The Blogging Phenomenon (I)

Blogs as current phenomenon

According to Technorati.com (2008), they are presently tracing 112.8 million blogs.

They also said that according to their current data, more than 175, 000 blogs are created every day and ‘over 18 updates a second’ (About 2008). As any form of writing platform, there are certain trends that come into the picture where blogs are concerned. In Malaysia, political blogs are very pervasive. Some of the famous political blogs in Malaysia are:

(a) Screenshots
(b) Rocky’s Bru
(c) Lim Kit Siang
(d) Kickdefella
(e)The Scribe A Kadir Jasin
(f)Susan Loone
(g)RantingbyMM
(h)Anwar Ibrahim
(i)Aisehman.org

According to Microsoft.com (2006), 48 % of bloggers in Malaysia post entries about their perception if the ‘world around them’ and ‘64% of bloggers are women’.

However, 49% said they blog as a means to keep up with friends and family’ (Microsoft 2006). Interestingly, IT News Online (2006) reported that dominant bloggers in India are men, accounting for 76 % of its bloggers.

(jorgetutor.com 2004)

In Europe, however, blogging is not as voracious as in Asia and America. Brook (2006) reported that somewhat 30 % of people in Britain had ‘never heard of blogs’ and surprisingly the readers who would actually visit blogs account for only 10 %. Nevertheless, the blogging phenomenon is picking up its pace in Europe recently.

Mackenzie (2006) reported that ‘blogs are becoming an increasingly important part of political life in … Europe … with more than a quarter of readers of the websites spurred to political or civic action.’

(blogstorm.co.uk )

She also said that journal-like blogs are more popular in Europe, ‘accounting for 43 per cent of the top blogs in Italy and 30 per cent in Europe’ (Mackenzie 2006), although blogs on technology, business and politics are dominant.

Blogs have proven to be very beneficial to the public at large. With the emergence of many political blogs, the people of Malaysia are being well educated about their Government and get to hear all sides of the story since the mainstream media in Malaysia does not really write about the Opposition.

Besides that, social blogs allow family members and friends to keep in touch with one another. As for business blogs and technological blogs, Malaysian can keep abreast with current developments and issues in the business and technology arena.

Reference

About Us 2008, Technorati.com, viewed 27 April 2008, <http://technorati.com/about/>.

Brook, S 2006, Blogs struggle to impress in UK, Guardian, viewed 30 April 2008, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/jun/20/pressandpublishing.newmedia>.

ITNewsOnline.com 2006, MSN, Windows Live Release 'Blogging India: A Windows Live Report', viewed 1 May 2008, <http://www.itnewsonline.com/showstory.php?storyid=6905&scatid=6&contid=1>.

Mackenzie, K 2006, European bloggers find their voice, Financial Times, viewed 1 May 2008, ,<http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=European+bloggers+find+their+voice&y=1&aje=true&x=9&id=061010001665&ct=0>.

Microsoft.com 2008, Women Rule in Malaysian Blogosphere, viewed 9 April 2008, <http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/press/archive2006/linkpage4337.mspx>.