Blogging Phenomena

What is a “blog?”

First of all, before starting off on the journey to discover the various issues in publication and design -

What is a blog?

A blog (derived from the words “web-log”), is a website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. A blogosphere is a collective term of all blogs and their interconnections (Wikipedia.org).

Some free weblog service providers are like Blogger.com, Xanga.com and Blogpulse.com

Blogosphere

The size of the current blogosphere in 2008 according to a research done by Technorati.com is 133 million blogs worldwide. Many people are constantly updating their blogs every now and then with at least 900,000 blog posts in a day.

(Source: Technorati.com)

Blogging Trend

In a research by Microsoft find that nearly half of those online in Asia have a blog, most of them young people and women (except India where it is mainly a male domain and Korea where blogging is a part of everyday life for everyone). 74% of blog readers in Asia find blogs by friends and family to be most interesting.

Despite the number of blogs, more than 40% of blogs have less than 10 visitors per week.

In Malaysia’s Top 50 bloggers, 28% of them are personal while 16% write about politics and another 16% write about technology. In data collected by Microsoft in 2006, 74% of bloggers in Malaysia are 25 years old or younger and 64% of bloggers are women.

In Europe, music and computers are popular blog topics. However blogging is not as big yet in Europe as in Asia and US. In a research done by Ipsos-Mori, 61% European internet users have heard of blogging, 90% in France and only 50% in Great Britain.

(Source:Technorati.com)

Blogs may have many uses and benefits. Blogs can be focused on a specific topic written by one author, or a blog can be written by many authors on a common set of topics. A blog can also be used to express viewpoints.

Blogs are now having effect on the mainstream media; many people are looking at blogs for news and updates instead of traditional media.

Advertising services such as Advertlets are using blogs as a tool for advertising.

In Malaysia, blogs on politics are hitting the highlights, with many political bloggers such as Raja Petra (Malaysia Today), Jeff Ooi and Kickdefella giving their personal viewpoints on the Malaysia’s politics, which are often not in the viewpoint of the government of Malaysia.

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Reference

Blog, Wikipedia.org, viewed 4 November 2008, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog>

Microsoft.com, viewed 4 November 2008, <http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-28-2006/0004480819&EDATE>

Blogging Phenomenon Sweeps Asia, report from Microsoft, viewed 6 November 2008, <http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-28-2006/0004480819&EDATE>

Technorati™, State of the Blogosphere 2008, viewed 4 November 2008, <http://www.technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/who-are-the-bloggers>

Top 50 blogs in Malaysia, viewed 6 November 2008, <http://www.sabahan.com/2007/02/06/50-most-influential-blogs-in-malaysia>

Deere G 2006, The Power of Blogs in Europe, Ipsos-Mori, viewed 6 November 2008, <http://loiclemeur.com/IPSOSeuroblogs2006english.pdf>

Pruitt C 2005, The Blogging Phenomenon: Who? How? Why?, Digital Divide Network, viewed 6 November 2008, <http://www.sabahan.com/2007/02/06/50-most-influential-blogs-in-malaysia>