Me—The Blog Expert

Where facts are few, experts are many.
Donald R. Gannon


I recently celebrated my first year anniversary as a blogger. The experience has been enjoyable and gratifying. Blogging is a creative way to discover what I’m thinking. What’s more, the potential of reaching a large audience is, I admit, exciting.

Since the advent of the weblog, the internet has become a haven for countless outstanding authors who have yet to see their works in print. I’m inspired to see so many gifted people taking advantage of the medium to share their views on life with the rest of the world.

With so much talent gracing cyberspace, I’m indebted to Monica Martinez for including my thoughts on weblogs in her article, “Caught Up in the Blogsphere,” which appeared in the FSView, Florida State University’s student newspaper.

Shortly after transferring to the main campus, in Tallahassee, Monica—a former student from my days at FSU-Panama—joined the FSView staff. It has been terrific to see her blossom as a writer. In a relatively short time Monica has developed a wonderful voice, and I fully expect her growth in the craft to continue. Thus, when she contacted me for the article she was writing on blogging, I was delighted to be interviewed. And needless to say, I’m also thrilled with the result.

Because of the length of Monica’s article, I’ve condensed it, considerably. And not surprisingly, I’ve included the sections in which I’m quoted. If you wish to read the entire article, there’s a link at the end of this entry.

Caught up in the ‘blogsphere’
Monica Martinez
April 17, 2006

Ever since the Internet craze began almost a decade ago, the user-computer interaction has gone to another level. First there were user forums. Later on came personal Web sites. Now there are weblogs. The cycle grows more with each day . . . .

According to Webopedia.com, a “blog” is short for “weblog,” a Web site that serves a “publicly accessible journal for an individual.”

Blogs date back as far as 1995, when personal Web sites incorporated a “news” or “personal” section as part of their links. Webrings, a group of people that joined a group for a desired interest, also allowed users to post comments in a forum, journal-type fashion . . . .

The term weblog was first used in 1997 by John Barger in his personal Web site. The short name is attributed to Peter Merholz, who divided up the word as “we blog.”

(Now) the blog craze is everywhere.

“I found out about Livejournal around 1999 or 2000 just as I was getting into high school,” FSU junior Anna Philp said. “I started updating religiously in 10th grade and have had one ever since. I like the availability of blogs and the endless amount of information and opinions expressed on them. For me, blogs keep me up to date with what my friends are doing, even if they are scattered across the world. I like the fact that I can meet lots of people in blogs who are interested in the same things that I am involved in.”

However, blogs have become more than just personal journals. Everything from images, videos and even books are being published through these sites, open to the eyes of all viewers. Some have become informative while others try to provide viewers with life support messages . . . .

“I had visited the Web sites of Luis Rodriguez and Ana Castillo, two writers I greatly admire, and discovered they had blogs; I instantly became a fan of the concept,” novelist and newly passionate blogger Silvio Sirias said. “I just have my personal one, but I love that you can get your writing out instantly, without depending on anyone but yourself. I update every Wednesday, religiously. I write about the things—both significant and trivial—that interest me: social issues, personal anecdotes, literature, music, reading, shortages of kitty litter and so forth. I write fiction, and having a blog allows me to flex a different set of writing muscles. What I essentially am trying to do through my blog is to master the art of the personal essay.”

Blogs are used to evoke a variety of topics including personal insights, culture, business, photos and even politics. Media hosts certain blogs for readers or viewers to post their opinions on a subject matter. Some of the most popular blogs are not even personal journals anymore . . . .

“I sometimes surf the blogsphere wanting to learn more about what people are saying about a specific topic and I’m amazed to discover how many great non-professional writers are out there,” Sirias said. “Blogging obliges a writer to assume that there’s a potentially enormous audience out there. If you’re not demanding with yourself, it can be easy to come across as foolish and immature. Still, I mostly find that blogs are helping the art of writing make a comeback, and that’s exciting” . . . .

“A blog has great potential to be a dynamic and collaborative writing environment,” Jason Adams (Administrator of The Lulu Blooker Prize for weblogs) said. “Additionally, many bloggers have built large followings and have captured the attention of big publishers. This obviously isn’t guaranteed to happen to every blogger that wants to write a book, but a blog is a great way to reach a wide audience.”

Whatever the case, the blog phenomenon seems to be growing with each passing day. Blogs open a window of opportunities for writers and non-writers alike. People are always trying to find ways to voice their opinions, and weblogs may just be the beginning of it all.

If you wish to read Monica Martinez’s article in its entirety, visit the FSView