By Tuesday, January 18, post your 300-word response to this assignment via the "Comment" function below.
Part #1. Reflect on the Mark Tremayne reading and also survey the following public interest blogs:
Student blog: http://jjackson.edublogs.org/
How would you define a public interest blog? What are the bloggers’ priorities and objectives? How is (or isn’t) the blog functioning as a media source?
Part #2. Focus particular attention on the student blog. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this blog? What did you learn from it?
A public interest blog would be defined as one that effects public interest. Such as the boy who was gay, and his parents wanted him to visit the "straight camp," which sparked a protest of the camp and groups banded together via the Internet to speak out for unjustices such as that. Although the kid in question did not have a specific aim, he was just conveying his thoughts. Some blogs, such as the aims of this courses blog, are to explore public issues and different facets of these issues for the general public to read on or look at. Objectives would include positives or negatives of said issue, finding information that may be in the mainstream media and offering opinions and more facts about it. Some well done blogs can be used as a media source for more information. The endangered species blog brings to life those species that are deteriorating and are not in the news daily, hence people would not always know information about the topic, so devoting a blog to it is appropriate because of this.
ReplyDeleteThe student blog, however outdated, offers information about the DC area, taking the Metro and other possible things going on in the area. I do not like the use of silly songs such as Ronald McDonald, it is very much a personal blog. I think blogs are personal when they are about a specific topic that the individual cares about, whereas this student's blog is focused on the person's personal life.
A public interest blog is a one that outlines events, experiences, ideas, etc. occurring in the world that are affiliated with the interests of the public or people that have some sort of access to finding out these things though computers, TV, etc. The Tremayne reading provided adequate information about blogs and how they are "filtered" and why some get more attention than others. I've always been interested in blogging. I usually read blogs about films and such daily, so this article really provided some insight on some rather intriguing information about blogs that I never would have thought of. It was interesting to see how fast the blog from the gay boy circulated and gathered so much attention so quickly. The issues going along with this and gay conflicts in general are tremendous topics discussed publicly today. No wonder this blog from this boy got so much attention so quickly.
ReplyDeleteThis blog and the others we had to read over showed me how easily information is filtered and spread through out society. Someone can easily get on the Internet and find blogs that pertain to their interests. Someone can find stuff about the environment, climate, political issues, and so on from blogs. The blogs given to us were merely some examples of issues commonly viewed by some people. There are millions of other blogs out there that people can tap into just as easily. They can be used as a source of media just like a person being interviewed is because they present an opinion or idea that comes from a persons thoughts and beliefs.
The student blog gives some interesting insight about where he lives and things that are going on around him. He provides detailed information and pictures and such to go along with his blog. I believe this blog does a great job in regards to presenting information to the public but it seems to be too personal. The blogger is giving too much personal opinion to issues surrounding the DC area. The use of songs seems to also make me think the blog is a joke and not a reliable source of information.
A public interest blog is an outlet for individuals to project their personal thoughts about interests they find controversial onto the internet, where it can then be offered to readers for conversation and debate. A public interest blog begins with one’s strong feelings about an issue and provides opportunity for the public to give their say on that issue, all the while allowing all parties to view the discussion and take part. The blogger’s priority is to find an outlet to voice issues of importance and a way to expand on the issues surrounding that topic by offering the chance for others to voice their opinion on that particular subject. The blog serves as a functioning media source, however, the vulnerability of it all and its easy access are what makes it a “double-edged sword” in the communication world.
ReplyDeleteAs we read, the simple use of blogging as a personal journal brought wide-spread attention to a very controversial subject. This blog by a young boy struggling with emotional hardships lead to a firestorm of media coverage and country-wide debate, allowing teens, and people everywhere to relate to young Jack and address others struggling with the same problems in society.
On the other hand, the availability of blogs and those who can access them is the same characteristic that can cause them to be unreliable media resources, due to how easily accessed they can be and the fact that anyone can create one. I find the student blog to be
misleading, in that it claims to focus on one greater issue, however, it makes the mistake of straying away from the topic in which it’s titled after, but taps too into random personal opinions to claim to be a public interest blog. Personal opinion in a blog is welcomed but the use of jokes and the lack of appropriate grammar and punctuation can lead to the blog losing legitimacy.
A public interest blog is where the public, (anyone), can view the blog and it deals with popular issues in the media where people can respond if they want. These blogs are very popular, especially with young people. Personally, I’m not a big fan of blogging, but I do enjoy reading blogs that deal with the same interests as me. Blogs can be quite useful and public interest blogs can give people the opportunity to voice their opinions on topics when they couldn’t really be heard. The bloggers who write public interest blogs want to voice their opinions and thoughts on various ‘hot topics’ in the news, like the blogs that were posted up in the assignment. They’re all a variant on environmental issues, which is a big ‘hot topic’ in the media today. I think that the bloggers priorities and objectives would deal with making sure that the point they want to make is clear and easy to understand. That would be the number one thing. I also think they’d want to make it easy for people to respond to the blog with their thoughts on the subject as well. Public interest blogs are a popular source in the media today. Sometimes, people get the majority of their information on a topic because of these blogs. They’re very important because they offer a new medium to the subject of media.
ReplyDeleteThe student blog didn’t really interest me that much. It seemed too personal and not really objective enough. It just deals with that person’s personal issues that they have a problem with. There really wasn’t enough information in the blog to give the reader a full idea of why this person was so upset about all of the new cars in their hometown. I did happen to learn that anger resulting from too many cars is universal because I feel the same way about WVU when I’m driving from my house to campus. But, overall, I really wasn’t impressed with the blog because it seemed a bit disoriented. They start off talking about Valentine’s Day and then jump into their issue about the town homes and all of the cars. I just wasn’t a fan of the blog.
After having read the Tremayne reading, I can honestly say I know more about blogging than I ever hoped to. I thought blogs were mostly for whiney teenage girls trying to get attention from their lame friends. I did not consider the impact of political or filter blogs on mainstream society. Like “old media” discussed in the reading, I thought of political blogs more as online columns. Now that I fully understand a blog’s ability to affect change and the flow of information, I am intrigued, especially by the speed and accessibility of the blogosphere. I feel like many people have become too apathetic to seek out news that affects them. Now, with public interest blogs that address the issues of all citizens or particular subsets of the population, information can easily and quickly be brought to those who seek it on the issues they care about, whether it be in a filter blog linking to many different sources, or a more journalistic blog. In fact, just reading over the blogs you suggested we survey I found one that pertains to my interest in sustainability, which I intend to begin checking regularly.
ReplyDeleteThe student blog, jjackson.edublog.org, is one of those public interest blogs that would only appeal to a particular subset of readers; namely, those citizens of Maryland that will be affected by the Intercounty Connecter. For this reason, it is probably the type of blog Tremayne mentioned that will remain relatively unknown in the blogosphere, though perhaps less so than a personal blog. The author has good arguments for his issue, such as tree removal associated with building the road, and he offers alternative forms of public transportation to help his readers circumvent the ICC. He has passion and good ideas, but because I feel his blog has no bearing on my life I do not think it’s a blog I’d be likely to check again.
Mark Tremanye points out a new era of media that is emerging more and more every day. Blogging is an example of how popular social media is in our society. Tremanye supports his arguments with recent real-life examples such as Dan Rather’s story on 60 minutes about Bush’s military records and how blogging influenced an investigation on the documents CBS had. Blogging lets people voice their opinions to the world and experience a variety of different perspectives.
ReplyDeletePublic interest blogs discuss general topics that reach out to a large audience. The objective of a blog can vary. A blog may want to voice an opinion. Another blog may discuss a debatable topic and try to bring all sides to one table. Then there are blogs, like Enviroblog, that attempt to inform people about information for the greater good of society. An example is the post on January 11. There is an article discussing the truth about hand sanitizer and which types can be harmful.
Blogs can very much act as a media source. People are becoming more critical with the government and traditional news. People would rather watch The Daily Show for news instead of a local news channel. People can be very sensitive with information. With a comical approach, like The Daily Show, people are eased into the information. Blogs are somewhat the same way. People choose when and where they want to find/post their information. Since people discuss their experiences and opinions, readers may find that information more reliable than a traditional media source.
Most student blogs have more weaknesses than strengths, especially if they are trying to get a lot of feedback. This is seen with the student blog about the highway in Maryland. There is only one comment on Janessa’s student blog. Another weakness can be credibility. Since Janessa admits that she is still in school, people may not take her arguments as serious. A strength to a student blog is that the blogger can comfortably type their feelings behind the computer screen without feeling pressured or nervous like they may feel when expressing their opinion in person. I learned that student blogs are good to start out with when new to blogging. The way to really have a successful blog is to link your blog to other “bigger” blogs.
The Tremayne article was extremely informative and thorough on every aspect there is to know about blogging. Since I don’t physically blog, but have been familiar with the process it refreshed my memory about how to connect two blogs together by adding links. This promotes that both blogs will increase in ratings because they are referring and working with each other. After reading the article and viewing the sample blogs, a rough definition of what a public interest blog is something that pertains to the public’s interests. Whether it is involving politics, entertainment, traveling, religion, etc., if there is a common interest then there is a public interest.
ReplyDeleteThe main objective of bloggers is to fuel information to the public and if a mistake was published, it could be corrected faster than it could be aired or admitted by a news station. For example, the rapid media that the gay blogger had gotten in what seemed in the matter of minutes. You wouldn’t think a personal blog of that issue would circulate so much attention, but it did. A blogger’s main priority is whatever the main issue they are arguing for or against in an entry. They are trying to develop an opinion on an issue and get their audience to side with them on the subject. A blog functions as a media source; however there is room for error and bias. Since anyone can start their own blog, anyone can research information, whether it is false information or not.
I read through the first three blogs and didn’t mind them. They were well written; I just could not relate to the material or thought that the layout was too formatted from a personal opinion. However, UrbanBranches blog seemed to portray entries that were practical and fun to read. It’s interesting to see how much information is accessible on the same issue just written differently.
The student blog example doesn’t seem to a very reliable media source. It’s all over the place with information and the personal aspects of his blog. I had noticed several grammar errors as well. I just couldn’t grasp a concept of what he wanted to focus in on. It is fine if you want to target a number of issues, but when you throw in pretentious comments when you’re rambling in an unorganized blog claiming to argue about real issues. It’s not saying much more than “Little Suzie” would be typing about in her journal. Media source blogs are categorically different than personal ones.
A public interest blog is one that deals with issues or topics that interest a small or large quantity of the public. The issues that are usually blogged about are ones that affect the people, not just one that rants about one's daily activities. Public interest blogs aren't treated as a person's personal diary, but as a way to inform or encourage the public to act upon specific affective issues. The blog acts as a media source as a way for people to inform, collaborate, and act on public issues or topics. The blog is a way for one to put all of their findings into one cohesive place and allow for easy access to their sources. The blog will also allow the public to respond and elaborate on issues pertaining to those specified on the blog. If outside sources post the link for that blog then it can gain the attention of many people. This will allow for the issue to be addressed by an even broader group of people.
ReplyDeleteThe major weaknesses of the blog by Maryland students was the grammatical and spelling errors. These problems could have easily been fixed by careful revising, but instead were neglected. The grammatical and spelling errors make the blog appear to be unprofessional and unkempt. Another weakness of the blog is that facts that didn't pertain to the issue were strewn throughout it. For instance, Valentine's Day has nothing to do with the issue of the ICC. The author of the article could have executed the article without that little tidbit and just stated that the town that they had lived in is now being monopolized with houses and other amenities. We the readers would then be able to see the connection between the monopolization of a town and why there is the need for the ICC or to point out the destruction of the environment due to it. The strengths of the article is sharing photos of the layout map of the ICC and destruction of the habitat. The author(s) also linked articles pertaining to the issue on the blog so that readers can further educate themselves on the matter.
A public interest blog, unlike a personal blog, is a blog focused on providing information on a specific cause or interest of the blog’s author or authors. Authors of public interest blogs use this outlet to relay personal ideas and gathered information for audiences interested in the subject in a less formal and familiar method. Unlike a newspaper or journal article, public interest blogs are more casual and allow the writers to be more comfortable and creative in the ways with which they present information about their cause or interest. Posts can contain information from experts in the field as well as personal opinions of the writers, should they not be as reputable. Blogs also allow a more visually stimulating experience for audiences that make them more likely to become followers of a public interest blog. Including links to other websites of interest, photos and videos allows readers to gain a better insight on the issue because in today’s world the lesser words used to get the message across, the better.
ReplyDeletePublic interest blogs also allow readers to feel a connection to the cause or issue by giving them the ability to comment on posts. These comments not only fuel further discussion about specific opinions/information relayed on the blog but also give the authors of these blogs an idea of how many people are interested in their cause or interest and how they were impacted by the blog. An interest or cause is more likely to gain momentum through blogging especially as the concept of social networking grows making promotion of these causes and interests through public interest blogs more successful. By both visual stimulation and more succinct, honest words, public interest blogs are a new outlet of learning about issues in today’s world.
As a cause or interest gains more popularity, the appearance of blogs become more attractive and eye catching. Unlike the other examples of public interest blogs, the student’s public interest blog is less appealing. There are too many words and not enough visuals to support the author’s cause. Also, the cause that this student is attempting to shed light on is extremely vague and something I guess someone from his area would only understand or care about. I gave up trying to figure out the purpose of this student’s blog simply because it and the words I attempted to read were boring and seemed insignificant. While I’m sure he or she is passionate about whatever their blog is about, making that blog more visually stimulating is necessary to get anyone to care about their cause.
I never really thought much about blogs in the past. I never would have thought they could have so much influence on the world today. I thought blogs were just journals or rants that people didn't mind others reading. Now I know that blogs can also exist to help our society. Public interest blogs help talk about any type of popular issue going on at the time. The blogs can explain the pros and the cons on each issue. They can inform readers of the issue and even explain to the reader on how to get involved. Like in the “Toxic Toys R Us” blog the author wrote on what to look for and gives a link to download the PDF. Also in the blog “Dangers of Mercury” the author types in big bold letters please write a letter to your congress. This is a good thing to do to get people more involved and motivated to actually take action.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Mark Tremayne talk about the Jack's blog I was really interested. Mostly because how far just one persons blog can influence and reach people everywhere. It was unbelievable how many people his blog reached out to in such a short amount of time. I have gay friends so I was able to really feel for Jack and be interested in the blog. I would be outraged if one of my friends were sent to one of these camps.
The student blog I wasn’t that impressed with. I couldn’t get passed all the grammatical errors to even begin to understand the issue. I also had a problem with the author not staying on topic. It had some good points and gave us some alternatives to help with the traffic. But the little flaws that could easily be fixed and avoided made the blog seem not as reliable to me.
A public interest blog is essentially exactly what its name says it is. It is a blog that has been dedicated to an issue that affects a number of people within the community, state, or country. The issue can vary in subject, size, and scope, from environments as a whole such as in the blogs www.enviroblog.com and endangeredspaces.blogspot.com to what one woman in Brooklyn, New York is doing to live green and save the planet. A public interest blog’s main goal is to bring attention to a selected issue. But from looking at the blogs listed, I can tell that blogs will sometimes deviate from their issue and incorporate other side issues related to the central issue. The creator of the blog then has to determine the degree of relevancy of other issues to their central issue.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the Mark Tremayne piece, I noticed how blogs could function as a media source, sometimes better than traditional news sources. For example, in the news story about President Bush’s military record that aired on CBS a mistake was made and it was discovered that the documents were forged. However, the mistake was discovered through bloggers interacting with each other, not by CBS. During the discussion on blogs about this example, a person who worked with military records during the 1970’s offered his expertise on the subject. A blog allows everyone to participate in the discussion, and when people who have expertise in certain matters speak up, blogging can be an extremely good media source. However, on the flip side, allowing everyone to participate can allow people to post inaccurate information that could be mistaken for being reliable, which could lead to a big set of problems.
After surveying the student’s blog, I noticed several grammatical mistakes which was at first annoying and rather distracting, but if I looked past that I did noticed that the student was bringing attention to some good evidence and claims. The blogger posted links to other sites that had images and evidence to support her cause. This blog shows that even somebody with somewhat poor writing skills can bring attention an issue they believe needs attention brought to it. Blogging is therefore a way for people to start making a difference, no matter their skill sets.
After reading Mark Tremayne’s article as well as reviewing the list of public interest blogs, I have come to the conclusion that a public interest blog is a blog that sparks peoples’ various interests through experiences as well as through possible controversial thoughts delivered through a newer medium of connecting with others through the internet. Tremayne’s article gave detailed information about various blogs and how some are “obscure” while others are constantly bombarded with fresh links to a multitude of topics. I’ve heard about blogging before but I wasn’t aware at how popular it actually is now. I presumed that it was just people with too much time on their hands talking about their day to day lives through an online journal to see if they could get any followers in order to make him/herself feel adequate; if anyone really read their blog anyway, in my opinion, that was doubtful. I was surprised to be informed that blogs have become more serious than daily journal entries. I couldn’t believe the response and the rash actions that were taken because of a single person’s blog. Unfortunately, Americans live in a society where we believe that it’s perfectly acceptable to judge and belittle someone based on his/her sexual affiliations. Because gay relationships are such a hot, controversial topic, “Jack’s” blog gave him instant worldwide attention that wasn’t appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThe public interest blogs that I visited showed a controversial subject, the environment and how can we go green. It was interesting how easily it was to navigate throughout the blogs and find more information. I believe that anyone can get online and find up to date blogs that suit his/her interests and needs. Different searchable topics within blogs today include but are not limited to politics, religion, women’s empowerment, anti-domestic violence, anti-smoking, anti-drugs, etc. These public interest blogs allow the user to join in worldly discussions for entertainment as well as information.
After reviewing the student blog, I don’t think that it looks very professional. In my opinion, it looks like he/she went to a “build a blog in five minutes” website and didn’t invest much effort into it besides writing and the occasional link and picture. It appears to be very personal, in fact too personal. This blog is not a reliable source and it doesn’t seem to attract much internet traffic.
A public interest blog is a blog that tries to persuade people to believe or act a certain way towards a certain subject. (Ex: blogs about animal cruelty try to inform people how and why they should help animals). Public interest blogs can be run by a single person or a group. They start with passions of individuals and then feed off one another and use information in culture and news to strengthen the message. The objectives and priorities of the bloggers’ are to make their message and argument more credible than the opposing argument. It could be as small as trying to persuade people to read or as large as taking a side on abortion.
ReplyDeleteIn the example blogs above, some of the bloggers are trying to encourage people to make changes to their lives in order to help the environment and go green. The other bloggers are trying to show people how they go green and how others can do something to go green. The blog is a functioning medium. Those that discredit blogs as a media source often overlook that people use them to get information about topics that mainstream news neglect or don’t even cover. People that want to learn how to go green can go to urban branch and read news and updates daily about the subject.
The student’s blog has numerous flaws. The punctuation errors alone discredit the blogger, but it would be useless to point out all the errors. The blog’s “about,” page seems to be completely off subject of the blog as a whole. The blog’s posts are about the ICC and the “about,” addresses that as the main subject, but it also talks about the blogger’s love of film. I don’t know why the blogger felt that they needed to talk about herself. The “about,” page should be about the blog’s point and only about that blog’s point. The content and hyperlinks were effective, but overall the blog didn’t seem to have one smooth subject. The subject matter should be about something specific concerning the ICC like traffic or environmental impacts.
I think that a public interest blog is an outlet that allows or brings forth public discussion about a topic or overall theme. I think it helps spark debate about an important issue that affects the public or just informs them about something they find interesting. I think a public interest blog is a "go to place" about specific information, such as civl rights, local government, entertainment, or baking.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jack's MySpace blog, although probably only considered by Jack to be an online diary, was turned into a public interest blog because it had such a profound effect on the public. It was an outlet for both Jack and the public for an issue that affects a lot of familes dealing with gay teenagers and homophobia. I enjoyed looking over some of the blog selections listed, as I could think of people I know that would be interested in enviroblog beecasue of her interest in public health especially with her children, which the endangered species blog felt more scattered and that it just shoved everything into one space.
I found Tremayne's article to be very informaative as it used a reals tory to delve into the technical aspects of blogging and how people connect with it. I thought it was interesting how it showed how a blog, that was or wasn't exactly meant for such a huge demographic of people, can bring about change and a large amount of public discussion and action. Regardless, of how it was meant to be taken I don't think that it is really a public interest blog because it was just one teen's personal writing, despite what the media turned it into. Overall, I don't think Jack's blog was any different than on facebook when you update your status. I think that when someone is actually trying to blog, their objective is to inform the public about an issue, scandal or news or whatever. For instance, Perez Hilton's objective is public interest because many people care about news pertaining to scandals revolving around celebrities, if his site was juat about his emotions it wouldn't be nearly as popular.
The student's blog was more like Jack's MySpace blog in that most of the information was tainted with personal information. The blog was more like a documentary on her class projects and consisted mainly of what her syllabus told her to post, such as her brainstorming and works cited posts. Janessa Jackson's blog was very personal often talking about her life, her family, and her hometown and then it would slowly tie in with the ICC project she was researching. I think that because it was such a personal space it doesn't really act as a "go to" spot for information about the ICC it was more about a "go to" for what Janessa was working on in class.
I think that a public interest blog is an outlet allows or brings forth public discussion about a topic or overall theme. I think that it helps spark debate about an important issue that affects the public just informs them about something they find interesting. I think a public interest blog is a “go to place” about specific information, such as civil rights, local government, baking, or entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jack’s MySpace blog, although probably only considered by Jack to be an online diary, was a public interest blog because it had such a profound effect on the public. It was an outlet for both Jack and the public for an issue that affects a lot of families dealing with gay teenagers and homophobia. I enjoyed looking over some of the blog selections listed, as I could think of people I would know who would be interested in the enviroblog because of their interest in public health especially with her children, while the endangered specifies blog felt more scattered and that it just shoved everything into one space.
I found Tremayne’s article to be very informative as it used a real story to delve into the technical aspects of blogging and how people connect with it. I thought it was interesting how it showed how a blog, that was or wasn’t exactly meant for such a huge demographic of people, can bring about change and a large amount of public discussion and action. Regardless, of how it was meant to be taken I don’t think that it is really a public interest blog as it was just a place to pour out emotion, no different than on facebook when you update your status. I think that when someone is actually trying to blog, their objective is to inform the public about an issue, scandal, or news or whatever. For instance, Perez Hilton’s objective is public interest because many people care about news and scandals revolving around celebrities, if his site was just about his emotions it wouldn’t be nearly as popular.
The student’s blog was more like Jack’s MySpace blog in that most of the information was tainted with personal information. The blog was more like a documentary on her class projects and consisted mainly of what her syllabus told her to post, such as brainstorming and works cited posts. Janessa Jackson’s blog was very personal often talking about her life, her family, and her hometown and then would slowly tie it in with the ICC. I think that because it was such a personal space it doesn’t really act as a “go to” spot for information about the ICC it was more about a “go to” space for what Janessa was working on in class.
The Tremayne article was extremely informative and thorough on every aspect there is to know about blogging. Since I don’t physically blog, but have been familiar with the process it refreshed my memory about how to connect two blogs together by adding links. This promotes that both blogs will increase in ratings because they are referring and working with each other. After reading the article and viewing the sample blogs, a rough definition of what a public interest blog is something that pertains to the public’s interests. Whether it is involving politics, entertainment, traveling, religion, etc., if there is a common interest then there is a public interest.
ReplyDeleteThe main objective of bloggers is to fuel information to the public and if a mistake was published, it could be corrected faster than it could be aired or admitted by a news station. For example, the rapid media that the gay blogger had gotten in what seemed in the matter of minutes. You wouldn’t think a personal blog of that issue would circulate so much attention, but it did. A blogger’s main priority is whatever the main issue they are arguing for or against in an entry. They are trying to develop an opinion on an issue and get their audience to side with them on the subject. A blog functions as a media source; however there is room for error and bias. Since anyone can start their own blog, anyone can research information, whether it is false information or not.
I read through the first three blogs and didn’t mind them. They were well written; I just could not relate to the material or thought that the layout was too formatted from a personal opinion. However, UrbanBranches blog seemed to portray entries that were practical and fun to read. It’s interesting to see how much information is accessible on the same issue just written differently.
The student blog example doesn’t seem to a very reliable media source. It’s all over the place with information and the personal aspects of his blog. I had noticed several grammar errors as well. I just couldn’t grasp a concept of what he wanted to focus in on. It is fine if you want to target a number of issues, but when you throw in pretentious comments when you’re rambling in an unorganized blog claiming to argue about real issues. It’s not saying much more than “Little Suzie” would be typing about in her journal. Media source blogs are categorically different than personal ones.
After examining the reading and the blogs listed above, my definition of a public interest blog would be a blog written on a subject that pertains to an issue that is present and important in minds of the public and in the current events of the time. I found the reading helpful because, although I have a blog which I primarily use to find and share entertainment information, I’m almost entirely clueless about the process of creating and maintaining an informative and reliable blog.
ReplyDeleteThe bloggers in charge of the blogs listed all seem to be working towards giving their readers as much information as possible on their chosen subject matter. I found the common trend among the blogs to be a variation of environmental topics. Some of the topics written about in the blogs focus on environmental issues on a global and national scale and some of the topics, such as in the student blog and on UrbanBranches, focus on environmental issues and tips in a more localized and personal way.
I think the blogs all function as a kind of media outlet simply because of the public venue in which their being posted. Anyone with internet access can view each blog’s information and for that reason, I see them as a kind of media source. Some of the blogs also use information from outside sources to validate or simply gain their information. Whether it is from an excerpt from an article from well-known news outlet, or a video from the National Geographic Channel, all of that information utilizes different avenues of media.
The student blog seemed to be a bit more casual than and not quite as focused as the other blogs appeared. The topics all seemed to have a loose connection to each other and they all contained a lot of information that could have been useful to a reader interested in the topics being written about. One thing that bothered me about the student blog was the grammatical errors that I noticed in many of the posts. I feel that if you’re going to be writing in a public setting about a serious topic, you should be extra careful about your grammar and punctuation.
I would define a public interest blog as a regularly updated source of information that can inform and benefit people who read it. In the blogs listed in this post, the authors inform the public of current relevant research and news related to the environment. They also provide tips to help readers protect and improve the environment.
ReplyDeleteThe authors link to outside stories and websites where more information can be found to supplement their own posts. Sometimes their posts appear to be original stories, and sometimes they compile news articles from other blogs or websites if the material deals with the environment. The blog is a media source, but a unique one in which information from across the Internet can be contained in one easy-to-access space, allowing people to read only about the topic of their choice.
One strength of the student blog is that the author seems knowledgeable about his topic and ties it in with his own personal life, especially in his latest post.
However, it is still obvious that he is a student and is only posting to a blog because it's an assignment with clearly defined requirements. His language is stilted, and the writing contains so many errors that he is either a poor writer or wrote the entries at the last moment because the due date was approaching. The numerous errors are distracting and show that the author doesn't care enough about what he is writing to bother correcting his entries after posting them.
Even if he met the requirements for his class, I don't believe that his efforts reflect well on his abilities as a writer. Until now, I never realized exactly how obvious it is when a student writes specifically to fulfill the requirements of an assignment without putting much extra thought or effort into the work. I'll remember this blog in the future when I'm tempted to straightforwardly answer questions without devoting my time and effort to an assignment.
The Mark Tremayne article is the reason that I noticed many of the details about the blogs that I mentioned in my previous comment. Tremayne explains the phenomenon of blogging in a way that is easy to understand, using clear examples and case studies that provide a refreshing break from the extensive facts and information.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the way he described the web that forms when blogs link to other blogs and websites to create an easily accessible network of information on a specific topic.
A public interest blog is one that centers around an issue or issues that affect a community. Its primary objectives are to provide a forum to inform people that are interested in the issue as well as to provide a platform for discussion and debate. For example, while “Jack” didn’t intend for his blog to become a flagship for a community, gay rights activists took hold of it and turned it into one that an entire community could rally around and become involved in. A blog that functions well as a media source is one that can successfully integrate many resources into it, such as videos related to the topic and other blogs or articles that are directed toward the same interests. Further, as the Tremayne article states, blogs are becoming more and more like media sources as people feel the information is more “raw” or real than that they get from traditional media outlets.
ReplyDeleteI think the student blog is interesting as it consists of many issues that are affecting the Montgomery County area, rather than focusing on a single one. Like other students who have posted here, though, I do find that the author included a lot of personal gripes that take away from the value of the blog as a media source for citizens residing in that area. However, I do think many of the issues it addresses are relevant and relatable as I’m sure many other residents of that area share the same concerns. Being from the DC metropolitan area, I can relate to many of the issues such as the extremely fast growth of the suburbs and traffic concerns around the beltway. While I didn’t learn much from this blog, it was interesting for me to see that somebody from Gaithersburg, MD, experienced many of the same woes that we in Fairfax, VA, find troubling.
I would define a public interest blog as any blog that focuses on providing information/commentary on a subject that is useful/interesting to the general public. Most bloggers' seem to be trying to find information or entertain themselves. Because comments and links are indicative of how successful a blog is, media sources can use them to get an understanding of popular opinion, or at least part of it.
ReplyDeleteThe main thing I liked about the student blog was the simple layout. Navigation was quick and easy and the amount of information on screen didn't distract me (unlike nearly every 'flashy' blog). What confused me was what was this blog about. Nothing on the main page gives any specifics about why that blogger made this blog, first glance makes it seem like several random posts. Both of those remind me of the lesson about online attention span. If it takes too long to find the information, or the point for that matter, the reader in an online space will more than likely lose interest and move on. Keeping focused on what a potential reader would be interested in and providing it as easily as possible is key. Though style and presentation is also important as unique designs help to draw peoples attention.
Like several people have mentioned, before the Tremayne reading I hadn’t ever considered the wide-spread nature of blogging. I have tried blogging a couple times before, but it always just felt like I was talking to myself, so it never took off for me. Thinking about it now, that sense of isolation that is common on many personal blogs may deter many new bloggers from pursuing this form of media.
ReplyDeleteAs far as public interest blogs go, I would define one as a blog which focuses on a central issue that has far-reaching social effects. The example given at the beginning of Tremayne’s essay, as well as the content of the blogs linked above, focus on an important social issue (homosexuality, health, the environment, etc). The very nature of blogging allows those who are running these blogs to post relevant updates about the issue, and the blogs themselves act as a hub of information about the subject.
As was mentioned in the reading, readers can track the history of a blog from day 1, so it is easy for users to see the evolution of the argument being presented to them. Stemming from this, it can be said that all public interest blogs are presenting an argument. At the end of the day the poster is trying to sway public opinion, and each individual post is another component to the argument.
Focusing on the student blog, on a strictly cosmetic level one of the main weaknesses (in my opinion) is how bland and uninteresting the page looks. While the information is extremely important (as a Maryland resident I am myself close to this issue), if I were browsing websites and came upon this one, I would probably pass it by just because there isn’t anything really eye-catching about it. As far as strengths go, the poster does a good job breaking down the information. Because this blog was done as a project for class, it is evident that most of the posts were assigned. But it is still easy to tell at a glance what each post is focusing on, and overall the blog is very well organized.
A public interest blog, in my opinion, is one that reaches a vast amount of people and gets people involved on issues that affect their lives in many different ways, when their opinions aren’t being heard by those who have the capabilities to make a change.
ReplyDeleteIn the reading by Mark Tremayne, he really opens our eyes to the way that blogs have gotten people’s stories out there that may have never been heard before. The young boy who was sent to “straight camp,” wrote on MySpace about how his parents thought that “straight camp” could “fix” him, could never have had his story read by so many without his blog. His story opened the eyes of readers to the camp and what it stood for, and the public reacted by protesting against the camp.
The priority of the blogger was to get his story known and hope that someone could make a change to what was happening. His blog also gave others who faced similar situations the opportunity to voice their stories and find the support of people all across the world who faced the same difficulties.
Blogs function as a media source because of the number of people that can access them. Anyone can find you and learn your story. If your story touches them the way this boy’s story touched those who protested for him, anything is possible.
The student blog is informative, although outdated, however, the seriousness of the blog is not fully known to me. He jokes around issues and doesn’t use proper spelling and grammar, which made me have to go back and re-read lines to get the point he was trying to make. By using comedy like the Old McDonald song, the blog seems very unprofessional and much more like a personal blog than one trying to make a change to a community with a seemingly large issue to worry about. Perhaps he could have focused more on that instead of an Old McDonald remix.
Public interest blogs are typically dedicated to issues the author or authors feel the readers should consider. For the most part, these blogs serve mainly to inform the reader, but on occasion make efforts to inspire action and rouse the audience. The interactivity of blogs allows for a dialogue between reader and writer so unlike any other text medium that, at times, the fervor within the comments section eclipses the article itself. For me, a public interest blog has to maintain a certain degree of popularity and influence in order for me to comfortably consider it a media source. I feel that most blogs serve to filter news and compile related stories moreso than produce them.
ReplyDeleteThe student blog, I feel, could use some improvements in clarity. The title is succinct, certainly, but not immediately understandable, directing readers to a somewhat convoluted and distracted "about me" section. The body of the blog itself adheres well to the subject matter, straying only for short introductions. I learned from this blog that bypasses are still a legitimate threat to residents and landowners in certain areas where new roadways are planned and that the residential territory surrounding DC is a surprisingly large area.
I apologize from my grossly overdue submission.