1 / 33

Welcome to the Bloggernacle

Welcome to the Bloggernacle Miller-Eccles Study Group March 24-25, 2006 What is a blog? Blogology 101 “Blog” is a neologism formed from the words “web log.” The word is both a verb and a noun; one who blogs is a blogger.

Gabriel
Download Presentation

Welcome to the Bloggernacle

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Welcome to the Bloggernacle Miller-Eccles Study Group March 24-25, 2006

  2. What is a blog?

  3. Blogology 101 • “Blog” is a neologism formed from the words “web log.” • The word is both a verb and a noun; one who blogs is a blogger. • A blog is a type of website on software that allows easy, text-based updating. • Because of this, blogs tend to include a lot of entries (posts) and are often updated frequently.

  4. Blogology 101

  5. Blogology 101

  6. Blogology 101 • How did the blogging phenomenon start? • The first blog dates to 1997. • Since then, the number of blogs has exploded. • Millions of bloggers now. • Blogging software has improved greatly – easier and more interactive. • Blogs differ from other electronic media such as message boards and listservs.

  7. Blogology 101 • Are blogs a Mormon-only thing? • Heck no! • People blog about a variety of subjects: • Food • Their love lives • Cats • Blogs have been increasingly prominent in the political arena. • And yes, people blog about religion.

  8. What about Mormon blogs?

  9. Bloggernacle 101 • Ahh, now we get to the interesting part. • The bloggernacle. • How was the bloggernacle started? • It’s a relatively recent phenomenon: • 11/2002: Appearance of anonymous group-blog, Metaphysical Elders, that discusses Mormon issues. • 08/2003: Solo blogger “Dave” launches Dave’s Mormon Inquiry blog.

  10. Bloggernacle 101 • 11/2003: Times & Seasons is launched by Nate Oman, Matt Evans, Adam Greenwood, and me. • It is an onymous group blog that springs out of e-mail discussions on the LDS-law listserv. • Following the launch of T&S, the bloggernacle starts to become a self-feeding phenomenon.

  11. Bloggernacle 101 • T&S traffic stats: • 11/18/2003: Blog begins; no audience. • 11/30/2003: 65 visits a day. • 12/5/2003: 140 visits a day. • 2/2004: 400 visits a day. • 6/2004: 900 visits a day. • 12/2004: 1800 to 2000 visits a day. • Since 12/2004, traffic has held steady at around 2000 visits a day. (Sometimes dipping to 1800; sometime rising to 2200 or 2400).

  12. Bloggernacle 101 • Other large group blogs follow: By Common Consent in 3/2004; Feminist Mormon Housewives in 8/2004; Millennial Star in 1/2005 • In March 2004 (in response to my own on-blog call for a name for the community) the term “bloggernacle” is coined. Appropriately enough, it comes out of blog comments on that post. • In early 2005, we see the first major aggregation service, “Mormon Archipelago” at LDSBlogs.org • Today: Depending on who’s counting, universe of Mormon blogs is between 40-50 up to 200+

  13. Bloggernacle 101 • And what are we all blogging about? • A number of different things: • Questions about church doctrine or history • Personal posts about (Mormon) life • Interviews with scholars; book reviews • Announcements and events. • Navel-gazing • A hundred different things; every blog different. • Many blogs (particularly in the bloggernacle) allow readers to make comments as well.

  14. Bloggernacle 101 • At one blog alone, Times and Seasons, there is nearly 10 megabytes of blog posts in a little over two years, and over 60 megabytes in comments. • What does that mean? • Each megabyte, printed as straight text in a Word document, equals about 250 pages. • That’s about 2500 pages of text in posts alone – and over 15,000 pages of comments. • That’s over five times the size of the Encyclopedia Britannica. . . . . . and that’s just one blog!

  15. Bloggernacle 101 • How many people read the bloggernacle? • It varies widely. (There are also some technical gaps in our ability to measure this accurately). • The numbers that we have: Times and Seasons: 2000 to 2400 a day; By Common Consent: 1000 to 1200; FMH 1200 to 1600. • Newer blogs and solo blogs draw less traffic. • Popular solo-blog Splendid Sun: 300-500 a day. • Recent entrant Blogger of Jared (3 months old) currently draws 60-100 visits per day.

  16. Bloggernacle 101 • As noted above, commenter participation is a big part of the bloggernacle. • How many people comment on the blogs? • Some numbers from Times and Seasons: • All who have commented: 3241 since blog inception in November 2003; 1271 in the past 6 months. • Every commenter who has made more than ten comments: 617 since inception, 267 in the past six months. • Every commenter who has made more than 50 comments: 219 since inception, 73 in the past six months.

  17. Bloggernacle 101 • What do these statistics show? • A core group of 70 frequent participants (50+ comments in 6 months). • A much larger group of semi-frequent participants (10-50 comments in same period). • A very large number of people who make one or two comments. • In a day, T&S usually draws 100-150 comments. • The bloggernacle can be distinguished from non-Mormon blogs by its comment level. • Popular political blogs (for example) typically don’t generate nearly this level of comments.

  18. Bloggernacle 101 • Do the comments add to the blog’s value? • Yes and no. • Comments may come from professors, lawyers, scholars, artists, or experts on some topic, for example. • On the other hand, at most blogs, just about anyone can comment. • Noise-to-signal ratio isn’t always ideal. • Problem commenters (“trolls”) can be edited or outright banned; software helps control spam.

  19. Bloggernacle 101 • How do we decide who blogs with us? • Nearly every blog has permanent members; many also invite “guest bloggers” who post for a short time. • Decisions on who to include are typically made by the blogger, or group. (At T&S, we regularly vote on potential guests). • How to locate guests? • Blog commenters; networking; cold calls.

  20. Bloggernacle 101 • Former guest bloggers at some of the major blogs include Richard and Claudia Bushman; Daniel Peterson; Jed Woodworth; Greg Prince, and many other scholars. • Similarly, interviewees include Neil LaBute; Todd Compton; Terryl Givens; Armand Mauss; Sen. Robert Bennett; Kathleen Flake; Sally Gordon; and numerous other scholars. • By Common Consent is in a partnership with Dialogue, where a number of Dialogue staff and editors post at BCC. • Choice of guests and permabloggers, as well as editorial decisions, create tone.

  21. Bloggernacle 101 • T&S comment policies: No insults; no questioning others’ righteousness; no attacks on all church members generally (“all members are idiots”); keep it clean and on topic. • Similar comment policies in place at many blogs. • T&S: Strives for neutral, thoughtful tone. (Downside: sometimes perceived as dry.) • Other blogs have different reputations. E.g., BCC is sometimes perceived as less orthodox or less formal. • Such reputations are at best, highly simplified. • It’s not like the bloggers are sacrificing goats at BCC. • (They sacrifice chickens only.)

  22. Bloggernacle 101 • And now you’ve learned all that you need to know about blogging! • Well, at least you’ve gotten a basic explanation. • Just enough information to make you dangerous. • Or rather, to let you understand the rest of the panel discussion. • Now, for a (slightly) more substantive topic.

  23. Why blog?

  24. Why blog? • Everyone blogger’s reasons will differ. • Both inside and outside the bloggernacle, there are a panoply of standard reasons • For instance, people blog for money or for fun. • Besides the standard reasons, there are three important reasons for blogging in the bloggernacle in particular: • Testimony • Criticism • Community

  25. Why blog? • First, bloggernacle blogs may help participants develop or strengthen testimonies. • They can be a forum to discuss topics with others who have similar experiences or questions. • Blogs provide an ability to ask “non-Sunday School” questions in a forum that isn’t hostile. • At least one blog reader was baptized (and e-mailed to tell us).

  26. Why blog? • Second, the bloggernacle provides a forum for criticism. • Participants may be able to analyze and discuss (and criticize) church policies. • Participants can find others who have similar criticisms, and discuss the issues. • This may result in a decision to leave the church. (One reader said that the bloggernacle led directly to her exit from the church). • However, it is also a forum for those who don’t leave – a way to air and deal with concerns.

  27. Why blog? • Finally, the bloggernacle provides a great community • It’s a community of people for discussion, support, friendship. • People come, read, comment. • Bloggernacle blogs are typically designed to facilitate commenting and dialogue. • One reader described her reaction as “pure joy” when she realized the comment dynamic in the bloggernacle. . . . . . and then she went and started her own blog.

  28. Why blog? • Bloggers ask questions – how do I prepare for the temple? – and discuss topics. • They write about jobs, about family, about marriage, about death. • Do we ever meet in real life? • Hello! Look around the room. • There are bloggers all around you, and you don’t even know it. • Sometimes bloggers meet for real-life “bloggersnackers.”

  29. Why blog? • The bloggernacle has also been the venue of miracles that have helped forge the community. • 2/25/2005, at 12:02 a.m. Geoff J. wrote a blog post titled “Please pray for my boy.” “I just came home for a few minutes from the ICU to write this post because I believe it could make a difference. We found our sweet three year old son Quinn face down in the pool this afternoon. He is alive and stable now but there remains a very real risk of brain damage. You bloggernacle citizens are righteous people—I can tell. We are praying for a full recovery for Quinn. Can you please help?”

  30. Why blog? • Dozens of comments poured in. • Readers from around the bloggernacle prayed for Geoff’s son. • Later that evening, Geoff wrote “All is well.” Quinn was doing better; full recovery expected. • At last report, Quinn was doing normal little boy activities like harassing his sisters. • So, so miracles happen in the bloggernacle? • Just ask Geoff.

  31. Why blog? • So, what is the future of blogging? • We really can’t say. • Perhaps technology will render the medium obsolete in a few years. • Perhaps socio-political conditions in the church will make the forum inhospitable. • Perhaps we’ll all just get bored and go home. • But for now, the bloggernacle is the place to be.

  32. Why blog? • Finally, why do I blog? • It is a good way to relax and unwind. • Blogging lets me figure out my own balance between spirituality and intellect • It’s a fun intellectual exercise, and a fun medium for spiritual growth. • I like the community; I’ve made great friends. • There are even career benefits! (Whether they are a net gain, I can’t say.) • Many great reasons to blog. • But the last reason I’ll leave with you . . .

  33. There’s something for (just about) everyone in the bloggernacle.

More Related