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Blogging boosts your social life

The ABC reported yesterday afternoon that "blogging can help you feel less isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied with your friendships, both online and face-to-face." I must admit to feeling a bit this way as well, especially when you discover that there appear to be some (albeit not very many) people out there who are reading what you say (thank you Google Analytics). The fact that potential exchanges are global in scope maybe intensifies the feeling of interaction. I've certainly interacted with more people from a richer variety of cultures than I've perhaps been able to prior to getting into the whole blogging experience (visiting other people's pages, leaving comments, joining into discussions on a whole host of ideas and issues that reflect the diversity of the globe).

The study itself strikes me as a little flawed though, does maintaining a My Space page count as a blog? I've always thought of it as an aesthetically displeasing social network, but maybe that's my age showing!
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Comments

Megan said…
I'm now addicted to analytics, and I'm glad to know where my hits from Australia are from =). I totally agree with your thought here, as well as your feelings on myspace. I have a page but hardly maintain it. I think the blogging forum is much more interactive, since an account isn't required to check out anyone's page, or leave comments! Australia to Alaska...diversity is alive and well! I'll be checking out your side of the world now too! Thanks for checkin in!
4 March 2008 at 14:47
Kris McCracken said…
No problem. I'll try and rustle up a picture of a Tasmanian Devil, but I expect a moose in return!
4 March 2008 at 21:35
Anonymous said…
Bloggers were defined as users who used the specific blog function offered by Myspace, on multiple occasions.

Thanks for your interest in the research!
4 March 2008 at 22:51
Kris McCracken said…
It really is fantastic to hear from the researchers themselves. Gee the Internet can be bloody useful sometimes! I can’t imagine older forms of technology having anything like the capacity to facilitate that sort of interaction.

After thinking about it yesterday afternoon, I figured that it must have meant that. Having never really delved too deeply into My Space (for fear of epileptic fits from all that flashing gif), I'm no doubt ignorant of how many of its users utilise the blogging tool. Now I'm going to have to locate the published paper itself.

Thanks again for the explanation, that’s made my day!
5 March 2008 at 11:31
Anonymous said…
http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/cpb/11/1 (page 81) for the first article, and second one has been submitted for publication but isn't published yet.

It is amazing how much smaller the world is with the internet. I marvel to think about the delays in / lack of communication for humanity past...

Thanks again!
6 March 2008 at 22:18
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