“What is the use of blogging?” There are as many answers to that question as there are individuals or businesses. Yet that’s one of the answers, as individuals can blog for personal uses, while businesses might set up blogs to inform and get feedback from customers. A solitary person, on the other hand, may keep the blog as a diary or as a connection to a wider online community. And we can’t forget the blogs that gossip and provide news about the doings of public figures.
It’s when you view blogs as part of a community, though, that the possibilities really open up in front of you. You could be part of what is a fairly quiet blogging community centered on interests like recipes or pets, or you could participate in health-related groups that offer advice and information. The new social media have embraced blogs along with discussion forums and photo sites. And then there are those more avant-garde communities that can really get the adrenaline flowing.
A political blog where all the writer does is attack opponents on the “other side” might be what is generally considered to be a mere vanity site, and a loud one at that. Yet political blogs serve as rallying points where information is logged and where strategy is formulated for ousting unethical representatives. People living under repressive regimes have made invaluable blog entries that bypassed government propaganda and revealed the oppressed lives or real people. Blogs have also been used as information and gathering sites for everything from the environmental movement to healthcare and education reform.
What’s blogged under the rubric of “community” can involve these banners under which people rally who are otherwise strangers. Or some might form a literal blog community where several people write on a single blog, or all have linked weblogs hosted on one site. Those involved in this type of community are more likely to know each other in person and be actual friends.
What is the use of blogging then? The answer to that depends on what you need. Whether you’d like to catch up on the gossip about famous people, become part of a community, or just record your own thoughts and reflections, blogs can serve almost any purpose you need. Nobody should be fooled into thinking that blogging is nothing more than placing text, graphics and photos on a web page.
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