Jump to content

Blog: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Reverted edits by 217.23.238.227 (talk) to last revision by DVdm (HG)
←Replaced content with 'DINNAR HEW'
Line 1: Line 1:
DINNAR HEW
{{other}}
{{Journalism}}

A '''blog''' (a [[portmanteau]] of the term '''''web log''''')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html|title=Weblogs: A History And Perspective|last=Blood|first=Rebecca|date=September 7, 2000}}</ref> is a discussion or informational site published on the [[World Wide Web]] and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first). Until 2009 blogs were usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often were themed on a single subject. More recently "multi-author blogs" (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, interest groups and similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise of [[Twitter]] and other "[[microblogging]]" systems helps integrate MABs and single-author blogs into societal newstreams. ''Blog'' can also be used as a verb, meaning ''to maintain or add content to a blog''.

The emergence and growth of blogs in the late 1990s coincided with the advent of [[Blog software|web publishing tools]] that facilitated the posting of content by non-technical users. (Previously, a knowledge of such technologies as [[HTML]] and [[FTP]] had been required to publish content on the Web.)

Although not a requirement, most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via [[GUI widget]]s on the blogs, and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mutum|first1=Dilip|last2=Wang|first2=Qing|editor=Neal M. Burns, Terry Daugherty, Matthew S. Eastin|title=Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption|volume=1|year=2010|publisher=IGI Global|pages=248–261|chapter=Consumer Generated Advertising in Blogs}}</ref> In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of [[social network]]ing. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs, but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Gaudeul, Alexia and Peroni, Chiara |year=2010|url=http://ideas.repec.org/a/ebl/ecbull/eb-10-00198.html |title=Reciprocal attention and norm of reciprocity in blogging networks|journal=Economics Bulletin|volume=30|issue=3|pages=2230–2248}}</ref>

Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject; others function as more personal [[online diary|online diaries]]; others function more as [[online advertising|online brand advertising]] of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, [[Web page]]s, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important contribution to the popularity of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art ([[art blog]]s), photographs ([[photoblog]]s), videos ([[video blogging|video blogs]] or "vlogs"), music ([[MP3 blog]]s), and audio ([[podcast]]s). [[Microblogging]] is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts. In education, blogs can be used as instructional resources. These blogs are referred to as [[edublog]]s.

{{As of|2011|2|16}}, there were over 156&nbsp;million public blogs in existence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blogpulse.com/|title=BlogPulse|date=February 16, 2011|publisher=The Nielsen Company|accessdate=2011-02-17}}</ref>
On October 13, 2012, there were around 77 million [[Tumblr]]<ref>[http://www.tumblr.com/about About Tumblr.com. Accessed October 13, 2012]</ref> and 56.6 million [[WordPress.com|WordPress]]<ref>[http://www.wordpress.com/stats WordPress.com Stats. Accessed October 13, 2012]</ref> blogs in existence worldwide.

==History==
[[File:Eastcampusfire glog crop.png|300px|thumb|Early example of a "diary" style blog consisting of text and images transmitted wirelessly in real time from a wearable computer with headup display, 1995 February 22nd]]
{{Main|History of blogging|online diary}}
The term "weblog" was coined by [[Jorn Barger]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2007/12/blog_anniversary|title=After 10 Years of Blogs, the Future's Brighter Than Ever|accessdate=2008-06-05 | work=Wired|date=2007-12-17}}</ref> on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog," was coined by [[Peter Merholz]], who jokingly broke the word ''weblog'' into the phrase ''we blog'' in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794172|title=It's the links, stupid|publisher=The Economist|date=2006-04-20|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://peterme.com/index.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19991013021124/http://peterme.com/index.html|archivedate=1999-10-13|title=Peterme.com|last=Merholz|first=Peter|publisher=[[The Internet Archive]]|year=1999|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kottke.org/03/08/its-weblog-not-web-log|last=Kottke|first=Jason|authorlink=Jason Kottke|title=kottke.org|date=2003-08-26|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, [[Evan Williams (blogger)|Evan Williams]] at [[Pyra Labs]] used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' [[Blogger (service)|Blogger]] product, leading to the popularization of the terms.<ref>[http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0804C&L=ADS-L&P=R16795&I=-3 Origins of "Blog" and "Blogger"], American Dialect Society Mailing List (Apr. 20, 2008).</ref>

===Origins===
Before blogging became popular, digital communities took many forms, including [[Usenet]], commercial online services such as [[GEnie]], BiX and the early [[CompuServe]], [[electronic mailing list|e-mail lists]]<ref>The term "e-log" has been used to describe journal entries sent out via e-mail since as early as March 1996.{{cite web|last=Norman|first=David|title=Users confused by blogs|date=2005-07-13|url=http://lists.drupal.org/archives/development/2005-07/msg00208.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070607235110/http://lists.drupal.org/archives/development/2005-07/msg00208.html|archivedate=2007-06-07|accessdate =2008-06-05|format= &ndash; <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3ANorman+intitle%3AUsers+confused+by+blogs&as_publication=&as_ylo=2005&as_yhi=2005&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup>|postscript=<!--None-->}} {{Dead link|date=June 2008}}{{cite web|title=Research staff and students welcome ‘E-Log’|publisher=University College London|month=December | year=2003|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news-archive/archive/2003/december-2003/latest/newsitem.shtml?03120901|accessdate=2008-06-05}}{{dead link|date=March 2012}}</ref> and [[Bulletin Board System]]s (BBS). In the 1990s, [[Internet forum]] software, created running conversations with "threads". Threads are topical connections between messages on a virtual "corkboard".

From June 14, 1993 Mosaic Communications Corporation maintained their [http://home.mcom.com/home/whats-new.html "What’s New"] list of new websites, updated daily and archived monthly. The page was accessible by a special "What's New" button in the Mosaic web browser.

The modern blog evolved from the [[online diary]], where people would keep a running account of their personal lives. Most such writers called themselves diarists, [[journalist]]s, or journalers. [[Justin Hall]], who began personal blogging in 1994 while a student at [[Swarthmore College]], is generally recognized as one of the earlier bloggers,<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/20/MNGBKBEJO01.DTL|title=Time to get a life — pioneer blogger Justin Hall bows out at 31|last=Harmanci|first=Reyhan|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2005-02-20|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> as is [[Jerry Pournelle]].<ref>{{cite web|work=jerrypournelle.com|url=http://www.jerrypournelle.com/#whatabout |title=Chaos Manor in Perspective|work=Jerry Pournelle's blog|note== "I can make some claim to this being The Original Blog and Daybook. I certainly started keeping a day book well before most, and long before the term "blog" or Web Log was invented. BIX, the Byte information exchange, preceded the Web by a lot, and I also had a daily journal on GE Genie. All that was long before the World Wide Web." -- Jerry Pournelle|author=Pournelle, Jerry}}</ref> [[Dave Winer|Dave Winer's]] Scripting News is also credited with being one of the older and longer running weblogs.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082-985714.html
|title=Newsmaker: Blogging comes to Harvard
|author=Paul Festa
|publisher=[[CNET]]
|date=2003-02-25
|accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref><ref>
"...Dave Winer... whose Scripting News (scripting.com) is one of the oldest blogs."{{cite news
|publisher=New York Times
|date=2002-06-10
|author=David F. Gallagher
|title=Technology; A rift among bloggers
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE3DE103DF933A25755C0A9649C8B63
}}</ref> The Australian Netguide magazine maintained the [http://web.archive.org/web/19961112042649/http://netguide.aust.com/daily/index.html Daily Net News] on their web site from 1996. Daily Net News ran links and daily reviews of new websites, mostly in Australia. Another early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and [[EyeTap]] device to a web site in 1994. This practice of semi-automated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as [[sousveillance]], and such journals were also used as evidence in legal matters.

Early blogs were simply manually updated components of common [[website|Web site]]s. However, the evolution of tools to facilitate the production and maintenance of Web articles posted in reverse chronological order made the publishing process feasible to a much larger, less technical, population. Ultimately, this resulted in the distinct class of online publishing that produces blogs we recognize today. For instance, the use of some sort of browser-based software is now a typical aspect of "blogging". Blogs can be hosted by dedicated [[blog hosting service]]s, or they can be run using [[blog software]], or on regular [[web hosting service]]s.

Some early bloggers, such as [[The Misanthropic Bitch]], who began in 1997, actually referred to their online presence as a [[zine]], before the term blog entered common usage.

===Rise in popularity===
After a slow start, blogging rapidly gained in popularity. Blog usage spread during 1999 and the years following, being further popularized by the near-simultaneous arrival of the first hosted blog tools:
* [[Bruce Ableson]] launched [[Open Diary]] in October 1998, which soon grew to thousands of online diaries. Open Diary innovated the reader comment, becoming the first blog community where readers could add comments to other writers' blog entries.
* [[Brad Fitzpatrick]] started [[LiveJournal]] in March 1999.
* Andrew Smales created Pitas.com in July 1999 as an easier alternative to maintaining a "news page" on a Web site, followed by Diaryland in September 1999, focusing more on a personal diary community.<ref>Jensen, Mallory [http://cjrarchives.org/issues/2003/5/blog-jensen.asp?printerfriendly=yes A Brief History of Weblogs]</ref>
* [[Evan Williams (blogger)|Evan Williams]] and [[Meg Hourihan]] ([[Pyra Labs]]) launched [[Blogger.com]] in August 1999 (purchased by [[Google]] in February 2003)
<!-- EXPAND OR DELETE? -->

===Political impact===
{{See also|Political blog}}
[[File:Talkingpointsmemo2.png|thumb|300px|On 6 December 2002, Josh Marshall's talkingpointsmemo.com blog called attention to U.S. Senator [[Trent Lott|Lott's]] comments regarding Senator Thurmond. Senator Lott was eventually to resign his Senate leadership position over the matter.]]
An early milestone in the rise in importance of blogs came in 2002, when many bloggers focused on comments by [[United States Senate Majority Leader|U.S. Senate Majority Leader]] [[Trent Lott]].<ref name="massing essay"/> Senator Lott, at a party honoring [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Strom Thurmond]], praised Senator Thurmond by suggesting that the United States would have been better off had Thurmond been elected president. Lott's critics saw these comments as a tacit approval of [[racial segregation]], a policy advocated by Thurmond's [[U.S. presidential election, 1948|1948 presidential campaign]]. This view was reinforced by documents and recorded interviews dug up by bloggers. (See [[Josh Marshall]]'s ''[[Talking Points Memo]]''.) Though Lott's comments were made at a public event attended by the media, no major media organizations reported on his controversial comments until after blogs broke the story. Blogging helped to create a political crisis that forced Lott to step down as majority leader.

Similarly, blogs were among the driving forces behind the "[[Rathergate]]" scandal. To wit: (television journalist) [[Dan Rather]] presented documents (on the CBS show ''[[60 Minutes]]'') that conflicted with accepted accounts of President Bush's military service record. Bloggers declared the documents to be [[forgery|forgeries]] and presented evidence and arguments in support of that view. Consequently, CBS apologized for what it said were inadequate reporting techniques (see [[Little Green Footballs]]). Many bloggers view this scandal as the advent of blogs' acceptance by the mass media, both as a news source and opinion and as means of applying political pressure.

The impact of these stories gave greater credibility to blogs as a medium of news dissemination. Though often seen as partisan gossips,{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} bloggers sometimes lead the way in bringing key information to public light, with mainstream media having to follow their lead. More often, however, news blogs tend to react to material already published by the mainstream media. Meanwhile, an increasing number of experts blogged, making blogs a source of in-depth analysis.

In [[Russia]], some political bloggers have started to challenge the dominance of official, overwhelmingly pro-government media. Bloggers such as [[Rustem Adagamov]] and [[Alexey Navalny]] have many followers and the latter's nickname for the ruling [[United Russia]] party as the "party of crooks and thieves" and been adopted by anti-regime protesters.<ref>Daniel Sandford, BBC News: "Russians tire of corruption spectacle", http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15972326</ref> This led to the [[Wall Street Journal]] calling Navalny "the man [[Vladimir Putin]] fears most" in March 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Man Vladimir Putin Fears Most (the weekend interview) |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203986604577257321601811092.html | author=Matthew Kaminski | newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | date=March 3, 2012 }}</ref>

===Mainstream popularity===
By 2004, the role of blogs became increasingly mainstream, as [[political consultant]]s, news services, and candidates began using them as tools for outreach and opinion forming. Blogging was established by politicians and political candidates to express opinions on war and other issues and cemented blogs' role as a news source. (See [[Howard Dean]] and [[Wesley Clark]].) Even politicians not actively campaigning, such as the [[Labour Party (UK)|UK's Labour Party's]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Tom Watson (politician)|Tom Watson]], began to blog to bond with constituents.

In January 2005, ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]'' magazine listed eight bloggers whom business people "could not ignore": [[Engadget|Peter Rojas]], [[Xeni Jardin]], [[Benjamin Trott|Ben Trott]], [[Mena Trott]], [[Jonathan I. Schwartz|Jonathan Schwartz]], Jason Goldman, [[Robert Scoble]], and [[Jason Calacanis]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Fortune|date=January 2005|website=Fortune.com|url=http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,1011763-1,00.html|{{Dead link|date=October 2009}}</ref>

[[Israel]] was among the first national governments to set up an official blog.<ref name=Ynet>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3220593,00.html Israel Video Blog aims to show the world 'the beautiful face of real Israel'], Ynet, February 24, 2008.</ref> Under [[David Saranga]], the [[Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] became active in adopting [[Web 2.0]] initiatives, including an official [[video blog]]<ref name=Ynet/> and a [[political blog]].<ref name=Ynet3>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3220593,00.html Latest PR venture of Israel's diplomatic mission in New York attracts large Arab audience], Ynet, June 21, 2007.</ref> The Foreign Ministry also held a [[microblogging]] press conference via [[Twitter]] about its [[2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict|war with Hamas]], with Saranga answering questions from the public in common text-messaging abbreviations during a live worldwide [[press conference]].<ref name=JP>[http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456533492&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull Battlefront Twitter]{{dead link|date=December 2010}}, Haviv Rettig Gur, ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'', December 30, 2008.</ref> The questions and answers were later posted on [[IsraelPolitik]], the country's official political blog.<ref name=NYTs>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/weekinreview/04cohen.html The Toughest Q’s Answered in the Briefest Tweets], Noam Cohen, ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 3, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2009.</ref>

The impact of blogging upon the mainstream media has also been acknowledged by governments. In 2009, the presence of the American journalism industry had declined to the point that several newspaper corporations were filing for bankruptcy, resulting in less direct competition between newspapers within the same circulation area. Discussion emerged as to whether the newspaper industry would benefit from a stimulus package by the federal government. President Barack Obama acknowledged the emerging influence of blogging upon society by saying "if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, then what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding”.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091103/OPINION16/91102031/1004/OPINION/Journalists-deserve-subsidies-too Journalists deserve subsidies too], Robert W. Mcchesney and John Nichols, ''[[Delaware Online]]'', November 3, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.</ref>

==Types==
There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written.

;Personal blogs: The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. One type of personal blog, referred to as a microblog, is extremely detailed and seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as [[Twitter]], allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing.

;Microblogging: Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content—which could be text, pictures, links, short videos, or other media—on the Internet. Microblogging offers a portable communication mode that feels organic and spontaneous to many and has captured the public imagination. Friends use it to keep in touch, business associates use it to coordinate meetings or share useful resources, and celebrities and politicians (or their publicists) microblog about concert dates, lectures, book releases, or tour schedules. A wide and growing range of add-on tools enables sophisticated updates and interaction with other applications, and the resulting profusion of functionality is helping to define new possibilities for this type of communication.<ref>http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-microblogging</ref>

;Corporate and organizational blogs: A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for [[business]] purposes. Blogs used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a [[corporation]] or externally for [[marketing]], [[brand]]ing or [[public relations]] purposes are called [[corporate blog]]s. Similar blogs for clubs and societies are called club blogs, group blogs, or by similar names; typical use is to inform members and other interested parties of club and member activities.

;By [[genre]]: Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as [[political blog]]s, [[health blog]]s, [[travel blog]]s (also known as ''travelogs''), gardening blogs, house blogs,<ref>Stephan Metcalf, "Fixing a Hole", ''New York Times'', March 2006</ref><ref>Jennifer Saranow, "Blogwatch: This Old House", ''Wall Street Journal'', September 2007</ref> [[fashion blog]]s, [[project blog]]s, [[edublog|education blog]]s, [[niche blog]]s, [[classical music blog]]s, quizzing blogs and [[legal blogs]] (often referred to as a blawgs) or [[dreamlog]]s. Two common types of genre blogs are [[art blog]]s and [[music blog]]s. A blog featuring discussions especially about [[homemaker|home]] and [[family]] is not uncommonly called a [[list of family-and-homemaking blogs|mom blog]] and one made popular is by [[Erica Diamond]] who created Womenonthefence.com which is syndicated to over two million readers monthly.<ref>Casserly, Meghan and Goudreau, Jenna. [http://www.forbes.com/2011/06/23/100-best-web-sites-for-women-blogs-2011.html Top 100 Websites For Women 2011], ''Forbes'', June 23, 2011</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Paul |first=Pamela |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993832-3,00.html |title=The New Family Album |publisher=TIME |date=2004-04-12 |accessdate=2010-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07304/829747-51.stm |title=More women are entering the blogosphere - satirizing, sharing and reaching a key demographic |publisher=Post-gazette.com |date=2007-10-31 |accessdate=2010-03-31 | first=MacKenzie | last=Carpenter}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-drooling-minutiae-of-childhood-revealed-for-all-to-see-as-mommy-blogs-come-of-age-485573.html | work=The Independent | location=London | title=The drooling minutiae of childhood revealed for all to see as 'Mommy blogs' come of age | first=Jonathan | last=Brown | date=2005-02-05 | accessdate=2010-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10322842 |title=Living |publisher=Omaha.com |date= |accessdate=2010-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/fashion/27blogher.html?_r=2&sq=blogher%20women%20blogging&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1228493929-MAKTyKJ3qiW/+fidCwXbFg | work=The New York Times | title=Blogging’s Glass Ceiling | first=Kara | last=Jesella | date=2008-07-27 | accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a [[Splog]].

;By media type: A blog comprising videos is called a [[vlog]], one comprising links is called a [[linklog]], a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a [[sketchblog]] or one comprising photos is called a [[photoblog]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.photoblogs.org/wiki/What_is_a_Photoblog|title=What is a photoblog|publisher=Photoblogs.org Wiki|accessdate=2006-06-25}}</ref> Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called [[tumblelog]]s. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see [[typecasting (blogging)]].

:A rare type of blog hosted on the [[Gopher Protocol]] is known as a [[Phlog]].

;By device: Blogs can also be defined by which type of device is used to compose it. A blog written by a [[mobile device]] like a [[mobile phone]] or [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]] could be called a [[moblog]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2783951.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Blogging goes mobile|date=2003-02-23|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and [[EyeTap]] device to a web site. This practice of semi-automated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as [[sousveillance]]. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

;[[Reverse blog]]: A Reverse Blog is composed by its users rather than a single blogger. This system has the characteristics of a blog, and the writing of several authors. These can be written by several contributing authors on a topic, or opened up for anyone to write. There is typically some limit to the number of entries to keep it from operating like a [[Web Forum]].

==Community and cataloging==
;The [[Blogosphere]]: The collective community of all blogs is known as the ''blogosphere''. Since all blogs are on the internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked, through [[blogroll]]s, comments, [[linkback]]s (refbacks, trackbacks or pingbacks) and backlinks. Discussions "in the blogosphere" are occasionally used by the media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues. Because new, untapped communities of bloggers and their readers can emerge in the space of a few years, [[Internet marketing|Internet marketers]] pay close attention to "trends in the blogosphere".<ref>See for instance:
*{{cite news | last = Mesure | first = Susie | title = Is it a diary? Is it an ad? It's a mummy blog | work = The Independent | date = 2009-08-23 | page = 11 | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/is-it-a-diary-is-it-an-ad-its-a-mummy-blog-1776163.html | accessdate = 2009-10-10 | location=London}}</ref>

;[[List of search engines#Blog|Blog search engines]]: Several blog search engines are used to search blog contents, such as [[Bloglines]], [[BlogScope]], and [[Technorati]]. Technorati, which is among the more popular blog search engines, provides current information on both popular searches and [[tag (metadata)|tags]] used to categorize blog postings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://technorati.com/about|title=Welcome to Technorati|date=unknown|accessdate=2008-06-25| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080505011927/http://www.technorati.com/about| archivedate = May 5, 2008}}</ref> The research community is working on going beyond simple keyword search, by inventing new ways to navigate through huge amounts of information present in the [[blogosphere]], as demonstrated by projects like [[BlogScope]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

;Blogging communities and directories: Several [[online communities]] exist that connect people to blogs and bloggers to other bloggers, including BlogCatalog and [[MyBlogLog]].<ref name="MyBlogLog">{{cite web | title = About MyBlogLog | publisher = MyBlogLog | url = http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/help/#a200502282152271 | accessdate = 2007-06-29 }}{{dead link|date=March 2012}}</ref> Interest-specific blogging platforms are also available. For instance, [[Blogster]] has a sizable community of political bloggers among its members. [[Global Voices Online|Global Voices]] aggregates international bloggers, "with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media."<ref>{{cite web | title = Global Voices: About | publisher = GlobalVoices.org| url = http://globalvoicesonline.org/about/ | accessdate = 2011-04-02}}</ref>

;Blogging and [[advertising]]: It is common for blogs to feature advertisements either to financially benefit the blogger or to promote the blogger's favorite causes. The popularity of blogs has also given rise to [[fake blog|"fake blogs"]] in which a company will create a fictional blog as a marketing tool to promote a product.<ref>{{cite web | last = Gogoi | first = Pallavi | title = Wal-Mart's Jim and Laura: The Real Story | work = BusinessWeek | publisher = | date = 2006-10-09 | url = http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061009_579137.htm | accessdate = 2008-08-06}}
</ref>

==Popularity==
Researchers have analyzed the dynamics of how blogs become popular. There are essentially two measures of this: popularity through citations, as well as popularity through affiliation (i.e., [[blogroll]]). The basic conclusion from studies of the structure of blogs is that while it takes time for a blog to become popular through blogrolls, [[permalinks]] can boost popularity more quickly, and are perhaps more indicative of popularity and authority than blogrolls, since they denote that people are actually reading the blog's content and deem it valuable or noteworthy in specific cases.<ref>Marlow, C. [http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~cameron/cv/pubs/04-01.pdf Audience, structure and authority in the weblog community]. Presented at the International Communication Association Conference, May, 2004, New Orleans, LA.</ref>

The [[blogdex]] project was launched by researchers in the [[MIT Media Lab]] to crawl the Web and gather data from thousands of blogs in order to investigate their social properties. It gathered this information for over 4 years, and autonomously tracked the most contagious information spreading in the blog community, ranking it by recency and popularity. It can therefore{{or|date=September 2012}} be considered the first instantiation of a [[memetracker]]. The project was replaced by [[tailrank.com]] which in turn has been replaced by spinn3r.com [http://spinn3r.com].

Blogs are given rankings by [[Technorati]] based on the number of incoming links and [[Alexa Internet]] based on the Web hits of Alexa Toolbar users. In August 2006, Technorati found that the most linked-to blog on the internet was that of Chinese actress [[Xu Jinglei]].<ref name="Fickling">Fickling, David, [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2006/08/15/internet_killed_the_tv_star.html Internet killed the TV star], [[The Guardian]] NewsBlog, 15 August 2006</ref> Chinese media [[Xinhua]] reported that this blog received more than 50 million page views, claiming it to be the most popular blog in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/24/content_672747.htm|title=Xu Jinglei most popular blogger in world|date=2006-08-24|accessdate=2008-06-05|publisher=China Daily}}</ref> Technorati rated [[Boing Boing]] to be the most-read group-written blog.<ref name="Fickling"/>
<!-- The section below is out of date, but interesting - someone want to follow up on it?
[[Gartner]] forecasts that blogging will peak in 2007, leveling off when the number of writers who maintain a personal Web site reaches 100 million. Gartner analysts expect that the novelty value of the medium will wear off as most people who are interested in the phenomenon have checked it out, and new bloggers will offset the number of writers who abandon their creation out of boredom. The firm estimates that there are more than 200 million former bloggers who have ceased posting to their online diaries, creating an exponential rise in the amount of "dotsam" and "netsam" — that is to say, unwanted objects on the Web (analogous to flotsam and jetsam). -->

==Blurring with the mass media==
Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in [[participatory journalism]], differentiate themselves from the [[mainstream media]], while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of "getting around the filter" and pushing [[messages]] directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither [[copyright]] nor the role of the [[mass media]] in presenting society with credible news. Bloggers and other contributors to [[user-generated content]] are behind [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine naming their 2006 [[Time Magazine Person of the Year|person of the year]] as "You".

Many mainstream journalists, meanwhile, write their own blogs — well over 300, according to CyberJournalist.net's J-blog list.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} The first known use of a blog on a news site was in August 1998, when [[Jonathan Dube]] of The ''[[Charlotte Observer]]'' published one chronicling [[Hurricane Bonnie (1998)|Hurricane Bonnie]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Blogging Bonnie.|work=Poynter.org|date=2003-09-18 |url=http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=52&aid=48413/}}</ref>

Some bloggers have moved over to other media. The following bloggers (and others) have appeared on radio and television: [[Atrios|Duncan Black]] (known widely by his pseudonym, Atrios), [[Glenn Reynolds]] ([[Instapundit]]), [[Markos Moulitsas Zúniga]] ([[Daily Kos]]), [[Alex Steffen]] ([[Worldchanging]]), [[Ana Marie Cox]] ([[Wonkette]]), [[Nate Silver]] ([[FiveThirtyEight.com]]), and [[Ezra Klein]] (Ezra Klein blog in ''[[The American Prospect]],'' now in the ''[[Washington Post]]''). In counterpoint, [[Hugh Hewitt]] exemplifies a mass media personality who has moved in the other direction, adding to his reach in "old media" by being an influential blogger. Similarly, it was ''Emergency Preparedness and Safety Tips On Air and Online'' blog articles that captured [[Surgeon General of the United States]] [[Richard Carmona]]'s attention and earned his kudos for the associated broadcasts by talk show host [[WVOX#Notable_Past_Programming|Lisa Tolliver]] and Westchester Emergency Volunteer Reserves-[[Medical Reserve Corps]] Director Marianne Partridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsc.org/nsc_events/Nat_Safe_Month/Pages/home.aspx |title=National Safety Month |publisher=Nsc.org |accessdate=2010-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/21/173419.php|work=Blogcritics|title= Flavor Flav Celebrates National Safety Month}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://tolliveretips.blogspot.com/2006/06/lisa-tolliver-show-guests-flavor-flav.html|title= Lisa Tolliver show notes|work=Emergency Preparedness and Safety Tips On Air and Online}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://lisatolliver.blogspot.com/2006/05/how-my-radio-shows-publications-and.html|title= Lisa Tolliver's Show Notes|work=Lisa Tolliver On Air and Online}}</ref>

Blogs have also had an influence on [[minority language]]s, bringing together scattered speakers and learners; this is particularly so with blogs in [[Goidelic language|Gaelic languages]]. Minority language publishing (which may lack economic feasibility) can find its audience through inexpensive blogging.

There are many examples of bloggers who have published books based on their blogs, e.g., [[Salam Pax]], [[Ellen Simonetti]], [[Jessica Cutler]], [[ScrappleFace]]. Blog-based books have been given the name [[blook]]. A prize for the best blog-based book was initiated in 2005,<ref>{{cite news|title=Blooker rewards books from blogs|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4326908.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2005-10-11|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> the [[Lulu Blooker Prize]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Blooker prize honours best blogs|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6446271.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2007-03-17|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> However, success has been elusive offline, with many of these books not selling as well as their blogs. Only blogger [[Tucker Max]] made the [[New York Times Bestseller List]].<ref>{{cite news|last=St |first=Warren |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/fashion/sundaystyles/16CADS.html?ex=1302840000&en=778087aa367d0620&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss |title=Dude, here's my book |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2006-04-16 |accessdate=2010-07-31}}</ref> The book based on [[Julie Powell]]'s blog "The Julie/Julia Project" was made into the film ''[[Julie & Julia]]'', apparently the first to do so.

==Consumer-generated advertising in blogs==
[[Consumer-generated advertising]] is a relatively new and controversial development and it has created a new model of marketing communication from businesses to consumers. Among the various forms of advertising on blog, the most controversial are the sponsored posts.<ref>Mutum, Dilip and Wang, Qing (2010). “Consumer Generated Advertising in Blogs”. In Neal M. Burns, Terry Daugherty, Matthew S. Eastin (Eds) Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption (Vol 1), IGI Global, 248-261.</ref> These are blog entries or posts and may be in the form of feedback, reviews, opinion, videos, etc. and usually contain a link back to the desired site using a keyword/s.

Blogs have led to some [[disintermediation]] and a breakdown of the traditional advertising model where companies can skip over the advertising agencies (previously the only interface with the customer) and contact the customers directly themselves. On the other hand, new companies specialised in blog advertising have been established, to take advantage of this new development as well.

However, there are many people who look negatively on this new development. Some believe that any form of commercial activity on blogs will destroy the blogosphere’s credibility.<ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/06/30/payperpostcom-offers-to-buy-your-soul/ Techchrunch.com]: Payperpost.com offers to sell your soul, Kirkpatrick, M. (2006, June 30).</ref>

==Legal and social consequences==
Blogging can result in a range of legal liabilities and other unforeseen consequences.<ref>http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Search&Key=ETBG/2008/01/25/12/Ar01201.xml&CollName=ET_BANGALORE_ARCHIVE_2007&DOCID=108812&Keyword=%28%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3EChandu%3Cand%3E%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3EGopalakrishnan%3Cand%3E%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3Elibel%3Cand%3E%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3Eblog%29&skin=pastissues2&AppName=2&ViewMode=HTML</ref>

===Defamation or liability===
Several cases have been brought before the national courts against bloggers concerning issues of [[Slander and libel|defamation or liability]]. U.S. payouts related to blogging totaled $17.4 million by 2009; in some cases these have been covered by [[umbrella insurance]].<ref>McQueen MP. (2009). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124287328648142113.html Bloggers, Beware: What You Write Can Get You Sued]. WSJ.</ref> The courts have returned with mixed verdicts. [[Internet Service Provider]]s (ISPs), in general, are immune from liability for information that originates with third parties (U.S. [[Communications Decency Act]] and the EU Directive 2000/31/EC).

In ''Doe v. Cahill'', the [[Delaware Supreme Court]] held that stringent standards had to be met to unmask the [[anonymous bloggers]], and also took the unusual step of dismissing the libel case itself (as unfounded under American libel law) rather than referring it back to the [[trial court]] for reconsideration.<ref>[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/delawarestatecases/266-2005.pdf Doe v. Cahill], 884 A.2d 451 (Del. 2005).</ref> In a bizarre twist, the Cahills were able to obtain the identity of John Doe, who turned out to be the person they suspected: the town's mayor, Councilman Cahill's political rival. The Cahills amended their original complaint, and the mayor settled the case rather than going to trial.

In January 2007, two prominent [[Malaysia]]n political bloggers, [[Jeff Ooi]] and [[Ahiruddin Attan]], were sued by a pro-government newspaper, The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Kalimullah bin Masheerul Hassan, Hishamuddin bin Aun and Brenden John a/l John Pereira over an alleged defamation. The plaintiff was supported by the Malaysian government.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20489|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080608220312/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20489|archivedate=2008-06-08|title=New Straits Times staffers sue two bloggers
|work=[[Reporters Without Borders]]|date=2007-01-19|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> Following the suit, the Malaysian government proposed to "register" all bloggers in Malaysia in order to better control parties against their interest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=21606|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080611025330/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=21606|archivedate=2008-06-11|title=Government plans to force bloggers to register|work=Reporters Without Borders|date=2007-04-06|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> This is the first such legal case against bloggers in the country.

In the United States, blogger Aaron Wall was sued by Traffic Power for [[defamation]] and publication of [[trade secrets]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Kesmodel |title=Blogger Faces Lawsuit Over Comments Posted by Readers |url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB112541909221726743-_vX2YpePQV7AOIl2Jeebz4FAfS4_20060831.html?mod=blogs Wall Street Journal |publisher=Wall Street Journal Online |date=2005-08-31 |accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> According to Wired Magazine, Traffic Power had been "banned from Google for allegedly rigging search engine results."<ref>[[Wired Magazine]], [http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/09/68799 Legal Showdown in Search Fracas], Sept 8, 2005</ref> Wall and other "[[white hat]]" [[search engine optimization]] consultants had exposed Traffic Power in what they claim was an effort to protect the public. The case addressed the murky legal question of who is liable for comments posted on blogs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/05/08/31/1427228.shtml?tid=123 |title=Slashdot, Aug 31 |publisher=Yro.slashdot.org |date=2005-08-31 |accessdate=2010-07-31}}</ref> The case was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, and Traffic Power failed to appeal within the allowed time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sullivan |first=Danny |url=http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060413-084431 |title=SearchEngineWatch |publisher=Blog.searchenginewatch.com |date=2006-04-13 |accessdate=2010-07-31}}</ref>

In 2009, a controversial and landmark decision by [[David Eady|The Hon. Mr Justice Eady]] refused to grant an order to protect the anonymity of [[Richard Horton (blogger)|Richard Horton]]. Horton was a police officer in the United Kingdom who blogged about his job under the name "NightJack".<ref>[http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6509677.ece Ruling on NightJack author Richard Horton kills blogger anonymity]{{dead link|date=July 2010}}</ref>

In 2009, [[NDTV]] issued a legal notice to Indian blogger Kunte for a blog post criticizing their coverage of the [[Mumbai attacks]].<ref name="hootbarkha">{{cite news
|title=Barkha versus blogger
|url=http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=3629&mod=1&pg=1&sectionId=6&valid=true
|publisher=The Hoot
|accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref> The blogger unconditionally withdrew his post, which resulted in several Indian bloggers criticizing NDTV for trying to silence critics.<ref>[http://www.abhishekarora.com/2009/02/chyetanya-kunte-vs-burkha-dutt-ndtv.html Indian bloggers criticizing NDTV]</ref>

===Employment===
Employees who blog about elements of their place of employment can begin to affect the [[brand recognition]] of their employer. In general, attempts by employee bloggers to protect themselves by maintaining anonymity have proved ineffective.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/catherine_sanderson/2007/04/blogger_beware.html|last=Sanderson|
first=Cathrine|title=Blogger beware!|publisher=Guardian Unlimited|date=2007-04-02|accessdate=2007-04-02 | location=London}}</ref>

[[Delta Air Lines]] fired [[flight attendant]] [[Ellen Simonetti]] because she posted photographs of herself in uniform on an airplane and because of comments posted on her blog "Queen of Sky: Diary of a Flight Attendant" which the employer deemed inappropriate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3974081.stm|last=Twist|first=Jo|title=US Blogger Fired by her Airline|work=BBC News|date=2004-11-03|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-09-08-delta-blog_x.htm|title=Delta employee fired for blogging sues airline|work=[[USA Today]]|date=2005-09-08|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> This case highlighted the issue of personal blogging and freedom of expression versus employer rights and responsibilities, and so it received wide media attention. Simonetti took legal action against the airline for "wrongful termination, defamation of character and lost future wages".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/03/airline_blogger_sacked/|title=Queen of the Sky gets marching orders|publisher=The Register|date=2004-11-03|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> The suit was postponed while Delta was in bankruptcy proceedings (court docket).<ref>[http://deltadocket.com/delta_downloads/delta_downloads_CourtFiledDocuments/Twelfth_OmnibusClaimsObjection.pdf Deltadocket.com]{{dead link|date=March 2012}}</ref>

In early 2006, Erik Ringmar, a tenured senior lecturer at the [[London School of Economics]], was ordered by the convenor of his department to "take down and destroy" his blog in which he discussed the quality of education at the school.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,1766663,00.html|publisher=The Guardian|title=Lecturer's Blog Sparks Free Speech Row|date=2006-05-03|accessdate=2008-06-05 | location=London | first=Donald | last=MacLeod}} See also [http://ringmar.net/forgethefootnotes/ Forget the Footnotes]{{dead link|date=March 2012}}</ref>

[[Mark Cuban]], owner of the [[Dallas Mavericks]], was fined during the 2006 [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] playoffs for criticizing NBA officials on the court and in his blog.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2440355|publisher=ESPN|title=NBA fines Cuban $200K for antics on, off court|date=2006-05-11|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref>

Mark Jen was terminated in 2005 after 10 days of employment as an Assistant Product Manager at [[Google]] for discussing corporate secrets on his personal blog, then called 99zeros and hosted on the Google-owned [[Blogger.com|Blogger]] service.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/Google-blogger-has-left-the-building/2100-1038_3-5567863.html| last=Hansen|first=Evan|publisher=CNET News|title=Google blogger has left the building|date=2005-02-08|accessdate=2007-04-04}}</ref> He blogged about unreleased products and company finances a week before the company's earnings announcement. He was fired two days after he complied with his employer's request to remove the sensitive material from his blog.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.plaxoed.com/2005/02/11/the-official-story-straight-from-the-source/|title=Official Story, straight from the source}}</ref>

In India, blogger Gaurav Sabnis resigned from [[IBM]] after his posts questioned the claims of a management school IIPM.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=152721 |title=Express India |publisher=Cities.expressindia.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-30}}</ref>

[[Jessica Cutler]], aka "The Washingtonienne",<ref>[http://washingtoniennearchive.blogspot.com/ Washingtoniennearchive.blogspot.com]</ref> blogged about her sex life while employed as a congressional assistant. After the blog was discovered and she was fired,<ref>
{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48909-2004May22.html|title=The Hill's Sex Diarist Reveals All (Well, Some)|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2004-05-23|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> she wrote a novel based on her experiences and blog: ''The Washingtonienne: A Novel''. Cutler is presently being
sued by one of her former lovers in a case that could establish the extent to which bloggers are obligated to protect the privacy of their real life associates.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16366256/|title= Steamy D.C. Sex Blog Scandal Heads to Court| work=[[The Associated Press]], [[MSNBC]]| date=2006-12-27 | accessdate=2008-06-05 }}</ref>

Catherine Sanderson, a.k.a. [[Petite Anglaise]], lost her job in Paris at a British accountancy firm because of blogging.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/07/19/france.blog/index.html?section=cnn_tech |
title=Bridget Jones Blogger Fire Fury |work=[[CNN]]|date=2006-07-19|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> Although given in the blog in a fairly anonymous manner, some of the descriptions of the firm and some of its people were less than flattering. Sanderson later won a compensation claim case against the British firm, however.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070330/tc_afp/lifestyleinternet_070330205230|archiveurl=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200703/ai_n18772706|archivedate=2007-03-30|work=AFP|
title=Sacked "petite anglaise" blogger wins compensation claim|date=2007-03-30|accessdate=2008-06-05}}{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref>

On the other hand, [[Penelope Trunk]] wrote an upbeat article in the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' back in 2006, entitled "Blogs 'essential' to a good career".<ref>[http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/04/16/blogs_essential_to_a_good_career/ Boston.com]</ref> She was one of the first journalists to point out that a large portion of bloggers are professionals and that a well-written blog can help attract employers.

===Political dangers===
Blogging can sometimes have unforeseen consequences in politically sensitive areas. Blogs are much harder to control than broadcast or even print media. As a result, [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] and [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] regimes often seek to suppress blogs and/or to punish those who maintain them.

In [[Singapore]], two ethnic Chinese were [[imprisoned]] under the country’s [[Sedition Act (Singapore)|anti-sedition law]] for posting [[anti-Muslim]] remarks in their blogs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kierkegaard|first=Sylvia|authorlink=Sylvia Kierkegaard|year=2006|doi=10.1016/j.clsr.2006.01.002|title=Blogs, lies and the doocing: The next hotbed of litigation?|journal=Computer Law & Security Report|volume=22|issue=2|page=127}}</ref>

[[Egypt]]ian blogger [[Kareem Amer]] was charged with insulting the Egyptian president [[Hosni Mubarak]] and an [[Islam]]ic [[Al-Azhar University|institution]] through his blog. It is the first time in the history of Egypt that a blogger was prosecuted. After a brief trial session that took place in [[Alexandria]], the blogger was found guilty and sentenced to prison terms of three years for insulting [[Islam]] and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mubarak.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6385849.stm|title=Egypt blogger jailed for "insult"|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2007-02-22|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref>

Egyptian blogger Abdel Monem Mahmoud was arrested in April 2007 for anti-government writings in his blog.<ref>[http://www.ana-ikhwan.blogspot.com/ Ana-ikhwan.blogspot.com]</ref> Monem is a member of the then banned [[Muslim Brotherhood]].

After the [[2011 Egyptian revolution]], the Egyptian blogger [[Maikel Nabil Sanad]] was charged with insulting the military for an article he wrote on his personal blog and sentenced to 3 years.<ref>[[VOA News]]: [http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Imprisoned-Egyptian-Bloggers-Hunger-Strike-Fights-Military-Rule-131793268.html Imprisoned Egyptian Blogger's Hunger Strike Fights Military Rule] (13 October 2011)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wri-irg.org/node/12513 |title=EGYPT: Egyptian pacifist Maikel Nabil Sanad arrested for insulting the military &#124; War Resisters' International |publisher=Wri-irg.org |date= |accessdate=2011-08-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maikelnabil.com/2011/03/army-and-people-wasnt-ever-one-hand.html |title=Maikel Nabil Sanad مايكل نبيل سند: The Army and The People Were Never One Hand |publisher=Maikelnabil.com |date=2011-03-08 |accessdate=2011-08-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wri-irg.org/node/13004 |title=EGYPT: Imprisoned pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad in solitary confinement &#124; War Resisters' International |publisher=Wri-irg.org |date= |accessdate=2011-08-14}}</ref><ref>http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/22687/Egypt/Politics-/Advocates-Egyptian-blogger-Nabil-on-hunger-strike-.aspx</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rsf.org/egypte-maikel-nabil-sanad-s-two-year-jail-14-12-2011,41301.html |title=Maikel Nabil Sanad’s two-year jail term "insults spirit of Egyptian revolution" |publisher=Reporters Without Borders |date= |accessdate=2011-12-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/hunger-strike-egyptian-pr_n_963916.html |title=Maikel Nabil Sanad, On Hunger Strike in Egypt, Is Dying |publisher=http://www.huffingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.nomiltrials.com/2011/12/press-release-imminent-death-of-blogger.html |title=Press Release: The Imminent Death of Blogger Maikel Nabil, Imprisoned by the Egyptian Military |publisher=No Military Trials for Civilians |date= |accessdate=2011-12-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBHs1Xs2lF4 |title=The Story of Maikel Nabil - SCAF Crimes |publisher=www.youtube.com |accessdate=2011-12-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/22/egypt-pardons-blogger-anniversary-protests?newsfeed=true |title=Egypt pardons jailed blogger as generals brace for anniversary protests |author=Jack Shenker |date=22 January 2012 |work= |publisher=''[[The Guardian]]'' |accessdate=23 January 2012}}</ref><ref>Amnesty International: [https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/egypt-military-court-%E2%80%98toying-life%E2%80%99-jailed-blogger-2011-10-13 Egypt military court ‘toying with life’ of jailed blogger] (13 October 2011)</ref><ref>[[Amnesty International]]: [https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/egypt-blogger-hunger-strike-must-be-released-health-fails-2011-09-26 Egypt blogger on hunger strike must be released as health fails] (26 September 2011)</ref><ref>[[Reporters Without Borders]]: [http://en.rsf.org/+the-blogger-and-conscientious+.html The blogger and conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad arrested] (28 March 2011)</ref><ref>Reporters Without Borders: [http://en.rsf.org/egypt-jailed-blogger-resumes-hunger-17-09-2011,41015.html Authorities urged to free blogger at military court appeal] (3 October 2011)</ref>

After expressing opinions in his personal blog about the state of the Sudanese armed forces, [[Jan Pronk]], [[United Nations]] Special Representative for the [[Sudan]], was given three days notice to leave Sudan. The Sudanese army had demanded his deportation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/10/22/sudan.darfur.un/index.html|title=Sudan expels U.N. envoy for blog|work=[[CNN]]|date=2006-10-22|accessdate=2007-03-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = UN envoy leaves after Sudan row | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6076022.stm | work = BBC NEWS | publisher = BBC | date = 23 October 2006 | accessdate = 2006-10-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Annan confirms Pronk will serve out his term as top envoy for Sudan |url = http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20396&Cr=sudan&Cr1= | work = UN News Centre | publisher = UN|date = 27 October 2006 | accessdate = 2008-06-05}}</ref>

In [[Myanmar]], Nay Phone Latt, a blogger, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for posting a cartoon critical of head of state [[Than Shwe]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7721271.stm | work=BBC News | title=Burma blogger jailed for 20 years | date=2008-11-11 | accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref>

===Personal safety===
{{See also|Cyberstalking|Internet homicide}}
One consequence of blogging is the possibility of attacks or threats against the blogger, sometimes without apparent reason. [[Kathy Sierra]], author of the innocuous blog "Creating Passionate Users",<ref>[http://headrush.typepad.com/ Headrush.typepad.com]</ref> was the target of such vicious threats and misogynistic insults that she canceled her keynote speech at a technology conference in San Diego, fearing for her safety.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-internet31mar31,0,4064392.story?coll=la-home-headlines | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080625081401/http://www.imsafer.com/images/LAtimes_3_31_07.pdf | archivedate=2007-04-02 | title=Abuse, threats quiet bloggers' keyboards|last=Pham | first= Alex |publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=2007-03-31|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> While a blogger's anonymity is often tenuous, [[troll (internet)|Internet trolls]] who would attack a blogger with threats or insults can be emboldened by anonymity. Sierra and supporters initiated an online discussion aimed at countering abusive online behavior<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6499095.stm | title=Blog death threats spark debate |publisher=BBC News|date=2007-03-27|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> and developed a [[blogger's code of conduct]].

===Behavior===
The '''Blogger's Code of Conduct''' is a proposal by [[Tim O'Reilly]] for bloggers to enforce civility on their blogs by being civil themselves and moderating comments on their blog. The code was proposed due to threats made to blogger [[Kathy Sierra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html|title=Call for a Blogger's Code of Conduct|publisher=O'Reilly Radar|author=Tim O'Reilly|date=2007-03-03|accessdate=2007-04-14|authorlink=Tim O'Reilly}}</ref> The idea of the code was first reported by [[BBC News]], who quoted O'Reilly saying, "I do think we need some code of conduct around what is acceptable behaviour, I would hope that it doesn't come through any kind of regulation it would come through self-regulation."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6502643.stm|title=Call for blogging code of conduct|publisher=BBC News|date=2007-03-28|accessdate=2007-04-14}}</ref>

O'Reilly and others came up with a list of seven proposed ideas:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/04/draft_bloggers_1.html |title=Draft Blogger's Code of Conduct |publisher=Radar.oreilly.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogging.wikia.com/wiki/Blogger%27s_Code_of_Conduct |title=Blogger's Code of Conduct at Blogging Wikia |publisher=Blogging.wikia.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yankeesailor.us/?p=113 |title=MilBlogs Rules of Engagement |publisher=Yankeesailor.us |date=2005-05-20 |accessdate=2011-01-30}}</ref><ref>[http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/04/code_of_conduct.html Code of Conduct: Lessons Learned So Far], by Tim O'Reilly</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blogger.com/content.g |title=Blogger Content Policy |publisher=Blogger.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-30}}</ref>

#Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on your blog.
#Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.
#Consider eliminating anonymous comments.
#Ignore the [[troll (internet)|troll]]s.
#Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.
#If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.
#Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

==See also==
{{Portal|Internet|Journalism}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bitter Lawyer]]
* [[Blog award]]
* [[List of search engines#Blog|Blog search engines]]
* [[Blog traffic]]
* [[Blogskin]]
* [[BROG]]
* [[Chat room]]
* [[Citizen journalism]]
* [[Collaborative blog]]
* [[Customer engagement]]
* [[Edublog]]
* [[Glossary of blogging]]
* [[Blog software]]
* [[Internet forum|Forums]]
* [[Interactive journalism]]
* [[Internet think tank]]
* [[Israblog]]
* [[Bernando LaPallo]]
* [[List of blogs]]
* [[List of family-and-homemaking blogs]]
* [[Mass collaboration]]
* [[Prison blogs]]
* [[Sideblog]]
* [[Social blogging]]
* [[Webmaster]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="massing essay">{{cite journal | last = Massing | first = Michael | authorlink = Michael Massing | title = The News About the Internet | work = New York Review of Books | volume = 56 | issue = 13 | date = 2009-08-13 | pages = 29&ndash;32 | url = http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22960 | accessdate = 2009-10-10 | publisher = [[The New York Review of Books]]}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
{{refend}}
* Alavi, Nasrin. ''We Are Iran: The Persian Blogs'', Soft Skull Press, New York, 2005. ISBN 1-933368-05-5.
* Bruns, Axel, and Joanne Jacobs, eds. ''Uses of Blogs'', Peter Lang, New York, 2006. ISBN 0-8204-8124-6.
* Blood, Rebecca. [http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html "Weblogs: A History and Perspective"]. "Rebecca's Pocket".
* Kline, David; Burstein, Dan. ''Blog!: How the Newest Media Revolution is Changing Politics, Business, and Culture'', Squibnocket Partners, L.L.C., 2005. ISBN 1-59315-141-1.
* [[Michael Gorman (librarian)|Michael Gorman]]. [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA502009.html "Revenge of the Blog People!"]. ''Library Journal''.
* Ringmar, Erik. [http://www.archive.org/download/ABloggersManifestoFreeSpeechAndCensorshipInTheAgeOfTheInternet/ErikRingmarABloggersManifesto.pdf A Blogger's Manifesto: Free Speech and Censorship in the Age of the Internet] (London: Anthem Press, 2007).
* [[Scott Rosenberg (journalist)|Rosenberg, Scott]], [http://books.google.com/books?id=opmZQrBNPssC&printsec=frontcover ''Say Everything: how blogging Began, what it's becoming, and why it matters''], New York : Crown Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-307-45136-1
{{refend}}

==External links==
<!-- These links should go to sites that extend this reference about weblogs. -->
<!-- DO NOT add your specific blogs or blog search engines here. -->
<!-- Please keep this list alphabetized. Thanks! -->
{{Wiktionary}}
{{wikiquote|Blogging}}
* [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB3-4JH47F6-5&_user=10&_handle=V-WA-A-W-AB-MsSAYZW-UUA-U-AAVYYUUEZC-AAVZBYADZC-YBADCWEZW-AB-U&_fmt=summary&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2006&_rdoc=5&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%235915%232006%23999779997%23619171!&_cdi=5915&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&;_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=3a78d26b9ff73d0a9c37060c8bed6dbc Computer Law and Security Report Volume 22 Issue 2, Pages 127-136] blogs, Lies and the Doocing by [[Sylvia Kierkegaard]] (2006)
* [http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/ Legal Guide for bloggers] by the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]
* [http://www.webgranth.com Blogging website]
{{Blog topics}}
{{Computer-mediated communication}}

[[Category:Blogs| Blog]]
[[Category:Internet terminology]]
[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Words coined in the 1990s]]

{{Link FA|af}}
{{Link FA|te}}
[[af:Webjoernaal]]
[[ar:مدونة]]
[[ast:Blogue]]
[[az:Bloq]]
[[bn:ব্লগ]]
[[zh-min-nan:Bāng-chì]]
[[be:Блог]]
[[be-x-old:Блог]]
[[bg:Блог]]
[[bar:Blog]]
[[bs:Blog]]
[[br:Blog]]
[[ca:Bloc]]
[[cs:Blog]]
[[cy:Blog]]
[[da:Blog]]
[[de:Blog]]
[[et:Ajaveeb]]
[[el:Ιστολόγιο]]
[[es:Blog]]
[[eo:Blogo]]
[[eu:Blog]]
[[fa:وب‌نوشت]]
[[fo:Bloggur]]
[[fr:Blog]]
[[fy:Webloch]]
[[ga:Blag]]
[[gl:Weblog]]
[[gu:બ્લૉગ]]
[[ko:블로그]]
[[hy:Բլոգ]]
[[hi:चिट्ठा]]
[[hr:Blog]]
[[ilo:Blog]]
[[id:Blog]]
[[ia:Blog]]
[[os:Блог]]
[[is:Blogg]]
[[it:Blog]]
[[he:בלוג]]
[[jv:Blog]]
[[kn:ಬ್ಲಾಗ್]]
[[ka:ბლოგი]]
[[kk:Блог]]
[[sw:Blogu]]
[[ku:Blog]]
[[lo:ບລອກ]]
[[la:Blog]]
[[lv:Tīmekļa žurnāls]]
[[lb:Blog]]
[[lt:Tinklaraštis]]
[[lmo:Blog]]
[[hu:Blog]]
[[mk:Блог]]
[[ml:ബ്ലോഗ്]]
[[mt:Blogg]]
[[mr:अनुदिनी]]
[[ms:Blog]]
[[mwl:Blogue]]
[[mn:Блог]]
[[nl:Weblog]]
[[ne:ब्लग]]
[[ja:ブログ]]
[[no:Blogg]]
[[nn:Blogg]]
[[oc:Blòg]]
[[uz:Blog]]
[[km:ប្លូក]]
[[pl:Blog]]
[[pt:Blog]]
[[ro:Blog]]
[[ru:Блог]]
[[sq:Ditari Blog]]
[[si:වියුණු සටහන]]
[[simple:Blog]]
[[sk:Weblog]]
[[sl:Blog]]
[[ckb:بڵاگ]]
[[sr:Блог]]
[[sh:Blog]]
[[su:Blog]]
[[fi:Blogi]]
[[sv:Blogg]]
[[tl:Blog]]
[[ta:வலைப்பதிவு]]
[[tt:Blog]]
[[te:బ్లాగు]]
[[th:บล็อก]]
[[tg:Блог]]
[[tr:Blog]]
[[tk:Blog]]
[[uk:Блог]]
[[ur:مدونہ]]
[[vec:Blog]]
[[vi:Blog]]
[[wa:Waibe-blok]]
[[yi:בלאג]]
[[zh:網誌]]

Revision as of 09:07, 16 October 2012

DINNAR HEW

Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Blog&oldid=518087131"