escrapbooking title

Blogging: Bloggers As...

Blogs can be viewed in many ways. Although there may be overlap in some areas, the following categories reflect the types of blogs you'll encounter.

Check out some great examples at the Weblog Awards.

Bloggers as Diarists. Some people like to share their life with the world. You'll find blogs written by 7, 17, 27, and 97 year olds from all over the world in all walks of life. If you enjoy reading historical diaries and autobiographies or watching the Biography Channel, you'll love this type of blogging. These e-journals are the most common type of blog. Examples:

Bloggers as Enthusiasts. From rock hounds to NASCAR groupies, some blogs are the focal point for fans, hobbyists, scholars, or others who share a particular interest. While some of these pages are produced by professionals as part of their position as chef, historian, or librarian, others are created by people who simply have a passion to learn and share. Examples:

Bloggers as Institutional Outreach. Some blogs are used to reach outside the walls of an institution such as a museum, library, school, or agency. They are often aligned with an institutional website.

Bloggers as Journalists and News Reporters. Recently, blogs have gained the attention of journalists as a new form of news media. Rather than posting articles in the traditional print, television, or online newspaper media, they use a blog forum for posting factual information. Today, many use a blog format. This format allows users to easily read their past work. It also provides a space for users to make comments or share the posting with others. Many of these blogs have an option to create a link or mail to a friend. Some newspapers now sponsor this type of publishing. This category also includes news pointing services. Most try to clearly state whether they are being objective or stating opinion. Although some of these resources are blogs, others are simply news sources.

Bloggers as News Pundits, Advocates, and Columnists. Although some bloggers would identify themselves as journalists, more blogs focus on commentary and news punditry. These bloggers have identified news pointing, political analysis, commentary, and advocacy as the focus of their blog. You'll find bloggers who try to be objective and others who have clear agendas. While some such as Thomas Friedman are professional journalists, others are simply people with opinions. There's a fine link between journalists, news reporters, analysts, and advocates. Progblog is used to describe a "progressive weblog" associated with left wing politics.

Bloggers as Stars. Some blogs are produced by famous people such as authors and actors. They may or may not provide insights into the individual, but they are a great way to keep up on what's happening in the lives of these people.

Bloggers as Promoters. The idea of blogging has hit the mainstream, so people are now creating websites about blogging.

Bloggers as Specialists. Examine almost any profession and you'll find bloggers. The most well-known area is the technical bloggers or techblogs. Some of these have their own names such as "blawgs" for lawyers or "linguablogs" for linguists. Some of these as "biz blogs" that are part of daily operations of a company, while others are intended for the general public. Internal blogs, called Klogs are often housed on intranets.

 

| eduscapes | Teacher Tap | 42explore | About Us | Contact Us | ©2004-2007 Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson