Chapter for: Routledge Companion to Global Internet Histories, eds. Gerard Goggin & Mark McLelland. Published by Routledge.
Abstract:
In the early to mid-2000s, at the height of ‘Web 2.0’, blogs represented many potential ideals: the ability for anyone to publish what they wanted; the possibility of an audience of millions; the ability to break news and change politics. But these ideals are just a small part of what blogging was, and what it continues to be. This chapter examines the evolution of blogging as practice, genre, and influence, as key elements that defined the ‘web log’ as such have become adopted and standardized in contexts that otherwise might not be considered ‘blogs’. From personal reflections on LiveJournal to international communities of mp3 bloggers, citizen journalism from around the world and news websites live-blogging developments as they happen, blogging took, and continues to take, many forms. This chapter provides an overview of this diversity and the changes of forms and perceptions around blogging, including in response to the popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Citation: Highfield, T. (2017). ‘Histories of blogging’. In Goggin, G., & McLelland, M. (eds)., Routledge Companion to Global Internet Histories. Routledge, pp. 331-342.