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New Blogs Born Every Minute

It’s Getting Crowded in Cyberspace

Elena Todica

Adrian Miu worries on the web that the dispute over newspaper cartoons of Mohammad might start an all-out war between Muslims and westerners. A woman in Iraq sees the situation from a closer and scarier perspective: “The sounds of shooting and explosions usually begin at dawn,” she writes. “At least that’s when I first sense them, and they don’t really subside until well into the night.”

Petrus Lungu works on his blog

She doesn’t identify herself on her weblog, and it’s easy to understand why. She’s on the scene in Iraq, where kidnappings and murders take place every day. Other bloggers have flimsier reasons for keeping their identities secret. Lorena (no last name) in Chicago tells people that she likes to flirt — but not with just anyone: only a selected few of the millions of who find her blog on the web. Lorena’s prospects are increasing every minute.

“Worldwide each day, around 70,000 new weblogs are created,” said Carmen Holotescu, the director of Timsoft, a Timisoara eLearning company which hosts a popular blogs collection - www.timsoft.ro/index.php?pagina=resurse9. The Washington Post recently reported that the number of blogs on the Internet has reached 30 million. And there will be several more by the time you finish reading this article.

What’s all the fuss about?

Web pioneer and online legend Jorn Barger is credited with coining the word “weblog” in 1997. His robotwisdom site is one of the world’s most popular. For the uninitiated, a blog is a website where entries are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. It’s a virtual public journal. Most bloggers display “blogrolls,” a collection of links to other weblogs. Blogrolls generally appear on the home page sidebar of weblogs.

One reason for blogs’ rapid growth is the increasing ease of starting one. In Romania, sites like www.jurnale.ro and www.weblog.ro allow people to post blogs on their servers for free. All that’s needed is an e-mail address, a password and a name for your blog. Once a free account is created, bloggers and subscribers can publish photos, comments, news, and just about everything else the host will permit. Weblog.ro has over 20,000 members.

Blogs may be personal, specialized or informative. Many carry discussions about topics like culture, law, medicine and journalism. Other subjects range from celebrity gossip to rocket science to deviant sex. Some sites list and track many blogs, allowing browsers to search for categories of interest. Timsoft (www.timsoft.ro) lists 483 blogs.

"In Romania there are 10,000 blogs, and the number doubles every six months. Compared with other European countries, that’s not many. One reason is the higher cost of Internet access in Romania", Holotescu said.

Blogs in education

Blogs are becoming increasingly important in education, both for traditional and online courses. Any teacher can post course materials, make announcements and keep abreast of students’ progress. Blogs make it easy for guest experts to “lecture” from anywhere in the world. Students can find out about scholarships, summer school, exams and other topics at http://www.studentevents.blogspot.com.

Using Google search terms like “top blogs” and “most influential blogs” will keep you up to date on the world’s busiest sites.

Reasons for starting blogs are as diverse as the people who start them. Petrus Lungu, a fourth-year student at Bucharest’s Academy of Economic Studies, said he was having trouble communicating in person. “When I have to speak with somebody face-to-face I have some reservations,” he said. “A blog is an alternative solution. It’s easier for me.”

“I just like writing, and writing again. Every day I check the updated blogs from my blogroll,” Petrus said. “I have 50 blogs, and it takes about an hour and a half a day.”

Another drawback about virtual communication is that it’s difficult to be sure who’s real and who’s not. “There are some people who create another identity,” said Grecu.

Miu’s comments on the cartoon controversy can be found at www.adrianmiu.ro. The anonymous correspondent in Iraq offers colorful updates on the conflict at riverbendblog.blogspot.com. Lorena, the selective flirt in Chicago, carries on at every-passing-moment.blogspot.com.

Ultimul număr tipărit (mai 2007, format PDF):