Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Social Capital & Blogs

I think that, overall, Blogs are very good examples of third places for a variety of reasons. Primarily, Blogs are neutral ground... open for anyone to join, anyone to read, anyone to be a part of. Because of this, they also serve as a levler... People aren't excluded from Blogs, and since the format is generally the same on all of them, the background of the individual doesn't matter. I think Blogs meet the rest of the characteristics of Third Places, including conversation, accessibility, and a low profile. I think characteristics that may be lacking in terms of Blogs as a third place would be the regular characteristic, the home away from home, and the playful mood. I don't know if Blogs can have regulars since people are more free to come and go as they choose. In terms of the "home away from home" part, that doesn't seem to apply since technically Blogs aren't a physical place at all. Lastly, since blogs allow individuals to post whatever they want, the mood can range from playful to sober and everything inbetween.

I believe that this class will be very beneficial in helping to build social capital because through the Blogs, everyone is given a chance to speak and express themseleves. Everyone else is then free to read and comment others' thoughts, which encourages bridging since we all come from a variety of places and backgrounds, allowing us to learn from one another.

1 comment:

  1. I agree with everything Rachel. Even though I am not very experienced blogger, I can easily see the advantages of having an easily accessible online area to express your views and share interests. The only disadvantage is that the internet de-personalizes the conversation. Face to face discussions are MUCH more helpful.

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