Blog Fail Take One

            I had a lot of free time on my hands toward the end of last years spring semester so I started a blog and was doing well with keeping up for a while. However, all of that free time disappeared quickly once summer came and I started working a 9-5 commuting in to NYC everyday. During the time I was blogging I really enjoyed it especially due to the fact I was blogging about something I really was interested in. Even my boss during the summer had told me numerous times to get back to blogging. Since I didn't really have much luck after the first two months with my last blog, I'm hoping the fact I'm going to be getting a grade this time around will help to keep me up to date with posts, pictures, etc. I'm still thinking if I want to re-vamp the blog I started or just have a fresh new start for my clubhouse blog. Either way, I'm looking forward to working on a project that will focus directly on something I'm very educated in as well as passionate about. 

Tech Learning 101

            I'm HUGE with social media, especially Twitter, yet unfortunately designing a cool profile for my account is probably the extent of my graphic designing ability. I've been talking a lot over the past few months with a close friend of mine, who is AMAZING with graphics, about how I've been hoping to improve my own skills. I was really intimidated upon first reading the syllabus and required projects for this class but then I realized the assignments would in turn teach me a few more things I need to know about blogs, how they work and gain a better sense for the graphic aspect as well. I also am looking forward not only in learning how to maintain a blog, but how to be effective in writing it as well.

"Weblogs: A History and Perspective"

             Thinking about the history of blogs, or 'weblogs', the first things that come to mind are LiveJournal and Xanga. These were, as far as I'm aware of, were among the first few online 'blog' type of websites I remember ever coming across. It's almost as if they were almost a foreshadowing of how big social media would blow up in the following years. These were some of the first online sites in which most of my friends joined and used as a place in cyber post to write whatever it was we felt. As the years continued and technology advanced greatly, as the article mentions, weblogs and other type sites blew up and grew immensely to create new online communities. 
            The concept of weblogs being link-driven I feel is still very popular today. Although as mentioned sites like Blogger have given bloggers more freedom to their blogs style, format and layout, top blogs I feel really still respect the practice of being link-driven. For example, newer sites like Pinterest allow its users to create their own profile with their own pictures and comments. However, the main concept behind the site is to link thinks you personally find interesting back to the original source giving them due credit. Also, it is common for blogs to have tabs or pages for 'other blogs we like', or some title along those lines. 
          While reading the section of this article about how these blog writers are experts at micro content, I immediately thought of Twitter. To me, blogs are meant for lengthier comments to express or convey some sort of opinion, information, story etc. The idea of micro content comes to mind for social networking in which you're only given a certain amount of character space to strategically get your word out. Blogger veterans who have mastered the art of micro content probably are doing well with the more recent online social networking sites where the length of your content is key. 
         It has been quite interesting to see how in just even the past ten years how much the blog world has began to take over the world wide web. There are new blogs being created every day giving people all over the chance to express themselves and become influencers in the community they are joining.