BLOGGING, from academia

Have you ever wonder what BLOG actually mean? One could say ' Silly, that's a stupid question!' But hey, many people use abbreviations without actually know what it is....because VIP could have many alternatives...Very Important/Impolite Person/People, etc...

BLOG, as far as i know is short for WEB LOG, basically DIARIES/LOGS of your activities. So it's a personal diary really. But a personal diary that not so personal at all if anyone who is 'plugged in' into the Internet and the World of WWW can view, access, and comment on what you wrote.

This BLOGGING phenomenon, like many others, caught the interest of the academia although admittedly these researchers and theorists can't (and never will be able to) keep up with the rapid growing rate.

You'll find various definitions and explanations in both articles, trying to describe and study this phenonmenon, while perhaps its impact and application have already widely visible.

Some key points from 1 article.

1. Blogs are considered as social activity
2. There are 'object-oriented activity in Blogging such as: Update others on activities and whereabouts, express opinions to influence others, seek others’ opinions and feedback, “Think by writing”, and release emotional tension
3. Relationship between blogger and reader is asymmetrical: although feedback is vital, there are limitations

Some advices on Designs for blog, according to the below sources:

1. Integrated text-based media and tools
2. Photoware
3. Browsing and Search
4. Audience Specificity and Privacy
5. Collaboration
6. Ease of use

Article from Science Direct mentioned some interesting point. Authors conducted research on PR blogging and power. It concluded that apart from using Blog for information routinely, practioners who use Blog frequently than others use the technology more strategic and professional way to establish 'expert' status. Certainly we can see this practice applied by many practioners through various personal blogs

Sources:
http://home.comcast.net/~diane.schiano/CSCW04.Blog.pdf

http://www.www2004.org/proceedings/docs/2p28.pdf

Blog power: Examining the effects of practitioner blog use on power in public relations. From Science Direct, Public Relations Review 33 (2007) 92–95.