Why We Blog

Why We Blog explored various reasons why people choose to share their thoughts online. There were five motivations documented by the study that influence how we use blogs to interact with our world. Each motivation came from in depth case studies that interviewed many bloggers habits. The first motivation was to 'Document My Life', where these users blogged for the purpose of informing others about daily happenings and events. A great example of this was Don's use of his blog when his wife got sick. He was able to update those who were interested in his wife's health on a day to day basis. This allows Don to connect with a variety of people personally and perhaps initiate action from those who would like to help. I believe the 'Document My Life' motivation can be used to create a separate identity, in the same way social media does. We choose what updates we will share, what ideas, what pictures, etc to represent ourselves on our blog. Using blogs for documentation purposes creates a narrative of who we are, and a story in which others want to follow. The next motivation the publication explored was to 'Blog as Commentary', where bloggers would express their views on pertinent issues and opinions. This type of blogging is very useful for those who may choose to be informed on a variety of opinions that aren't just from the news. User blogs dedicated to share opinion can actually change viewers opinions or give them a new perspective on a subject. These insights would not be publicized normally in traditional media, but this does not make the bloggers opinions any less valuable than those that are being shared in say, the editorial section of the New York Times. The third motivation was 'Blogging as catharsis', where bloggers will post in order to let out their feelings, work through issues, as well as give them a healthy place to express themselves. I believe this is important because it allows an outlet for bloggers to feel closure with an issue and gives readers the ability to relate and respond. Blogs can be very personal and with a catharsis styled blog, we can learn more about our peers than we would in any other mode of communication. The fourth motivation identified was to 'Blog as muse' which allows bloggers to work out their thoughts and opinions on a subject by writing. I identify most with this mode of blogging because I only begin to form concrete ideas and opinions when I start to write them down. I have vague ideas about what I believe in, but they aren't thoroughly evaluated until I formulate them in written form. Blogging in this manner can allow those to become more experienced and advanced writers and possibly become published later on. The last motivation was 'Blog as community form', this motivation is most relevant when your blog relies on user comments and feedback. It also can evolve to a forum style in which users interested in a certain topic, such as poetry, can post their poems for the purpose of feedback. This allows discussion on many different topics as well as a constant exchange of knowledge. Overall, we blog for a variety of different reasons, each with a particular goal in mind. This type of communication is beneficial for the world because anyone's story is meaningful and important. Blogging allows us to hear other voices that otherwise wouldn't have a chance to speak.