Comments on: Blogs vs mainstream media http://www.p2pnet.net/story/4960 p2pnet.net - reader powered Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:11:09 -0300 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Reader's Write http://www.p2pnet.net/story/4960/comment-page-1#comment-14295 Reader's Write Thu, 26 May 2005 16:56:57 +0000 #comment-14295 Although what most people know as a "blog" is basically just an individual personal webpage account in a large corporate blogsite - designed for the completely non-technical user that is already set up with standardized off-the-self templates. Unlike traditional websites, programming knowledge of HTML, Perl, or PHP not required, nor is use of web authoring applications or FTP clients. In these blogsites, the only knowledge or skill needed is the ability to type on a keyboard and click with a mouse. Basically, a website "for the complete idiot" as they say :) But the term "blog" seems to have evolved to mean just about any single-person website designed for fresh, often-daily news postings, rather than the more traditional personal website (normally created on a home PC and uploaded via FTP to the server) which is only rarely (if ever) updated. So whenever I see the mainstream news media discussing "blogs", I wonder if they mean any non-mainstream news/opinion website outside of the traditional commercial news organizations? Would the Drudge Report qualify under the definition of a blog? (Because although only 1 or 2 people run it, it is said to be extremely profitable, which might be a disqualifying factor) Also, most forum software includes a "front page" which will automatically list all the news posts - in order of most recent - that start each thread in the designated news section. Although not normally referred to as a 'blog', it essentially serves the same function - if the postings are original writings rather than reprints of commercial news stories. So back to my original question - other than the cookie-cutter "websites for dummies" that are increasingly common these days, what exactly are the qualifications for a website to be classified as a "blog"? Would calling P2Pnet a blog be acceptable or a huge insult? Although what most people know as a “blog” is basically just an individual personal webpage account in a large corporate blogsite – designed for the completely non-technical user that is already set up with standardized off-the-self templates. Unlike traditional websites, programming knowledge of HTML, Perl, or PHP not required, nor is use of web authoring applications or FTP clients. In these blogsites, the only knowledge or skill needed is the ability to type on a keyboard and click with a mouse.

Basically, a website “for the complete idiot” as they say :)

But the term “blog” seems to have evolved to mean just about any single-person website designed for fresh, often-daily news postings, rather than the more traditional personal website (normally created on a home PC and uploaded via FTP to the server) which is only rarely (if ever) updated.

So whenever I see the mainstream news media discussing “blogs”, I wonder if they mean any non-mainstream news/opinion website outside of the traditional commercial news organizations? Would the Drudge Report qualify under the definition of a blog? (Because although only 1 or 2 people run it, it is said to be extremely profitable, which might be a disqualifying factor)

Also, most forum software includes a “front page” which will automatically list all the news posts – in order of most recent – that start each thread in the designated news section. Although not normally referred to as a ‘blog’, it essentially serves the same function – if the postings are original writings rather than reprints of commercial news stories.

So back to my original question – other than the cookie-cutter “websites for dummies” that are increasingly common these days, what exactly are the qualifications for a website to be classified as a “blog”?

Would calling P2Pnet a blog be acceptable or a huge insult?

]]>