Blogs and Community

I do think that blogs facilitate communities in the sense that they allow people of like minds to come together in one place. If someone creates a blog dedicated to a socialist agenda in politics then people who vastly disagree with that point of view are unlikely to visit (except maybe to flame but thats another story). In the same vein people who enjoy growing exotic plants will migrate towards a blog that is dedicated to that interest. In this way the blogs bring people from all over the world (who share the same goals or interests) together. The problem begins when others who take offense to this agenda swarm to the blog. They can pollute the blog with harsh language and diatribes (flaming) and ruin the experience for those who used to enjoy it. Another problem is that not everyone has access to these blogs and so some people are excluded immediately. Its a real boom for those who can use it yet the in place bias of the internet stops some at the get go. Another problem is the lack of source credibility. Most blog owners are regular people with no expert training in the subject. This can lead to problems when they make unsubstantiated claims or voice opinions that others take seriously and thus, spread around the internet or real world. This flow of inaccurate information is a detrement to discussion and is a very real problem with blog communities.