It might not be new to experienced bloggers, academics or communications practitioners, but every thesis about blogging needs an introduction into the subject. Here are some of those basics.

The word ‘blog’ is derived from the words ‘web’ and ‘log’ (Rettberg, 2008: 17), and can be defined as a “frequently modified web page in which dated entries are listed in reverse chronological sequence” (Herring, et al., 2004: 1). There is some discussion as to when the first blog originated, however as of April 2007, there are globally over 70 million blogs and counting 120.000 more each day (Sifry, 2007). In a study into the motivation of bloggers, Nardi, et al. (2004: 43) found that there are myriad reasons why one starts to blog, varying from the will to document one’s life, to the need to provide commentary and express oneself (emotionally as well as rationally). The top three reasons to blog are ‘to express yourself creatively’ (77%), ‘to document your personal experiences or share them with others’ (76%) and ‘to share practical knowledge or skills with others’ (64%; Lenhart & Fox, 2006: 8).

In the motivation of bloggers, a relational aspect is almost always present. Therefore, blogging has often been studied in context of interpersonal relations. For instance, Schmidt (2007: 1415) distinguishes hypertextual relations and social relations. The first is a technical phenomenon, although linking to other blogs through hyperlinks can also point to a more personal relation (e.g. linking to friends). Social relations, also known as social ties, have a better fit with the interpersonal effects described in context of CMC. This makes blogs just as other social media a typical vehicle for hyperpersonal communication.