Blogging – private becomes public and public becomes personalised

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how blogging has grown as an online phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

Examines the way that blogs have become a phenomenon that embrace private authors who go online to write personal diaries through to representatives from different types of commercial, political and voluntary organisations who utilise them for a range of information exchange, debating, promotional and support purposes.

Findings

As blogging grows as an online phenomenon its impact in areas such as news, politics, and social networking is being taken ever more seriously. While the internet has been held up by governments as holding great economic and political promise, acting as a vehicle that can enhance public services, empower and engage citizens, and trigger new ways of doing business, the reality in terms of how it is actually applied can be poles apart from the ideal.

Originality/value

The paper provides an overview of blogging and introduces the papers in this special issue.

Citation

Gunter, B. (2009), "Blogging – private becomes public and public becomes personalised", Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 61 No. 2, pp. 120-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/00012530910946875