| Thanks in part to the rapidly changing social | | | | friends and family. Some such blogs have gained |
| environment brought on by the age of the internet, | | | | recognition as being important life reflections or actual |
| online networking and self-publishing has become | | | | literary gems, though very few ever reach the point of |
| something of a phenomenon for today's web | | | | fame. |
| generation. One of the favorite activities of many avid | | | | Other blogs are dealt with much more loosely and |
| internet networkers is blogging, which has also quickly | | | | impersonally, and may keep a running commentary on |
| become an important source of communication and | | | | everything from general topics like fashion, celebrities, |
| information for those who follow the blogs. Without the | | | | social groups, and sports, to such specifics as |
| fast internet connections offered by cable and satellite | | | | Southeast Asian cooking, teddy bear collections, and |
| broadband, none of this would be possible. With an | | | | news for Jewish college students. Other blogs cover |
| estimated over 100 million blogs in cyberspace, which | | | | nitch literature, the misuse of Chinese characters in the |
| ones should you be reading? | | | | western world, Ivy League gossip, photos of things |
| Let's start with what exactly a blog is. A blog is | | | | that have been found in the street, overheard |
| essentially a website that is typically controlled by one | | | | conversations in Pittsburgh, and one blog authored by |
| or a few people and involves rolling commentary, | | | | a Quentin Tarantino impostor. |
| oftentimes updated in the style of a personal diary or | | | | Some popular blogs include Go Fug Yourself, a |
| notebook. Blogs encourage interaction on the part of | | | | scathing celebrity fashion blog by a duo of anonymous |
| the blog readers and the creator, the blogger, through | | | | New York City residents who have subsequently risen |
| the blog space for leaving commentary and | | | | to fame and become contributors to such publications |
| responding to questions, inquiries, or opinions noted by | | | | as the New York Times and New York Magazine. |
| the blog's author. | | | | Crash Test Kitchen is a food and wine blog for |
| Blogs can be any number of things - while some are | | | | foodies and oenophiles with tips and hints for whipping |
| extremely focused on one particular topic, others are | | | | up new recipes in the kitchen. Faces in Places is a |
| more general and encompass a variety of topics. | | | | quirky blog that posts photo images of faces spotted |
| While most blogs are text-based, there are also | | | | in everyday objects. Blogs such as this encourage |
| specialized blogs, such as photo-based photoblogs, | | | | user collaboration and submissions, enhancing the |
| art-oriented artlogs, video vlogs, and audio blogs, called | | | | overall blog. The Oil Drum is an American blog on |
| podcasting. | | | | energy issues facing the world, The Sartorialist covers |
| Probably the most popular type, though, is the personal | | | | New York City fashion issues, while the Soxaholix is a |
| blog. The personal blog is typically composed by an | | | | discussion forum for Boston Red Sox fans and |
| individual who uses the format as their personal diary | | | | anti-fans. |
| space, either for solely personal use or to share with | | | | |
