Blogs As Current Phenomenon & Effects on Community

As the phenomenon of the blog has become a major issue, the size of the blogosphere continues to increase. In discussing the issue in relation to the current phenomenon (comScore Networks, Inc. 2005) ‘one of the defining attributes of the “blogosphere” is the sheer number of blogs that users have published’. The chart by Technorati below shows the size of blogosphere per day for the past 90 days.

The latest blogging trends will arrive much later in the blogosphere. For example, in Europe and Asia, there have been plenty of blogs dealing with business, technology and politics. According to Twingly Blog, the majority of influential bloggers in Sweden write actively about politics. While in India, as Dikshit described (2006) in his article, bloggers appear to enjoy reading about technology. In an online survey on the blogosphere in Malaysia, Blogging Malaysia: A Windows Live Report, (Press Microsoft Malaysia 2006), ‘an overwhelming majority (81%)’ of Malaysian bloggers are primarily blogging for their ‘friends or family’.

As we know there are several various types of blogs such as personal blogs, collaborative blogs, corporate blogs, topical blogs, spam blogs (splogs), podcasts and videocasts, and photologs (Blogging-The Phenomenon). Personal blogs and corporate blogs seem prevalent in Europe, Asia and Malaysia.

Ramadass (2006) in reporting the study Blogging Asia: A Windows Live Report, ‘20% of Malaysians voted for blogs focusing on politics’. Political blog itself is beneficial to Malaysians when voicing criticism against the Malaysian Government as a pattern of free speech; so is business blog, which is to instigate discussion, ideas and better business.

References

Blogging-The Phenomenon, Types of blogs, viewed 1 May 2008, <http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01130/typesofblogs_othermedia.html>.

ComScore Networks, Inc. 2005, Behaviours of the blogosphere: understanding the scale, composition and activities of weblog audiences, viewed 30 April 2008, < http://www.comscore.com/blogreport/comScoreBlogReport.pdf>.

Dikshit, S 2006, ‘Interesting blogging trends in India revealed in new survey’, Hindu 28 November, viewed 1 May 2008, <http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/28/stories/2006112800452200.htm>.

Press Microsoft Malaysia 2006, Women rule in Malaysian blogosphere, viewed 1 May 2008, <http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/press/archive2006/linkpage4337.mspx>.

Ramadass, V 2006, ‘Blogging phenomenon sweeps Asia’, 28 November, Lowyat.NET: Malaysia’s Tech Enthusiast Resource Community, viewed 1 May 2008, <http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/blogging-phenomenon-sweeps-asia.html>.

Technorati, The size of blogosphere per day for the past 90 days, viewed 30 April 2008, <http://www.technorati.com/chart/the+size+of+blogosphere?language=en&authority=a4>.

Twingly Blog, First political party to use Twingly blogstream, viewed 30 April 2008, <http://blog.twingly.com/category/europe/>.