OTHERS: Blogging - Another New Online Trend?

Today is Friday the 13th of August 2004 and coincidentally this is my 13th post on this blog.
Before going any further, I got to start by stating that I'm a newcomer in blogosphere (I set this up in November 2003 but never did anything until last week).

I think blogs have reached the point to where some are actually comparing them with "medias" or "journalism". This is a take from my fellow blogger friend (fling93): http://fling93.com/blog/archives/blogging/2004/blogging_vs_journalism.html

This below article even took it further:
http://ojr.org/ojr/technology/1092267863.php
Transparency Begets Trust in the Ever-Expanding Blogosphere

The openness of Weblogs could help explain why many readers find them more credible than traditional media. Can mainstream journalists learn from their cutting-edge cousins?

At the Aspen Institute's Conference on Journalism and Society in mid-July, a question was put to executives of major news organizations: Whom do you trust in online media today? Most answered with a list of the usual suspects: the Web sites of The New York Times, NPR, the Los Angeles Times.
Jeff Jarvis, a blogger and president of Advance Internet, gave a different answer: "I have learned to trust the voice and judgment of my fellow citizens.".....


This one is highlighting the rising popularity of blogs and relating it to the recent Democratic Party convention, in which some bloggers were invited (not to be outdone, of course the Republican Party is reportedly also giving passes to bloggers):
http://www.lavanguardia.es/public/series/20040810/51159314079.html
Channel that emotion

For those chosen, the excitement of the experience has spilled over into their weblogs. The privilege of experiencing the convention first hand overwhelmed some to such an extent that they were unable to sit coolly back and write about anything above or beyond the logistics, the number of people there, and the circumstances they were working in.

From the journalistic point of view, most of the content in the convention's many weblogs is irrelevant. There are impressions, comments and gossip, but not much in the way of news. But was that what was expected? Does the success of blogging lie in its ability to provide news? ........


I'm not saying that we should trust blogs more or less than mainstream medias. One really still needs to tread carefully in blogosphere what type of information they want to get out of reading blogs as there are really various reasons for people to be blogging in the first place. Although in a way, unpaid blog-ing actually is quite a good "incentive" for bloggers to be "objective" {gee, "unpaid", "incentive" and "objective" in one sentence?} as there is no pressure for bloggers to write certain this and that agenda of interests.

Some like to write, some have opinions on everything, some want to socialize and some prefer to share; some even are blogging for business:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2004/tc2004089_3601_tc024.htm
Blogging for Business

With readers flocking to their Web postings, execs are finding blogs useful for plugging not just their products but their points of view Jonathan Schwartz, president and chief operating officer of server maker Sun Microsystems (SUNW ), first suspected that his blog was a success when his salespeople began reporting that customers were reading his posts and sealing deals faster .....

I have mentioned a bit on why I decided to start blog-ing here: http://hedonistix.blogspot.com/2004/08/personal-blog-ing.html ; I'm not sure how credible I am as a blog-er or how much I can maintain my "objectivity" on more serious issues (i.e.: politics, etc.) but as far as I'm concerned, it's more about "this is what I think about these" instead of "here is what I think things should be".

I am also not expecting heavy traffic and interactions on my blog, instead I hope it will also serve as some kind of archiving space for topics or articles that I find interesting and may need to re-read sometime in the future {I'm still waiting for Google/Blogger Support team to get me the Google search capacity within my blog}. Additionally, it will also serve as a journal for me to share with others; be it about my opinion on issues or about what I am thinking as I write my posts, which I think will be quite fun to read - if I'm still interested - in the next 20-30 years of my life.

--H