Toast

10 May 2011

    “We live in a social world”, is what I hear as I sit down at my desk. The living room TV is playing commercials in the breaks between Glee. I couldn’t have put it any better, I think to myself, especially for the topic of blogs. This simple quote defines exactly the reason why blogs are rising in popularity today.
    But first, for those who are wondering what exactly a blog is, I suppose I must explain that first. A blog, short for web log is a website maintained by usually (but not limited to) one person. This person or persons will post regular writing entries, weather it be daily or weekly including pictures and videos by preference. The thing about blogs that makes them so large is due to the fact that they’re public. Anyone can see them, from your siblings to your fellow co-workers and even bosses. So, although blogs do considerably raise the level of personal knowledge, when bloggers are given the opportunity to post photos of their children’s first potty, they (hopefully) won’t for the sake of their followers’ appetite.
    Blogs of course don’t have to be a personal journal, though. They can be run by uncountable amounts of themes, such as cooking, sports or shoes. This flexibility is another reason why I believe blogs are so popular today. If someone in the world had a passion for making toast, they could create a blog and I know someone else out there would read it. The possibilities are endless.
    “Blogs became extremely popular during the presidential election �" particularly when Dan Rather announced proof that George W. had eluded his military duties. Conservative bloggers soon raised suspicions that the documents were fake �" they looked like they had been produced in Microsoft Word rather than with a 1970s typewriter”, is the immediate cause for the success of blogs. When people were given the opportunity to talk about this fake document to the internet community, they jumped. Judging by the popularity of blogs today, this jump never seemed to wear off.
    Blogs are an simple way to keep in touch with family around the world. Computers have only increased in popularity, and the household number grows daily. That cousin in England who you only saw once at age 8 at a family reunion can easily find your blog and comment.  Since blogs are interactive, your grandmother can strike up a conversation with your boss.
    There is no charge for owning a blog, they’re free for all. Owning a website sadly isn’t, and may cost seven to eight dollars a month to maintain. People write about their day to day lives, state their emotions, make money, and let others know what exactly they’re thinking. But of course, like I said before, the possibilities are endless. Others with a bit of spare time on their hands, or have an interest in knowing a little more about the blogger enjoy reading and subscribing to their page which allows them to view photos, video, writing and more.
    These are all reasons why blogging alone isn’t the only thriving elements that defines this time. Right now in our 21st century world, TV, fast food, reality TV and sensationalist tabloids are all rising in popularity. In a way, this is slightly sad. It shows that society has become lazy. These are all easier on the brain and wallet compared to the dependency on books from previous centuries. The world has dramatically improved, but when is this improvement just spoiling? Maybe someone will make a blog out of that question.