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With the widespread popularity of blogs, personal lifes of people are freely circulated online. With little restriction on its readership, this 'open-window' peers dangerously into the private domains of bloggers, especially the young bloggers who might not be fully aware of the dangers of posting 'identifiable' and sensitive details in their blog.

This change in security adversely affects the community at large as these blogs often posts photos of friends gathering, names and even their addresses. Overnight, these unknowing friends have their pictures, names and even contact details pasted online for the world to see. Only a hairline separates the casual viewer from one who might habour unfavourable intentions to gather information and commit undesirable acts.

As presented by O'Connell on BBC that blogging has become a paedophile's dream, Dr O'Connell added, "this is just a paedophile's dream because you have children uploading pictures, giving out details of their everyday life because it's an online journal."

"The parameters of grooming are now about to alter whereby they don't necessarily have to have contact with the child," she added.

Image Reference:
http://www.bobbis.net


Reference:
BBC News viewed: 22 September 2008

A blog is defined as a Web Log, an online journal consisting primarily of text. With the evolution of the Internet and as technology surges, the IT skills of bloggers runs parallel along it.

As Gunther argued, "communication has always been multi-semiotic" (Kress, 1997, p.60), gradual adoption of colours, graphs, images and sound intensifies its content and personalises the blog, giving bloggers a sense of individuality and ownership.

With the 'outbreak' of online video sharing site such as YouTube the union of these two powerful media are now complete. Bloggers are increasingly embedding an amusing or controversial video to posting a 'traditional' text-based post.

This adoption is taking an increasing number of bloggers and turning them into 'Vloggers' instead.

Some examples of such blogs can be found here:
Blog1
Blog2

Video blogging, or Vlogg is a form of blogging for which the medium is video. Entries are made regularly and often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata (Wikipedia, 2008).

Will this result in the World Wide Web becoming a giant online video store?

Images Reference:
www.youtube.com

Reference:
atheistmedia.blogspot.com viewed: 21 September 2008
freedom100cc.blogspot.com viewed: 21 September 2008
Wikipedia viewed: 21 September 2008

Kress, G 1997, 'Visual and verbal modes of representation in electronically mediated communication: the potentials of new forms of text' in Snyder, Ilana (ed.) 1997, Page to screen: taking literacy into the electronic era, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, Chapter 3, pp. 53-79

With increasing speeds and wider adoption of broadband connectivity, lead by a staggering growth in wireless technology and users, the 'Internet has emerged as the dominant media' (Freemarketnews.com) in the 21st century!

Tradition media companies in print and broadcasts can no longer afford to dismiss this growing media giant. Instead of fighting this 'giant', media companies are embracing it by offering virtual versions of their (print/radio/tv) media online.

For print, news agencies are adopting their newspapers into online versions and providing on the minute updates online as 'people are turning to the web for breaking news.' argued by Game (MacLean, 2005 p.15)
eg. www.todayonline.com

Radio stations are beaming their 'Live' broadcasts online with the benefit of a video feed, allowing online listeners to see their DJs 'Live'! In addition, broadcasts are also stored into archives accessible by listeners at their convenience.
eg. www.class95.com.sg

Televsion stations are utilising the internet to reach out to a new segment of viewers who prefer to download TV series and movies to watch at their own leisure.
eg. http://www.mobtv.sg/

Reference:
www.freemarketnews.com viewed: 19 September 2008
MacLean, S 2005, 'Print learns to love the web' The Australian, April 28 p.15

Being free and easily established, blogs are fast opening up as a new media and medium, from advertisers and business-minded bloggers to individuals seeking an avenue to be heard.

From a Technorati 2007 findings, there are over 120,000 new weblogs being created worldwide each day and with over 70 million weblogs being tracked, the growth of blogs are indeed phenomenal!


















Although blogs initially started as a form of online diary for personal use, evolution has engulfed this new media as 'bloggers are involved with their audiences in a way the mainstream sites are not'(Day, 2005, p.20)

Apart from being an online journal, blogs are now segregated into:

1) Political Blogs
Contents generally consist of politically-link posts and opinions. Topics swing from pro/anti-goverment measures to voicing of issues related to the masses. These blogs are generally written in a formal register with occasional light humour and often about engaging topics easily-related by its local readers.
eg. http://www.mrbrownshow.com/, http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/

2) Business Blogs
A virtual space for budding entrepreneurs for launching their business. The zero-capital needed for this virtual shop-space is ideal for low-risk ventures and act as a "testing-ground" for their products or services.
eg. http://cupcakedivinity.blogspot.com/

3) Informative Blogs
Started as a non-profit venture, these blogs are often created by individuals who are passionate about their activities and seek an avenue to publicise their knowledge and meet like-minded individuals.
eg. http://wendyfoodrecipes.blogspot.com/

4) Social Blogs
Instead of the traditional website, fans of celebrities are turning to the free hosting options of a blog to gather and exchange infomation regarding their idols.
eg. http://tedlillyfanclub.blogspot.com/

5) Public Relation(PR)Blogs
With the global explosion of blogs, governments can no longer afford to ignore the emergence of this this media, in an effort to reach out to its young and IT-savy population who are born into the 'blogging-generation', ministers are starting to blog on a vast variety of topics, both political and non-political.

eg.http://www.p65.sg/,
http://ephraim.blogspot.com (George Yeo, Minister of State for Finance, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs),
http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com (Siew Kum Hong, Nominated Member of Parliament)

Resulting from the exponential growth of blogs, advertisers are quick to utilise this new media as an advertising medium. Different genres of blogs (some are listed above) allows advertisers to target specific audiences and promote their products and services to the audience that needs them.

The number of visits increases with the regularity and quality of posts which in turn attracts more advertisers who are willing to pay more for to advertise on the site.

With such statistics, there seems to be no slowing down of its stellar growth, and more products, services, and infomation seems destined to be heading into the 'Blogosphere'.

If you don't have a blog, what are you waiting for?


Image Reference:
www.technorati.com

Reference:
www.sifry.com viewed: 19 September 2008
Day, M 2005, 'Online users come of age', The Australian, October 21, p.20

With the 'World Wide Web becoming the communications platform for the 21st century' (Day, 2005, p.20), having a personal blog is surprisingly easy, even for the technologically-challenged individual. In fact, it is so well-accepted and common in today's society, you'll be deemed an 'antique' if you are below 30 years old and 'blogless'.

And it's so easy (and addictive) that I should be doing my laundry now instead of writing this.

Oh well, laundry can wait another 10 minutes!

Ok, so you have finally decided to step out of your cave and get yourself a blog.

Where should you go?
What should you do?
How do you start?
What should you write?

These are probably the evil thoughts in your mind pulling you back to your cave! Fight them, we say! MediaMoron is here to help! Just follow the simple 'Moron-proof' instructions below:

Firstly, what is a blog?

"From 'Web log.' A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is 'blogging' and someone who keeps a blog is a 'blogger.' "

Next, choose your hosting platforms. These are websites that provides you the tools and space for your blog. There are numerous hosts available but the more popular ones are:

www.blogger.com

www.wordpress.com

www.movabletype.org



Once you have decided on your hosts, you need to Register and select a name for your blog (eg.mynewblog.blogspot.com).

Lastly, select or create your preferred design/layout.

And you are all set to go!

Isn't that easier than doing laundry?

Image Reference:
www.blogger.com
www.wordpress.org
www.movabletype.org

Reference:
www.computersprintersrepairshouston.com viewed: 17 September 2008
Day, M 2005, 'Online users come of age', The Australian, October 21, p.20

in a borderless domain call Blogosphere, anyone can be someone, anyone or no one. A retiree in her 60s can be a journalist, a 14 year old kid can establish an international retail business. In a nutshell, what limits your identity is your determination and imagination. But in this 'euphoria' of a world where monikers rather than names are used, your identity are as exposed as you thought they are hidden.

The internet is vast, but what's intriguing is what goes on behind. In a land where freedom of speech is still in its infancy (read: mother's eye is still all over you), blogging on the internet might seem like a 'godsend'.

The keyword here is 'seem'.

In this island-state, blogging on touchy subjects like politics, race, religion and you can prepare some cold drinks and leave it at your doorstep... as the authorities will brave the hot summer heat to serve you a nice fan mail. Pretty evident in the "government's ban on political blogs and podcasts", quoted The New Paper

So, is it really freedom or just a mirage?

Of course, this separation is just a hairline thick but a line HAS to be drawn whether in the physical world or in a virtual one.

Law still rises above all.