Blogging phenomenon

Online journalling started as early as 1994, but the reverse-chronological order posting that we all know and love took the world by storm in 1999. This was the year that millions of new users signed up to the first hosted blog tools like Open Diary, LiveJournal, Pitas and Pyra's original Blogger. The popularity continued to grow and in 2004 Cnet reported that 'blog' was the most searched word on the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Many people were finally wanting to know what these viral, public diaries were, and plenty wanted one of their own.

As of January 2009 there were 126 million blogs on the internet. Nowdays the blogosphere is even taking over other forms of publishing, with specialty search sites like technorati developed for the sole purpose of trawling the blog seas to find the gems. Whether you be after a personal diary, reviews of the latest technology or links to the funniest things on the web, you're guaranteed to find someone who does it well within the millions. Blogging has even become a career for some people, with many citizen journalists taking popularity away from professional newspapers with well-created blogs and up to the minute news posts, often specialising in opinions or niche fields that print forms of media don't thoroughly focus on.

Alas, there is also a downside to blogging. The current standard for journalistic integrity is said to be slipping, and many people have become dependent on technology for communication and socialising. If social networking sites help people comunicate with their friends, blogging help them feel creative, search engines help them learn and games keep them entertained, then why should they leave their PC? Technology is taking over our lives, and anything so profound is bound to have both positive and negative effects. One thing for sure is that blogging is here to stay and grow; only time will tell its long-term effects on community, communication, publication and...handwriting.

Image source