The Rise of Blogs in Media - Essay Example

The Rise of Blogs Media and the ability to communicate with others through digital communication are continuously growing in the community. Blogs were known to start over 10 years ago with many who wanted to get the word out about their ideas being the main consideration. In 2008, it was found that there were over 133 million blogs in the web community. It was also found that there were between 77.1 and 94.1 million visitors in only the United States that was visiting blogs. This is approximately 50% of all Internet users. On average, 120,000 blogs are built daily with 1.5 million posts per day and 17 posts per second. Most state that this is the largest and most explosive trend on the Internet (Weinberg, p 86: 2009). Now, this blog can be counted into the number. What do these high numbers and fast growing trends mean to the media and digital communication? More important than any other factor, it means that the way of communication is changing. It also means that ideas and opinions are going to be a way of growing on the Internet, as opposed to the polished facts that were seen in main stream media. The rise of blogs is one which is bringing a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly to those who are in media and communication. While most are excited about the boom in social media on the web, there is also two questions which many should ask. The first is: what does this mean about the information that is available? The second is: where will blogs lead in the future in creating new ways of communication and the interpretation of information. From blogs alone, we can expect that media and communication will never be the same way again. References OKeefe, Kevin.  (2010).  "Blogging for Business by U.S. Companies on the Rise."  Retrieved from: http://kevin.lexblog.com/2010/09/articles/blog-basics/blogging-for-business-by-us-companies-on-the-rise-/.   Weinberg, Tamar. (2009). The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web. California: O’Reilly Media. 2. Publishing Designs and Blogs One of the reasons why blogs are popular is because it gives room to design. If you just write a paper, essay or other print communication, you are limited to editing needs. However, with an online blog, you have complete digital freedom to do what you want with color, design and the overall look and feel, all which is a personal expression of what you want to retrieve to others. What most overlook with the designs of blogs is that it refers directly to the communication that you are using for others. Most don’t consider design as a strategic way of making a statement and instead get the best colors or the design that is most convenient. The number one problem with publishing blogs and the designs are used is the desire to put too much in too little of a space. Liquid content, calendars of posts, tag clouds, widgets and RSS feeds are some of the problems that are associated with blog design. The reason why is because it takes away from the communication and text and makes your blog look disorganized and hard to decipher (Zinni, 2011). The main communication that is used on blogs then becomes too much communication and causes most to think that you are jumbled and disorganized. For businesses and even personal blogs, this makes reading and communication… confusing. Before you post, make sure that your design is not cluttered and that it is published with digital standards that help to draw attention to the communication you are using. References Zinni, Anthony. (2011). “The Seven Most Commonly Made Bad Blog Design Choices.” Positive Space Blog Retrieved from: http://www.positivespaceblog.com/archives/the-seven-most-commonly-made-bad-blog-design-choices/. Online Publications and Design Issues: It’s About Balance A continuous fad for those that are interested in the Internet is to have an online publication. It is great that the publications save paper and trees to make the earth greener. However, there are many publications that are either showing examples of poor or excellent types of layouts for the online publications that are available. Following is an example of a digital and hard copy media that point out definite differences in the design. The first website design is from DVD Studio Pro, an online distribution area for selling things online. (DVD Studio Pro, 2011). Here is why this particular online publication works. First, it is very easy to see the digital print and to know what is being spoken about with the publication. Bold print, highlighted colors and different placements for different concepts are laid out and easy to find. When one looks at this, it is easy to see what the information is about. However, there aren’t too many pictures or images to lose the balance with the main article titles. The weakness of this particular publication is with the cluttering of information that is seen. This makes it difficult to read through the content or to know where the eye should go to find out more about what is being offered. Let’s take a different sample of a hard copy print on the same topic. (EM, 2011). When looking at this particular example, it can be seen that there is a unification of color – orange and white. There is also a strict designer option of one box on the side with all information and a main picture, as well as a side bonus sticker. The information is followed by the eye moving from the title and through the different titles. There is a vast difference in the way that the designs work with both. The balance for the online magazine is one which has several words, different boxes and placements of images. The hard copy publication is one which has a different limit to the words used, images used and follows a stricter alternative to the publication. The rules with hard copy magazines and publications are always there for the eye to follow. From looking at the design for the online magazine, it can be seen that the clutter of images and information becomes problematic. Understanding how to create standards that work for your publications is essential to better building of your online presence. References DVD Studio Pro. (2011). “DMO Launches Apple Motion Channel.” Retrieved from: http://dvdstudiopro.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=36788-0&afterinter=true. EM. (2011). “The Complete Recording Guide.” Retrieved from: http://emusician.com/discmakers/. Building Your Online Identity Designing for Brand Building and Businesses There are several who are trying to build an online presence, all with different reasons. One of the main focuses of those who are interested in building their online presence is to create a business that is online. This is one of the booming areas that is continuously driving forward interest with those that are interested in getting the right online presence. The design that is now associated with online presences is one which also associates with brands. There are several that are trying to find different ways to add in different ways to brand their business, specifically with the use of branding online. Content, images, design and the way that most approach their online presence are all included. The design that you need for your brand is one that is designed specifically by incorporating several different elements. Design is no longer about only creativity and a logo, but instead incorporates a complete online presence, as can be seen from the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6BKKf6c96c Following the necessary alternatives for building a brand online is one that begins with recognizing the design used. Following this with content, images and a complete look then creates the right presence for businesses. Intellectual Property Issues in Digital Publishing One of the easiest things to do when you are working online is to copy and paste. The right click of the mouse and the ‘save now’ feature are causing several to get free content and images to be a part of their media. This is then spread around from site to site while creating several controversial issues for others that are trying to protect their property, including content, images and multimedia. To try and regulate the problems with intellectual property, are several countries that have teamed up their efforts in changing the issues with digital publishing. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is one of the ways in which this is done. This makes it illegal to download copyrighted work for commercial or personal use. This means that downloading, right clicking and using images or content is prohibited and infringes the law. There is also currently a question of whether linking to sites that have copyrighted content should be considered a violation (Litman, 2000, p 208). Even though there are regulations and concepts used, there are also problems with several who still have the freedom to use intellectual property. Other organizations are trying to change this. For instance, the Creative Commons Organization has provided a way to find materials that can be used freely and is separating it from those who want to keep their materials secure (Creative Commons, 2011). The more that there are supporting organizations that are able to respect the materials online, the easier it will become to distribute the correct materials while giving the rights to those who are providing materials online. References Creative Commons. (2011). “About Creative Commons.” Retrieved from: http://creativecommons.org/about. Litman, Jessica. (2000). Digital Copyright. Berlin: Prometheus Books. Moving Into the Digital Age of Information One of the growing issues that are a part of the media is with the online expectations that are continuing to change. The growing fad is heard by almost every individual that is in touch with the Internet. “Welcome to the information age,” and “isn’t it great to have information available at the touch of a button” are some of the rapidly known phrases of those who are intrigued with the online information age. While the information age is definitely blooming online, it is also creating a question of what is occurring with the digital age of information. The expectations for an online persona are continuing to grow with the information readily available at a fast pace. The more that online information is available, the more consumers expect. Those who are unable to create the right headlines within a split second are left behind with commenting on the status of others. What this means to those involved in the digital media and publication is that there needs to be a change in the work process and how things are available to others. More important, the speed that is expected with the work may cause the relevancy and quality to diminish. Creating a process that allows the information to have the same, high quality is essential to produce the right type of media and published print through the Internet (Herbert, 9: 2000). By doing this, there is the ability to change the way that information is read online while creating more relevance and a better work system that matches with the information age. References Herbert, John. (2000). Journalism in the Digital Age: Theory and Practice for Broadcast, Print and Online Media. London: Butterworth – Heinemann. The Power and Controversy of Online News There are several websites that are claiming to know the truth, providing relevant information and which are trying to blow the whistle on issues that are important to them. Many of these are personal ways of expressing viewpoints and opinions, some which are respectable, others which are controversial. A pressing issue with releasing information through the use of digital media comes with the question of whether individuals or organizations want it released. An example of this is Wikileaks, an online area that publishes information and documents about international government and some of the things that have happened in the past, specifically by tapping into top secret documents. Since Wikileaks began, there have been continuous controversies. Companies are facing problems because of the documentation and the US government has attributed the founder as a terrorist, with the belief that he should be assassinated because he prints the documents of the US government to the world. The founder has been arrested twice, forced to shut down his site and has changed the URL to mirror sites to continue offering documentation and information to the world. The following interview provides insight into the complexity of this situation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCmjmDXp7TI The problem becomes one that questions the digital media online. Should there be the ability to publish anything or should the same secrecy be allowed with confidential documents by the government? The controversy that is arising with Wikileaks as well as other online publishers is one which may lead to new questions on what is available with information as well as what should be restrained from the public. Professional Links to Important Sites Digital Rights and Controversies: European Commission. (2011). Digital Rights Information. Retrieved from: http://ec.europa.eu/atoz_en.htm. Information on Digital Media Organizations: JISC Digital Media. (2011). Signposts to Relevant Organizations. Retrieved from: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/crossmedia/advice/signposts-to-relevant-organisations. Electronic Literature Organization: ELO. (2011). Discover Electronic Literature. Retrieved from: http://www.eliterature.org/. Reflections of Blogging When beginning this web blog, I wasn’t completely sure what it would involve or how I would approach writing it. The place where I decided to start was to look at what was involved with the research and requirements for completing the blog. As I began to go through the different concepts of the blog as well as the ideologies for the digital media and publishing and issues surrounding it, I began to acquire several skills. The first was the ability to research different concepts in an alternative way. I was able to understand several perspectives while noticing the legitimate and illegitimate sources. While continuing this approach, I also began to find that there were other concepts about digital print and media that I was not aware of. This went beyond the design that was required and into concepts such as intellectual property, wars on information and relevant issues to what it means to publish online. I found that there are several layers of complexities and problems in digital media, as well as ways in which the media can enhance others through the information involved. The skills inquired through this include more interest and questions about what is happening as well as what my role can be in the world of digital information. As a blogger, I think that there are two ways of approaching blogging. Most blogs seen are personal and casual, which makes the blog worth reading. However, offering research and taking the standpoint of commentary or highlighting the information is as important. The audience expects casualness of information; however, relevant information that interests both my understanding of digital media and the readers can make the blog both entertaining and enlightening to read. Read More