#1: Blogception: The blog about blogs

    Upon my research into viewing popular blogs, my entire perspective on the definition of a blog changed. My assumption of blogs until starting this project was that their primary use was for personal entries, almost like a diary that you would share with people you know. I also assumed that blogs were narrowed down to one general topic, like food, family life, fashion, etc. As it turns out, blogs can go beyond personal use and can expand beyond a single topic.

    In fact, there are a significant amount of websites that people rely on for news or information that are actually blogs! I originally thought that websites such as TMZ, The Verge, and Mashable are al examples of blogs. I previously thought that these blogs, and others hat are similar, were categorized more as news publications or informational websites. But with insight into how each topic and subject is separated into posts/articles, and the casual/professional manner of the writing I saw throughout the ones I looked through, it becomes clear that these fall under the blog umbrella.

    Looking through the blogs, there were some I liked and others I did not. Outside of the fact that I did not like the material and that I wasn't the right audience, there were aspects that left a sour taste in my mouth. In TMZ, it displayed the topics very well and the simple color scheme wasn't an eyesore; however, the main page displays its stories in its entirety instead of displaying an array of its newer stories in separate, organized categories. Mashable is more pleasing in terms of color and design, and it topics are organized by category and by how recent. Its downside is that it has a lot of ads and it takes the time to send a popup encouraging users to sign up every few minutes to their subscription. The Verge was the blog I liked the most because it was formatted very well, and while it had a variety of topics, its main focus was on tech, gaming, and entertainment.

    So, how has this helped me figure out how this blog will be written? Well, I know I want to keep a tone that is relative to casual/professional, but keep more of the broad vocabulary and formality of a lot of the things I write. I also know that my topics are going to range but be within the context of this class. I decided to take time to format this blog into something more pleasing and unique to how I want to portray this blog. My tone will be relatively neutral but I will present my opinions and grow passionate about the arguments I am for or against, but in a respectful manner. The tone of the blog will also reflect the title; I hope to give my perspective and information on the topics I am presented with, despite not being the wisest of people.

    I hope my tone and style can further progress as I pursue more blogs, and maybe I will look around for more blogs to read online in general as well.