Reflections

In the 3 and half months I have been studying this course, I have come to realize that publishing online is a relatively simple task, but not as easy as it looks. With the right tools, it is as easy to post an article online as it is to pick up a pen and write a letter. However, we must also focus on the designing, writing and ethical aspects of publishing.

As Anderson (cited in Putnis and Petelin 1996, p.254) points out, good document design

• Helps readers organize their reading patterns;
• Emphasizes the important points; and
• Makes the readers feel good about the message conveyed.

Furthermore, I have learned that internet users don't read a webpage; they scan it. That is why blogs employ scannable text and graphics such as keywords, tags, hyperlinks, lists, pictures, videos, etc in order to keep the attention of readers (Nielsen, 1997). Credibility is also important, as information found on the Internet is so diverse.

In conclusion, I have learned many tips and techniques about publication and design for the duration of the course, as well as gained more knowledge about the issues in the world of new media.


References:

1. Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read on the Web, useit.com, viewed 16 June 2010, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
2. Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication : principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.
   

Emoticons and Email Ettiquette

(Image source: WordPress, 2009)

Have a nice day!
LOL, just kidding.
Btw, I’m not feeling well today so I won’t be joining you for lunch. =(

How often do we see sentences like these in our daily online conversations? We are so accustomed to seeing these emoticons and short forms in our interactions online that we hardly give any thought to them, accepting them as a natural part of talking through the internet.

Anthony Funnell (2007) takes a look into the world of emoticons and email etiquette in his ABC Radio program, where he discusses email communication and its etiquette, along with how different people will interpret emails in different ways. Funnell talks to Scott Fahlman, who invented the smiley emoticon 25 years ago, and also with Will Schwalbe, who is an expert on email etiquette. Some points of the conversation include how figures of authority will interpret emails differently from casual acquaintances, the proper writing of an email to convey or forward messages and the usage of emoticons in online correspondences.

Online conversation lacks the non-verbal cues that we employ in face-to-face conversation, which is why emoticons are so highly popular. As Funnell (2007) points out, a simple sentence can be perceived or read in different ways, thus giving it meanings which are different from what the writer intended. It was the failure of some people to interpret emotions or meanings in email that prompted Fahlman to invent the 'emoticon'. Emoticons are used to give a visual indication of the tone or context of the message. This is supported by Schriver (1997), who states that readers may need supplementary graphics to guide them in their interpretation of the primary text message.

(Image source: Organized Innovations’ Weblog, 2009)

Besides that, proper email etiquette is important when communicating with other people, especially figures in positions of authority e.g. bosses and managers. Other than that, we should also be aware of what situations emails should (e.g. sharing holiday experiences, party invitation) and should not (e.g. condolences) be used to convey messages.

McKay (2010) provides us with some useful tips when sending professional email:

• Minding your manners, such as addressing people you don’t know as Mr. or Ms.
• Watch your tone, using words that are respectful and friendly.
  
• Emails should be short and to-the-point. Avoid lengthy letters.
• Be professional. Don’t use emoticons, abbreviations or cute/suggestive email addresses for serious communications.
• Be careful of spelling and grammar. Errors will give the other party a bad impression.

I remember reading a post in a blog, where the blogger was talking about etiquette for forwarding emails. His main complaint (besides receiving junk mail) was that people did not bother to remove all the names/addresses from the previous sender, resulting in seemingly endless scrolling until you finally reach the message. I think that many of us have gone through this scenario and have felt similarly irritated.

Hopefully, after reading this post, you will be more aware of the etiquette regarding the sending of emails.

References:

1. Funnell, A 2007, The Media Report: Emoticons and email ettiquette, ABC Radio National, viewed 16 June 2010, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm
2. McKay, DR 2010, Email Etiquette, About.com, viewed 16 June 2010, http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_tips.htm
3. Schriver, KA 1997, Dynamics in document design : creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York.
   

E-Books Popularity On The Rise

As a child, reading was my favourite pastime. Everywhere I went, I was sure to bring along a story book to read, no matter if it was lunch at home or dinner out at a restaurant.

Amazon's Kindle 2 e-book reader
(Image source: Digitizor, 2009)

Kids nowadays have it so much better. Besides books, they have so many other things to entertain them during their spare time – mp3 players, mobile phones, handheld game consoles, laptops, you name it. The latest gadgets to join the ranks of these digital toys are Amazon’s Kindle Book and Apple’s iPad, which signals the rise of the e-book. According to ABC’s The 7.30 Report by Deborah Cornwall (2010), e-books are here to join the new media ‘virtual tsunami’ that is the Internet. Demand for electronic books, more commonly referred to as e-books, have skyrocketed in the past year (2008) thanks to the introduction of readers/tablets such as Kindle and iPad. Many of the industry’s most famous and influential people predict that e-books are here to stay, as it is a cheaper, more convenient and environmental-friendly option to traditional printed books. Libraries are facing major changes in their entire system once readers get used to the idea of e-books being mainstream.

Apple iPad as an e-book gallery and reader
(Image source: The Next Web, 2010)

It is true that traditional book sales are getting weaker. Coker (2009) shares with us some interesting statistics about e-book sales, proving the point that e-book sales are surging while the entire trade book industry suffers a decline. Between 2002 and 2007, overall trade book sales averaged an increase of 2.5% per year. In stark contrast, e-books for the same period turned in a 55.7% average annual increase in sales profits.

There are many reasons why people choose to buy/download e-books, and why they will continue to do so in the years to come (Green, 2008):

• Convenience: They are easy to purchase online and download.
• Variety: There are thousands of books from every genre imaginable to choose from. This is especially useful when trying to find rare or uncommon titles.
• Fast publishing: Traditional books usually take a year to be published. Books in digital format can be available in mere weeks.
• Connectivity: There are more than a billion internet users in the world; everything we need to find can be found online.
• Personalization: If you can't find what you want, you can just produced your own.
  

E-books are definitely here to stay, and I, for one, would gladly join the masses who are privileged enough to be able to carry around an iPad for their daily book fix (when I can afford it).


References:

1. Coker, M 2009, The rise of e-books: IDPF reports November e-book sales up 108 percent—and here’s some analysis, TeleRead, viewed 15 June 2010, http://www.teleread.com/2009/01/23/the-rise-of-e-books-idpf-reports-e-book-sales-up-108-percent-and-heres-some-analysis/
2. Cornwall, D 2010, The 7.30 Report: E-books popularity on the rise, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), viewed 15 June 2010, http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2849989.htm
3. Green, CR 2008, Selling Your Ebook - 5 Reasons Why People Will Continue To Buy Ebooks Forever, Ezine Articles, viewed 15 June 2010, http://ezinearticles.com/?Selling-Your-Ebook---5-Reasons-Why-People-Will-Continue-To-Buy-Ebooks-Forever&id=926005
   

Magazine Innovation in Digital and Print

(Image source: NowPublic, 2008)

How many times have we bought a magazine, enticed by its glossy sheen and alluring model(s) on the cover, only to go home, flick through the pages and then leave it under the coffee table to be forgotten until the next spring cleaning session? Many of us are, or have been, guilty of this exact scenario, but all that might soon change.

Susan Currie Sivek’s article entitled “Magazines Require Innovation, Experiments in Digital and Print”, dated 1 April 2010 and published in MediaShift, talks about how traditional print magazines are beginning to innovate themselves in the digital media world and experiment with the different ways of storytelling styles, platforms, formats and revenue streams that new media has to offer. The Innovations in Magazines 2010 World Report which was released on 1 March 2010 could be the turning point for the magazine industry, as it provides many creative methods which aim at to make magazines fresh and new in an increasingly competitive media environment. Two other crucial points in the article are about how magazines still play a qualitative role in the print and media industry, and the fact that the digital revolution can save the environment by reducing the use of paper for print.

An article (Johnson-Greene, 2010) published in Folio mentions that Josh Gordon, president of Smarter Media Sales.com, and Raymond Roker, CEO/founder of URB magazine have suggested 4 tips for building a digital edition audience, which can be applied to magazines as well as other types of online media publishing. These 4 tips include:

• Attract readers with exclusive “digital extras”.
• Disregard the age demographics of online readers.
• Choose a host, partner or vendor carefully.
• Sharing is caring; social media is the best way to promote and advertise your productions.

In my opinion, it is only natural that magazines (and other traditional print media) extend their reach into the digital media world and innovate themselves to suit the habits and expectations of today’s audience. As Kress (1997) states, modern technologies make it simple to combine various modes of media publishing, which are likely to produce convergence or multi-modality in media.

Besides that, Walsh (2006) also points out that reading text on in a book and reading a page or website on screen are two very different experiences. Readers of a book are obliged to follow the linear style of the text, whereas the scanning pathway of internet browsers can be multilinear and multi-directional. Therefore, magazine publishers should make full use of new media technology to innovate their productions and ensure the continued support of their readers.


References:

1. Johnson-Greene, C 2010, 4 Tips for Actively Building A Digital Edition Audience, FolioMag, viewed 11 June 2010, http://www.foliomag.com/2010/4-tips-actively-building-digital-edition-audience
2. Kress, G 1997, 'Visual and verbal modes of representation in electronically mediated communication : the potentials of new forms of text', in Page to screen : taking literacy into the electronic era, ed I Snyder, Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards, N.S.W.
3. Sivek, SC 2010, Magazines Require Innovation, Experiments in Digital and Print, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), viewed 11 June 2010, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/04/magazines-require-innovation-experiments-in-digital-and-print091.html
4. Walsh, M 2006, 'The 'textual shift': Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24-37.
   
   

Celebrity Tweets: Real or Fake?

(Image source: Twitter, 2010)

"Twitter now has more than 105 million registered users. It is growing at a rate of 300,000 new users signing up per day. Twitter users are posting an average of 55 million tweets, daily. 180 million unique visitors access the site every month." (Yarow, 2010)

These staggering numbers, revealed at Chirp in April 2010, sum up the social networking phenomenon that is Twitter. First launched in 2006, it has now become a fully-fledged online social networking and microblogging service, with celebrities, corporations, politicians, advertisers and ordinary citizens jumping onto this global bandwagon.

However, there are sure to be problems when a website gets as large and as popular as Twitter. In Owen's (2009) article, How Celebrity Imposters Hurt Twitter's Credibility, he highlights the issue regarding Twitter accounts impersonating celebrities and famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Shaquille O'Neal. This situation has become so common to the point that the real celebrities have to respond and prove that they are the real person to their fans. Nevertheless, as Twitter accounts are subject to hackers and pranksters, even the official accounts may not be producing true information, as seen in the case of Bill O Riley, Britney Spears and Obama (Arrington, 2009).

(Image source: Cartoon Stock, 2010)

According to Huberman, Romero and Fang (2008), Twitter is a tool for people seeking attention. Their study revealed that users who got attention from many people Tweeted more often than those who received little notice. They also claimed that many people besides celebrities, including scholars, advertisers and political activists, see online social networking sites as an opportunity to propagate ideas and ideals, form social bonds and promote viral marketing.

In June 2009, Twitter announced that it would be introducing a security measure called “verified accounts” for a select group of people in order to prevent fake tweets, after several cases of impersonation were brought to the public’s attention, especially the case of St Louis Cardinals baseball team manager Tony La Russa. This group of people ‘will include public officials, public agencies, famous artists, athletes, and other well known individuals at risk of impersonation’ (Ashford, 2009).

In my opinion, I think that as frequent internet users, we should be more careful about the information that we read online. The news that we receive might not necessarily be accurate or true, therefore we have to think critically and rationally instead of blindly accepting something we've seen or been told. As in the case of Twitter, it would be best to take co-founder Biz Stone's advice: When in doubt, the best way to determine authenticity is to check the official website of the person for a link back to their Twitter account (Owens, 2009; Ashford, 2009).


References:

1. Ashford, W 2009, Twitter to verify accounts to prevent fake tweets, Computer Weekly, viewed 9 June 2010, http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/06/08/236332/twitter-to-verify-accounts-to-prevent-fake-tweets.htm
2. Arrington, M 2009, Celebrity Twitter Accounts Hacked (Bill O'Reilly, Britney Spears, Obama, More), TechCrunch.com, viewed 9 June 2010, http://techcrunch.com/2009/01/05/either-fox-news-had-their-twitter-account-hacked-or-bill-oreilly-is-gay-or-both/
3. Huberman, BA, Romero, DM & Fang, W 2008, Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
4. Owens, S 2009, How Celebrity Imposters Hurt Twitter's Credibility, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), viewed 9 June 2010, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/how-celebrity-imposters-hurt-twitters-credibility051.html
5. Yarow, J 2010, Twitter Finally Reveals All Its Secret Stats, Business Insider, viewed 9 June 2010, http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-stats-2010-4

Designing for the Online Screen

(Source: [Re]Encoded, 2008)

According to Reep (2006, p.135), 'the principles of design are qualities important to any visual presentation regardless of topic or audience'. These general principles are

• Balance
• Proportion
• Sequence
• Consistency

Besides that, Bernhardt's (1986, p. 72) gestalt design theories are equally important in the design of graphic texts. There are 4 laws of gestalt, which include

• Equilibrium
  
• Good continuation
• Closure
• Similarity
  

Slide 1

Slide 1 is the first (cover) slide of my group's PowerPoint presentation. Even though it is simple, I feel that it meets the requirements for web design, as it integrates words and relevant graphics to attract and inform the viewer about the topic that is being discussed.

Slide 2

Slide 3

In Slide 2 and 3, we can see that these are bad examples in terms of document design. The points are too long and there are too many words. Web content must be brief and to the point because users often scan through text, concentrating more on graphics (Nielsen, 2008).

Slide 4

Then we come to Slide 4, which shows some improvement in design and writing style. Although there are no images to stimulate the user's attention, scannable text is employed to make it easier to focus on the important points in the text, such as highlighted keywords and bulleted lists. (Nielsen, 1997) Links and hyperlink play an important part in users' browsing experience of multimodal media, enabling them to receive additional information that may not be found in the content.

The point I am trying to make here is that there are differences between print and web media, each requiring a distinct content style. In print, you are trying to get your audience to stay on a page long enough to get a message across while being given a limited area to achieve this. On the web, you are generally trying to keep your audience on a specific website for as long as possible, with an unlimited amount of pages to work with. (Miller, 2010) Therefore, document designers nowadays have to understand how print and web differ and integrate both language and visual in order to convey their messages effectively.

References:

1. Bernhardt, SA 1986, 'Seeing the Text', College Composition and Communication, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 66 - 78.
2. Miller, E 2010, Designing For Print vs. The Web, About.com: Graphic Design, viewed 19 April 2010, http://graphicdesign.about.com/od/printvsweb/a/print_vs_web.htm
3. Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read on the Web, useit.com, viewed 19 April 2010, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
   
4. Nielsen, J 2008, Writing Style for Print vs. Web, useit.com, viewed 19 April 2010, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/print-vs-online-content.html
   
5. Reep, DC 2006, 'Chapter 6: Document design', Technical writing, 6th edn, Pearson/Longman, New York.

New Forms of Media Publishing

(Image source: Blogger's own)

Mention the phrase "new media" and the first thing that comes to mind is online publishing. Be it blogs, online news, social networking sites or even YouTube, these are just some of the forms of media publishing that we are exposed to every day. The newest trends regarding communication in a new media ecosystem include online journalism, vlogs and social networking sites.

Journalism is the most rapidly evolving segment in a “mixed media” of traditional newspapers and broadcast stations combined with a “new media” of online journalists (Salcito, 2009). Citizen journalism, especially, has been hailed as the latest innovation in 21st century journalism (Burns, 2008), where ordinary people report news from their perspectives and give their opinions on current affairs.

(Source: CartoonStock, 2010)

Besides journalism, the ongoing fad among the online community are social networking sites (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) and vlogs (i.e. YouTube). There is so much information available to us these days, in various forms of mass media, that ‘it has to be handled visually because verbal is no longer adequate’ (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). The emergence of new media has opened up a whole dimension for freedom of expression and speech, as well as spreading the concept of democracy and political awareness. For example, during the March 2008 Malaysian general election, political parties used traditional print and broadcast media along with new media such as blogs and videos posted on YouTube to spread their propaganda to the public.


(Source: YouTube, 2008)

Social networking sites play an important role in the daily lives of Internet users too. In fact, the number of Facebook users in Malaysia surpassed the one million mark in March 2009, making it the top social network in Malaysia (greyREview, 2009). People use social networking to keep in touch with friends and family, exchange news, play games, meet new people and generally be a part of the global community.

(Source: Soleen Strategies, 2007)

References and Bibliography:

1. Burns, A 2008, 'Select Issues with New Media Theories of Citizen Journalism', M/C Journal, vol 11, no. 1, viewed 15 April 2010, http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/30
2. Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, ‘Chapter 1: The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication’, Reading Images, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York.
   
3. Salcito, K 2009, New Media Trends, Journalism Ethics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, viewed 15 April 2010, http://www.journalismethics.ca/online_journalism_ethics/new_media_trends.htm
4. Snapshot of Social Networking in Malaysia 2009, GreyReview, viewed 15 April 2010, http://www.greyreview.com/2009/07/28/snapshot-of-social-networking-in-malaysia/

The Blogging Community

(Source: eWritings, 2008)

Online community has been an important part of the Internet, formed around email lists, bulletin boards and forums, with the addition of blogs as a new platform in recent years (White, 2006). Bock (as cited in White, 2005) stated that 'Communities are characterized by three things: common interests, frequent interaction, and identification', and posited that all three must be present for an online space to be a community. Therefore, a blogging community is an online community that consists of bloggers and readers who share similar interests and interact with each other.

Due to the growing popularity of blogging, 3 main types of blogging communities have been identified, with a wide variety of hybrid forms emerging between the three. In her article, White (2006) shows us how these patterns are formed.

Figure 1: Blog Based Communities (White, 2006)

In a Single Blog/Blogger Centric Community, the focus and power in this community is firmly in the owner or central blogger's control (e.g. KennySia.com).
A Central Connecting Topic Community is formed by blogs linked by a common passion or topic (e.g. Global Voices, Lolcats);
whereas Boundaried Communities are collections of blogs and blog readers hosted on a single site or platform (e.g. Nuffnang, LiveJournal).

The structure of a blogging community is relatively simple. Let us take KennySia.com as an example for the "one blog centric community". The sole contributor and owner of the blog is Kenny Sia, who produces the content and takes care of everything related to his website. Hence, he is the focal point, or "central identity" of the community. Readers and commentators make up the population of the community, where they post their comments, share ideas, get to know each other, thus providing a basis for relationship and personal identities. However, if the central blogger, that is Kenny Sia, were to close down his blog, the community formed around his website would definitely shatter and the members would then lose all ties to one another.

Hence, it is important to keep in mind that community is only present when individual and collective identity are expressed; when we care about who said what, not just the what; when relationship is part of the dynamic and links are no longer the only currency of exchange (Packwood, 2005; as cited in White, 2006).

(Source: orbitalRPM, 2010)

References:

1. White, N 2005, How Some Folks Have Tried to Describe Community, Full Circle Associates: Nancy White, viewed 14 April 2010, http://www.fullcirc.com/community/definingcommunity.htm
2. White, N 2006, Blogs and community: launching a new paradigm for online
   community?, The Knowledge Tree, viewed 14 April 2010, http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community
   

The Classification of Blogs

Classifying blogs has never been an easy task. There are as many types of blogs in the blogosphere as there are books in libraries, and they are definitely harder to classify than books, thanks to their diverse content and mode of publishing.

The most conventional way of classifying blogs is by subject. For example:

• Music
• Travel
• Food
• Art
• Fashion
• Gaming
• Technology
  
• Politics
• Education
• Health
  

However, the lines between these classifications have become blurred due to all the mixed content produced by bloggers. Much like movie genres, blogs can also have "crossovers". A blog about travel might include food from different places, same as how an action movie can include romance.

(Source: Cambridge HOTmaths, 2010)

Another method to categorize blogs is by content or media type. These are identified through the format or media used to post their blogs, which include (Revell, 2009):

• Vlog (video blog)
• Linklog (blog comprising of links)
• Photolog (photo blog)
• Sketchlog (blog containing sketches or portfolio)
• Moblog (blog posted using PDA or smartphone)
• Tumblog (blog with mixed content)
• Podcast (collection of audio recordings)

(Source: B2BInternational, 2010)

Margaret Simons, a prominent Australian author, freelance journalist, media analyst and blogger, attempted to draw up a list of the different types of online sites that classify as blogs (Simons, 2008):

• Pamphleteering Blogs: Blogs to argue a case or push a cause.
  
• The Digest Blog: They act as guides, summaries or commentaries to information found in other places.
  
• The Advocacy Blog: Blogs run by established advocacy groups or commercial organisations concerning a single topic.
  
• The Popular Mechanics Blog: Blogs that offer training and advice in specialized fields i.e. gardening, photography.
  
• The Exhibition Blog: Blogs by writers, craftspeople, artists to showcase and discuss their work.
  
• The Gatewatcher Blog: Blogs that allow specialists, experts and concerned individuals to watch and take on traditional media "gatekeeping" roles.
  
• The Diary: Personal blogs intended for friends and family.
  
• The Advertisement: Blogs that advertise or endorse products.
  
• The News Blog: Blogs that report news, whether local, international or both.

Therefore, we can see that there is no clear-cut classification for blogs due to their sheer complexity and diversity. It is up to both the bloggers and readers to organize according to their own preferences and understanding.

References:

1. Revell, M 2009, Types, WebEditorBlog.com, viewed 10 April 2010, http://www.webeditorblog.com/types.html
   
2. Simons, M 2008, Towards a taxonomy of blogs, Australian Policy Online, viewed 10 April 2010, http://www.apo.org.au/commentary/towards-taxonomy-blogs-0

Blogs: The Phenomenon

Weblogs, more commonly known as blogs, are now becoming an increasingly important part of the media world. From its humble start as publicly accessible personal journals for individuals, blogs have now become a means for airing ideas and propaganda, be it for personal, business, political, social or entertainment interests.

(Source: World Bank blog, 2009)

One of the most frequently asked questions about the blogosphere is: What is the (current) size of the blogosphere?

By 'size', we mean the number of blogs that are on the Internet. Dave Sifry, founder of Technorati, has provided readers with the approximate number in his annual 'State of the Blogosphere' report up until 2007, which stated that "Technorati is now tracking over 70 million weblogs, and we're seeing about 120,000 new weblogs being created worldwide each day" (Sifry, 2007). However, none seem to be available for 2009 in Technorati's annual report, and even the statistics for 2008 are doubtful (Hopkins, 2009).

As for blog trends, the use of Twitter and the impact of bloggers on political events in the US and around the world are two of the leading topics of discussion in many blogs (Sussman, 2009). In Malaysia, political blogs are gaining influence among the online community, especially the younger generation who use the Internet as their main source of information and communication. People are turning to social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook to keep in touch with the latest trends and issues, as well as connect with their friends and family.

The types of blogs that are prevalent differ in every country depending on economic, social and political factors. In my opinion, the most prevalent blog types in Malaysia are political blogs, closely followed by blogshops and food blogs. According to the SGBlog.com directory (2010), shopping blogs are the most popular, while personal blogs come in second. In Australia it is again different. Photography blogs have the most number of tags, followed by art, travel, music and politics (Loaded Web Australia, 2010). This shows that bloggers in different countries have different interests and ideas about current issues.

Last but not least, we come to the benefits of blogging. Take for example, the advantages of prevalent political blogs in Malaysia to the community. Blogs that talk about politics help to raise awareness about the local political situation and enable people to voice out their views and comments. Sharing and discussion of ideas can take place, which promotes democracy and liberal discourse among audience. Political parties can learn from these controversies and hopefully gain some insight into the needs and demands of the people.

(Source: Soda Head, 2007)

References:

1. Hopkins, L 2009, Technorati and the size of the blogosphere: it can’t be THAT hard to figure out, surely?!, Hopkins Online Properties, viewed 7 April 2010, http://www.leehopkins.net/2009/12/26/technorati-and-the-size-of-the-blogosphere-it-cant-be-that-hard-to-figure-out-surely/
2. Loaded Web Australia 2010, Local Blog Directory: Tags, LoadedWeb.com, viewed 7 April 2010, http://au.loadedweb.com/blogs/tags/
   
3. SGBlog.com 2010, Blog Directory, SGBlog.com, viewed 7 April 2010, http://www.sgblog.com/home/
   
4. Sifry, D 2007, WordPress, viewed 7 April 2010, www.sifry.com
5. Sussman, M 2009, State of the Blogosphere 2009, Technorati, viewed 7 April 2010, http://technorati.com/blogging/feature/state-of-the-blogosphere-2009/

Purpose

(Source: Clker.com, 2010)

The purpose of this blog is to discuss and underline some of the issues concerning publication and design in the media. The target audience of my blog are my peers from university who are taking courses in media and communication, as well as individuals or groups who are in the media and publication industry. In this blog, I hope to be able to share my opinions about different topics and offer some insight or alternate perspectives to these arguments. Comments, criticisms and/or advice would be greatly appreciated and can be left via the "Comments" link at the end of each post.