My purpose

Generally, the main purpose of my blog is to share my opinions on certain issues and also encourage interaction. Although this is not my first time blogging but I still find it hard to blog about publication issues as I am used to personal blogging where I only blog about my daily life and personal feelings. My target audience for this blog will be different from my personal blog since I am targeting readers who are interested to know more about blogging and publication issues. I am also targeting bloggers aged 20-25 to create a blogging community so that we can interact and share opinions on my posting.

An Introduction about blogs and blogging

What is a Blog?
Blogs are basically online diaries which allow bloggers to express their feelings and opinions thru writings, articles and also photos. According to blogger.com:

"A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world." (Blogger as cited in BBC news, 2007)

Blogging has become so popular that people from around the world started blogging as a hobby and business tool. A survey named “Blogging Asia: A Windows Live Report” was conducted in Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singpore, Taiwan and Thailand has made me realize that 50 percent of bloggers in Malaysia blog to express their feelings while 63 percent uses this tool as an entertainment. I also found out that Malaysian bloggers all share the same taste in blogging seeing that blogs on music, technology and travel were ranked among the most popular. (Jeff Ooi,2006)

The purpose of blogging
People blog to express their feelings towards certain issues or mainly for entertainment. I personally own a personal blog and I don’t think it’s a waste of time for me to maintain it. By updating my blog, my friends get to see what is happening in my life. They get to share my happiness and sadness and at the same time comment on certain issues. However, I do not update my blog just to share my experience with my friends, I blog because I want to see how much I have change from the past by reading my old post and at the same time take the opportunity to improve my writing.

What kind of blogs are there?
Blogs are like internet as they have variety of topics and styles. The most common blog around is personal blogs that express the author’s feelings and perception. However there are other categories of blogs like political parties, business, media organization, religious and professional groups. More often or not, most blogs contain a variety of multimedia content such as pictures, videos, and audio.

The blogging community
There are a few popular blogging community around namely blogspot (which I am using), wordpress, xanga, live journal, multiply and so on. These blogging communities help bloggers to link their topics with other web sites that are revevant to the entry and allow readers to leave comments or links in their blog. Generally, this interactive way allows all bloggers to refer to each other thus creating a community called “blogspheres”, where they share common interest, topics and themes.

Designing for online vs. print
Designing for online is very much different from designing for print. Print design uses 2-dimensional which pays more attention on the layout while a web page is basically a scrolling experience where users are opposed to a canvas experience.
Print can amaze readers with high-impact visualization, but online medium can engage users with the information given by non-static design elements. The web allows users to view moving images and manipulate interactive widgets. For example, basic web technology allows readers to connect by clicking on certain hyperlinks or objects which provides explanations or expansions in context (voice-over, pop-ups, overlays)

It is important to know that great print design is likely to be a lousy web design. Print design is based on letting the readers eyes view over the information using spatial juxtaposition to make page elements improved and clarify each other. Web design lets the hands move the information by clicking or scrolling. The relationship between readers and the information is expressed through the reader’s movement. (Neilsen, 1999)


How technology influence the nature of blogs
Digital audio players such as Apple’s iPod have become so popular that it has encouraged blogs to develop with audio content. People usually download these audio blogs through “pod cast”. Users get to download a variety of audio files such as music and talks and then listen to them with their portable media player or personal computer.

Besides that, in the United States, cell phones are built-in with digital cameras and wireless internet connection to make blogging easier. Bloggers can update their blogs anytime and anywhere by snapping pictures and write short caption through their hand phones and post it on their “mob log” or mobile log. (ABC news, 2007)

Reference:
2007, What is blogging [Online, accessed 7 June. 2007]
URL:http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/askbruce/articles/browse/blogging_1.shtml

2005, What is blogging [Online, accessed 7 June. 2007]
URL: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=889289&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Ooi, J. 2006, Blogging for social connection and self-expression [Online,
accessed 7 June.2007]
URL:http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/blog/lemaklemang/0,39056113,61971059,00.htm

Nielsen, J. 1999, Print design Vs web design [Online, accessed 7 June.2007] URL:http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html

Blogging Issues

The blogging world has faced criticism recently and has been characterized as personal insult, vandalism and empty threats. (Comedy manners,2007)

Many commentators felt that online abuse happen because most bloggers are anonymous. For example, according to Asia Media 2 bloggers from Singapore has been arrested and charged with sedition for posting racist anti-muslim comments in their blog that could disrupt racial harmony.


Tim O’Reilly’s draft code suggests that bloggers should think about removing anonymous comments to encourage bloggers and readers to write appropriately. Personally, I think that blogosphere is a great place to expressed feelings and opinions but it is also risky as people can do something anonymously and run away like a coward.

There are many different comments on blogging as people are still confused about the purpose of blogging. Some of them disagree as they think that blogging is a waste of time or is used for personal attack.
I think that there’s nothing wrong with blogging if we write in a correct manner by following O'Reilly's Blogger Code of Conduct.

1. We should take responsibility for our own words and for the comments that we allow in our blog as committed to the “Civility Enforced” standard.

2. We won't say anything online that we wouldn't say in person.

3. We connect privately before we respond publicly. Before publishing any post, we should make an effort to talk to the person involved privately to avoid conflicts.

4. We should not apologise if there is any published comments that are treating. Instead we should cooperate with law enforcement to overcome threatening issues.

5. It is advisable to disable anonymous comments.

6. Instead of attacking offensive comments, we should take action by talking to them privately and ask them to publicly make amends. It is not advisable to respond to unpleasant comments in our own blog.

Reference:

2007, Comedy manners [Online, accessed 6 June.2007]
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2057048,00.html

O’Reilly, T. 2007, Call for a blogger’s code of conduct [Online, accessed 6 June.2007] URL: http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html

Chee Kin, C. 2005, Singapore: Racist bloggers jailed [Online, accessed 6 June.2007] URL: http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=31206

Youtube Issues

No matter how successful youtube is, they have to face copyrighted issues as people are downloading songs or even television programs in it. For example, Viacom the owner of MTV,iFilm, Comedy Central and Paramount has demanded YouTube to take down 1000,000 clips that viewers had put up there. Youtube took action by removing all the clips and at the same time remove some legitimate videos of the third parties. Not only that, the new NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zuker also took action by attacking youtube for copyright problems. But little did he know that Youtube has benefit them by posting a “uncensored” SNL video of Justin Timberlake that received over 13 million views on youtube. (The Utube blog, 2007)

I personally agree with Jarvis that companies should go with the flow with the public’s desires and figure out ways to make money by helping them do what they want to do. It will be ridiculous if viewers are not given the freedom to watch or listen what they want unless they follow the rules by using the company’s devices and pay their fees.

Instead of taking off new distributors, producers should take full advantage of the opportunities they have. They should think of how to build new audience for free and expend their market by allowing viewers to share their best stuff. Besides that they can also use this medium as an advertising tool, where people can embed their videos on countless blog. Some companies also use youtube to find new talents. For example, The Dormitory boys who found fame after posting homemade videos of themselves in Youtube.





Reference:
The Utube blog, 2007, Copyright problems intensify for Youtube [Online, accessed 6 June.2007] http://theutubeblog.com/2007/02/07/copyright-problems-intensify-for-youtube/

Jarvis, T. 2007, Why clips on Youtube is good for television [Online, accessed 6 June.2007] http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2015933,00.html

Flash the new publishing tool

According to Jacob Neilsen Flash is 99% bad for website designing as it breaks the Web’s fundamental interaction style and it lowers user usability. Flash are fancy animation on the opening page which provides introduction for the website.

However, things have change as people are starting to love it. Anders responds: “Developers love it, though. It was always very effective for advertising, and over time people used it for new and unique experiences.” (Auhur, 2007)

Flash are everywhere now. Youtube and Flicker uses flash to enhance their graphics and videos. Websites uses flash to attract interaction between users and the website. For example Mickey Mouse official website uses flash to attract kids to connect with the cartoons characters. Newspapers websites on the other hand use Flash to illustrate complex timeliness and subjects.

Kress and Leeuwen relate the representational and interactive meanings of the image to each other through three interrelated systems which is informative value, salience and framing. These three values do not apply only to single pictures but to complex visuals or visuals which combine text and graphic elements.The integration of different semiotic modes is based on overarching code, which provides rule and meaning to multimodal text with logic of its integration.Some multimodal texts also utilize both for example, film which rhythm will usually be the dominant integrative code.(Kress & Leeuwen, 2006).

The advantages of flash is that developers can create a file without relying on the browser its viewed in. As the software designer Jacek Artymiak puts it, Flash "is, in a way, the PDF of interactive multimedia. Both formats are so popular because, for the end user, the efforts that go into achieving the desired results are minimal." According to Anders, “Flash is the new publishing too of the century as more people are publishing it in blogs, Myspace or Youtube”. (Auhur,2007)

Reference:

Auhur, C. 2007, Flash is the new publishing tool of the century [Online, accessed 5 June.2007] URL:http://media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,,2049933,00.html

Nielsen, J. 2000, Flash 99% bad [Online, accessed 5 June.2007] URL: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001029.html

Kress, G. & Leeuwen, T.V. 2006, ‘Chapter six: The meaning of composition’, Reading images: The Grammar of Visual Design, (2nd ed.), Routledge, London.

Wikipedia vs encylopedia

Wikipedia is a free and open-access encyclopedia which has problems related to credibility of its authors and general accountability. Critics have tried to bring down wikipedia as a source of valid information and compared it to the Encyclopedia Britannica which has more accurate reference.

To further the investigation, Nature chose articles from both sites and sent them to field experts for peer review. As a result, the journal found eight serious errors like general misunderstandings of vital concepts from both site. They also discover a few misleading statements, factual errors and omission and was told that wikipedia has 162 problems which Britannica had 123.

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and president of the encyclopedia’s parent organization says that he is pleased with the research as their goal is to get to Britannica quality or better. He also added that there will be greater involvement by scientists that would lead to a “multiplier effect”. The quality of the article will have huge improvement since most entries are edited by enthusiast and examine by researcher. (Terdiman,2005)

Wales also introduce a new “stable” version of each entry. Every entry that reaches a specific quality, will be tagged as stable and further edits will be made to a separate “live” version that would replace the stable version when it is believe have significant improvement. Wales states that this is one method for users to rate article quality.(Terdiman,2005)

Reference:

Terdiman, D. 2005, Study: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica [Online, accessed 4 June.2007] URL: http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html

Nature, 2005, Internet encyclopedia goes head to head [Online, accessed 4 June. 2007] URL: http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438900a.html

Reflections

When Miss Jenny told us about our final assignment I was excited because I love to blog. Blogging is like a disease to me because I will be thinking of interesting topic to blog 24/7. The process of creating this new blog is trouble-free for me as I have all the experience from my pervious blog. I used to spend a lot of time editing my blog because I was so bad with HTML but with the new BETA version I find it so easy to edit I can change my layout in just a few clicks.

From time to time, I have learned certain skills like designing for webpage, writing for web, editing the blog, adding hyperlinks and photos and also adding a perfect banner that is suitable with my theme.

Throughout this process, i have realized that we have to apply certain theories from our readers as a guideline to create a good blog. For example:

Writing and designing from Jacob Neilson

Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web)

Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes

Print design Vs web design


Composition from Kress, G. & Leeuwen

1) Information value
The placement of each element (Syntagms that relate elements to readers) provides them with the precise informational values attached to the various zones of image.

2) Salience
Elements that made obvious to attract readers attention. For example, contrasts in colors, different type of font style and size, pictures, background and etc.

3) Framing
Creates dividing lines that connects or disconnects elements from an image that signify that they belong to a same topic or not.

My standpoint as a blogger is we should have a purpose before stating a blog be it personal, politics, fashion or etc. Bloggers should be more sensitive on their content and make sure its ethical to avoid defamation. Every article that we post should have evidence and support so that it is credible. Blogs design should be as simple and possible as people might get annoyed if the layout is too complicated.

Reference:

Nielson, J. 1997, 'Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web)'[Online, accessed 3 June.2007]URL: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html

Nielson, J. 2005, 'Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes'[Online, accessed 3 June.2007]URL: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weblogs.html

Nielsen, J. 1999, Print design Vs web design [Online, accessed 3 June.2007]
URL:http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html

Walsh, M. 2006, 'The 'textual shift': examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts', The Australian journal of language and literacy, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 24- 37.