A blog is a contraction of the term "weblog" which was coined by Jorn Barger on December of 1997. However, the term blog’s popularity is mainly owed to Peter Merholz; in the year 1999 at around April or May, Peter jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com giving birth to the term blog. Shortly thereafter, the word blog was used by Evan Williams at Pyra Labs as a noun and a 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 product, leading to the popularization of the terms.
By definition, a blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. It combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, videos, music, and audio.
Today, to maintain an online diary or blog has become secondary nature to most individuals. In fact, studies have shown that blogging now functions as a social networking site---connecting users and enabling interaction with one another on-line; an advertising tool---certain companies create and maintain blogs for their own products in an effort to advertise. According to Michael Massing, online blogging even influences politics. In truth, most opinions, knowledge and point of views formed by individuals today could possibly be outsourced from a blog or a forum found in the World Wide Web. In fact, these days it is normal to maintain your on-line diary by the use of your mobile phone or while you’re at the office. The human race’ reaction to the introduction of blogs is likewise similar to an addiction. So what makes blogging so addictive and how did it come to be so popular?
It is in the nature of our species to continue doing something that is rewarding for us. Maintaining an on-line diary or more popularly known as blog is rewarding to human beings because it is in the nature of man to yearn for recognition amongst his fellow men. A blog allows us to mark our existence. In a paper written by Gerald J. Gargiulo in 1989, he notes that man desires acknowledgement, understanding and appreciation --- for an experience of belonging to relationships and our world. This is also supported by Dr. Evelin Gerda Linder when she stated that all humans share a common ground, namely a yearning for recognition and respect that connects them and draws them into relationships. When we blog, consciously or unconsciously we are hoping that what we wrote about that irritating sales lady down the street or that covetous new gadget our officemate just bought will be read, talked about and even appreciated by someone in cyberspace. We are hoping that somebody will sympathize and empathize with us so that we may feel less alone in the world. We yearn for recognition which is why we are always itching to go online to check our latest entries for comments about the latest development in our lives because it makes us feel that we are interesting and we are worth being interacted to. A blog gives a sense of accomplishment. Through our blog, we become our own publicist, affirming to ourselves and to the rest of the world that we have a life that is worthy of being storied and talked about.
Blogging is a liberating experience because it satisfies our human desire for freedom. On-line we can post our opinions on topics with the protection of anonymity. We can also take another personality if we want. Blogging is the most attractive way of presenting one’s self today. So go on-line now! You know you want to…
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