What is blogging communities and how to build one?

A blogging community refers to those who share the same blogging platform such as Xanga. Otherwise it is also used to describe group blogs where several people contribute to one particular blog.

How to create ONE?

According to Crowe,P. 2011, there a several tips in creating a blogging community which are:

• Reach Out to Professional Bloggers
• Respond to Commenters
• Write Posts in reaction to Others
• Create a Local Blogger Meet Up
• Share Link Love

According to White 2006, she defined three different kinds of blogging communities:

Figure 1: Blog Based Communities

Image source: The Knowledge Tree- ThreeForms.jpg

-       Single Blog/ Blogger Centric Community – one blog owned by single owner or organization, multiple bloggers. Example: The Knowledge Tree.

Figure 2: Single Blog/Blogger Centric Community

Image source: The Knowledge Tree -blogcentricsmaller.jpg

This is the original blog based community to develop whereby readers comment and get to know the blogger and community the commenters. These communities depend on one platform and only one blog, which hold features that available for the members. The blog’s main identity is the author whom sets the rules and regulations. Democracy would not have any role to play here, as there would be still ‘censorship’ playing its part. The central blogger decides the topic to be discussed whereby commenters can respond or ignore. 

•          Central Connecting Topic Community – Community that arise through common interest. Example: Global Voices Community

Figure 3: Topic Centric Community

Image source: The Knowledge Tree - TopicCentricCommunity.jpg

• Boudaried Communities – individuals register and join the community and given a chance to create a blog. Example: MySpace.com

Figure 4: Boundaried Communities

Image Source: The Knowledge boundariedsmallerfixed.jpg

Reference

• White, N., 2006, ‘Blogs and Community – launching a new paradigm for online community?’,The Knowledge Tree [online] Available at <http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-–-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community> [Accessed 24 April 2011]
• Crow, P., 2009, ‘How to Create a Blogging Community’, Spice Up Your Blog [blog] 29 March 2011, Avalable at <http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2011/03/how-to-create-blogging-community.html>  [Accessed 25 April 2011]
• Kinkeldei, B., 2007, ‘Forging Connections and Promoting Growth Through Blog Communities’, Whitepaper Blog Communities [online] Available at <http://www.21publish.com/pub/21publish/blogging-whitepaper.pdf> [Accessed 24 April 2011]

Maheswari Ganga Gangaya 
UniSA ID: 110070877