Who could have imagined even ten years back the impact a ‘Blog’ would have on the global scene. The dictators around the world are frightened, the politicians in power are nervous and the established media feels robbed of their undisputed power. Technology in general, internet in particular, has not only leveled the playing field but has freed the enslaved aspirations of millions of people. The blogs are disputing historical references and authoritative statements every day. Nobody dare make an incorrect statement any more. I am thrilled and excited.
Keeping a log (ledger) of your thoughts on the ‘World Wide Web’ could be called a “weblog” and that was exactly the term coined by Jorn Barger on December 17, 1997. The short form, “blog,” was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May of 1999. This was quickly adopted as both a noun and verb (“to blog,” meaning “to edit one’s weblog or to post to one’s weblog”). It has become a world phenomena today.
For the people of China, India, Brazil and Russia, blogging is like an editorial insurgency that the main-stream media is trying to fight back without much success. The major net-works and established publications have ruled the public discourse for so long that any fresh opinion is like a new life-blood to a very dull and subjective intercourse. The establishment and their star opinion-makers are now in defensive mode. Any and all statements are challenged on merits and the rebuttals become the main topic of discussion. These are very exciting times.
Filed under: International Tagged: | Blog, December 17th 1997, Dictators, Jorn Barger, Ledger, Log, Peter Merholz, Politicians, Weblog, World Wide Web
