Since their inception, blogs have evolved. There are still blogs used to record the personal details of the life experiences of the blogger but now there are specialized, informational blogs that discuss favorite hobbies, like knitting, rock collecting, aquariums, pets, sports, cooking, candy, electronic gadgetry, toys, art, paranormal experiences and just about anything else that you can think of in which people are interested or in which they have some expertise.
Businesses have discovered the value of blogs too. Many well-known companies have their own blogs which they use to share the day to day details of the "behind-the-scenes" activities in the company. Sometimes, the blogger might be a product engineer or a technician. Sometimes the CEO of the company will weigh-in on the latest burning issues in the company. What businesses have realized is that customer/blog-readers like to know the truth about what is really going on. They want the "Real Story." Many businesses have learned that it can enhance the company image if they are able to present a persona that conveys the sense that: "Hey, we're ordinary folks, trying to solve problems and make a living; just like you."
Of course, there are still the personal blogs by ordinary people, of whom it must be said, emboldened by a false sense of anonymity, write their private details in a blog for all the world to read. These blogs are still wildly popular with blog-readers, probably because people like to know about what other people are up to. We are naturally curious creatures.
Not everyone, however, is eagerly awaiting the next installment of "What My Crazy neighbor is Doing Now," or "Gemma's Dilemmas." When seeking answers to my questions, I frequently try to get a consensus of opinion from people around me. When, during one of my local, infamous surveys I asked an exhausted Mother of a toddler if she ever read blogs, I received a peevish and curt response: "Why do I want to waste my time reading about someone I don't know? I am too busy. I don't care what they are eating, or reading or what their cat is doing. Anyway, that's boring."
Many people may feel this way, but I do not think it is the prevailing view. The fact is, blogs are still with us and are as popular as ever. Evidence? Search for blog directories and you will find them everywhere on the Web.
Blogs exert a magnetic appeal akin to the appeal of soap-operas and reality shows. Blogs, especially, the personal blogs of ordinary people, "just like you" give us a window through which we can peer (with their permission) into their lives. We can, thus, share their hopes, dreams, disappointments, frustrations, joys and the full range of human emotions that make us feel alive. Like the Talosians in Episode One of the original Star Trek series,( "The Menagerie") we are fascinated by how others live and we want to know how they feel. By observing others at a safe distance so we do not actually become entangled in their complicated lives, we can feel certain self-assurance about our own lives that we are indeed, OK. The examination of other people's lives can provide us with entertainment; we can find wisdom and sometimes, inspiration. We can learn about ourselves; how we are different from others; how we are the same. We can often identify with the blogger. Maybe this helps us feel less alone in a world where, when we look out our window, our neighbor, whom we do not talk to and who does not talk to us, is not home again, as usual. We can always find comfort knowing that we can still enjoy human contact and have some connection, if only a meeting of minds, through the window of our computer. This is, essentially, the Secret Appeal of Blogs.
W.E. Corey
Businesses have discovered the value of blogs too. Many well-known companies have their own blogs which they use to share the day to day details of the "behind-the-scenes" activities in the company. Sometimes, the blogger might be a product engineer or a technician. Sometimes the CEO of the company will weigh-in on the latest burning issues in the company. What businesses have realized is that customer/blog-readers like to know the truth about what is really going on. They want the "Real Story." Many businesses have learned that it can enhance the company image if they are able to present a persona that conveys the sense that: "Hey, we're ordinary folks, trying to solve problems and make a living; just like you."
Of course, there are still the personal blogs by ordinary people, of whom it must be said, emboldened by a false sense of anonymity, write their private details in a blog for all the world to read. These blogs are still wildly popular with blog-readers, probably because people like to know about what other people are up to. We are naturally curious creatures.
Not everyone, however, is eagerly awaiting the next installment of "What My Crazy neighbor is Doing Now," or "Gemma's Dilemmas." When seeking answers to my questions, I frequently try to get a consensus of opinion from people around me. When, during one of my local, infamous surveys I asked an exhausted Mother of a toddler if she ever read blogs, I received a peevish and curt response: "Why do I want to waste my time reading about someone I don't know? I am too busy. I don't care what they are eating, or reading or what their cat is doing. Anyway, that's boring."
Many people may feel this way, but I do not think it is the prevailing view. The fact is, blogs are still with us and are as popular as ever. Evidence? Search for blog directories and you will find them everywhere on the Web.
Blogs exert a magnetic appeal akin to the appeal of soap-operas and reality shows. Blogs, especially, the personal blogs of ordinary people, "just like you" give us a window through which we can peer (with their permission) into their lives. We can, thus, share their hopes, dreams, disappointments, frustrations, joys and the full range of human emotions that make us feel alive. Like the Talosians in Episode One of the original Star Trek series,( "The Menagerie") we are fascinated by how others live and we want to know how they feel. By observing others at a safe distance so we do not actually become entangled in their complicated lives, we can feel certain self-assurance about our own lives that we are indeed, OK. The examination of other people's lives can provide us with entertainment; we can find wisdom and sometimes, inspiration. We can learn about ourselves; how we are different from others; how we are the same. We can often identify with the blogger. Maybe this helps us feel less alone in a world where, when we look out our window, our neighbor, whom we do not talk to and who does not talk to us, is not home again, as usual. We can always find comfort knowing that we can still enjoy human contact and have some connection, if only a meeting of minds, through the window of our computer. This is, essentially, the Secret Appeal of Blogs.
W.E. Corey
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