Main Characteristics, Features, and Uses of Blogs - Essay Example

This paper briefly explores the main characteristics, features, and uses of blogs.
2. Common Features of Blogs
There are several features of blogs that are common among them all.
2.1. Chronological Order of Entries
One of the primary features of the blogs is the main content area and posts or entries listed in chronological order with the most recent appearing on the top. The posts are often classified into distinct categories to make it easier for readers to access the information based on their interests (Stock 3).

2.2. Archives Section

Most of the blogs maintain an archive section based on specific topics of interest or for older entries. Organized by topic, these entries can be located by the readers according to their interests (Stock 4).
2.3. Blog Roll
Another common feature is the links provided to other related blogs or the blogs that catch a blogger's attention, called blogroll (Stock 4). These links are shared to facilitate the reader with relevant material and for developing a blogging network.

2.4. Comment Section
The most common and sought-after feature of a blog is the comment section. It provides readers a chance to give their opinion, discuss, or comment on the post they have just read(Stock 4).On the other hand, the blogger gets the readers' viewpoint and feedback about their writing, point of view, or idea.

2.5. Feeds
The most important feature of the blog is syndication which implies that readers can subscribe to blog posts through the RSS feed (Manning and Johnson ch.11). Bloggers often provide one or more "feeds", such as RSS, Atom, and RDF files. These feeds inform the active reader (subscriber) when the respective blog is updated. Feeds keep the readers free from the hassle of remembering and coming back to check the site of their interest for updates. Experts consider this feature to be the future modification of blogging. The level of customization and personalization is going to be the defining future trend (Stock 4). Other features include a search tool, permalinks, a trackback function, and blog support(Kim et al. 409).

3. Major Characteristics of Blogs
Some of the major characteristics of blogs that distinguish them from other websites are:
3.1. Interactive nature
The interactive nature of blogs fed by discussion, opinions, and comments is the soul of blogging. It keeps a community of similar interests connected. Comments distinguish the blogs from other websites and create a vibrant online community that works on attracting new patrons and encouraging more frequent visits simultaneously (Stock 4-5).

3.3. Network
Through blogs, a closely knitted network of like-minded bloggers and readers is created which leads to professional enhancement of bloggers and extensive learning for readers.
3.4. Navigation (to other sites)
Blogroll, hyperlinks, and guest posts enable the reader to dig deeper by navigating to other blogs, ideas, and relevant material.

3.5. Updated
Unlike most websites which are fairly static and outdated in most cases, blogs are frequently updated and keep the readers connected. A productive blog is updated frequently, or in most cases daily. Therefore, when a patron visits a blog or receives a feed, he expects something fresh. The idea behind frequent updates is a reinforcement of frequent visits to the blog. If a reader visits a blog twice or thrice and fails to find new content, he is not likely to return in most cases. Nearly all successful bloggers allow their readers to comment. In this way, readers must find something new in the comments, if not in the content itself. It is called the theory of intermittent reinforcement. When visitors find something new every time they visit the blog then they are rewarded for their efforts, therefore, it is highly likely that they will return in the future (Stock 4-5).

3.6. Style and Language
Blogs are identified by their unique and personal voice with glimpses of the personality behind the blog, the author. Unlike other websites, blogs are everyday interactions of readers and authors and therefore, they tend to have a personal flavor (Stock 5).

3.7. Widespread Distribution
Blogs are far more widely distributed. Throughout the world, people from different backgrounds and specialties are involved in blogging. It leads to a diverse and high amount of traffic as compared to other websites. Comments, discussions, and updated content are the main reasons which lead to increased traffic (Stock 5).

4. Uses of Blogs

Blogs are used to cater to the topics that interest bloggers (Gill). There is a diverse variety and styles of blogs that use blogging differently. It ranges from personal diaries to online journals, de facto news sites, learning, information, corporate, knowledge bases, community support, and sports (Burns and Jacobs 93). User intention of blogging may vary from social networking, public sharing of ideas, personal satisfaction, business, or inter-group distinctions (Kim et al. 409). Simply put, there are as many uses for the blog as there are for people and their interests. Read More