Blogs, blogs, blogs

So, this is a blog. It's a very common phenomena these days. It's not just young people who write blogs, persons from every culture and agegroup possible has one. So why does one keep a blog?

It's not a diary. A diary is for no one but yourself, whilst a blog is for everyone to read. I would say that's the main difference, since both are ways of getting stuff off your chest. It could be just sharing how your day was, what you and your friends were up to earlier. It could be ranting about something unfair that you've come accross. It could be a way to send out a message to the public, something political. Or it could be poems, film reviews... There's endless possibilities to what you choose to do with your blog.

A blog would be more dangerous than a journal or diary though. Since everyone can view it, if you write about personal stuff you're sure to get critique. Maybe you unintentionally revealed something you were not supposed to tell. Maybe you implied dislike of a certain person close to you. That kind of stuff is more suited to keep for yourself, since if the persons in question probably will get offended. I think some people ignore this fact, since they're desperate for attention and publicity. If you write some juicy gossip or something embarrassing that your friend did, at least classmates will find it interesting. The question is whether it would actually lead to gain of popularity, or if you would be abandoned by your close friends in fear of being hung out on the internet. Maybe this doesn't matter for some people, maybe they just want to get noticed by the masses.

It would be great for pointing out political or religious views, though. If you have very strong opinions you'll be sure to attract visitors. It might lead to debates, or people might think twice and agree with you. If you're a good writer you will certainly make a big impact on the readers anyway. I think blogs like these would be more successful, since it's easier for them to relate to your posts. It's not everyone who cares whether you had a fun day in school or not.

So there's a pretty big difference between a diary and a blog. I hope there's not too many people who confuse these two, since it could lead to dire consequenses.