Oh the joys of knowledge.
Critically discussing three blogs spanning across an entire globe, and in turn relating each to a common characteristic, will be the attempt of this essay. And how wonderfully close lie the themes of a Western blog to that of the ‘African’ blog. An African blog, (not complete without the popular African theme of the Big 5) discussing the ever dying children of their country, wooden pots and curios for sale with limited, if any connectivity to the web seems so banal and unimportant when I could be reading the Western bloggers interest in how some self indulgent celebrity just bought their 4th mansion in the Hampton’s. The same celebrity who advocates giving and helping the less fortunate by buying the wooden pots and curios. I suppose it is important to note that this complete generalization and nihilistic claim has absolutely no substance as I haven’t actually ever read such and such in any blog. But I am almost certain that if I looked, I could find the ever concerned blogger spending all day writing about how said celebrity should be doing something about poverty in this or that African country.
That’s a lovely Mac laptop you’re typing on concerned blogger.
The nihilism herein is not intended to criticise the act of blogging or the moral values and ideals of the bloggers. In actual fact, blogging spaces must certainly be commended for the ability of having created a practically free public domain in which -amongst others- strictly religious fools (I mean folks; Freudian slip for academic purposes) and atheists alike can create anything they please and then battle it out anonymously on the commentary. It definitely serves for entertainment and occasionally, enlightenment. I suppose that to some it may just come across as an easy way of having your say without any physical confrontation, and for others that is exactly its attraction.
Amongst its other various perks, it can include the creation of alternate identities. This brings us to our first website entitled ‘Second Life’. I’m not sure if this could be a South African, African or international blogging site as it could be considered as all three. I’m not sure if it could be considered a blogging space at all, but let’s appropriate and explore for the ongoing prospect of gaining knowledge.
Second Life is a virtual world in which one could literally create a second life or parallel universe. It is accessible to anyone and free of charge (except for the fees Rhodes pays- but it’s on appearance not a physical dent in my pocket, so hey.) It works much the same way in which a blog does. One creates a profile, (fictitious or real) and as evolution goes, it differs from the traditional writing blog in that it enables one to interact virtually with other users across the globe. It is currently the largest user-created 3D virtual community imagined and designed by its residents. Each person, depending on their geographical location, can create their part of the world which allows other people to visit it. So if (in my opinion) I literally create Grahamstown, South Africa, Africa as a tiny bubble in the sky, until someone with a different opinion and same location extends or changes that, everyone in the virtual community will experience it as destination: Grahamstown, tiny bubble in the sky. Besides for that fallacy, much the same as all blogs, the life you create and follow on Second Life could be completely fictitious or anonymous and as extravagant as you please. Think Sims on steroids. For further information on Second Life: Second Life Info
The second blogging space could pass as my international blog. It is another appropriated blogging space that does not fall completely within the confines of the traditional writing blog. It does involve text (mostly) but is orientated towards creating a more ‘personal’ space. The website is called ‘Postsecret’ and involves individuals physically posting postcards with their secrets on them to the editor of the blog, Frank Warren. Frank then picks the top secrets and posts them on the website every Sunday. The fascinating attraction about this website is that people can create and 
divulge any secret about themselves or others to the public in a creative manner. It is set up as this immaculate ‘personal’ space created just for you. You know- the one where the whole world can read your secret. Right. I suppose the morality of such a ‘blog’ is another matter for another time. But it certainly holds for a brilliantly interesting blog space. People can comment on each postcard, again, much the same as the traditional written blog. For further information on Postsecret: Postsecret blogspotThe third and last blog I have chosen is a South African written blog by a very opinionated lady. Laurian Clemence’s blog is entitled Mushy Peas on Toast and is an account of her ‘true’ everyday day-to-day. The blog has won many awards (yes, there are awards for blogging) of which these include: best new blog, most humorous blog, most original writing, 2nd place in SA blog-off etc etc. I believe that the reason she has won so many awards and why her blog is so successful is not her wonderfully sickening pink background (which I’m almost certain was a joke on her behalf) or her ‘pansy-ing’ around with boring topics. She makes observations of experiences she or friends have had and posts these on her blog. Relatively simple one might think. But I suppose the real success lies in her brutal honesty. Oh- and probably her down right potty mouth. Nonetheless, it is a brilliant read.
The common characteristic I have tried to highlight with this analysis is that all blogs have the potential to hold a secretive quality. They utilise mystery and illusion, perception and creation, alternate identities or universes and the expression thereof.
The relative theme noted in all the above mentioned blogs is also the potential for anonymity and the seeming authorship we have over our ‘creation’: our alternate life in Second Life, our endless creativity in Postsecret, and a true expression of ourselves in the everyday traditional blog such as Laurian Clemence’s devil-may-care one.
As much as these are subject to different ideas again, of morality, blogging is also seen as process of self-reflexivity, exercising desires and the ability to choose to stay anonymous throughout this whole process.
In conclusion, I’d say that blogging with web 2.0 is probably ranked up there as one of the best forms of expression around and it is certainly the most interactive, information sharing tool around.
And it’s free.
Who doesn’t love a bargain?
The common characteristic I have tried to highlight with this analysis is that all blogs have the potential to hold a secretive quality. They utilise mystery and illusion, perception and creation, alternate identities or universes and the expression thereof.
The relative theme noted in all the above mentioned blogs is also the potential for anonymity and the seeming authorship we have over our ‘creation’: our alternate life in Second Life, our endless creativity in Postsecret, and a true expression of ourselves in the everyday traditional blog such as Laurian Clemence’s devil-may-care one.
As much as these are subject to different ideas again, of morality, blogging is also seen as process of self-reflexivity, exercising desires and the ability to choose to stay anonymous throughout this whole process.
In conclusion, I’d say that blogging with web 2.0 is probably ranked up there as one of the best forms of expression around and it is certainly the most interactive, information sharing tool around.
And it’s free.
Who doesn’t love a bargain?
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