Blogs: the new phenomenon

Weblogs are becoming increasingling popular in todays society. They are used for many different purposes and anyone can create one. Up to 5 years ago blogs would have been used alot for media discussions and even professional journalism. Weblogs are described as a new phenomenon because so many people have started their own on their personal area of interest. Many Blogs are text based but there has been an increase in many visual blogs such as Art and photography. The following quote is taken from Kress (1997, p. 54) and it dicusses how changes in society and technology have allow different distribution channels to expand helping to develope this 'new phenomenon'.

"these have had positive effects for groups previously excluded, marginalised or oppressed, so that social groups and communicational changes tending to greater informality cannot be said to have just a technological origin: social, political and technological elements coincide"

The Internet has allowed individuals in society to put their personal message out there, even as a form of personal advertising. Blogs have affected the community in many positive ways. Another example is the many music blogs about local music and musicians that helps to promote local talent. This emphasis the social advances made through technology whereas two decades ago there were few avenues to get your message or talent out to the world. Blogs have helped to concret visual communication as being just as important as the written word, with some focusing on different images with little text. According to an authoritive source there have been drastic changes in media and the differen forms of communications available (Kress, 1997).

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