Module 3 - Blogs

I must admit, even since starting this course, I still haven’t read many blogs. I just don’t find most people’s blogs interesting. However, it has been suggested to me that I should start a personal blog. Not about my family “personally”, but about where we travel and what we see, to be aimed mainly at friends and family overseas. I’m not sure how I feel about doing that. Part of me is saying it would be a good idea, part of me is saying “no way, ANYONE can pick up information from it”. And that is what scares me. That I have absolutely no control (really) over who does or doesn’t see it.

Yes, there are ways of locking people out, but one thing I’ve found with certain people on the internet – the more you try to lock them out, the harder they’ll try to break their way in.

One use for blogs that I’ve heard about that I think is interesting, is the use of blogs for people who have long term illnesses and who need to stay in hospital for a long time. Personally, unless I knew the person really well, I still wouldn’t read them, and unless their illness was something that I wanted to know more about for some reason, their blog probably wouldn’t interest me at all. But I do think it’s a good idea, if they want to do it. It would give information to friends and family who either can’t get in to see them due to distance, or who can’t bring themselves to visit a lot because of their own feelings about the illness. This is one reason that I think it would be useful to have all hospitals fully equipped with wi-fi connections. It would help so many people pass the time while they are in hospital, and if they aren’t feeling up to having visitors, they could leave some information on their blog just telling everyone how they are getting on.

The blogs that I’ve seen that I really don’t like are the ones that are (to me) just so indulgent. I can remember seeing a blog from a young woman once that was basically a tribute to her menstrual cycle! The depth of information that she obviously felt comfortable sharing with the world was just a little TOO much information!

I can’t say I’ve seen much in the way of citizen journalism (or maybe I’ve seen it but just haven’t recognised it). But then, that may also be because I really don’t have much time to give to searching for blogs. Unfortunately between work, study, family and life, I just don’t have the time I’d like to be able to just wander through the internet and absorb everything I’d like to.