Microserfs Paper

Jessica Billingslea
Professor Yerks
English 106 section 002
24 April 2009
The Future of Blogging
“Clearly, we are only at the beginning, as the news industry faces one of the most significant transformations in its history” (Bradshaw 52). Blogs, message boards, and texting have all changed our way of story telling. Comparing the use of certain details to telling the full story, things such as diaries and notes are more personal to telling a full story because it is used to express the way someone feels. Blogs and other sources of social media are public, which would mean certain parts of a story are left out due to the fact that the public will be able to read what the author wrote.
Most people that write in a diary use it for venting purposes and do not let others read it. Personal bloggers tend to write blogs for feedback on situations or advice on what to do. The main reason I write in my diary is because it is a place of privacy, somewhere that I can go and express my feelings so no one can judge me or have to know about it. When talking to my friend Branden about his blog he said “I blog to network with other people and to get advice on certain issues that I need help with, like how and where to start a music career”. Those are just some of the differences of blogs and diaries.
The similar qualities and characteristics between blogs and diaries are that both are a way of expressing yourself. They both give the writer a chance to freely say what they want and announce issues that are bothering them. I use mine to think personal issues out and try to get an understanding of how or why someone else would react a certain way depending on the situation. Blogs and diaries are both opinionated writings that can be used for venting purposes or just to record something that happened on a certain day. In a way, they can be personalized journals to keep track of the events that happen to them. In the novel Microserfs by Douglas Coupland, the main character Daniel types a personal journal on his computer at work everyday. He talks about the things that go on in his work place and within his life. As the days go past the subject of death and the afterlife comes up almost everyday, which is on of the major topics within the novel, and he types the journal to get a better understanding of death because he doesn’t have an opinion on it himself. Even though he types is thoughts and feelings on the computer, he isn’t using a blog to express himself.
Observing other blogs on the web, I found that the details that were put into the stories that are written on them are vivid and was descriptive and others were just full of thoughts that were to be followed by comments from other bloggers that were following up on that person’s blog. For example, the Grimes Family blog was describing their trip to China and goes as follows:
Last week this time we were preparing to land in Jax and see our boys. I couldn't wait to wrap my arms around both of them. Over the last 3 years we have flown occasionally, and each time we came back home I would say, "one day we're gonna come around this cornor with our little girl!" That day finally came! As you might imagine, it was quite emotional. My sweet Jason tenderly cried on his daddy's shoulder before greeting his sister with a sweet kiss. Andrew was running late due to an out of town tennnis match. His Aunt Cheryl was not gonna allow this moment to slip away from him, so she rallied our youth pastor to rendevous with the team and Andrew made it to the airport while we were in luggage claim. He was adorable as he ran through the airport to meet his sister. My heart was so full in that moment! They are so loving and patient with their sister. She is blessed to have them!
Depending on the writer of the blog and the purpose of the blog makes a big difference as to how much detail and description is put into the blog. Blogs aren’t just used for personal purposes, journalists use them as well.
Journalist have been adapting to the change in the use of blogging. Some feel as though “their work had been changed by the simple act of blogging” (Bradshaw 51). Some journalist “use the blog to put the call out for information and sources” (Bradshaw 51). They don’t just go out and do their own research anymore, which has its benefits and consequences, instead they blog with people that have similar interest or knowledge to get more information about their story, making the feedback from other bloggers their research. As Kate King says “journalist no longer control the message. Today digital publishing is practiced by the masses, and it is inseparable from the practice of journalism” (12). We do not know exactly how the use of blogs will contribute to the future of newspapers and scholarly articles, whether blogs are going to be the new source of information or if newspapers are going to be modified to fit with the new system of gathering information.
Considering the different uses of blogging and the different people that use them, it is hard to tell the future of blogging if it changes the effect of story telling and the life of newspapers and scholarly articles. Diaries and blogs are used for personal purposes to either vent or to get an idea out there to get a respond or some type of advice. Journalists also use blogs for their work. They use them to easily find research from people with interest on their topic or knowledge on it already. This makes their job easier in terms of having to find the information by traveling and doing face to face interviews. It looks as if blogging is going to take over the world of communications.

Works Cited
Bradshaw, Paul. "When Journalists Blog: How It Changes What They Do. " Nieman Reports 62.4 (2008): 50. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 19 Apr. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/
Coupland, Douglas. Microserfs. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
Grimes Family. “First Look.” Weblog Entry. Grimes Party of Five. 25 March 2009. 20 April 2009. http://grimespartyoffive.blogspot.com/
King, Katie. "Journalism as a Conversation." Nieman Reports 62.4 (2008): 11. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 19 Apr. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/
Thomas, Branden. Personal Interview. 18 April 2009.