# Blog:personal one or public one?



## janezhang88

Do you have blog of your own? are you willing to let strangers visit there? do you think it is a private space or public hall?

It is quite popular to open a blog online in nowaday, where is just like your diary,where you can write down everything of yourself,feeling,emotion,happyness,and saddenss, but with many celebrities involved in this action, the purpose of blog seems has been changed a little bit, it doesnt belong personality any more, it is like a window or stage on which one's secret life display. What is your opinion about it?


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## maxiogee

I am blogless.
Inflicting my musings on the forer@s here is about as public as I wish to get.

How unutterably pompous to think that others would wish to read one's maunderings.


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## Lemminkäinen

maxiogee said:


> How unutterably pompous to think that others would wish to read one's maunderings.



That depends a little though - surely there's a difference in "popousity" between the human rights activist in China who risks her life or at least jail in order to let people know about the conditions for people over there, and the teenagers that posts their bad poems and ramble on about their newest sock purchase 

I don't have a blog myself, as not even I would want to read my daily thoughts; why should other people be exposed to them?


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## cuchuflete

janezhang88 said:


> Do you have blog of your own?  *No, I do not. * are you willing to let strangers visit there? *Not applicable to a non-existent blog. * do you think it is a private space or public hall? *Of course it is public, albeit invisible.  Anyone is welcome to add their own invisible comments.  *


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## Nunty

This whole blog thing is the one aspect of the Internet that I just don't get. Why bother?

If you are a human rights activist in an oppressive regime, I can see it. It's a little like the _samizat_ (if that's the right word) books under USSR communism. But why on earth would someone want to read the daily happenings of a teenager in Spain or a home-schooling mother in the US or just about anyone who can spell (more or less) and has web access?

Even more - why would I want to expose my thoughts and feelings to anyone and everyone? If I should ever want to do that, I'll write a book or send articles to professional journals or strongly worded letters to _The Times_.

I've never read a blog, and I have no intention of reading one, so I suppose I'm just talking though my hat. (I've never read an online blog/I never hope to read one...) 

Maybe it's a generational thing? Besides people who do it for political or publicity reasons are most bloggers under 30 years old? 35?


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## cuchuflete

This thread is a blog.

​


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## Nunty

indeed! I've lost my purity.

But that leads me to ask: what exactly is a blog? I thought it was sort of an on-line personal journal or virtual soap box.


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## cuchuflete

Here's what a wikipedia contributor thinks it is:



> is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.



The wiki article says that there are, as of this month, about 60 million of them.  That's close to 1% of humanity, strutting its stuff, for better or worse.  Gargl!


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## Nunty

cuchuflete said:


> [...]The wiki article says that there are, as of this month, about 60 million of them.  That's close to 1% of humanity, strutting its stuff, for better or worse.  Gargl!


That, O Cuchu of the Forums, is a truly frightening thought. I hope I can sleep tonight!


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## geve

janezhang88 said:


> Do you have blog of your own? are you willing to let strangers visit there? do you think it is a private space or public hall?


I too wonder about their public/private status: to me it's like having a secret diary except it's nailed on the wall.
So no, I don't have a blog.
On the other hand, I have to agree with the daylily above...


cuchuflete said:


> This thread is a blog.
> 
> ​


Let me add my eek-icon too:  


Lemminkäinen said:


> That depends a little though - surely there's a difference in "popousity" between the human rights activist in China who risks her life or at least jail in order to let people know about the conditions for people over there, and the teenagers that posts their bad poems and ramble on about their newest sock purchase


I agree with that: thematic blogs are quite different indeed. 
But I have the impression that the greatest part of existing blogs are average teeenagers sharing their pics and thoughts. For instance, one of the top radio stations for teenagers in France was recently sold at a very high price. Well, what accounted the most for the high price was not the radio station itself, but the blog business attached to it! (see here - in French)



Nun-Translator said:


> If you are a human rights activist in an oppressive regime, I can see it. It's a little like the _samizat_ (if that's the right word) books under USSR communism. But why on earth would someone want to read the daily happenings of a teenager in Spain or a home-schooling mother in the US or just about anyone who can spell (more or less) and has web access?


Maybe the human rights activist in an oppressive regime is interested in finding out what the life of a homeschooling mother in the US is like.


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## la reine victoria

I don't have a personal blog. To me it is rather like scratching one's name on an ancient monument - the desire to leave one's mark.

This said, I have read some extremely interesting blogs, especially those written by people who have detailed their experiences on travels to infrequently visited places. 

We have a forero who is a pilot of his own private 'plane. He gave me a link to his blog which tells of his experiences while flying from France to Morocco. It is so beautifully written, in a non-boastful way, that one feels one is there with him, sharing the adventure.

He often flies over to the Isle of Wight, which is how we came to know each other.




LRV
Sundays only poster.
How can I leave you after
all those loving messages?


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## janezhang88

I have a personal blog,but haven't updated it almost three monthes, i have never had desire of exposing it,and neither want to read other's blog,it is really ridiculous to read a stranger's diary, whose life is nothing to do with mine.

What i am confused is why they would like sharing their personal life with others? what is their purpose? because of loneliness? because they want to be concerned? to exchange?


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## emma42

Teenagers have always written diaries and bad poetry.  They are just using the medium of the age.  Teenagers are very interested in each other's lives - reading blogs helps them to make sense of things and feel less alone, as many teenagers do.

Although many blogs consist of execrable rubbish, at least the net is democratic in that it gives every would-be writer (with access to a computer) a chance to go public - unlike the world of book-publishing.  Some blogs are very literary.


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## janezhang88

emma42 said:


> Some blogs are very literary.


Yeah,you are right. 
I dont know what it is like of blog writting in other countries,if the celebrities, like those in China,also open blog of their own? Do they also concern the hits of visiting?


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## comikang

There are more than seventeen million blogers in China now, some of them are well-known people: singer, actor(actress), sport star...sometimes they open their blog just for improveing their status and make themselves more famous, maybe this is one of the reasons they open it to public. Others write their blogs for decrease their tension or express their good mood, you know no matter we are joyance or complaint, we need friends.

Sorry for my poor English


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## Etcetera

I have a blog. I even update it regularly! 
But I never write anything really _personal_ there. It's a place where I can share my opinion on a book or a film, complain of traffic jams, discuss with my friends some linguistic or literaty issue. 
Janezhang, you might have forgotten that most blogs allow you to chose who will be able to see your entries. Most blogs allow to write entries only for friends or even for personal view. My blog is 50/50 public/friends only.


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## Hutschi

Is a blog a matter of contents or a matter of software? If a blog is not related to a special software, I wrote kinds of blogs in forums. If it is refered to special software, called "blog", than I did not use blogs until now.

In a forum, I used both kinds of blogs, open public and friends only. 

Is it a blog, if somebody can answer?

Best regards
Bernd


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## natasha2000

Nun-Translator said:


> It's a little like the _samizat_ (if that's the right word) books under USSR communism.


 
I guess the word is SAMIZDAT, which would mean something like selfpublished.


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## natasha2000

janezhang88 said:


> I have a personal blog,but haven't updated it almost three monthes, i have never had desire of exposing it,and neither want to read other's blog,it is really ridiculous to read a stranger's diary, whose life is nothing to do with mine.
> 
> What i am confused is why they would like sharing their personal life with others? what is their purpose? because of loneliness? because they want to be concerned? to exchange?


 
But then if you think like this... Why do you have it? If you don't want anyone to read it, then why bother?


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## JazzByChas

I must admit that the only reason I ever started a blog was as a school assignment.  I think I agree with the poster that said I would rather write books, or submit my musings to editors and have them published.  The best example of a blog is a place where you can publish your work/poetry/stories/musings which are, as LRV said, beautifully written.  

Otherwise, they become a public place for young people to share their pictures, experiences, etc.  A public diary, or scrapbook/photo album if you will.

Just my $0.02 USD


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## Etcetera

natasha2000 said:


> I guess the word is SAMIZDAT, which would mean something like selfpublished.


Yes, it's Samizdat. 
In Soviet times, many books which were forbidden and coudn't be bought in shops or borrowed in libraries, were copied by enthusiasts. I've heard about hand-written copies of Akhmatova's poetry, Bulgakov's _Master and _Margarita, Leo Tolstoy's _War and Peace_.


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## GEmatt

So really there are 3 types of blog?
1. "Execrable" "pomposity" blogs (thanks for the words, Lemminkäinen & emma42!), which are basically outpourings of one-sided rubbish onto the web (cyberrhea )
2. Forum-style blogs, where the point is contact and the exchange of ideas;
3. Informational blogs, like LRV and Nun-Translator mention, which I guess range from the didactic ("The Discovery Channel") to the potentially militant (dissident publications; e-Samizdats)? Humm.

I don't have one, personally. If the pot leaks too much, it ends up dry and empty


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## geve

Nice aphorism, GEmatt!


natasha2000 said:


> But then if you think like this... Why do you have it? If you don't want anyone to read it, then why bother?


To me that's the core question.

I have a friend who recently started a blog about a particular (and rather anodyne) aspect of her life. It's a way to keep herself busy when she's bored at work more than anything else. I post a comment now and then - it's like an alternative to e-mail. She might get bored of it soon - or not, who knows! As for me, I have difficulties with the blog format on the long term. I might visit one for a few days then just forget about it.

I have another friend (an aspiring journalist) who started a blog a while ago, and she told me once that she was sorry she had told her friends about it, because she couldn't write everything she wanted. I couldn't help thinking: isn't that strange that she would rather have strangers (people who come through the blog network) reading her blog, than people she knows?

But then I think I can understand. You develop a different kind of relationship with people you meet on casual virtual places such as blogs - or forums. The people you meet there have no preconception of who you are. They can only 'judge' you on the basis of what you write and how you write it. What you do, where you come from, what you look like, how you dress and behave doesn't account for what they think of you.

While I have no prejudice against making friends on this forum and then meeting them in real life, I think it would feel weird if I met some of my existing real-life friends here... maybe that's just me though!


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## janezhang88

natasha2000 said:


> But then if you think like this... Why do you have it? If you don't want anyone to read it, then why bother?


I have one just as my diary, never exposing to public. but i dont bother for others action, merely want to know the reason casued this phenomena.


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## Ana Raquel

_Nun-Translator wrote: This whole blog thing is the one aspect of the Internet that I just don't get. Why bother?_

A blog can be whatver the author wants it to be. We can learn a lot of things from blogs, I am addicted to one about Sikhism, mrsikhnet, where I learnt Sikhism is not only an ethnic religion or an Indian thing, it also taught me photography.


_Nun-Translator also wrote: Even more - why would I want to expose my thoughts and feelings to anyone and everyone? If I should ever want to do that, I'll write a book or send articles to professional journals or strongly worded letters to The Times._

Internet can reach more readers that a newspaper o a book.


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## natasha2000

janezhang88 said:


> I have one just as my diary, never exposing to public. but i dont bother for others action, merely want to know the reason casued this phenomena.


 
This is precisely something I don't understand. If you want to write a diary, something sopersonal, why would you want to put it in Itnertnet, where it can be endangered by hackers and it can be read against your will? Why not simply do it on your own computer?

My logic is that Internet is made in order to make easier contacts amogn people in the world, as a medium that helps us to share things with other people.  I, for example, have photo albumes on Internet with photos from my trips , so my family and friends in Serbia can see them, because I am not with them physically andI cannot share my photos with them in private. In this way (an many others, like free/cheep calls through Skype) Internet made separation from my family less hard, and I do not feel them so far away from me as when all these posibilities didn't exist.

If this condition of sharing with other people does not exist, then there is no need to put anything on Internet.

Besides, your diary would be safer from unwanted views on your computer than on Internet.


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## Etcetera

I also use my blog to stay in toucn with my friends from other cities and countries, whom I can't see as often as I'd like to. Phone calls are pretty expensive, and the Internet is rather cheap (at least for me - my provider has really nice prices). 
What I also like about blogs is that you can arise any topic you like and discuss it with your friends. I've met a lot of intersting people during such discussions in my friends' blogs.


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## Neever

I saw this topic a few days ago, but didn't post because I didn't have any strong feelings on it. I thought that keeping a blog appealed to some people, and not to others. I was one of the others! 

Ironic then, that I got an email yesterday from the editor of a magazine that I had once written an article for asking me if I would like to become their regular blogger, specifically discussing the trials and tribulations of getting started in my particular profession. So I am soon to share my musings with the world!

I am very aware that I don't want to give out too much personal information, which I think will be difficult. On the other hand, if it can give others any tips which might help them get a foot in the door, then I'm happy to do it. I suppose I don't feel _too_ embarrassed about it because it is not simply a day-by-day account of my (largely boring) life, and after all, _somebody_ _else_ thought it would be a good idea!


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## geve

natasha2000 said:


> This is precisely something I don't understand. If you want to write a diary, something sopersonal, why would you want to put it in Itnertnet, where it can be endangered by hackers and it can be read against your will? Why not simply do it on your own computer?


Maybe because this way, you can access it from any computer?
Or because you think it's safer out there on the internet, because there's always a risk that your computer will get one of these computer diseases or be severely damaged by your devilish younger brother?


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## natasha2000

geve said:


> Maybe because this way, you can access it from any computer?
> Or because you think it's safer out there on the internet, because there's always a risk that your computer will get one of these computer diseases or be severely damaged by your devilish younger brother?


 
jajaja--- Geve! You're a genius! I have never thought about this aspect. Now it has much more sense!


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## Nunty

geve said:


> Maybe because this way, you can access it from any computer?
> Or because you think it's safer out there on the internet, because there's always a risk that your computer will get one of these computer diseases or be severely damaged by your devilish younger brother?





natasha2000 said:


> jajaja--- Geve! You're a genius! I have never thought about this aspect. Now it has much more sense!



Oh, I don't know. In a less electronic age devilish younger brothers turned their older sister's room upside down searching for the pen-and-paper diary. Things haven't changed all that much...


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## natasha2000

Nun-Translator said:


> Oh, I don't know. In a less electronic age devilish younger brothers turned their older sister's room upside down searching for the pen-and-paper diary. Things haven't changed all that much...


 
hehehe... Some things never change....


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