The House of Publication and Design: Blogging Community

The evolving trend of blogging communities.

Based on Nancy White's research on blogging communities (2006), she stated that blogging communities had been evolving through the growth of Internet. From the beginning, these communities came in as bulletin boards and discussion boards (forums). As Web 2.0 improves the online world of interaction, people begin to follow each other's blogs, as well as tagging and commenting on each other's blogs.

Today, bloggers don't only interact in online alone. They also interact offline in outings and events. An example happens in Indonesia when Anthony (2009) tells the story on how blogging community events happen there. There are even formal groups made where members are able to socialize and talk to one another in the events they held.

How to create one blogging community?

White (2006) implements a few ways to create a community:

- back channeling - using e-mail or any instant messaging applications for interactions.

- since the introduction of Web 2.0, mashups and tagging become a common.

- usage of RSS (Real Simple Syndicate) and Feed

- a search for other blogs with comments from each other.

- addling links within your topic scope into your site and connect with them. (blog roll)

Blogging Communities Today

White (2006) suggests 3 types of blogging communities in today's world.

One Blog Centric Community -
The earliest blog community where readers return to the "one" blog to interact with the blogger and the community of commentators. And the power centralizes on the blogger, as he decides his blog's direction and sets any forms of restrictions he wish.

Topic Centric Community -
These communities focus on their respective topics discussed and bloggers are connected through shared interests. For example, Malaysia Today is set up with a group of prominent bloggers, as well as articles from guest writers.

Boundaried Community -
The closest form of blogging community to a traditional discussion board (forum), where numbers of blogs are bounded together under a site. Often these communities offer discussion boards, social networking, and instant messaging applications for the members to interact, as the whole main site is the ecosystem itself, where members are bounded to view each other's blogs easily.

Nuffnang is a clear example of a boundaried community. It is Asia-Pacific's first blog advertising company that connects hundreds of thousands of bloggers together. They connect members online using Nuffnang Xchange, a widget that enables bloggers to view other fellow members of the group, and through Nuffnang Innit, members can interact with one another and view their latest posts by "pinging" their blogs on the site.