Blogs Suck: at least we think they do
The
mistaken stereotype of blogs and their uselessness
by Alexandra Smith
Okay, time to confess. I hate blogs
with a fiery, burning passion. I read them when I want to know this or that and
one pops up with advice but that’s about it. So I have to blog for my class and
I’m not going to lie I have been avoiding it because I get so mad that I am
shaking when I sit and try to figure out what to write about. I honestly feel
like blogs are for people to sit there and either praise or complain. THEN I
was looking up “why do blogs exist” out of anger, and what do you know someone
had blogged about this topic… (eyes rolling).
Anyways, I have come to learn that
blogs are actually useful in our current world of technology and social media.
So tonight my blog is going to be about why they exist and hopefully if you’re
like me you can get a better understanding of them.
First of all: Who are you thinking
you have a place to be telling me anything on the internet? Are you a doctor or
specialist? Are you a professional? Then what do you honestly think you are
doing on the web giving advice? Here was my first mistake. I thought this at
first and sometimes I still do. The truth is blogs might be more trustworthy
than websites at times. Instead of getting information from someone who is
trying to sell you a service or product, you are getting firsthand information
from someone who really is just sharing their knowledge.
Want to get a wine stain out of
carpet? If you looked it up there might be comments on different websites of
what brand of cleaner to use. If you find it on a blog, someone may have a
cheap and easy way to get the stain out who has shared their stain-removing
concoction and instructions of how to make it. The same thing can apply for any
kind of information you might be looking for online.
Another misconception of blogs is
the idea that they are like a journal for the person who is the author of a
blog. It isn’t a place for people to complain about their personal lives-
unless it’s the blog of someone famous and people actually want to listen to it.
Blogs are used most often these days for companies, products, organizations, or
by people who are considered experts on topics in which people read their blogs
to listen to their advice or opinion. Companies these days can send sample
products to someone in charge of a blog for them to write a review of their
product. Some organizations blog just to keep people updated on their latest
developments or events. There is often ethical questions from having people
blog about products they have received from companies and why it may be
considered bribery for a good review, but it still happens.
The next wrong idea I had about
blogs was that it was meant for either praise or complaints. This can be true
because people can blog about whatever they want. People can even blog about
how much they truly hated your product or service. When this happens, you can
comment or contact the blogger to see if there is a way to fix the situation.
The fact is, it can seem to be about complaining or praising but a lot of blogs
are simply informational or helpful. My personal favorite for blogs is the
Mockingjay.net blog which posts about any recent news regarding The Hunger Games
trilogy books and movies. This is just one example of a topic that an entire
blog can be about.
Last, when I was writing my blogs
for my class I felt like if people saw it they would think I was just another
weirdo blogger thinking they knew it all. I also thought that no one would even
see my blog posts because no one would care. When I was contacted about an
internship recently and the man told me he “liked the work from my blog”. I
asked “really?” and then I realized people really do see the things you post on
a blog. The importance of this mistake was realizing that my blog was actually
another way of promoting myself and networking. Both of which are really
important for an undergraduate student as well as for anyone who may be in the
career world.
I’m not going to lie, I really despised blogs.
But now I see that they are actually a useful tool in the public relations
world. While I’m no professional on public relations or on blogs, I’m glad I
got to share the common stereotype that people may have of blogs. I’ve found
several other blogs similar to this one that might be more helpful to anyone
still wondering “Why blogging?” make sure to visit them! Very Official Blog- why blogs matter
Why blogs matter to small businesses
