Student Affairs
On-Line
The on-line magazine about
technology and Student Affairs
Gary D. Malaney - Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst
Editor
Stuart Brown - StudentAffairs.com
Executive Editor
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Student Affairs Gary D. Malaney - Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst Editor Stuart Brown - StudentAffairs.com |
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We've Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing Our Culture and The Weblog Handbook
Weblogs, or just plain Blogs, are one of the more recent phenomena of the Web. Simply stated, Weblogs are frequently or regularly updated web pages that can be constructed in a variety of formats--as an online diary, offering observations and revelations on daily life; a filtering of Web links with commentary, possibly organized around a central theme; or a site with longer, though-provoking treatises. Weblogs are the subject of two recent publications by Perseus Press - We've Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing Our Culture and The Weblog Handbook. Both books offer an excellent primer on this emerging Web-based platform. Reading through both books one is struck by the different ways Blogs are characterized. An off-beat description by Julian Dibbell, in We've Got Blog, compares weblogs to the Wunderkammer, "a random collection of strange, compelling objects, typically compiled and owned by a learned, well-off gentleman…that reflect[ed] European civilization's dazed and wondering attempts to assimilate the glut of physical data that science and exploration [unleashed] during the Renaissance." Rebecca Blood, the author of The Weblog Handbook and creator of the Weblog "Rebecca's Pocket," (www.rebeccablood.net) sees these creations as a personal vision, with a "focus on whatever is of interest to its maintainer." The appeal of each Weblog, she writes, is "grounded thoroughly in the personality of its writer: his interests, his opinions, and his personal mix of links and commentary." Most of the almost three dozen essays (excellently cited in the back of the book) in We've Got Blog have appeared on various Weblogs over the past three years. They range from stream-of-conscious ruminations-"Credo of the Web Log Writer," by GeekMan; to more introspective pieces on the nature and purpose of Weblogs - "Portrait of the Blogger as a Young Man," by Julian Dibbell; to published interviews-"The State of the Blog: Parts 1-3," by Giles Turnbull; to other less quantifiable topics. The writings vary wildly in content and quality, from earthiness and plain-speak to more professionally polished prose. Some of the texts come across as too defensive and preachy, begging for the acceptance of Weblogs as a bona fide form of social, cultural and political commentary, thereby justifying their place in the online world. But, for the most part, We've Got Blog provides the Weblog neophyte with a superb introduction to this realm. The book also contains a helpful glossary of terms and abundant list of Web-based references. In The Weblog Handbook, Ms. Blood, who entered the Weblog realm in 1999, gives the reader a well-structured, meticulously mapped out tour of Blogs. Chapter 1 delivers a thorough description of Weblogs, providing the newbie with enough information to comfortably understand its underpinnings, variegates, and nuances. From here, the author deconstructs the entire Weblog experience. Subsequent chapters comprise such topics as the motivation in conceiving a Blog, the time and energy required for its upkeep, and a how-to guide in creating a Weblog from scratch. For most of this highly readable book Ms. Blood is a combination of coach and cheerleader for individuals seeking to enter the Weblog domain. Her enthusiasm for the form can be infectious-I felt like hammering out my own Weblog after completing the book! Throughout she stresses the necessity in finding one's true voice, no matter how the Weblog is organized. Terms such as distinctive, unique, and independence are apt descriptors. While some of the latter chapters-"Finding An Audience" and "Weblog Community and Etiquette"--may seem elementary to long time denizens of the Web they do contain solid, practical information for those new to Weblogs and the Web itself. As with We've Got Blogged, there is a plethora of referenced Web sites at the end of each chapter.
Weblogs allow individuals to become publishers. They are personal soapboxes, cable access television programs and Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner all wrapped up into one. Even though Weblogs have begun to be unmasked by the mainstream press their identification level still hovers just below the radar of common acknowledgement by the masses, With the publication of We've Got Blogged and The Weblog Handbook Weblogs, flickering at the edges of societal recognition, should come more into focus for the uninitiated.
Editors of Perseus Publishing. (2002). We've got blog: How weblogs are changing our culture. Cambridge, MA: Perseus.
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