Blogs: Motivations Behind the Phenomenon Export

@article{2757, abstract = {As part of a broader study of blogs and blogging practices, this paper will present a picture of current motivations for reading and posting to blogs with reference to the technologies the medium entails, the practices involved and the social structures of the blogosphere. Using a mixed methods approach of an online survey providing 167 responses and 24 interviews over phone, email and in person, active bloggers were asked about their motivations for blogging and reading blogs. There were several factors that motivated them, and at different stages of their blogging lifecycle. Several bloggers reported that they had a blog posting habit while others claimed they had a blog reading habit and in certain cases reported that these habits had become addictions. My research shows that the habit of reading blogs feeds the habit of posting to them, suggesting that bloggers reading blogs is important to the growth of the blogosphere, but also that the fresh, habitual posting to blogs is a strong motivating factor for reading blogs, suggesting a positive feedback system and hence the rapid growth of the blogosphere. Furthermore, although Nardi et al (2004) claim that having multiple motivations for blogging is common, my research indicates that it is universal to all bloggers. I propose that this is a product of blogs being a hybrid genre, and therefore providing many aspects to blogging that meet the changing requirements of the author throughout their lifecycle. I go on to suggest that authors motivations change as knowledge about the tool is acquired and readership grows, and that reasons for bloggers to begin blogging are often different from the eventual motivations they have to continue to blog.}, author = {Brady, Mark}, citeulike-article-id = {2966293}, comment = {22-24 September}, keywords = {addiction, audience, file-import-08-07-05, genre-social, genre-tech, habit, internet, interview, motivation-psychology, time, weblog, weblogs}, location = {York, UK}, pdf = {internal-pdf://Brady 11.00-12.30-2291850240/Brady 11.00-12.30.pdf}, posted-at = {2008-07-05 15:28:14}, priority = {0}, series = {Information Communication \& Society}, title = {Blogs: Motivations Behind the Phenomenon}, year = {2006} }

TY - JOUR ID - 2757 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2966293 N2 - As part of a broader study of blogs and blogging practices, this paper will present a picture of current motivations for reading and posting to blogs with reference to the technologies the medium entails, the practices involved and the social structures of the blogosphere. Using a mixed methods approach of an online survey providing 167 responses and 24 interviews over phone, email and in person, active bloggers were asked about their motivations for blogging and reading blogs. There were several factors that motivated them, and at different stages of their blogging lifecycle. Several bloggers reported that they had a blog posting habit while others claimed they had a blog reading habit and in certain cases reported that these habits had become addictions. My research shows that the habit of reading blogs feeds the habit of posting to them, suggesting that bloggers reading blogs is important to the growth of the blogosphere, but also that the fresh, habitual posting to blogs is a strong motivating factor for reading blogs, suggesting a positive feedback system and hence the rapid growth of the blogosphere. Furthermore, although Nardi et al (2004) claim that having multiple motivations for blogging is common, my research indicates that it is universal to all bloggers. I propose that this is a product of blogs being a hybrid genre, and therefore providing many aspects to blogging that meet the changing requirements of the author throughout their lifecycle. I go on to suggest that authors motivations change as knowledge about the tool is acquired and readership grows, and that reasons for bloggers to begin blogging are often different from the eventual motivations they have to continue to blog. CY - York, UK SE - Information Communication & Society TI - Blogs: Motivations Behind the Phenomenon KW - addiction KW - audience KW - file-import-08-07-05 KW - genre-social KW - genre-tech KW - habit KW - internet KW - interview KW - motivation-psychology KW - time KW - weblog KW - weblogs N1 - 22-24 September AU - Brady, Mark PY - 2006/// ER -