I admit it: I used to think blogs were a waste of time. Reading them seemed like sneaking a peek at someone's private journal, and I was sure I'd be turned off by what I found there. Besides, I didn't have the confessional urge that seemed to motivate so many bloggers. Then one day, everything changed.
It started with the blog of a Vancouver writer named Caterina Fake. Although I'd never met her, I could visit her website(www.caterina.net)and find something new each time, whether it was a link to The New York Review of Books or a series of photos of penguins waddling through airport security. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of her writing, and by my own interest in her opinions. Now I visit a few blogs regularly, check in with others maybe once a month and keep a rotating list of new ones to investigate.
For those who haven't yet made the discovery, a blog(the word is a contraction of "web log")is a frequently updated journal published on the web, often by a single person. It may have a specific focus or may simply record the opinions, thoughts and daily events of the individual who runs it. Some blogs consist largely of links to recommended sites, others are mostly commentary, while still others collect fascinating offbeat information with the feel and look of a quirky magazine. The range of topics is infinite, but some subjects – politics, food, relationships, celebrities and shopping – seem particularly well suited to blog discussion.
While blogs exist outside of traditional media, they're having a significant impact on news reporting. For example, it was a blogger who uncovered the misinformation that led to Dan Rather's departure from CBS. In Canada, coverage of election campaigns and controversial commissions such as the Gomery inquiry has shown the tremendous influence bloggers have.
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