In yet another trip through cyberspace, I discovered what seemed an abundance of notable online blogs or weblogs from the Isle of Wight. 

Whilst not pledged to naming names, most appear to be a product of their owners imaginations, interests and wit, and it’s probably this personal touch which makes them popular, especially in political issues.

Background: Blogs resemble personal journals or diaries and provide an online venue where self–expression and creativity is actively encouraged and online communities can be built.

Blogging as a form of social networking marks a huge cultural change in the way in which people communicate and personal information is being published in the public domain on an unprecedented scale.

As a Web Ferret of some note: I discovered many people actually believe the hype, in there being something quite good at venting one’s opinion, soapbox-like, online.  Not least having a care in the world to realise anyone out there can read it.

Whilst for some blogging online itself can be a direct form of career development, for others it can also be their downfall.

Oh wise sage:

• The significant common factor isn’t the underlying blogging technology, but how you approach your online audience.
• Do you hand down stone tablets from the mountaintop? or do you speak in a genuine, human voice to ask questions and respond to questions asked of you?
• If your answer is “Yes, to all of the above” then you’re engaged in an effective conversation with your online audience, and whether you’re using a “blog” or not is irrelevant.
• If your answer is “No,” then you’re irrelevant (or you soon will be) and a “blog” won’t save you from the scrap heap.

In the good old days, if you were lucky to be spotted for good works and celebrated by the media guardians, the next day you became a chip wrapper.

In todays climate, living with all this technology at ones fingertips, you have to watch what you write as the vagaries of living in such a litigatious age, dictate your prose, searchable, yet stored for all to see online and it can indeed come back to bite you.

My Web Ferret standpoint, a blog (if I were so inclined to produce one) would have nothing to do with saving the world or strengthening democracy, merely used to share my life expectations with peers of my ilk .

My views aside, one bonus to blogs, they can if correctly managed provide an excellent opportunity to advance literacy through storytelling and dialogue.

Please Note: I would encourage the Island populace to once again, use the internet wisely and seek out the facts before rushing to the polls and casting any rash judgements.

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