Blogs and the Blog Revolution

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Recommended: History of the development of the internet

The Blog Revolution

Our history is littered with advancements in writing and communication technologies that have had profound and long lasting effects on our modern society. One need only look back five centuries to the time shortly before the advent of the printing press to see a time when towns were so isolated that even news from their closest neighbors were rare and the sight of a book outside of a church was even less common. Yet 100 years later the total number of books in existence, and the spread of information and ideas alongside, had increased explosively (Burke). The invention of the printing press was undoubtedly one of the most significant advances in communications in modern history. Recently, a similar revolution has been taking place, but this time it has spread across the globe at a much faster speed.

We all know this revolution as the Internet, and though it is still relatively young, no one will refute the claim that it has already had sweeping effects upon our society. However, the Internet is not a specific tool, rather it is a means for which other tools can be employed. The earliest and most widespread of these is E-Mail, but no less popular are instant messaging programs, news and personal websites and even discussion forums. Each of these can be said to serve their own unique function and some can even be said to have influenced the way people write. A newer tool has recently arisen as well, most commonly known as blogging software. This software takes the form of an online journal accessible to anyone who cares to view it. These blogs, however, seem to try to accomplish the same function as several of the pre-existing and more widespread tools, and it is for this reason that I do not believe tha...

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...action as many other tools already do, is in fact a niche technology. For, as mentioned, some people do wish for a place to be the focus and let their thoughts be known to the rest of the world. This is evident by the fact that blogs and personal websites exist all over, even though they may never be as popular in readership or participation as the other technologies. So, though I do not believe that blogging software will ever become as widespread as its older cousins, it does serve a small niche of people with exactly what they're looking for.

Works Cited

Mitchell, William J. "Homer to Homepage: Designing Digital Books." Rethinking Media Change. Ed. David Thornburn, and Henry Jenkins. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003. 203-215.

Burke, James. "Communication in the Middle Ages." Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. Ed. Crowley, and Heyer. 74-82.

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