Thing #4

While reading some of the articles listed on the Thing #3 page, I discovered something that I had never understood... BLOGS!!! As I read some of the entries people posted, I realized that people had interesting and insightful views on various topics. As I read through the posts left by readers, I felt as if I were in a forum of debaters adding tidbits of information and facts. In terms of a genre, I felt like I was in the middle of a good suspense / thriller / mystery. The initial blog writer reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. He presented information, and as the omnipotent mystery solver he allows Watson, those responding and adding their two cents, the chance to add insight and or pertinent information on the topic. As I scrolled down the page and read the responses to the blog, I felt the posts were very helpful additions to the story intially posted.

Blog reading is both similar and different from other types of reading in many different ways. One way it is different is that blogs allow readers the chance to comment on the material presented. When someone reads an article in a magazine or a published website, they read information and are left to process the information in their head. Blogs allow the reader the chance to put their thoughts into words, in written form. It allows them the chance to summarize and make sense of what they read. I read a blog dealing with brevity and discovered that the responses were...well...brief! I noticed that people were putting their responses to the importance of brevity into practice. Other blogs not dealing with brevity, had responses that went on and on.

I feel that blog writing is different from other writing because it allows the writer the chance to give their thougths and opinions with the expectation for feedback. Blogs may be written by someone who wants to keep their identity. Blogs allow them the chance to throw out and receive feedback without the fear of judgment or diapproval.

Commenting on blogs allows readers the chance to add insight and different perspectives on subjects. Readers may find the comments to be more thought provoking than the initial blog.

I suppose there is a blogging literacy by the way in which people respond. Responses that I read were less formal and seemed to be less grammatically correct.

The blogs I read seemed to be very appropriate to my profession. I feel that I gained some insight into some topics I wouldn't ordinarily search.