Chapter 4: Citizen Journalists?

The internet changed how journalism really works. Blogs can be used to write about any topic, uncensored. People can state their opinions about politics, current news, and even everyday issues.  Blogs can be used as a type of journalism by how people express themselves through what they write. They have the ability to convey news to an outside source. Blogs attract a different group of people, and can be considered a type of journalism because the amount of freedom they have.

Chapter Five: Blogs as narratives

In this chapter, Rettberg explains how blogs are forms of narratives. She says that blogging is an episodic style of writing that leads to a particular narrative structure. Blogs are  stories told in brief episodes- a beginning and an end. Some blogs focus on goals and others may focus on self exploration. A person can write about their life, but they don’t need to insert every detail, only what they chose to write about.

Chapter Two: From Bards to Blogs

Writing is a technology in itself. Rettberg writes about how the transition from orality to literacy can be useful in understanding the current blog culture. A well written blog can defeat the idea that writing is unresponsive. A blog can be edited and updated frequently. People can comment/discuss about the blog and throw in their own input on what is being said. Making blogs a responsive type of writing. This chapter explains how the creation of blogs has made some sort of a public sphere. People can stay current in what the world is “thinking”, and add to the cultural medium blogs have impacted.

Chapter Three: Blogs, Communities, and Networks

Blogs are a type of a social genre. A person can be a part of a social networking community. They can find a common place or similar connections through social networks and experience a whole other community. Places such as facebook.com, myspace.com, twitter.com, and last.fm, help people connect with others that have the same interests as them, and even stay in contact with long lost family members. Weak ties work as bridges between the social groups, and eventually expanding social networks.

Chapter One: What is a Blog?

Blogging is primarily popular because of how relatively easy it is to do. Rettberg chose three examples of blogs and explains each different style of blogging. She starts off talking about the site Dooce.com, and she touches on the topic of it being a personal type of blog. Personal blogs are the web’s version of someones diary, but published for the world to see.

The second type of blog Rettberg talks about are filter blogs. Filter blogs recored the bloggers experiences and the content of what they find on the web. The site she mentions is kottke.org. Kottke.org was started by a web designer named Jason Kottke. His blogging style consists of commentary and expert opinions on the cultural sides of web design, development, and new technology.

Thirdly, Rettberg discusses topic driven blogs. The example she uses is dailykos.org, which focuses mainly on liberal views. Dailykos.org is one of the more popular political blogs available to people.

One might ask, “what exactly is a blog, and why would I blog?” A blog is a contraction of the words web and log. Basically, blogging is a tool people use to spill their guts about anything they please. Blogging is a way to get things out, start topic driven conversations, or even arguments. Blogs are quite astonishing.

1. Whatever you do, don’t drive drunk in this mess.

2. Don’t panic, Douglas Adams had a point.

3. Keep notice that the rules still abide, pay attention to road signs.

I know I’m not the next Kasey Kahne, but please try to remember the scariest thing on the road is the other driver :/

(P.S. If you figured out the anagram above, go you!)

Played fetch for about an hour with Cheddar.