Short Essay #2
COML 509 Social Dynamics of Communication Technology
Dr. Alexander Kuskis
Gonzaga University
June 13, 2009
Blogs: Storytelling on the Internet
Imagine a gathering in a large, open area, complete with a box for the speaker to stand on. He raises his voice and begins delivering a story to the people gathered. Reflect to the times as a young child, gathered around with some other siblings perhaps, enraptured by the story your grandmother is telling; one of family history, culture, and life. Technology is changing how we think about telling stories and passing on generational information. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the gradual shift from an era focused on orality and storytelling to one that relies heavily on computer medicated communication, in which the focus will be blogs. First, the discussion will begin with the definition of a blog, followed by an examination of the evolution of change that has led to blogging. Last, we will focus on audience and developing a character on the computer screen.
What is a blog?
It is only fitting that we begin with a definition of a blog, as it is gleaned from the screen of one. A basic blog is located on a website complete with chronological posts, written by the author (Thurlow, Lengel & Tomic, 2004, p. 129). “Blogs are widely heralded as an alternative to mainstream media, as they provide a forum for ‘ordinary’ people to share their own perspective and experiences with other Internet users” (Somolu, 2007, p. 478). By sharing of perspectives and experiences, readers and authors are converging on topics that range from everyday life to business and political happenings. It is by sharing this information that people come together to share and learn from others, much like they did when they streamed in to a room to hear a sermon, a great debate, or play in a primarily oral culture.
The Evolution
Ong (1982) discusses orality and the need for storytelling as a means for preserving messages and information from the past. “Since in primary oral culture conceptualized knowledge that is not repeated aloud soon vanishes, oral societies must invest great energy in saying over and over again what has been learned arduously over the ages” (p. 41). By speaking and sharing, orators were able to share knowledge learned from experience or inherited from generations. In a sense, blogging allows for the same sharing of stories and information.
Storytelling has been evolving; from oral stories and diary entries with pen and paper, to the Internet. Rebecca Blood (as cited in Cohen, 2006, p. 162) tells the history of blogs when they, “came online in the 1990s, emerging out of online forums, personal Web pages, and e-mail lists—all of which are tools for telling stories and creating networks.” While blogs have been emerging on the web, the stories that are shared allow for a sense of community. What some may have felt when they gathered to hear a great rhetorician, some feel as they read the latest blog excerpt.
An Audience
Some may ask, who are the blogs written for and directed towards? While many are written for business or political purposes, many are for personal reasons – a chance to capture life’s moments. Blogs live in the here and now, as homeostatic societies on the web (Ong, 1982, p. 46). Telling current, relevant stories that matter to the readers can draw an audience in as it gives an insight into the life of another person.
In contrast to speaking, the writer of the blog cannot gauge reactions on the face of audience members or know how many people are sitting in their virtual audience. “In fact, and in the experience of the blogger certainly, the audience for blogs is neither small nor large; which is to say, it is not numerable in the way a theatre audience is presumed to be” (Cohen, 2006, p. 164). Just because the blogger cannot see an audience doesn’t mean they are not there – writing into the abyss of the Internet may even be more challenging than speaking in front of an audience. An author must wait until blog comments begin to emerge to determine audience response to the post.
A Star is Born
Blogs, as with oral culture, give the storyteller a chance to be a star. These “heavy characters, persons whose deeds are monumental, memorable, and commonly public” are commonplace on a blog (Ong, 1982, p. 70). It is chance for a short stint of fame on your very own blog, with your words as a guide. In an article on narcissism, Sam Vaknin writes, “Weblogs allow individuals to indulge grandiose fantasies of who they are, cataloguing the nuances of their lives—real or imagined—for all to see” (as cited in Cohen, 2006, p. 164).
While some may see blogs as, “nothing if not self-interested and self-motivated,” others see it as a chance for empowerment (Cohen, 2006, p. 166). In a study of blogs by women in Africa, researcher Oreoluwa Somolu notes, “…they are sharing their life experiences and perspectives, documenting and passing on knowledge, reaching out to other women (and men), and giving women a voice. This ensures that the information needed by specific communities is generated and available” (2007, p. 48).
Conclusion
To summarize, storytelling has emerged into a new medium, blogging. While storytelling will never disappear, technology has created a space to voice opinions, share stories, and pass on wisdom and information in a whole new way. Whether anyone is reading the blog or not, blogs allow a chance to relate and even create a life on the screen that is worth reading about.
References
Cohen, K. (2006, June). A welcome for blogs. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 20(2), 161-173. Retrieved June 10, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Ong, W. J. (1982). Some psychodynamics of orality. In Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word (pp. 31-77). New York: Methuen.
Somolu, O. (2007, November). 'Telling our own stories': African women blogging for social change. Gender & Development, 15(3), 477-489. Retrieved June 10, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Thurlow, C., Lengel, L., & Tomic, A. (2004). Computer mediated communication: Social interaction and the Internet. London: SAGE.
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