From the establishment of the first node to node transmission from UCLA to Stanford—also the first crash (“logon”) in 1969 to present, the tempo of Information Technology Revolution almost goes beyond everyone’s expectation. During the past 40 years, we witnessed how the Internet changed our world and our daily life.
The world has been condensed into a small country, which we call “ Earth country” under the impetus of network. Now, whatever information you wish to get, you just need to just open your computer, then you will be immersed into the information ocean and get connected to wherever you want to know. The booming of portable pocket--size devices like I-phone or I touch even put our whole world into our palm. Facebook, Twitters and blogs have already became an inseparable part of our life. Especially the Blogs, it cannot be denied that blogs have became another mainstream media format in our society today. This is also my topic for this article.
In 1994, NCSA (the National Computer Security Association) used the “What's New Page” webpage to summarize the index of new websites, this can be considered as the prototype of blog. Even though the history of blog has only approximately 20 years, the function it generated on our life was tremendous, it has permeated into almost every aspect of our life.
The blog was originally designed to record people’s daily life, which served as an Electrical Dairy. People could express and publish their own opinions freely. With the popularization of network, the influence of blogs also became tremendously, they changed from original recording purpose to more social and commercial function. Basically, the function of blog can be divided into two parts: Information service and Entertainment.
Suppose you want to buy a new car to have a trip. There were so many things for you to tackle. Car dealers, weather, insurance, transportation, destination, etc., I want to take Treehugger as an example. If you are a blogger for Treehugger, by clicking cars and transportation catalog, information concerning cars market, maintenance, insurance will come into your sight. By clicking Travel and Nature catalog. Bloggers will tell you where are the most attractive scenic resorts, and what kind of work you should prepare for your trip. Of course, you will find more information with patience on the blogs where your interest locates. Many famous blogs usually attached the weather forecast, stock market information and transportation schedule on the webpage to satisfy people’s basic information requirements.
Blogs are good platforms for you to get information about what happens around the world. If you are a blogger for Treehugger, everyday when you open you blog, you will find the latest news by clicking the exclusive catalog. Bloggers from various fields will bring you more newsworthy events everyday. Some links may lead you to the mainstream medias like Washington post, NewYork time and CNN, etc. Those mainstream medias cannot deny this trend and established their own blogs after they realize the influence of blogs for their potential audiences. Most governments also follow this trend to establish blogs to promote the execution of their policy. Many powerful companies like Apple, Lenovo, GM also establish blogs to promote sailing and improve their customer service. Obviously, blogs gain more attractiveness for the public with the stimulation of those influential political and commercial organizations.
If your are an expert, a specialist or enthusiastic fans for a stable field say music, movies, economics, politics or philosophy. Blogs are the ideal place for you to get the most sophisticated technology, notion and works in your field. For instance, if your are an architect you will find more fashionable styles for buildings around the world in Design-architecture catalog on Treehugger. Then you will get novelty ideas about your design.
Based on this consideration, blogs are the platforms not only for basic information service but also for professional requirements.
Another important function for blogs is Entertaining. Usually, some popular blogs will gather the latest music, movies, fashion style and other format of arts and entertaining information together. We must keep in mind those who possess the blogs are usually the ones who can grip the impulse of our society, they know which is the audience most in need. Thus blog provide people another world for pursuing their interests. Take Treehugger as an example, it’s easy for young ladies to find the information concerning the most fashion style, the most welcomed cosmetics in fashion and beauty catalog. It is really enjoyable to appreciate the euphonious music, the fantastic movie or other things we want to know on blogs with a cup of coffee after a whole day’s exhaustive work.
Nowadays, a large numbers of stars in various fields opened their own blogs like Jackie Chen, Bruce Willis, Thomas Hanks and Michael Phelps. Fans can track their idols by following these blogs. These celebrity blogs bring our society another source of entertainment.
OK, after analyzing the basic functions of blogs. Someone may ask why should I select blog? I can get information and entertainment from other medias. This sounds reasonable. However, I want to emphasize one point. The most obvious character for blogs is interactive. Remember the original purpose for blogs is to record life and express ideas, and this basic rule will not change as time passed. What you thought and what you said on the Internet can get valuable responses. Keep in mind only communication can make things easy to understand. Those authorities’ opinion in your field may bring you a wide horizon, and those passionate responses may give you courage to step forward and forget the pressure and plight you confront.
All in all, the significance of blogs in our life cannot be denied. I am quite sure the advancement of technology may bring other new format like Microblog(a new format of blog now)into of our life, and our life will become more plentiful and promising because of them.
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This post was very informative. You provided a lot of historical context and analysis of blogging in general. But again, I have little feeling for your personality or your personal experience with blogs. I also don't feel like you explored the specific blog, Treehugger; I don't really know what it's about from reading your post. Also keep in mind that blog readers' attention spans are very short, you might want to be more concise. Good work though!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very comprehensive look at the history and function of blogs. I also feel that the analysis of Treehugger was not as prominent as it could have been, namely because there is so much other information here. The background seems essential to the way you built the post, but I would suggest perhaps breaking this up with sub-heads or something along those lines so it doesn't appear as quite such a large block of text, it would make all of the information that you have more digestible for the average reader.
ReplyDeleteEric,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your classmates' points. You do need more about you here, and certainly more about how your example is different, from say, a magazine.
Very thorough, though if you're going to go into this much detail, you need your example to go deeper as well. Keep at it.