Blogging Phenomenon

Research done by Technorati shows that there are 133 millions blog records since 2002.the number increased by 900,000 blog posts per day from more than 60 countries all over the world. Furthermore, internal data of Windows Live Spaces 2006 shows that there are 120 million unique visitors of the blogs hosted by the Windows Live service every month.

Blog is defined as a new form of grassroots convergence; of their personal and subcultural expression involving summarizing and linking to other sites, by Henry Jenkins (2006, p.215). He as well see the power of blogs in influencing the community by pooling information, tapping grassroots expertise, debating evidence, scrutinizing available information, and challenging one another’s assumptions (p.215).

According to Technorati (2008), trends of blogs in Europe shows that more than half blogs is a corporate or professional blogs with bloggers age from 35 and above, employed full-time, college graduate, and are blogs with advertising. Whereas more than half Asian blogs are personal blogs with bloggers in the range age of 18-34, single, employed full-time, college graduate, and also blogs with advertising. Both continents are dominated by male bloggers by 73%.

However survey by Microsoft Press Pass (2006) focused on Malaysian market shows that 64% of bloggers are women, 63% respondents read blogs for entertainment, and 49% use their blogs to keep up with friends and family. Survey by MSN Live Spaces (2006) shows only 20% Malaysians voted for Blogs focusing on politics. These results show the strong family and social oriented among Malaysian more than any other aspect.

Based on the statistics, we can conclude that benefit of blogs in Malaysia is more towards to social relationship and connection, and indirectly advertising purposes rather than for political or business influences.

References:

Jenkins, H. 2006, Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide, New York University Press, New York.

Microsoft Press Pass 2006, Women Rule in Malaysian Blogosphere, microsoft.com, viewed 5th June 2009, http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/press/archive2006/linkpage4337.mspx.

Ramadass, V 2006, Blogging Phenomenon Sweeps Asia, lowyat.net, viewed 5th June 2009, http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/blogging-phenomenon-sweeps-asia.html.

Technorati.com 2008, State of the Blogosphere/200, viewed 5th June 2009, http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/.