Merriam-Webster announced that the word most searched in 2004 was "blog." This isn't surprising given the attention paid to blogs during the recent presidential election. There is even a movement to make "Bloggers" the Time Person of the Year.
From the countless "bloggers take over the DNC and RNC conventions" articles to the CBS News scandal, this year has been a turning point for blogs. According to Forrester Research, 51% of the population has heard of a "blog," up from 21% a year ago. Also, anyone with an email address had something sent to them from a blog this year and, upon clicking through to read the article, said "What the?" Curiosity is a powerful force.
Merriam's definition of "blog" bears further attention too:
A Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.
I'm particularly interested in this definition because I was recently corrected on my own use of the term. Currently, a "blog" can refrain from using comments or trackbacks. Talking Points Memo and Scripting News don't use either, and they are not only considered blogs, but also regarded as highly successful blogs. I was a little too quick with the pen -- or keys in this case -- and should have qualified my original post about Apple's Student Blog. It's a blog, but it has the potential of being much more powerful for Apple if they more fully embrace the medium.
This correction got me thinking. Has the blogosphere matured to the point where there are prevalent types of blogs that deserve modifiers to convey their functionality? Does the term blog describe too many types of websites? A blog without comments or trackbacks could be a "broadcast blog." A blog that serves as a real diary or journal could be a "personal blog."
Am I jumping the gun and "blog" is not mature enough? What is a good name for a blog that supports comments or trackbacks?
Comments
More than whether or not blogs should have comments, I take issue with the narrow characterization of a blog as "online personal journal." The Merriam-Webster entry says the definition is from 1999 — it definitely needs updating.
Clay Shirky wrote recently about the problem with the term "blog" (or "weblog"):
I have long been of the opinion that the word weblog has no crisp meaning anymore, and is going to fade as a defining term for the same reason 'portal' did — there are too many patterns to be conveniently contained by one word.
Just as the word is entering the mainstream, has it lost its usefulness?
If you were only paying attention to the front pages and lead stories of the major news media, you would think that 2004 was an explosive year for blogs, which will continue to grow in audience, and that
EchoDitto's greatest strength as an organization lies within its people. In addition to our full-time staff, we work with a broad network of progressive activists on a regular basis, as well as with others on a contract basis.
What follows are