Blog varieties and the blogging community

Williams and Jacobs (2004) mention that "Blogs have evolved along similar lines to other form of human communication in that they are a product of convenience rather than design". With so many blogs out there on the Internet, it is necessary to classify all of them so as to make the online search for information easier. Blogs can be categorized based on their status, content and media type.

Status-wise, blogs can be divided into personal and corporate. The personal blog is more like an individual's online diary, whereas the corporate blog is mostly used by companies for promotion and advertising products.

Content-wise, the more common blog topics are music, technology, politics, fashion and personal life.

Media types include vlogs, photoblogs and linklogs. A vlog is a medium for promoting videos that are updated regularly. A photoblog contains mostly photos and text descriptions. A linklog is basically a blog that contains links to other websites with the same content, and it may contain videos or a description.

In my opinion, the most important thing that classifies blogs - whether simple or unique -is their content.

Source: Australian Flexible Learning Network

A blogging community is made up of bloggers with a common interest, such as Xanga.com. White (2006) categorizes them into the Single Blogger Centric Community, the Central Connecting Topic Community and the Boundaried Community. The first community is made up of a single blogging platform with a single blog and multiple authors, like Blogger. The second community is a specific site which has a network of bloggers with their own blogs and tools. The third community is made up of bloggers and readers, together with social networking and instant messaging tools. There are also different hybrid forms which comprise the functions in between the three, as seen in the picture above.

Blogging communities are vital as they give bloggers the freedom of speech and provides business opportunities for individuals and companies alike.

References:

• White, N 2006, Blogs and Community – launching a new paradigm for online community?, The Knowledge Tree, Australian Flexible Learning Network, viewed 14 June 2009, http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community

• Williams, JB, Jacobs, J 2004, Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the highereducation sector, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, viewed 12 June 2009, http://eprints.qut.edu.au/13066/1/13066.pdf