What are the benefits and problems for individuals and communities in the participation of blogging ?

In internet, people can communicate through many different ways like chat room or discussion broad. For years, these communication patterns remained without significant changes. Recently, the weblog emerged quickly and widely in the internet world. The format of personnel diaries, people posting their thoughts and ideas shared and commented by interested parties in weblog is widely adapted which scholars around the world started to analysis the significant impact to our culture. This essay will illustrate some significant influences and advantages of weblog to people’s life and society and the downside brought by it.

Autobiography is one of the major features of weblog. By writing down whatever in mind, confronting personnel thoughts and opinion everyday, blogger can become a more confident writer. From the commentary of readers in the net, one may gain support, become more confidence, and understand his view of the world. When reading the commentary from readers, one will analyze each person’s point of view. Through these blog conversations, one may form conclusion on some issues. As a result, blogging became a process of self-discovery and self-understanding.

Moreover, autobiographical writing in blogs gave people opportunities to express independent thoughts, innovative ideas and even idolize behavior, which in some cases bloggers can lead fashion trends, and shape the attitudes of visitors. As there is no need to worry about the problems when interacting with real people, expression can be more open up, a blogger’s behaviour can turn from introverted to extroverted. A different personality and identity in the internet, therefore the identity of blogger is not a representation of a real person but similar to the character of an actor. Life in cyberspace to some extend is an escape of internet user.

In addition, there is a similar phenomenon among these expressive autobiographies. They are usually in a deep sense of melancholy.[1] For example, “ Marn’s Big Adventure,2003”, using weblog as a tool to express deep emotions. In 2003, Marn was informed by veterinarian that there was no choice but to terminate her cat Zoe’s life.[2] As Marn’s parents had passed away in early years, Zoe accompanied with Marn for nearly twenty years. As she expressed her feelings in her blog, and after visiting Marn’s blog, many readers were deeply touched. Endless expressions of sorrow and caring were sent to her blog. Living in societies which we hardly know our next door neighbors, online communication may fulfill the need of emotional support in real life.

From a practical perspective, stressful city life is another cause for the popularity of blogging. Today’s working class has long working hours, people have little time to spend in their social life. Moreover, the competitive working environment is complicated. People may not be willing to have open conversations with others. Scholars claim that the phenomenon of the increase of virtual communities is due to the disappearing of informal public spaces from our real lives. [3] As a result, the weblog became an effective communication platform to fulfill the need of true conversations and speedy communications.

In an interview with bloggers in Hong Kong of RTHK’s television programme in 2007, a lady often used the internet to send virtual gifts (an idea in the Facebook) to her friends. Then she can save a lot of time in meeting them, but their relationships are the same as before. Another case is about a company director. He was able to gain a better understanding and consideration of his difficulties from his staff after he had opened up himself in his blog, and had open conversations with them on the internet. His staffs were then getting to know him better. New habits in blogging gave enlightenment to social life.

Another variable thing in blogging is the content itself. In weblog people share their findings and interesting information which they think its worth to tell others. The content provided on blogs is in different varieties from sports and movies to science and history. These information is variable when it is used as a lubricator in social occasions.[4] For example, a good joke from the net can be an excuse to start a discussion with attractive people in party. The joke itself is like a social currency, just like some successful TV shows, they give viewers something to take about with one another the next day. Same as in weblog, people share the information from they have collected through their daily lives. Sending an e-mail of jokes, sender thinks he has given you a gift. In memorizing it, we can bring it some where else.

Nevertheless, people who live in rural areas can make use of weblog to build connection with others and overcome geographical limitations. For example, in the case of “WELL” which is a famous virtual community. Its members are living far apart in the San Francisco Bay area, and they were unable to hold many face to face social activities. However, members of WELL are closely connected. They have many online activities like marriages, births, funeral, parent conference and even emotional support groups.[5] Technology has enabled them to vitalize their social life through weblog communication.

Liberation of speech for private voice to public domain is another contribution of weblog to our society. In the past, private life of individuals is a subject of gossip within a community, and a unique voice is hard to be influential to public. Especially, under the dominance of mass media, individuals are more difficult to participate in public discourse. Weblog became new channel for individual expression, and gave opportunities for them to express their private thoughts in public sphere; the liberation from the authority of parents, peers and institutions. During the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, many bloggers provided first-hand and personal perspectives on the tragic event.[6] Eventually, weblog drew the world attention that a new medium of private voice in gathering and sharing information emerged.

Weblog also give rise to the formation of virtual communities, people with like minds form different kinds of communities in cyber space. Some of these communities are so powerful and influential that they can share power from traditional and market dominated institutions. For example, journal blogs in weblog: Cyberjournalist.net.
Independence journalists publish news on their blog. This is a publishing revolution, since it was the first time that journalists can become their own editors and publishers, and they can directly access to audience.[7] This act was likely to weaken the power of one-way communication in formal publishing and broadcast journalism.

Finally, weblog also help our society in fighting inequalities. Any significant incident that happens in the world, through the effort of blogger, can easily gain public attention. In 2007, a group of people in China, have posted a letter on forum site, claiming that their children were forced to work as slaves in illegal brick kilns in Shaanxi. They were failed to get assistance from local government. After they publicized this incident in internet, they got widely support from public. In response to the serious concern of public, the central government of China intervened this
incident and saved 1000 children.[8] Similar cases have happened in many other places of the world. Bloggers are more influential in political aspect. Inequalities in society are now more difficult to cover up.

The contributions of weblog to individual life and society are significant, there are a lot of writings and case studies about it. However, it is also important to examine the disadvantages of blogging. Like in printing and publishing business, as weblog is a platform for unlimited reproduction and distribution of written words at low cost; there is no entry barrier, no economics of scale and no limited on supply. Mass of amateur writers is enabled to publish their work globally through the access of personal computers. Since in traditional publishing business, they need financial investment to support. Their operation can act as a filter to control and a text’s quality. Some great works are more difficult to gain readers attention, when more people are able to publicize their work through blogging. Amateurish writings in weblogs are likely to undermind some important values of traditional publishing.

As mentioned before, autobiographical writings can build celebrity in cyberspace, idolize behaviour and melancholic writings are fascinations for some blog readers. This can refer to the mediated voyeurism emerged from1990 in American mass media, some confessions about celebrities’ private life.[9] This came from the desire of audience for excitement, given by the illusion of involving in somebody’s private life. As in weblog, identity of blogger is not a representation of a real person, what happened in virtual community can also be a simulation. To be heavily obsessed by it, one’s direct experience in real life will be devalued. In referring to the case of “Marn’s Big Adventure,2003”. In the interview of “Marn”, the blogger’s nickname, she said that she does feel friendship and support from readers by that moment but actually she is not. There is no communal interaction in it, and it is nothing more than verbal expression.[10] This indicates a problem in virtual community that the forming of illusion can confuse real life experience.

In modern world, the cohesion between people and community is fragile. Blogging on one hand is a useful tool for lonely people to get connected to the outside world. On the other hand weblog can also be a powerful tool of political force, like terrorists, to use weblog as an alternate system of political propaganda. The cyberspace is full of aggressors and bigots. Recently, there are corporations between bloggers and commercial enterprises. Promotion of new technology invited bloggers to guide their viewers in selecting the new products.[11] Celebrity bloggers seems to have powerful impact on their viewers. Since blogs can float freely in cyberspace, blogger’s power can be enormous
.
In conclusion, weblog’s popularity is growing in high speed. A survey in 2004 found that new blogs increased by 15 times from 2000 to 2004 with over ten millions participates in the world.[12] The popularity of weblog is certainly has great impact to our society. From the research and studies of weblog, it gave an impression that weblog covered wide range of aspects like education, communication, politics, business, etc. With the advanced function as a personnal diary, it gave power to individuals in publicizing their ideas to the world. New kinds of cultural trends like virtual community and the exist of virtual celebrity. Although, someone would worry about its growing influence to our society, and the virtual statue of weblog which is not under control from any authorities, but the contributions and positive influences of weblog in the previous years is remarkable.


Footnotes:

[1] Michael Keren, Blogoshere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006), pp.21
[2] Michael Keren, Blogoshere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006), pp.91

[3] Howard Rheingold, The Virtual Community, (Britain: The British Printing Company Limited, 1994),pp.276.
[4] Rebecca Blood, We’ve got blog, (United States of America: Perseus Publishing, 2002), pp.118.
[5] Howard Rheingold, The Virtual Community, (Britain: The British Printing Company Limited, 1994),pp.273.
[6] Michael Keren, Blogoshere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006), pp.5.
[7] http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/blogging_as_social_action_a_genre_analysis_of_the_weblog.html (10.12.2007)
[8] http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/template.printACopy/page.scmp_printacop... (10.12.2007)
[9] http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/blogging_as_social_action_a_genre_analysis_of_the_weblog.html (10.12.2007)

[10] Michael Keren, Blogoshere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006), pp.91
[11] Michael Keren, Blogoshere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006), pp.144
[12] http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/blogging_as_social_action_a_genre_analysis_of_the_weblog.html (10.12.2007)


Biliography

Books:

1) Blood, Rebecca, We’ve got blog, (United States of America: Perseus Publishing, 2002).

2) Keen, Andrew, The cult of the amateur: how today’s internet is killing our culture, (New York, Double Day Currency, 2007).

3)Keren, Michael, Blogosphere-The New Political Arena, (Britain: Lexington Books, 2006).

4) Kline, David, & Burstein, Dan, Blog!, (New York: Squibnocket Partners,2005).

5) Nashville, Tenn, Blog:Understanding the information reformation that’s changing your world, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005).

6) Rheingold, Howard, The Virtual Community, (Britain: The British Printing Limited, 1995).


Websites:

1) http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere

2) http://www.scmp.com