Blog Blog Revolution

By Michelle Kasprzak

A personal publishing revolution is growing larger every day, and it might be one you are a part of already. More and more, Internet users are reading, commenting on, and creating their own blogs. Blogs are like personal diaries in many instances, but are also burgeoning outlets for amateur experts on just about every topic. Increasingly, blog authors that write well and have a clearly-defined area of expertise enjoy a certain level of fame, hundreds of thousands of readers, and occasionally, press accreditation to events that might normally be restricted to only print, radio and television journalists. Other blogs are so personal that they generate only a handful of readers and are clearly being produced for the sheer pleasure of writing and sharing with an audience what the author knows. There are blogs for every taste and interest group, no matter how small. This diversity of voices attracts the same kind of readership that traditional print zines do-readers who are frustrated with the hegenomic worldview in major press outlets.

Though cyberspace is vast and theoretically untethered to geography, many blogs reflect extensively on space and place. Often bloggers unify around their topics of choice, linking to and commenting on other blogs that contain similar subject matter. However, because of specific references to places that might only be known to local residents, it also makes sense that bloggers unify around geography. Another reason that bloggers can relate to other bloggers in the same geographical region arises from the fact that in such a large network of voices, generalizing decreases in value, and specificity becomes more important. The very particular niche that a blog can fill makes it an essential resource for someone seeking information or dialogue around a certain topic. This is where the strength of this “many voices” model really asserts itself. Perhaps a blog that addresses the local politics of a small town won’t gain a large readership, but the discussion it encourages and the information it disseminates might make it essential to the residents in the area. While the minutiae of the latest town hall meeting in Smallsville, Ontario might not warrant even an inch of column space in the Globe and Mail, a local blogger can devote much more resources to such a thing. Providing space for this kind of very specific information is part of what the blogging phenomenon allows us.

When turning to the Internet for information, a question that web surfers often ask themselves is “Who wrote this, and can I believe them?” In the expansive blog landscape, trust is earned by referral (reaching a blog by clicking on a link from a trusted website) or track record (discovering a blog that has been publishing for a long time and has consistently supplied relevant information). For example, in trying to better understand a local bylaw that you are concerned you might be in violation of, when searching the Internet for “bylaw #230-A Belleville, Ontario” you may be more inclined to trust content from what appears to be the website of local government. However, you might find more straightforward and detailed information from a local blogger, who has perhaps documented his experiences with this bylaw first hand. In some cases, the reliability of your source is more critical than in others. To illustrate with a true story, one evening shortly after I had moved to Montreal, I was craving pizza for dinner, and wanted to order from a trusted local place rather than a large chain. A quick search for “Montreal best pizza” led me to the blog of a serious Montreal foodie (See the link for Blork blog in the sidebar). It turned out to be a smart move; my expectations were exceeded and I have been ordering from the same pizza parlour ever since.

Though specific searches will often drive the right readers to your blog, expanding your audience further by making connections with other bloggers can be just as important to the blogging experience. Geography again comes into play, as bloggers in metropolitan areas band together and share their content and links on distinct sites devoted to discovering and promoting each other (see links to metablogs in the sidebar). Some of these geographical groupings, like Montreal’s YULblog site, serve to connect bloggers both through the site itself and through monthly meetings at a bar where bloggers get together to learn more about the person behind the content. In the blogging realm at least, perhaps the local has truly become the new global.

What’s a blog?
A “blog” (derived from web log) is a web space where independent authors post content of their choosing, usually on a frequent basis. Some are more diaristic, others are closer to journalism. Often there is a thematic focus, like art or politics. Blogs that consist mainly of photos are called “photoblogs,” others that rely on short video clips are sometimes referred to as “vlogs.”

How do I set up a blog?
As with anything, there are two ways: complicated and easy. The easy route is to create a free account on one of the many free blog services, like Livejournal or Blogger. These services will often also give you a webspace to host your blog. The more complicated route involves having your own server and setting up blog software on it, like Movable Type, Greymatter or Textpattern. The easy route will enable you to start a blog in minutes, and with some computer knowledge, the more complicated route will have you up in an afternoon.

Blogging Links:
Metablogs (sites that link to many other blogs):
YULblog (Montreal bloggers): http://www.yulblog.org
Greater Toronto Area bloggers: http://www.gtabloggers.com
BlogsCanada: http://www.blogscanada.ca

Author’s Favourite Blogs:
Purse Lip Square Jaw: http://www.plsj.org
Rabbit Blog: http://www.rabbitblog.com
Psychogeography.ca: http://www.psychogeography.ca/blog
Blork Blog: http://blork.typepad.com/
Good Ideas Make Bad Television: http://www.briggs.ca/tv
Sally McKay: http://www.digitalmediatree.com/sallymckay
Idle Words: http://www.idlewords.com
Endless Parade of Excellence: http://www.robcruickshank.net

Author’s blog:
MK’s blog: http://michelle.kasprzak.ca/blog

Blogging Software and Hosting Services:
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
Movable Type: http://www.movabletype.org
Textpattern: http://www.textpattern.com
Greymatter: http://noahgrey.com/greysoft
Livejournal: http://www.livejournal.com