Blogception

Image taken from here.

Could blogging be perceived as creativity? Is it just lines of words that have no meaning to others, or do blogs hold more significance? Why would people want to blog, what are their motivations?

These are questions which have recently attracted academic attention, since the usage of blogs has considerably increased in the last decade. Nowadays, thousands of blogs are launched and millions of posts are published on a daily basis. To be more precise, according to D. Sifry, over 1.3 million posts joined the World Wide Web every day by 2006.  At the same time, if this activity was to be put in perspective, all of the bloggers are internet users, but not all internet users are bloggers - only around 8% of them actually indulged in such a hobby (Huang, 2007). 

There has been much speculation on what the purpose of blogging is. The challenge in answering this question lies within the fact that every blog is different, much like their authors, and are maintained for a different reason. Academics are even struggling to find a general definition for the activity. Every participant perceives it differently, for their own personal purposes and goals. One blog can be dedicated to the keeping of a personal journal or diary, where personal emotions and expression are dominant. Another blog can be designed for citizen journalism, where the style and tone is more formal, serious, and the subjects it touches upon have nothing in common with feelings. Sports, art, politics, environmental issues...anything a person can think of can become the topic of a blog. Jeff Javis puts it like this (Garden, 2012):

There is no need to define ‘blog’. A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. I resist even calling it a medium; it is a means of sharing information and also of interacting: It’s more about conversation than content … Blogs are whatever they want to be. Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining ‘blog’ is a fool’s errand.

Academics have attempted to pinpoint the motivations behind blogging and the identities behind their authors. One study demonstrates that there are five main reasons behind it (Nardi, 2004):

1. To document one's personal experiences
2. To comment on events or subjects
3. To express one's emotions
4. To create through the art of writing
5. To become a part of a community

Huang and his team confirmed these findings, but also added another notion - the purpose of gathering information. Blogs are mainly connected to other blogs, therefore allowing people to source data more effectively.  It is also important to note that these reasons are not mutually exclusive and are most often combined.

The reason behind my decision that blogging is a creative activity is that it involves much more than endless banter and empty words. Regardless of the topic it touches upon, every blog requires its author to practice not only writing skills, but also demonstrate designing capabilities. Blogs are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, with more options on customization that allow for everyone to apply a personal touch to their own creation. Professionally made blogs take long hours of maintenance, care and even imagination in order to be interesting and challenging. 

Sources:

GARDEN, M., 2012, Defining blog: A fool’s errand or a necessary undertaking, [online] Available at: here [Accessed 27 April 2014]

HUANG, C., et. al., 2007, Bloggers' Motivations and Behaviors: A Model, [online] Available at: here [Accessed 27 April 2014]

NARDI, B. ,et. al., 2004, Why We Blog, [online] Available at: here [Accessed 27 April 2014]