HW 13: Blogs Will Change Your Business

At first, Americans might say that few people read blogs online. But on closer inspection, this is a statement that needs to be adjusted. In the essay “Blogs Will Change Your Business,” Baker says that “…27% of Internet users in America now bother to read them” (Kline 222). In my view, over one out of four Americans reading blogs is a large number. One person in four read blogs. This would mean that eight students read blogs in most of my classes. That number sounds very high to me. Baker disagrees, and says that this number is too low for today’s standards. He believes that blogging is becoming a business. I however, do not feel that this is the right solution.
I believe that blogging on communication that is not business related is more important in today’s society. Blogging was created as a medium for online journals. They were not created, initially, for a second job. Blogs are for creative expressions, thoughts, and ideas. They are not for making profits and advertisements. One should not create a blog because they need some extra cash. The sole purpose of blogging is to share with one another your thoughts and ideas, regardless if whether or not you can make money off of it.

HW 11: Making Global Voices Heard

I chose to explore Isaac Mao’s blog, www.isaacmao.com/meta/. MacKinnon says that “Mao is probably the best known Chinese blogger outside of China because he blogs both in Chinese and in English” (Kline 328). After briefly viewing the site, I found out that this is still accurate. His writings are in English, but all around the website there are Chinese symbols with the English words. For instance, there is a link that says ‘EXIT’, and next to that it has the word ‘exit’ in Chinese. Also, it appears that Meta is the company sponsoring the website. This is possibly one of the three companies that run the blog hosting services in China.
The website is very basic. A white background and blue headings make up the site. The only pictures on it are the ones Mao took when he was visiting Borat in Kazakhstan. He posted them on one of his blogs. The style of writing is at a high level. He incorporates some words that, I’ll admit, I’ve never heard of. He seems to be a very educated individual. He writes about Wikimania, Gmail, and other websites. He also throws in the occasional personal blog, like his trip to Kazakhstan.
Of course, many will probably disagree with the assertion that all Mao’s blogs are about websites. They will say that on other pages, He talkes about family, friends, and business. In response, I briefly glanced over the site and didn’t read all of his thousands of posts. Sorry nay sayers.

HW 9: Waldman

Though I concede that Ayelet Waldman may have committed suicide if she had not written her thoughts and feelings in her blog, I still insist that personal information such as Waldman’s should not be intended for the public. Waldman describes her second-to-last post, a suicide note, that “blogging saved me because enough people saw it and said, ‘Jesus Christ. She’s not okay’” (Kline 313). Waldman may have been accurate when describing how she got better by using blogs to release tension and stress in her life. However, I disagree with her when she says that blogging and online journals are a type of way to help with their illnesses. I believe that by writing in a personal journal, she would’ve got the help that she needed. She would’ve eventually understood that she needed care and she was a smart enough woman to seek for it. Online journals shouldn’t be the substitute for psychiatric care. People with problems need to seek help by talking to others around them or finding professionals who will. Everyday individuals shouldn’t be put in the position of Doctor when just wanting to view someone’s opinion. If I had read Waldman’s blog, I would feel responsible for her health and that’s not fair to me. It’s not my responsibility to help others who need special care from licensed professionals. Waldman put her own problems into others’ lives, and that’s not fair at all to the viewer. If Waldman wanted help, she should’ve told someone other than every common person looking for something to read.

HW 7: My So-Called Blog

I believe that in today’s society, writing online without having to answer to parents or others that a child might respect can be a very positive way for kids to express themselves. I don’t feel that it’s right for a parent to monitor every single word that their child writes on the internet or some other technology. A parent doesn’t have to know, and shouldn’t know, everything that their child experiences or feels throughout their day. Expressing themselves online gives the child a sense of freedom and maturity. Allowing a child to freely write and express how they are feeling teaches the child how to adjust and adapt to every day situations. As author Emily Nussbaum observed after interviewing a troubled child, named J.:


I was surprised to find one of J.’s comments in early November. “I made a xanga for myself because I keep hearing that that’s whats ‘cool’ now,” he wrote on his LJ with a distinctive mixture of rue and satisfaction, the very flavor of adolescent change (Kline and Burstein 361).


J. wrote on his LiveJournal and a number of other blogging websites in order to try and belong to a group. Without his parents knowledge, he would write entries daily about his personal life. This online diary allowed J. to express his true feelings, and made him more comfortable with his surroundings. Giving this opportunity to children allows for pure emotions and feeling to be expressed by the individual. Writing online shouldn’t be monitored by parents because they may find what their child writes offensive or maddening, and they could become upset with their child. However, if the child has a free reign over what they do online, they can succeed and that’s really what life is all about.

HW 5b: I Blog, Therefore I Am

Throughout the book, Blog! How the Newest Media Revolution is Changing Politics, Business, and Culture, authors David Kline and Dan Burstein celebrate the fact that the photosphere has taken off. They believe that blogging is an uncontrollable force that cannot be stopped. After reading Kline’s essay, “ I Blog, Therefore I Am,” I became outraged with one of his paragraphs. I normally am not too critical of others’ work, but Kline really got me steaming this time. He argues “Finally, many bloggers are far more open and forthright about their mistakes…than is the mainstream media. In fact, despite the addition of ombudsmen and public editors, most major newspapers continue to bury reports of error in a small corrections box on an inside page” (Kline, 240). Kline has been advocating blogging throughout his essay, and takes numerous shots at the media. He believes that the media tries to cover up their mistakes by disregarding them. They don’t accept that they’re wrong. In contrast, Kline endorses bloggers because he believes that they are very accepting people. They take ownership to their mistakes, and are open to criticism. This statement is arguably the worst argument I’ve ever heard. Even Kline himself can’t fully agree with this statement he made. He writes “ the photosphere sometimes seems populated with an endless army of critics well equipped to carp and stab at minute flaws in their betters,” (Kline, 13). With so much jealousy and the fact the most bloggers try to one-up their critics, it’s hard to believe that most are open to judgments. I disagree fully with Kline that bloggers are “far more open and forthright about their mistakes.” How can Kline even state that after previously stating the second quote? This had me confused and annoyed to the fullest extent.

HW 6: Interest Statement

There are three social technologies that interest me right now. The first, social networking services, has peaked my interest the most. I use websites such as www.facebook.com routinely. I would like to learn more about these social networking services. The second technology that I’m interested in is instant messaging. I have a screen name for America Online Instant Messenger, and I use it daily. The last technology that I have interest in is email. Like instant messaging and social networking services, I use email routinely to keep in touch with the people that I care about.
There are several marginalized groups that I have interest in. I would like to learn more about racism, because it grabs my interest. I find it fascinating to learn about how cruel people have been and still are. Homophobia has also interested me. I know many homophobes, and many of my peers like poking fun towards the gay community. The last marginalized group, urban communities, have my most interest as of now. I come from Manchester, NH, and we do have an urban community. I would like to learn more about the struggles and barriers urban communities face.
The United States and North America are the geographical areas that I will be focused on for my research. I live in North America, thus also the United States, so I’m more concerned about where I live instead of somewhere that I don’t.

HW 4: The Voice of the Customer

When going back to my room, I noticed one of my favorite snacks near my refrigerator. Yes, the popular 100 Calorie Packs were sitting on top of my fridge, waiting to be devoured by myself. The 100 Calorie Packs made by Nabisco are arguably the greatest inventions in the last 20 years. From Doritos to cookies, the packs are filled with the taste that I love. One bag of the snacks has only 100 calories. This is a great advantage because I don’t want to get too big in college. They are great on the run, or when just watching television. I decided to research the product a bit more, and find out what the 100 Calorie Packs are really about. Prior to my research, I suspected that the brand’s main focus was about an alternative snack that doesn’t have many calories, but still tastes delicious. After checking out http://www.nabisco.com/100caloriepacks/, I discovered that I was pretty accurate in my hypothesis. Nabisco’s implied promises are that the 100 Calorie Packs are a smart way to snack. With only 100 calories and the same great taste, it’s a smart choice for snacking. In my experience with the 100 Calorie Packs, I would have to completely agree with Nabisco. They taste the same as the original products, and are much more healthy. I am very satisfied with the product. Nabisco delivers its promise to the highest extent. I am one of the biggest fans for the 100 Calorie Packs.

HW 3: Toward a More Participatory Democracy

My whole life I have never heard it said that blogging plays a role in the outcome with today’s politics, and I agreed with that statement. However, after reading David Kline’s essay “Toward a More Participatory Democracy,” I have to change my opinion. In Kline’s essay, he says that bloggers across the country were a major part in the 2004 Presidential elections. He used candidates Howard Dean and John Kerry as his main examples. Facts showed that bloggers that were for Dean went to his blog more than 30,000 times a day. He raised most of his money via blogging. Activists tried to convince more democrats to side with Dean. However, Kline and others believe that this ultimately ruined Dean’s chances. The supporters were too focused on people who already sided with Dean, instead of trying to sway others’ opinions. Kline also writes about John Kerry’s failures online. In his essay, “Toward a More Participatory Democracy,” Kline writes “According to one study, three out of four Kerry campaign emails between March and November 2004 made direct appeals for money, compared with fewer than one in five Bush campaign emails.” That is a staggering differential. Many believe this, along with other reasons, led to Kerry’s defeat in the elections.
I believe that it is very interesting to look at how blogging played an important part in the 2004 Presidential elections. I never realized how powerful the internet, and people, could be. In 2004, I was 15 years old, and wasn’t particularly interested politics. Looking back however, it fascinates me to think that a person out there wrote a blog in order to show their support for Howard Dean, and it turn it grew into a monster. Blogging is turning into one of the most powerful media forces in the country. I think to myself, if blogs can sway peoples’ opinions about a Presidential candidate, what else can it do? Only time will tell, I suppose.

HW 2: Posting to Your Reading Response Blog

One of Burstein’s 12 key ideas in “From Cave Painting to Wonkette” that relates to an interest of mine is his third key idea. Burstein says “Blogging, in addition to being a huge phenomenon in its own right, is the key metaphor for interactivity, community-building, and genuine conversation: one to one, one to many, many to one, many to many.” This relates to me because Facebook.com has become a significant part of my daily internet routine. Often when browsing the internet, one of the first websites I frequent is the Facebook website. From there, I can check almost everything imaginable in my community, from talking with old and new friends, to joining groups that I have an interest in. Like Burstein said in his third key idea, “…community building, and genuine conversation…” Facebook.com has turned into one giant community, and continues to build everyday. There are thousands upon thousands of groups on face book.com, that all share common interests. If you are feel outraged at Michael Vick for his actions with dog fighting, you can find a group that agrees with you. This fact is where Burstein is dead on. These groups on Facebook is the genuine conversation; the one to many. Facebook can thank blogging for making them what it is today. It is another type of blogging. It may not be as academic and articulate as an official blogging website, but in a way it is the same. Facebook allows you to post your life online. You can tell the world how you feel about a certain type of music, your favorite food, and countless of other facts about you. Blogging has grown into the “huge phenomenon” like Burstein stated. Facebook has made my interest in blogging greater than it has ever been.