For the most part, blogging sites have a way for other people to read and comment on the blogger’s post, giving them advice when needed and creating connections with people that have similar interests. On most blog sites, there is a link at the bottom of the person’s blog that can be clicked on, opening up another window to type up the comment. In that way, another person (friend or complete stranger) is able to give their opinion and help out the writer, whether they are critiquing a story, piece of artwork they posted, or just giving them good old fashioned advice on a problem, encouraging them to never give up. These connections formed through the reciprocal nature of blogging and commenting are very valuable to many people because as Joe Clark, an author and blogger, told columnist Michael Snider, “you know there is one human being or a group of human beings behind them” (129), not some sort of artificial, automated response. There is a person behind that blog and behind that comment, and they very well may be half-way across the world. The ability to blog and to read other people’s blogs opens up a treasure box of valuables from foreign lands. Friends from anywhere in the world with similar interests can be there to comfort and advise without being in seeing range. Because of this, though, some people believe that blogs are unsafe—it is like opening up a personal diary for the world to see; however, for most people, it is the anonymity of the internet that makes it easier for them to share their innermost feelings. Unless someone freely gives out the nitty-gritty of their life, like exact location and social security number, chances are no one is going to find out their true identity—that is why it is attractive for most people to keep a blog.

Likewise, because the blog is acting like a personal diary, it is a wonderful therapeutic release for bottled up emotions and day-to-day frustrations. Being able to share these feelings with someone creates, for many, a healing process, especially if this person is not comfortable with divulging such information with someone in person. Not everyone is as willing and trusting of others, such as friends and family, to be able to just come right out and say, “I’ve been troubled…I have been thinking really bad thoughts. I’m depressed.” That is why blogging opens up a portal for release—the writer can discuss whatever problems might be on their mind at the time and not worry about the aftereffects. If someone several thousand miles away reads about the blogger’s troubles, they can definitely help and give comfort, and they can do all of that without really being there. Because of that, the blogger does not need to fret about what the reader will do, other than just comment. Some people might think they will be committed to an insane asylum for some thoughts, but the community that weblogs form is usually made up of similar minds and people that can empathize and not judge. Again, the process of typing out troubles, worries, disappointments, and any other feelings gets them out of the way, in a safe way. “The practice is therapeutic” (130), and it is an outlet for many who cannot seem to muster up the courage to speak to someone face to face. Some may say that that is cowardly and is the escape of an anti-socialite, but if it helps to release the stress without creating more, then blogging is the way to go.

Clearly, the invention of the blog is a positive step in many directions. Whether to increase typing and writing skills, create connections with friends all across the globe, or find a therapy to rid negative emotions, blogging is the perfect tool. A blog encompasses the liberation of diary-writing with the confidentiality of having a close friend read it and give his or her support and advice. Just like many other facets of the internet, it connects people from anywhere and everywhere—someone that you would not normally be able to meet. Without such a device, some people might still be suffering internally, devoid of a friend to talk to, but the creation of the blog has aided them—it has brought someone there to their side.

(to be totally official, here's the sources I used)

Works Cited

Dvorak, John C. “The Blog Phenomenon.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum: Brief
Edition. 2nd ed. Ed.Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen New York: Pearson/
Longman, 2007. 126-127.
Snider, Michael. “The Intimacy of Blogs.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum: Brief
Edition. 2nd ed. Ed.Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen New York: Pearson/
Longman, 2007. 129-131.