Blogs; classifications and its' uprising communities

BLOGS are viewed as the best medium for channeling information. The fact that blogs are seen as one of the best tools for transmitting information unconsciously formed the different categories and classifications of blogs. Furthermore, the graphic aids (heading, jumplines, images) used in blogs provide readers with a quick access to information as it distinguishes the type of blog they are viewing (Reep 2006). By sorting the blogs according to its classifications, different forms of communities emerged amongst us. Firstly, here are several methods on how blogs can be classified:

By theme:

1. Fashion
2. Health

Screen shot of Health Blog

3. Sport
4. Entertainment

Screen shot of and entertainment blog: Perez Hilton

5. Education
6. Food
7. Travel

Screen shot of a travel blog: Asia Travel

8. Politics
9. History
10. Business/corporate

By media:

1. Vlog: YouTube
2. Splog: MalwareWipe Removal Blog

Sreen shot of a splog

3. Photolog: Flickr
4. Podcast: Imeem

Screen shot of Podcast: Imeem

5. Linklog: Tony Finch's link log

Screen shot of a link log: Tony Finch

6. Sketchlog: DeviantART
7. Moblog (mobile phone blog): Moblog Community

Screen shot of Moblog

Blogging communities

Blogs is shaping the image of the how and what the community looked like today. According to Full Circle Associates (2006), there are three types of blogging community; the single centric community, the central connecting topic community and the boundaried community.

1. The single centric community

Source: Full Circle Associates

The primary identities of this community are the blog owners. The commentors’ identities may emerge from time to time, but more likely, as commentors get to know each other, they slowly share their personal details via private email, instant messaging, and social-networking sites. As deemed by David Wilcox (2006) of Designing for Civil Society, ‘…blogs are personally defined spaces’. The power of this community lies in the hand of the blog’s owner. This is because if the author of the blog decided to delete the blog, the community would be devastated and shattered until they had formed an alternate communications path to each other. The features of the blog represent the range of features available to the community. Blogs are able to survive because of the readers’ interpretation through the multiple cues; language, terms, pictures (Shriver 1997). Some of the blogging tools available for users are WordPress and Blogger.

2. The central connecting topic community

Source: Full Circle Associates

The central connecting topic community exist when blogs are linked by common interest or topic. An example of a shared community who uses this form of community is the Global Voices community. This community accumulates blogs from developing countries in order to have the mainstream media to notice the certain issues of those countries.

Screen shot of Global Voices page

3. The boundaried community

Source: Full Circle Associates

Boundaried communities are a collection of blogs or blogs readers that host a single site. This community usually have other functions such as discussion boards, social networking-sties, wikis and instant messaging built in. The fact that bloggers or blog readers are within a defined boundary, created and opportunity for users to gain access to other blogs. For example, MySpace.

Screen shot of a MySpace profile

References:

1. Full Circle Associates 2006, Blogs and community- launching a new paradigm for online community?, viewed on 11 June 2009, <http://www.fullcirc.com/weblog/2006/12/blogs-and-community-launching-new.htm>.

2. Make You Go Hmm.com 2008, The 8 Different Types of Blogging , viewed on 11 June 2009, <http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20080124/5040/>.

3. Reep, DC 2006, 'Chapter 4:Principles of document design', in Technical Writing, 6th edn, Pearson Edu Inc, New York, p.173-190.

4. Schriver, KA 1997, 'Chapter 6: The interplay of words and pictures', in Dynamics in document design: Creating Text for Readers, Wiley Computer, New York, p.361-441.

5. Wilcox D 2006, Designing for Civil Society, viewed on 11 June 2009, <http://partnerships.typepad.com/civic/>

6. WordPress (n.d.), Types of Blogs, viewed on 11 June 2009, <http://en.wordpress.com/types-of-blogs/>.