Blogging Community and It's Methods

Blogging community is a community that is created with people who share the same common ground. According to Denise (2009), "The blogosphere is already a community." As mentioned by White (2006), "the term ‘online community’ implied a community who interacted online within some bounded set of technologies".

Creating a blogging community is easy. These communities already exist; all you have to do is create a blog (Blogspot, Xanga or Wordpress) relating to your type of blog. For example, if your main idea of a blog is posting up vlogs (Youtube) live from your bedroom; the community of vlogs, already exist.

As of creating a blog, links, comments, tags, postings could all be generated. Blogging about sensitive issues would only go against the government and drive your readers away.

Three types of blogging community:-

• One blog centric - Communicate and create a relationship between the writer and their audiences
• Topic centric - Shares the same interests that are grouped together
• Boundaried - A social networking tool of a collection of blog hosts

The types of blogging community fall under the segregated topics you blog about, eg: Politics (http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/), Musics, Photography (http://www.sixthseal.com), Fashion (http://www.cheeserland.com) and many others.

Reference:

1. Denise, 2009, How do you build community?, retrieved on 13th November 2oo9, <http://www.blogher.com/how-do-you-build-community



2. White. N, 2006, Blogs and Community - launching a new paradigm for online community? 11th edition, http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-–-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community

Different Classification of Blog Genres

There are many types of blogs that are segregated into different section fields. Many bloggers blogs about various kinds of topics. Some blogs specifically into a specified topic. Alike books and magazines, they are classified into different categories for kids (cartoons, comics), teenagers (gadgets, fashion, love stories) and adults (cars, house and politics). These are the few topics that could be found over the net:-

• Fashion and Style
• Food and Beverages
• Photography
• Sports
• Travel and Holidays
• Music
• Humour
• Politics
• Technology and Gadgets
• Cars
• Music

and many more.

Here are the type of blogs that are classified respectively to the contents and blogging methods.

• Blogs: Most bloggers that are found in the blogosphere uses this content as one of their methods in sharing ideas and experiences. Example: Blogspot, Xanga, Wordpress. These few websites are easy to create to share with friends and publics on their daily live experiences. It is also usually used as an online diary.
• Vlogs: In other words, video blogs that is usually found in Youtube. Bloggers posts their live experiences recorded and uploaded on Youtube that could be viewed from all around the world.
• Photolog: Flickr, Deviatart, Fotolog are also known as moblog. Moblog is a blog that enables bloggers to post pictures namely photographers. It is the easiest way to share photographs with simple and short descriptions
• Tumblelog/Microblog: One example of a tumbleblog is Tumblr. Tumblr is one of the most popular methods of blogging. It is a fastform and it supports widgets. Another example of a microblog is Twitter has become one of the most popular way of updating the community (friends and family) about their lives. It is a short and simplified way to post messages on the web. Twitter and Tumblr application could be easily downloaded to your mobile phone.
• Linklog: Are blogs with categorized hyperlinks that made easier for the community.
• Liveblog: Liveblog are usually soccer webpages that updates live on scores. One of the examples are EPL Matches.

Blogger.com - An online diary

Youtube.com (Vlog) Free video sharing

Fotolog.com - Photo sharing with family and friends

Tumblr.com - Blogs live

Audiences or also known as blog readers could only be closely identified by specific topics that are published by blog owners. Blogs are considered as a phenomenal medium in delivering information, the only way to categorised them are by the specific topic bloggers blog about that is easily acquired.

Blogs: Contemporary Phenomenon and Benefits.

Web Logs are one of the growing phenomenon in the maturity of the World Wide Web.
The abbreviated version of a "weblog" is "blog", which is a webpage that enables an individual to update on the chronicle information of their experiences or knowledge namely food, traveling, fashion, photography, technology, sports and much more.

According to Helmond (2008), there are approximately over a hundred million blogs in the blogosphere as of 2008. Over years, blogs have been increasingly growing throughout the nation. Blogs have become one of the most popular and favourable medium around the world in terms of obtaining information, as an interactive opinionative medium and feedbacks from readers. In support to my point, Educause Learning Initiative (2005) mentioned, "blogs engage people in knowledge sharing, reflection and debate, they often attract a large and dedicated readership".

There are few reasons why weblogs are beneficial to the community.

Here are the reasons why:-

• Easy to navigate
• Free
• Wide extended connection such as Wifi (that could be found in most of the places)
• Easy to obtain information.

Reference:

1. Helmond, A, 2008, How Many Blogs Are There?, retrieved on 14 November 2009,



2. Educause Learning Intiative, 2005, 7 Things You Should Know About Blogs, retrieved on 14th November 2009,

Document Design

What is a good document?

As Anderson (1987) states that a good document design is to help readers read efficiently with the emphasis on the critical contents and the encouragement to readers to feel good about communication. (Putnis & Petelin, 1996)

In Schriver (1997) readings, prose and graphics are as one as a part of the body text in order to help readers enhance while reading the text. Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) also stated that texts and images work together. In Figure 1.0, there were only texts but no images. With images, it could enhance the understanding for the readers.

Figure 1.0

In Figure 1.0, is a great example of being too wordy with no image to balance. Utilizing images in slides can help enhance the audiences' understanding. As stated by Reep (2006), proportion is to use equal amount of spaces so that it is not monotonous for readers.

Moving on Figure 1.1, is an example image of the earlier sub topic, but no sub-headings were injected in the slides. We have come to learn that headings on documents are essential to avoid misguided information to the audiences.

Figure 1.1

In Reep's (2006) reading, the principles of design are the qualities that are important to any visual presentation regardless to the topic or the audience. With reference to the principles of a good document, Reep (2006) opines organizing headings are the sequencing of information is the first attraction to readers. Headings are the foremost important substance in a document. It is a head start to audiences on what is about to come (necessary information).

In order to produce a good document design, it must include necessary effects such as italics, bold, underlining on headings or sub headings on documents in order to create a better deciphering. (Nielson, 1997) This is because there are readers who only schemes through and would be beneficial to them as the main points would be obvious. Example, Figure 1.2 shows a great example on important measures in the slides to capture readers' attention. This also means that those that are in bold letters are important information.

Figure 1.2

Reference:

1. Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T 2006, Reading images. Chapter 1: The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication.

2. Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read on the Web, viewed 10 September 2009, <www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html>

3. Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, ‘Writing to communicate’, in Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney, pp. 223-263.

4. Reep, Diana C. 2006, ‘Chp 4: Principles of Document Design,’ in Technical Writing, 6th ed., Pearson Edu, Inc., New York, p.173-190.

5. Schriver, K.A 1997, 'The interplay of words and pictures', Dynamics in document design : creating texts for readers, p. 361-441, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is for those who are interested in the principles of design. It is targeted to those in communication and working adults who can relate and refer to the above subject. Updates on this blog will give out reviews, examples and notes with regards to the issues of publication and design.