Week 5, Task 1 - Blogs

From doing some research online I found that the blog apparantly developed from the website http://www.opendiary.com/ where people kept a diary of their lives for others to view. The sucess of this website expanded the online diary to the likes of blogging, which where made again on peoples lives, or where made on specific topics that where of interest to other people with the same interests.

A person called Justin Hall is apparantly known as one of the youngest bloggers, he began blogging in 1994 for 11 years! 1994 is not that long ago really, it just shows how quickly a phenomnen such as blogging can esculate!

Now there's loads of websites where you can blog, http://www.livejournal.com/, here! and many more.

I think that blogging is good for any form of expression personally, I think that the author is able to go on there and express whatever they wish too! However, I did find it interesting when researching about the consequences of blogging, the fears of 'confidential' information being leeked etc, people can get in trouble for what they write online just as much as they could for writing it IRL. Doesnt this demonstrate the two lifes - real and online intertwining?

I also researched somewhere about how now even politicians are using blogging to get to a larger audience, I personally havent seen any blogs like this - but found it quite interesting. Politicians etc arent the only people who try to reach larger audiences, celebrities such as Jodie Marsh also have blogs online and share their whole life with their fans/audience!

There's also people who have become almost 'famous' because of their blog! The other week on 'This Morning' there was a lady who was on there talking about her blog. She was telling the audience how she couldnt really find herself a partner because they all knew what she did - blogging, and that in a weeks time all their inner details would be broadcasted to the rest of the world! What do we think too this? I personally think perhaps some people use it as a way to become an 'author' when they cant have the sucess of being an actual book writing author? I also think perhaps they prefer being an author online because it allows them to post all of this life detail, and not all of it has to be interesting etc, where as with books - I'd imagine it all has to be approved that its entertaining/relevant before it reaches shelves? Also perhaps they like the fact they can be really truthful in blogs - but they might have to tone it down for a book?