audience, purpose, and contributions made by each.
Community Blogs
Slashdot
Kairosnews
Sivacracy
Individual Blogs
Thinkery
Blogos
jill/txt
6 comments:
In one way, blogging is like having your work published in a newsletter or magazine; it reaches a large audience. There are many perks for authors and communities:
1. Speed: Publishing on paper takes months and sometimes more than a year--by then the piece is dated.
2. Interactivity: Readers can comment and converse on the piece immediately, which benefits later readers and the author. We’ve already talked about this part.
3. Intertextuality: The ability to hyperlink makes the text amazingly richer. The author has less explaining to do because she can link to the information. It is easier for the reader to merely click a link to view information than to go and look it up. Even in diary-type entries this is beneficial: my friends may be unwilling to go look up my favorite author no matter how I rave about him, but if I say, “If you don’t check out the works of Robert A. Heinlein you will be missing something spectacular,” they may just give the link a click and check it out.
4. I can’t put the last benefit into one word like the others, but the ability to write out one’s comments before putting them out there is one that may be overlooked, but is invaluable in my opinion. I am rarely eloquent in person; the words get all jumbled up and I forget half of what I wanted to say. But if given the chance to type out my thoughts, I can at least feel as though I’ve made a fair pass at expressing myself.
These four items make the blog a unique method of communication that may turn out to be the best media for serious discussions of any kind. We may have more to say about this later.
It’s hard to have any serious goals about blogging on such short acquaintance with it, but I can say that I hope to make use of all the benefits of it this semester and be able to say at the end that I am fluent in this mode of communication.
Honestly, I don't understand the blogging phenomenon because I have not really participated in it. However, I do know why I created a blog for my senior English class. I wanted to create a "hip" place where students could go to share their ideas; I felt a blog would provide a space where students could contribute to class discussion without actually having to verbalize their ideas in class. Shy students could participate in a blog easily, and as an added bonus, everyone would be practicing the essential skills of converting their ideas into writing. A blog provides a document of this thinking and writing, which is a wonderful thing for a teacher. Blogging provides proof that a student is interacting with the course ideas in a meaningful way. It is a valuable tool we have at our disposal, so why not use it?
My personal goals for blogging this semester are: 1. Try not to sound like an idiot. 2. Try not to make anyone cry (in a virtual way). 3. Try to contribute in a positive way.
Well, I feel like I'm getting into confessional blabbing mode, so I think it's time to end my comment. Interesting...I think it is easy to fall into "diary" mode when using a blog. Why is that?
I have a question. What is it that makes blogs superior to forum boards for scholarly discussions? On a board the threads are collapsed, which seems to make it better organized than a blog. A board doesn't usually put people into the "confessional" mode that mrehill noticed. Blogs (to me at least) feel like they belong to one person or entity, the author, and the collapsed comments feel static and dead because of that--they are like post-it notes that one has to unfold to see. People usually feel very free to chime in on forum boards and hold more of a conversation. OH, and a huge benefit of boards over blogs: you can edit a board post. I've noticed the only way to edit these babies is by deleting your whole post and then reposting! Brutal.
Forum boards have all the other benefits of blogs... What is it that makes blogs more attractive? (Is it just that they're free?)
Well, since my Blogger display name changed itself, and I had to come up with a different password for some reason just to get back on, my main goal for blogging this semester is just to understand what I am doing! (and not do it under 30 different names) I tend to get confessional whether or not I'm blogging, speaking, or writing--though I keep my blabbing to a minimum in formal academic papers:) Just to let everyone know, that is the VERY first time I ever typed one of those little sideways smiley faces into a message--maybe this blog thing is changing me!
I must admit to a slight sting in my stomach every time I heard or read the word "Blog" leading up to this class. Perhaps I'm still reeling from the relative ease with which "bling" inserted itself into our common vernacular. That being said, I don't want to become obsolete before my time, so I've decided to jump right in. In all seriousness, I hope that by becoming a part of this particular community, I will develop yet another way to connect with my students--not by using blogs for communicating with them, but rather by understanding a part of their world which to date has been essentially unavailable to me. As it would appear that you are all significantly ahead of me in ability and understanding of said technology, I look forward to learning as much from you as I can while offering another perspective from the outside.
Thanks,
Jake
Perhaps people are attracted to the technology of blogging because of the "sense" of anonymity it gives them. Of course, we discussed in class how this is a false sense of security. But I would imagine that for some people being able to blog their ideas, values, and principles with others without having to physically see negative, if any, reactions to their comments (e.g., disapproval or worse--the blank stare) would be a relief. Those who blog would undoubtedly read the negative or positive comments so as not to hide from feedback, but I would guess that they feel in control of the situation--able to turn on or off the communication as they please.
I hope that this blogging experience will be a place for mind share and a way to practice rhetorical expression for academic publication. Most importantly, this will be an excellent challenge in discipline and diligence!
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