Item 2-E

Screen vs. print document design

(source: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/100-nice-and-beautiful-blog-design/)
Screen Document Design

(source: http://www.raissadesign.com/print.html)
Print Document Design.

The pictures above are examples of visual communication. According to, Hilligoss and Howard (2002, p.1) visual communication are all the ways writers and readers interact through the look of pages and screens.

Walsh (2006, p.34) states that the differences readers experience when reading screen document design versus print document design is the principle modes, types of imaginary, and reading pathway.

The principle modes in print document design include the arrangement and layout of chapters, and typography. The magazine above shows the arrangement of text, the different styles of fonts and the layout in the magazine. Contrary to that, screen document design requires visual images that stand out such as using icons, links, frames and colors. In the website above, you are able to see the different colors used to attract readers' attention. On the right, there are a list of links and a 'subscribe' icon button on the header. 

In print document design, it uses verbal imaginary which comprise of images, symbolism, description and sound patterns while screen document design uses visual imaginary which contains of sound effects, use of colors and icons. The image of Ivanka Trump in the magazine is to show readers the highlight this issue while the image of the green alien and the colors that surround the website is to capture people's attention. 

Lastly, the reading pathways in a print document design are mostly sequential but in this case it is not because it is a magazine. However, readers mostly read page-by-page following the page number. On the other hand, screen document designs are non-sequential and non- linear leaving the readers to have more choice and opportunity to interact. 

Nielsen (1997) once wrote that when writing for web, text should be short without sacrificing depth. A web should also be scannable using headlines, highlighting and emphasis to capture readers. Contrariwise, texts in print base documents are long and it is difficult to scan through without getting lost in text. There are also no graphics, animation or icons used in print documents design.

References:
1.Walsh, 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. 34-36.

2. Hilligoss and Clemson, 2002, Why visual communication for writers, Visual Communication: A Writer's Guide, Second Edition, pp. 1-7, viewed 23 August, 2011, <http://www.ablongman.com/mycomplab_content/pdf/long_hilligoss.pdf>

3. Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web) 1997, Writing for the Web, n.p, viewed 23 August  2011, <http://www.nngroup.com/events/tutorials/usability.html>

Item 2-D

New forms of media publishing

As we grow older, new forms of media publishing are emerging. Media such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are altering the roles of advertising, marketing, public relations and journalism. 

(source: http://luvqiwen.blogspot.com/2010/11/be-part-of-churpchurp-today.html)

Churp Churp is a community for social media influence dedicated to advertise products and services through Twitter. This community is an example of how Twitter has changed the role of advertising. 

According to Newman (2011), states that companies now focus more promoting their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts rather than pitching their products. 


Gass (2009) states four new media concepts. According to Gass, social media is time intensive but it is affordable and it allows us to learn so much about the audiences. Ever since Twitter has emerge into the social media, companies have used it to advertise their products because creating a Twitter account is free and it allows feedbacks from their followers.

Besides that, Gass also believes that social media will be the central part of all advertising because it enables companies to engage with the audiences and know what messages are appealing to them. Twitter uses hash tags to show what is trending on the internet and companies use these hash tags in hopes that their product would be trending on the Internet.

(source: http://dyllafadzil.blogspot.com/2011/01/spread-messages-and-get-rewarded-with.html)

The picture above is an example of a company using ChurpChurp as a medium to advertise their product. As you can see, the company used hash tags; '#MiloFuzeJamPack'.

Social media is also important for an agency's brand. Companies provides ChurpChurp tag lines and hashtags to distinct themselves from other brands.

References: 

1. How Social Media Impacts Advertising and Marketing, Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media, Alabama, viewed 22 August 2011, <http://fuelingnewbusiness.com/2009/03/06/how-social-media-impacts-advertising-and-marketing/>

2. Brands Now Direct Their Followers to Social Media, The New York Times, New York, viewed 22 August 2011, <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/business/media/promoting-products-using-social-media-advertising.html?_r=1>

Item 2-C

Types of Blogging Communities and Methods to Build Blogging Communities.

According to Kinkeldei (2007, p.2) a blog community is where the individual and independent blogs of a number of people with similar interest come together. 

(source: Island Design Studio)

Crowe (2011) wrote that there are 5 ways to create a blog community.

1. Reach out to professional bloggers

Reaching out to established bloggers and create a strong connection with them to leverage that connection into creating a strong network of bloggers.

2. Respond to reader's comments.

By responding to the comments creates an open discussion environment allowing readers to feel apart of the community.

3. Write post in reaction to others.

Crowe encourages bloggers to write a post in direct response to other blogger's post in hopes to strike a conversation with them, which will help strengthen the blog community.

4. Create a local blogger meet-up.

Hosting and organizing a local blogger meet up will enable bloggers to interact with each other in person in order to create a stronger bond between the bloggers in your community.

5. Share your link. 

Lastly, share your links to everyone everywhere because it enables search engines to track your blogs, which shows readers that you have a larger blog network that is a crucial part of the community.

(source: Time 4 Mommy)

White (2006) states 'as blogging gained wider adoption, blog based community shows up in three main patterns with a wide variety of hybrid forms emerging between the three.'

Blog Based Communities.

White's three types of blog communities includes:

The Single Blog/ Blogger Centric Community.

The Single Blog are usually owned by an established individual blogger or an organization. The main idea of this community is their blog owners  because the power is firmly in the central blogger's control. 

The Central Connecting Topic Community.

This blog community is a network formation. The central idea of the communities is the similar interest shared between the bloggers. 

The Boundaried Communities. 

Boundaried Communities are a collection of blogs and blog readers hosted on a single site. The power of this community is held by part of the site owner because he can impose rules on the community. 

(source: http://www.watchmojo.com/tv/series/Global%20Voices/)

The Global Voices Online Organization is an example of The Boundaried Communities. Global Voices is an international community of bloggers who report on blogs and citizen media from around the world. 

References: 

1. Kinkeldei, B 2007, 'Forging Connections and Promoting Growth Through Blog Communities', viewed 20 August 2011, <http://www.21publish.com/pub/21publish/blogging-whitepaper.pdf>.

2. White, N 2006, 'The Knowledge Tree- Going Communal' Ed. 11, viewed 20 August 2011, <http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/The%20Knowledge%20Tree%20Ed%2011.pdf>.

3. How to Create a Blogging Community 2011, Spice Up Your Blog, n.p, viewed 20 August 2011, <http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2011/03/how-to-create-blogging-community.html>.

Item 2-B

Many blogs are a combination of styles, this makes it difficult to identify the genre of the blog. Below are some example of blogs with a mixture of blogging styles. 

1. Xiaxue.com.

(source: www.Xiaxue.blogspot.com)

Xiaxue is a Singaporean blogger who blogs about her personal life. However, she also blogs about her travel life, make up tutorials and not to mention food reviews. So is she a food blogger, a beauty blogger or a lifestyle blogger? 

2. Couture au Chocolat: A Food and Fashion blog.

(source: coutureauchocolat.com)

Another example would be, Couture au Chocolat which is a food and fashion blog owned by Liza and Vicky.

Simons (2008), there are 9 types of blogs in the blogosphere.

Pamphleteering blogs

- Blogs that are owned by an individual or a group of people that argue a case or push a cause.

The Digest blog 

- Acts as a guide and a summary that to things that you can access elsewhere such as other mainstream media or other blogs.

The Advocacy blog 

- A subset of pamphleteering but they tend to be run by commercial organizations or established advocacy groups.

The Popular Mechanics blog

- A blog that provides training and advice in specialist fields such as financial blogs.

The Exhibition blog

- Owned by artists, artisans, writers and craft people to showcase their talent, design or creation to a larger audience.

The Gatewatcher blog

- It allows experts and specialist in a particular manner of public events to observe and hold to account the 'gatekeepers' of traditional media.

The Diary blog

- Mostly, written by individuals that write about their personal life.

The Advertisement blog

- Owned by established bloggers who are paid by companies to blog about their brands to boost their products.

The News blog

- Lastly, the news blog writes about news in their personal opinion such as the Mayne Report.

On the other hand, Lomborg (2009) states that it is important to differentiate the weblogs by classifying them in terms of content, relationship between the blogger and readers and stylistic elements. Bille (2006) suggest that there are three types of blogs;

1. Notebook logging 

- These are diary blogs, which also includes micro blogging that writes about personal issues and blogger's experiences such as travel blogs or food blogs.

2. Specific interest weblogs 

- A theme blog where bloggers write about their specific interest, hobby, or leisure activity such as science weblogs and project related blogs.

3. Opinion based weblogs 

- These are political or campaign weblogs, journalistic blogs, commercial and corporate weblogs.

The above shows two very different ways of blog classification presented by both Bille and Simons. Bille showed a simpler way of classifying blogs while Simons classifies blogs more specifically. However, in my opinion, I believe that Bille's blog classification better than Simons because, Bille’s blog classification looks at the content of blogging which made it simple and clear to classify where as for Simons, her classification was base on style hence the long list of categories which made it complicating.

Reference:
1. Towards a Taxonomy of Blogs, Australian Policy Online, Australia, viewed 19 August 2011, <http://www.apo.org.au/commentary/towards-taxonomy-blogs-0>.
2. Navigating The Blogosphere: Towards a Genre-Based typology of weblogs, Peer-Reviewed Journal On The Internet, n.p, viewed 19 August 2011, <http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2329/2178>
3. Bille, 2006. “På jagt efter sociale netværk mellem danske weblogs,” Unpublished thesis, Department of Information and Media Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Item 2-A

 Blogs as current phenomenon & benefits to the  community

Almost a million new blogs are opened everyday on to the internet. It could range from food blogs to lifestyle blogs or even fashion blogs to photography blogs. Blogs have grown so big that they are even used for educational purposes.

(source: Edublogs.org)

Based in Australia, Edublogs provides a platform for teachers, school districts, and students to engage with each other. 

'We believe in the power that blogging can have to transform the educational experience of students and have seen first hand how Edublogs have increased ownership of learning, engaged students and become a source of pride in classroom.' - Edublogs Team.

Judging from how blogs have moved from entertainment purposes to educational purposes, the amount of people owns a blog must be growing.

(source: Technorati.com) 

The pie chart above shows the amount of bloggers worldwide. Jon Sobel (2010) claims that over half of the respondent plan to blog more frequently because of the significant growth of mobile blogging, 43% are planing on expanding the topics they blog about and 48% of all bloggers also agree that blogs will replace the old media in providing people their news and entertainment. According to Blogpulse stats, the total identified blogs in the blogosphere are 168,390,479 and the amount of new blogs created in the last 24 hours is 106,599. 

Blogging trends vary from different countries. According to Gaman (2007) the blogging trends in Malaysia are lifestyle blogs because 28% of Malaysia Top Most Influencial Bloggers write about their lifestyle while the other 16% writes about politics and another 16% writes technology. However in Asia including the Middle East, the Bloggies have announced the best Asian web blogs goes to IEatIShootIPost written by Leslie Tay. He writes about Singaporean foodie and video blog. Therefore, the current trend in Asia and Middle East are food blogs.

 According to Giles Dawe (2009), Malaysia's prevalent blogs are Kenny Sia by Kenny Sia, LiewCF by Liew Cheon Fong,  Hot Screensaver by Jack Neo, 5xmom by Chan Lilian, and Sabahan by Gaman.

Top bloggers in Malaysia:

1. Kenny Sia - A lifestyle blogger.
2. Liew Cheon Fong - A technology blogger. 
3. Jack Neo - A fashion, technology, food, cars and Malaysia's life blogger.
4. Chan Lilian - A personal and political blogger.
5. Gaman - Financial blogger. 

These blogs are beneficial to the community in Malaysia because they work as a platform for people to engage and share their thoughts with each other. Readers also look up to these bloggers for advice and vice versa.  According to Kristi (2009) blogging helps create a community that wants to listen and share with you their opinion. 

References:

1. State of the Blogosphere 2010 Introduction, Technorati Blogging, n.p, viewed 18 August 2011, <http://technorati.com/blogging/article/state-of-the-blogosphere-2010-introduction/>.

2. 50 Most Influential Blogs in Malaysia, Sabahan.com, Borneo, viewed 18 August 2011, <http://.www.sabahan.com/2007/02/06/50-most-influential-blogs-in-malaysia/>.
3. The 2010 Bloggies best Asian Blogs Nominees are, CNN International, n.p, viewed 18 August 2011, <http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/none/chat-bloggies-2010-best-asian-blog-nominees-380787>.
4. Most Influential Bloggers in Malaysia, Best Blogs Asia, n.p, viewed 18 August 2011, <http://www.bestblogs.asia/influential-bloggers-malaysia.php>.
5. Benefits of Blogging - Building a Community, Kikolani.com, n.p, viewed 18 August 2011, <http://kikolani.com/benefits-blogging-building-community.html>.

Introduction.

(source: Gigaom.com)

Today, people can find any sorts of information through the digital media such as the internet. According to the Digital Media Alliance Florida, digital media is defined as "the creative convergence of digital arts, science, technology and business for human expression, communication, social interaction and education." The purpose of this web blog is dedicated to educate and share the current phenomenon happening in the digital era to all school of communication students.