by Sabrina Sampson

Created on: November 05, 2009

A blog (the contraction of weblog) can serve several purposes, but all effective blogs share one feature: as opposed to other forms of communication, a blog can provide a subjective, personal voice. The best blogs are notable by their voice and individual authorship, rather than, for example, the impersonal voice of press releases. Among the most frequent uses are for personal journaling, genre- or topic-specific blogs, media blogs, and corporate blogs.

A personal blog is a public journal that can contain anything from anecdotes, ruminations, personal/family pictures, and day-to-day updates about the individual writing the blog. This was the first kind of blog, popularizing in 1999.

A topical blog provides a distinct perspective on a certain subject. In these blogs, the focus is always on the subject matter, such as politics or art, and the readership comes expecting to learn and stay up to date on the specific subject.

A media blog is a subset of topical blogs that feature videos, music, and other forms of media within the blog. These blogs are interactive and often include reviews explanations of the media covered within the blog.

A corporate blog is a subjective counterpart of formal communications for a business or company. Successful corporate blogs are able to speak to consumers and provide a face for a sometimes faceless company.

Though there are different kinds of blogs, each features a subjective voice and the best blogs invite readers into a conversation. Most blogs include Comments sections where readers can offer their perspectives, thoughts, and criticisms on the relevant post. Each blog, then, becomes a microcosm of a social network: comments are often responded to by bloggers, thus creating an ongoing conversation built from both the original writer and the interacting Public. NY Times columnist Stanley Fish, for example, often writes a follow-up column to his writings that respond directly to certain questions and claims posed by the online commentators. A blog can also become part of a larger social network as bloggers comment on each other's posts, creating a boundary-less community where one's thoughts are given a full forum.

Finally, blogging is important in a big-picture, more abstract way. Anyone with internet capabilities can own and write a blog. This simple fact undermines the traditional format of disseminating information: no longer must one rely on news companies or the Media at large. Because of blogs, information and interpretations of such information can be every person's responsibility. One's personal blogging is thus important because it provides the rest of the reading blogosphere a perspective no one else can possibly have solely because of the one's subjectivity. Blogging is a powerfully democratic device, one anyone can take part in.

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