What is a blog?
As defined in the text, Journalism 2.0, a blog is...well it's difficult to tell. The text is too busy praising the glory of the coming of blogs to define them in a meaningful way. We are given a list of common characteristics of blogs though. Online journals, links to other blogs or websites, and the ability for readers to comment on posted blog entries.
For me though, a blog is everything described and more. A blog has the potential to be anything, a blank slate. Maybe that's why the description in the text is so poor, because a specific description of something that can be anything isn't easily done.
A blog sometimes to me is simply a place to vent, rant on and on about a subject that nobody honestly wants to listen to, so I post it where if someone does want to listen, the door is open. Other times it can be a place to get answers or the opinion from people that I know without asking them directly, like a volunteer survey.
With the advent of Twitter and microblogging, new ways to communicate with people are opening up. Simply tweet to a person a question, and they can tweet a reply right back, almost instantly. Maybe a movement for the future of news and writers to be more personal, and less separated from their readers.
2. What's your favorite/energizing thing about blogging?
As I mentioned above, the free communication of information. The ability for someone reading what's posted to comment on it and get feedback almost instantly.
Some of the more connected people in the world of news might tweet just the title of their article and a link, and people can seconds later re-tweet what they think, comments, or anything you'd regularly have to go out of your way to see in the comments section of a blog.
3. What's most challenging about blogging for you?
About the process of blogging myself, or about the concept of blogging affecting me as a person?
I know several people who aren't keen on blogging, and would rather be reading a newspaper article, without having to deal with the comments, the quick updating, basically what makes a blog a blog. But I have no personal issue with bloggers or blogging.
For creating a blog, the most difficult thing is usually finding a topic. Sometimes I feel full of energy, ready to blog and get my words out there. Other times, most of the time, a topic for a blog eludes me. I'm hoping that with this course I'll be able to blog with direction, with instruction. Although the freedom of blogging is great, freedom without structure can be chaos.
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I agree that one of the hardest parts of blogging is coming up with topics. That's why I started reviewing things that interested me on my personal blog.
ReplyDeleteTopics are hard to come by sometimes. I've blogged on the pros and cons of breakfast cereal, I guess that the beauty of it. Not all topics need to be deep and world changing. Enjoyed your post...blog on.
ReplyDeleteRud is right, not everything needs to be deep and world-altering. I really enjoyed the first paragraph of your blog. I found the same praises in the textbook as I looked for a more clear vision of a blog. The redirection of the first sentence made me laugh. You have a good sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI agree all three of you guys. I believe the easiest way to come up with blog ideas is to just speak your mind. As long as its appropriate, it should be a pretty good blog.
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