Writer
Photo from Darton College
The use of a daily journal for entertaining rants and doodles has transitioned to digital platforms in the age of technology. With blogging on the rise, venting and interests are displayed online in a more creative and easy-to-share way.
In the world of web design, blogging has become a staple for students and businesses to create a viral space. Users intend to reach out to larger audiences in order to grow and discover other bloggers with similar interests. More and more people have started blogs, whether they may be for personal or professional reasons, and the options for blog sites are numbered.
On the Internet, anyone can publish a blog for free with nominal setup time and input a variety of options to personalize their site. The two main blogging spheres, Tumblr and Blogger, each have a comprehensive list of pros and cons.
Tumblr resembles other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, but allows users seven types of posts including text, photo, quote, link, chat, audio and video. Users and non-users can ask questions to others anonymously, and overall the site generates incredible entertainment.
“Tumblr is my favorite just because it is all of the social networking sites in one. Exploring others lives and new cultures is always interesting. I love photography, especially on Tumblr because you never know what you will find,” said first-year undeclared major Liz Flores.
The main concept of Tumblr is to express feelings and explore personal interests, such as fashion or music. It is easy to find followers by searching hash tags, most popular or browsing through categories.
“My music has been discovered through the magic of Tumblr. I’ve gained many fans just by posting my music. It feels good to see it re-blogged,” said second-year David Patterson.
Tumblr has grown from approximately 300 million monthly page views since 2009 to over one billion in February. With such tremendous growth, people are evidently intrigued with its features.
“With Tumblr, I’m never bored. There’s so much to do. I find it hard to close the web window and start my homework at times. Sharing my interest in fashion draws in similar interests and even creates cyber friends. It’s nice to know people are going through and relating to the same things you are,” said second-year pre-communication major Jasmin Diaz.
Blogger.com is another popular blogging software whose concept, to have a voice online, is easy-to-use and completely free. Since Google’s purchase of Blogger.com, the features and available tools have continued to cultivate. Blogger allows users to customize a personal design, earn money from it, share memories with others and update important events.
The simplicity of Blogger is one of the most attractive elements of it. Bloggers can change fonts, bold or italicize text, adjust text color and alignment and add labels, which organizes the site in a way that makes it easier for other people to stumble upon postings. Its popularity is even increasing on smart phones, allowing even more individuals to get involved.
“Blogger is the best website online that keeps me informed in a fun way,” said first-year political science major Eric Drubec. “On Blogger, posts of whatever topic or content are accepted.”
Through blogging, the writer can interact with readers, receive feedback in a timely fashion and relate to similar posts. Whether users are Tumblr or Blogger fans, it is because of their simplicity, the ease and the immense attention it provides for people that blogging’s recognition is escalating.
“I love what social media and blogging has created. Blogger in specific has so much to offer. There is a cyber friendship and community developed through such sites,” said third-year psychology major Jackie Sandoval.
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