Last time, we discussed the origin of the blog.  Now, I would like to talk about the recent history and current progress of the blog.  As far as blogging today, it has been a challenge, but it has evolved.  Ever since other sites have begun offering services similar to the functionality of blogs, blogs have had a very hard time remaining active as key instruments.

However, the operations, uses, and purposes of blogs have been more specifically defined because of such changes.  One example of these changes is how Facebook has appeared with the functionality of “friends” and “posting” notes.  This is very similar to how many blogs work today.  People have subscribers, like RSS feeds, that function similarly to the Facebook “friends.”  Certain “friends” can be attached to or included in posted “notes” from Facebook.  More “subscribe” functions are also seen in trends like Twitter’s “follow” and “tweet” feed functions.

It also may be surprising to find out that Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are also social media devices used for the professional world.  They aren’t just limited to personal uses.  Twitter is widely used in the marketing world.  You can use it to build a professional profile and follow others within the same field.  You can even inform consumers about events and updates within your field or company.  Some people use it just get publicity for their activity.  Unlike Facebook, Twitter allows you this freedom to really put on a professional face for your individual profile.  However, this doesn’t mean that Facebook can’t integrate professionally.  Many people create organization and company pages to advertise themselves to the public so users can be active in their company, announcements, upcoming events, or releases of new products.  Many public users can “like” the company or organization page to find out events going on in that company or organization.  It will pop up right in the newsfeed.  Already, we can see that Twitter and Facebook can be used to market the public, because they are sole networks of the public domains.  If any organization or company wants to get the attention of potential or current consumers or clients, they can just create a feed for the users to subscribe to.

The face of blogging is becoming ever more crucial from these circumstances.  Businesses are now taking on the more professional face of blogging than ever, through examples such as WordPress.  This separates from the Facebook and Twitter commercial images portrayed (even though Twitter and Facebook are used for so many businesses today).  However, people from all generations still like to use blogs for personal uses through standard formats like Blogger and more evolved collage formats like Tumblr.

The need today is for blogs to be used socially.  It doesn’t connect like the intended uses Facebook and Twitter means by “short” conversations.  Blogs still provide a magazine, article, and announcement platform style that helps distinguish it from other social media and content sharing services.  Without even going through mainstream platforms, blogs today are providing a vision, a format where something lengthy or media-induced allowing for feedback right on the spot.

As blogs move from what originally use to be radio “wire chats” and online journals to write just about anything, blogs today have developed a reputation of being used more professionally in the business realm.  They also operate as public domains and sources for organizational, political, and scholarly posts.  With this in mind, the business and academic life is accommodating blogs for more specific agendas.  Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are becoming more discovery zones to link to these blogs than actual holders of these quality article domains called blogs.  As blogs started journals, they are heading in more a direction as public resources and creative wikis.

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