Blogs: Blogging Communities and Building Them

Blogging communities or blogosphere refers to a ‘collective community of several blogs’ (Webbusinesswiz 2009). These societies as described by White (2006) signify the technological act of joining; whereby people all around the world who share the same interest, find each other and communicate via blog sites. Over a short span of time, these blog communities have expanded greatly; so much so that it forms close knit relationships with among people who have never even met each other.


Caption: Blogging Community (ewriting.pamil-visions.com)

How to Build a Blog Community?

Comments:
Unlike traditional media formats such as newspapers and magazine, blogs enable reader to actively post comments. For instance, Somer (2009) discusses the attitude of a blogging community site known as Joe User, which focuses on individuals’ personal issues; ‘when one person has something important happen to them in their life, up to 100 or more comments will arrive under their blog entry with advice and information as well as emotional support from their blogging friends.’

Tags:
Like page markers for a book, tags are online links that help readers to search and detect for blog postings of a certain topic.

Listing in Online Directories:
Blog Malaysia .com is an online blog directory for Malaysian bloggers. A good way to build a blog community is by listing a blog under such directories as it features and advertises the blog to others, providing specific details such as percentage of blog popularity and description of blog genre.

Some Types of Blogging Communities:

Gaming: http://dotamatters.blogspot.com/ A blog about the very popular Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne custom map, Defense of the Ancients (Dota).

Health:http://alcoholism-alifesentence.blogspot.com/ A blog providing tips on surviving alcoholism and depression.

Travel: http://pureglutton.blogspot.com/A blog on the best places to eat around Malaysia.

Case Study of a Blogging Community in Malaysia:
One of the most popular blogging communities in Malaysia is the blog of former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, known as Che Det http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/
With currently 24,972,819 viewers to date, this blogging community revolves around the citizens of Malaysia who actively participate by sharing their thoughts on the political environment as well as the governmental issues affecting them, with the former minister via comments and votes on blog polls.


References:
Blog Malaysia 2008, blogmalaysia, viewed 18 November 2009, <http://blogmalaysia.com/>

Blogging Communities for the Blogging Enthusiast, 2009, webbusinesswiz, viewed 18 November 2009, <http://www.webbusinesswiz.com/blogging/blogging-communities-for-the-blogging-enthusiast/>

Somer, J 2009, Blogging Communities Turn Faceless Strangers into Close Friends, Dovada.net, Australia, viewed 18 November 2009, <http://www.blogging.dovada.net.au/13429.php>

White, N 2006, Blogs and community: launching a new paradigm for online community?, Creative Commons, San Francisco, USA, viewed 18 November 2009, <http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/white.pdf>