Explain Briefly Types of Blogging Communities & Methods to Build Blogging Communities. Then, Discuss the Structure of One Blogging Community in Brief.

To define what is a Blogging Community? How do bloggers create a community?

Blood (citied in Branum 2001) defines blogging community as ‘bloggers compiled lists of other blogs that they found interesting and programmers began to develop tools to mechanize the process of frequently updating blogs.’

Thus, in the blogging communities, bloggers can exchange ideas and comments for the purposes of socialise, make friends, etc (AirAsia Pesta Blogging Communities Trip 2009).

As suggested by Webpodge (2007), one of methods to create blogging community is through Drupal. There are several steps to be followed to create a blogging community:-

Step #1 Install Drupal

Step #2 Activate the Blog Module

Step #3 Install TinyMCE WYSISWYG Editor Module

Step #4 Install Image Attach Module

Step #5 Embrace Your Creativity!

Drupal - Powering Millions of Websites and Applications

(Source: Drupal 2011)

Explain Briefly the three types of Blogging Communities. Then, Discuss by Applying onto One Blog Example, the Structure of ONE blogging community from Nancy White’s analysis.

According to White (2006) in her article, there are three main patterns of blogging communities, they are:-

Type #1 Single Blog/Blogger Centric Communities

(Source: White 2006)

This blog is owned by alone owner or organisation. The rules and norms of engagement to maintain the ‘discipline’ of online discussion would be set up by the owner, the central blogger’s control.

In subject matter, conversational topic will be derived from central blogger, while commenters can either giving their response or run away without any controllable to the topic discussion.


Type #2 Central Connecting Topic Communities

(Source: White 2006)

This blogging community formed from a variety of blog’s links into a network system. The network shared a common passion or topic with a particular party or issue identification. There is no single technological platform for topic centric communities.

Global Voices which aggregates blogs from developing countries for the purpose to get attention from the main stream media about the issues in those countries, that I believe is a representative example for topic centric communities. For example, a heated discussion in Global Voices for Malaysia by 2011 is Bersih 2.0 Rally 709.

Global Voice - Citizen Media Stories from Around the World

Source: (Global Voices 2011)

Type #3 Boundaried Communities

(Source: White 2006)

Boundaried communities are collections of blogs, where blog readers hosted on a single site or platform. Typically members are offered the chance to create a blog through register and ‘join’ the community.

References

AirAsia Pesta Blogging Communities Trip 2009, What is A Blogging Community?, viewed 23 August 2011, < http://www.thetraveltart.com/what-is-a-blogging-community/>.

Branum, JM 2001, ‘The Blogging Phenomenon: An Overview and Theoretical Consideration’, Theories of Mass Communication, Southwest Texas State University, <http://www.ajy.net/jmb/blogphenomenon.htm >.

Webpodge, 2007, How to Create a Blog Community Website with Drupal, viewed 23 August 2011, <http://webpodge.com/2007/03/02/how-to-create-a-blog-community-website-with-drupal/>.

White, N 2006, Blogs and Community: Launching a New Paradigm for Online Community?, The Knowledge Tree, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community>.