Introduction
Blogging is often defined as the method of creating, maintaining, and updating an online journal or log. Blogging involves reading, writing, reading, and commenting on such journals as well as other aspects such as submissions, public forums, and posts (Rettenberg 4).
Reasons for blogging
Individuals blog for several reasons; the most common reason is that people want to publish their writings so that others may read them.
The freedom from editors and/or screeners allows bloggers to convey their thoughts without fear of censorship or evaluation. The ease of blogging allows individuals to express themselves and submit their thoughts with the click of a button.
Bloggers can reach millions around the world at any time they see fit. Many bloggers express that the reason they blog is that they love to write (Walsh 3).
Kinds of blogs
An estimated seventy percent of the blogosphere consists of personal or non-public blogs. Personal blogs are where bloggers write about their personal lives, as opposed to niche blogs—such as those found on Huffington Post and other sites of categorical nature. Personal blogs serve as a window into the lives of bloggers and deliver voyeuristic satisfaction to the reader as well as an exhibitionist pleasure to the writer.
The readers of personal blogs attach an identity with the blogger by his or her posts. However, each blog entry can be interpreted in many different ways.
Because of different interpretations, the minions of readers may attach different identities to the same blogger; and, without the blogger’s knowledge, many different identities develop and exist.
At the same time, identity development begs the question: would any identity exist if it weren’t for the multiple identities created by readers?
Analysts have compared blogging to pornography. Blogging allows writers to strip away their layers piece by piece similar to an exotic dancer. Blogging can become addictive to both the writer and the reader as it allows a peek into the lives of those who blog. Bloggers generally begin with an alias under which they write and typically only reveal the country of his or her origin. As readers and commentators increase, bloggers typically begin to reveal more personal facts—such as names, current activities, interests, etc…
Analysts have surmised that after about six or seven months of blogging, bloggers typically begin to reveal the very intimate details of their lives once they are comfortable publishing their personal information. Bloggers feel well received by their readers and the fulfillment of their published exhibitionism feeds their desire to continue publishing (Piersall 301).
There are other forms of blogging as well.
General Blogs and niche blogs are written about particular topics and are generally public. Sites such as Huffington Post offer categorical blogs and articles written by a handful of contributors who research particular topics and develop their personal opinions around those topics. General Blogs do not always include categories but rather are used as public forums for the formation of opinions regarding whatever topic may arise. The problem with such blogs is that the readers are unable to identify with the writers because there is a lack of personal information revealed—other than opinions about the particular topics that are discussed.
Blog Identity
A comparison of identity development between two social networking sites shows that there are different processes of identity development. In India, Orkut is a site comparable to Facebook that allows bloggers to create profiles for blogging. However, with Orkut, when creating your profile you must either put everything you intend to reveal on your profile from the beginning or reveal very little—whichever option you choose remains for the duration of the usage (Open Source Center 1).
The terms of revelation on Orkut exist only through a chat system—which does not allow for many revelations to many at one time. Facebook, however, provides many different means of communicating with the public through published photos, videos, chat, and newsfeeds—which include status updates, check-ins, and even game scores for games played on the site. Facebook allows the option of profile editing and can be used to reveal as little or as much as the user desires. Facebook begins with creating a profile and expands through different applications, such as personality tests, so that a user may reveal different aspects of their lives through posting (Newson, Patten, and Houghton 43).
The ability to layer and edit your revelations through Facebook gives it an advantage over Orkut. However, Facebook and blogging cannot be easily compared because Facebook is controlled by the user as to who may view posts. Though there are applications on Facebook that can be used to publish writings (such as notes), published writings on Facebook are subject to report and removal as well as account freezes if the user does not adhere to the terms of usage. Blogging is more for writers who have a passion for writing and the willingness to do so whereas Facebook demands time. Facebook, with its applications and ads, serves as a distraction to those wishing to publish their works (Hudson and Marzilli 10).
The identity of the reader is defined by which blogs the reader follows. These identities are similar to the identities developed for the blogger. The identity of the blog rubs off on the reader. Blogging identities, both online and offline are shaped through the process of blogging. These identities embody the blogger, the reader, the commentator, and therefore, the blog itself (Anon 1).
How to Blog
Some bloggers create or have created for them, and ego. Bloggers’ egos are developed by their readers based on how the blogger treats his or her readers. Bloggers who are also readers tend to receive preferential treatment when serving as commentators. Those who are passionate about blogging are treated more seriously and with higher response rates than those who skim through blogs and post random comments even though readers are an essential part of the blogging process.
It seems to suggest that bloggers group themselves with fellow bloggers through a feigned sense of camaraderie. This “brotherhood” of blogging creates egotistical blogging personalities. This ego additionally plays within the levels of seniority of the blogger and helps to shape the identity of the blogger and, inadvertently, the blog itself. In blogging, non-bloggers are viewed with indifference or are viewed as newcomers whose opinions are of little worth to serious bloggers.
Bloggers also try to define their identities by forming communities. Such blogging communities, over time, become highly institutionalized. These communities develop trendy websites, names, logos, group blogs, conferences, and catchphrases…as well as many different forums in which bloggers may publish. Bloggers like to establish themselves within such communities and influence how the communities grow. This concept shows that bloggers like to create an impact on not only their community site but also on the offline world. Serious communal bloggers take their online identities out into the offline world and try to influence it just as they do the online community—that is, they try to act in a way they feel is expected of them outside the blogosphere. Interestingly, bloggers try to maintain an equal organization without leaders but these attempts often fail. There may not be an established leader, but there is always a power play taking place (Anon 1).
Bloggers maintain a list of links to different blogs and these lists are called blog rolls. The blog rolls contribute to the development of the blogger’s identity. The list typically consists of blogs that the blogger reads and also may include links to many reputable bloggers. The more lists a blogger is added to, the more reputable he or she becomes. The notion that “knowledge is power” comes to light in this situation and bloggers receive more followers through this method (Gardner and Birley 73).
By these factors, a blogger tries to define his or her online and offline identities, however, some bloggers have expressed that they will continue to blog with or without a readership. The blog cycle is composed of four elements: blogger, blog, reader, and comments—however, some bloggers are satisfied with maintaining their blogs without the last two factors of the cycle.
Thus, the blog itself is attaining an identity about the blogger. The blogger creates an association with the blog and considers the blog the end product rather than a means to an end.
The blog is thus considered a sort of diary—a public diary—a paradox because diaries are meant to be personal.
Thus the blogger associates personal values with the blog while exposing these personal values to the public to examine.
For the readership, commenting itself can be considered a type of blog publicizing.
A reader’s comments are not just to express concerns or address the blog itself, but also to publicly express these opinions to the blogger and the rest of the readership. Commenting allows the reader to define an identity for him or herself—thus establishing the reader as a semi-blogger (Stone 3).
Works Cited
Anon. 7 things you should know about Blogs. Educause, n.d. Web.
Gardner, Susannah and Birley, Shane. Blogging for Dummies.3ed. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Hudson, David and Marzilli, Alan. Blogging. New York: InfoBase Publishing, 2007. Print.
Newson, Alex., and Patten, Justin Houghton, Deryck. Blogging and other social media: exploiting the technology and protecting the enterprise. New York: Gower Publishing Ltd., 2008. Print.
Open Source Center. Media Aid.FAS, n.d. Web.
Piersall, Wendy. Mom Blogging for Dummies. John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Print.
Rettenberg, Jill. Blogging Digital media and society series, polity. New York, Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
Stone, Biz. Blogging: genius strategies for instant Web content. New York: Cengage, 2002. Print.
Walsh, Bob. Clear blogging: how people blogging are changing the world and how you can join them: Apress Series Books for professionals by professionals. Apress, 2007. Print.