To Blog Or Not to Blog... Decisions, decisions...

Prior to this assignment, I was never interested in getting myself a blog or linked to the cyber world.  I actually had to be coerced by friends to join Facebook.  This is because I was never keen on the idea of putting my thoughts and feelings out there.  And well, mostly, I was not too keen in reading about someone else's angst-ridden existence.  The whole thing, sounds a little scary to me.  

In the course of this assignment, I came to realise that blogging is not what I had thought it was.  It is definitely much easier than I had imagined.  It carries so much potential, it is a fountain of knowledge waiting to be tapped.  Eventually, I came to learn a great deal about how the media environment changed within the span of 10 years - from the early creation of internet, to the addition of new pages, and to new media.   

A blog, to me, no longer means a collection of mundane, dispirited comments and experiences from friends, but rather, a collection of information from all over.  People who have a stand, a voice, an adventurous spirit, believes in sharing and receiving in return and do not believe in boundaries when it comes to communication.      


Image Source: Scienceblogs.com

Issues in Publication - Print vs. Online (Cost & Revenue)

Issue: Cost & Revenue 
- Print 

The cost of print media is high and makes it expensive is because of the physical and tangible aspects of the periodical.  On top of this, the other factors to consider are, ink, paper, binding, distribution and mailing costs. 

As print media costs more to product than online, there is a high possibility that the revenue will also be higher than online media, bearing in mind that the number of pages that will be printed in a print magazine or periodical is determined by the number of advertisements the publisher manages to rake in. 

- Online  
Online publishings are so much cheaper to produce and maintain since there are no printing, paper, ink, binding and distribution costs involved. 

Unlike print media, the revenue raked in would be considerably lower. 

Both online and print publishings are complimentary to each other.  In this age and day, one cannot survive without the other as they each have their own purposes and functions.  Maybe, the most important thing to note is that, technology is ever-evolving, and publishers will need to be on top of the latest and most current innovation in order to keep up with the changing times. 

Issues in Publication - Print vs. Online (Audience)

Issue: Audience 
- Print 

Print magazines have a consistent following who will purchase or subscribe to the magazine or publication. Some of their demographic readers pick up the product if the content catches their eyes, this means they have little control over the content see since the information they see is through the cover lines and cover photos. 

- Online  
Online magazines have a wider range of audience, probably from an eclectic mix.  Many of their audiences stumble into their sites due to the results of search engines that brings them to the related websites.  Due to this, online periodicals would naturally amass a larger following due to the wider extent of audiences it can reach.  The Internet, being a world wide resource, reaches people internationally and globally. 

Issues in Publication - Print vs. Online (Function)

Issue: Function 

- Print 

Print publications are sometimes considered "luxury" items.  Readers can take their time to go through the publication, read and re-read it over again.  Because the print issue is tangible, it is mobile and can follow you everywhere.  Imagine running a long, hot bath, relaxing into it and poring over a favourite book or magazine.  An article in print, reiterating Parker's (2003 p. 270) argument, would also cause less fatigue and pain on the reader's eyes, as compared to a web article.  

- Online
The biggest restriction of online publication is that it needs Internet connectivity before the reader can access the information.  Without it, an online publication is as good as not having it at all.  Because it is wired to the Internet, useless information can be filtered out, therefore retrieving only the necessary details.  This is the biggest advantage of online publications.

When all requirements are met, online publications proves to be practical, interactive, convenient and cheap. 


References:

Parker , RC 2003, Looking good in print, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale, Ariz. 

Issues in Publication - Print vs. Online (Frequency of issues)

Besides the design issues that we have previously discussed, the battle between print and online publishing is never-ending. 

Each has got very valid and strong points to sustain its survival and viability. We will be discussing these print and online related issues over the next few posts. 

Issue: Frequency of publications 
- Print 

Because of the logistics, print magazines usually have a longer gap between each issues.  Time needs to be factored in for the layout planning, garnering of advertising revenue to justify the number of pages, the printing process and eventually the delivery of distribution.   

The content of print media do not get updated until the next issue, which can be either on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.  As such, news and information for readers of print publications will always be late.

- Online  
Online magazines, however, needs to be updated frequently to keep readers interested and increase their traffic flow.  Because updates can be posted every minute, every hour, they keep their readers well-informed and abreast of what is happening. 

New Forms of Media Publishing

As we push into a another decade of the millennium, the need for newer forms of technology, for example, publishing and media, becomes ever apparent. Most people have become familiar with the uses of the Internet. With this advancement, people begin to reply less on the more traditional forms for media, namely print and broadcasting.  A good example is the shift from printed newspapers to the online edition.  The Straits Times from Singapore Press Holdings created The Straits Times Interactive website to keep up with technology.  Even the broadcasting media has joined the online bandwagon some years back, with the introduction of Channel NewAsia.     

The Internet has now become a popular alternative as new forms of publishing.  Because of its accessibility and size of the global audience, companies are tapped on the Internet's vast resources to reach their targeted demographics. 

Like blogs, newspapers, books, films and television series can now be accessed online through their own websites.  And this works because it allows their audience to interact with them on a personal level. 

The recent years saw the birth of some new media, like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, YouTube, podcasts and weblogs.  All these media have found their niche in the cyber sphere.  While some of these platforms are reaching the end of their rope, there will be some that will flourish and reach greater heights.

In the last year or two, the world has witness yet another form of publishing.  This form of publishing is generated by Twitter feeds.  The content of the books does not change, but the context in which it is interpreted and understood does.



Arguably, this is perhaps the most novel form of publishing to date. At this point, we are unable how feasible this new platform is, but one thing is certain; that the Internet, or World Wide Web, has taken to world by storm and there is no denying of its power and usefulness.


References: 

YouTube, viewed 27 May, 2010,

Blogging Community - Friends or Foe?

Blogging have become a powerful tool for communication.  Blogs are updated regularly and because of the medium, it has the potential to reach out to the masses.  Blogging communities have evolved from the growth and popularity of blogs.  Communities and networks are formed through shared interests, ideologies and opinions.  Each blog allows their visitors to read and leave a comment on their entires or post.  Such communication inadvertently forms communities and little niche groups.  Over time, through friendship and the human web, these little groups conglomerate to form networks. Blog networks embody a huge part of the 'problogging' industry.  

Blog networks provides a regular update on news, commentary and happenings around the 'blogosphere', or a collection of connected communities.  How each community is classified is based on their topic or nature.  Some classifications of blogs include:
- Fashion 
- Art 
- News 
- Photography  
- Media 
- Business 
- Current Affairs 
- Sports 
- Travel  

Take the fashion blog community for example, blogcatalog, provides an extensive range from designers to style tips and market research. "Why then the blog's mine oyster"!

The community listing is as unlimited as the sky is wide.  And because blogging essentially a 'people-business', one can even find social and support groups on blogs.  

Blog communities range from a a myriad of areas and purposes, from all over the world.  The classification and categories are indefinite.  

A peek into 'The world's largest blog niche and topic idea list' may give you an indication of the possibilities.