Blog Classification

It is becoming increasingly difficult to classify blogs according to its genres, as many blogs have interrelating genres. There are some blogs however which focus on specific subject matters. These are some examples:

Subject Matter:

• Fashion: The Purse Blog

• History: Boston 1775

• Environment: New Scientist Environment Blog
  

• Food: Cooking with Amy

These blogs enable people with interests in a specific topic to access information they require.

Devices & Media Types:

• Moblog (mobile blogging): users are allowed to directly publish blog entries from their mobile phones to the web. Photos and videos can be e-mailed to the site as well. Ex: Jerry Ong Community Blog

• Vlog (video blogging) : is blogging using the medium of videos. The videos are accompanied with texts to explain the video further. Ex: Howard Rheingold’s Vlog

• Linklog : a compilation of different websites that are available in one blog. Ex: del.icio.us

• Sketchblog: blogs wher art pieces, mainly sketches are posted. Ex: Sketch Blog of the Day

• Tumblelogs: short-forms and mixed media such as links, photos, quotes and videos are posted. Used to share author’s thoughts and experiences with little commentary. Ex: Anarchaia

Status of publishers:

• Corporate blogs: used by organizations to achieve their goals. Ex: Ford Motor Company

The placement of elements on a layout carries a different meaning when positioned at a different location. Placing the topic in the centre will capture the audience’s attention and enable them to determine its type immediately. As Kress and Van Leeuwen (1998) state, the centre is the “nucleus” around which other information is placed.

Blogging Communities

Communities are formed by people of similar interests joining together to share their passions.
An example of a well known blogging community is MyBlogLog. Kirkpatrick (2006) says that it is a social networking system which allows people to connect to one another and gain further information on them and their blogs. According to Vinson (2006), blogging communities are created through comments left at blogs, hyperlinks connecting the blogs to other sites and shared language.

MyBlogLog (Techpedia images)


Reference List:

1. Kirkpatrick, M 2006, MyBlogLog: Readers Network Around Their Favorite Blogs, TechCrunch viewed on 30 April 2008, <http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/10/19/mybloglog-readers-network-around-their-favorite-blogs/>.

2. Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Approaches to media discourse, eds Bell, A & Garrett, P, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.

3. The 8 Different Types of Blogging In 2008, Make You Go Hmm.com, viewed on 1 May 2008, <http://www.instigatorblog.com/8-steps-to-growing-your-blog-community-by-1/2007/01/09/>.

4. Vinson, J 2006, Blogging and communities, Blogspot, viewed 30 April 2008, <http://blog.jackvinson.com/archives/2006/06/26/blogging_and_communities.html>.