Blogs: A History, A Future

Do you recall the blogosphere, circa 2000-2006?

It was something of an experimental landscape, was it not? Millions of personal blogs were created within that time frame. Thousands of “professional” ones, too. All of them unique to some degree, though some of course have been undeniable copycats of the successful, financially-lucrative few.

Okay, a lot of blogs are copycats of the popular bunch. And now what do we see? We see a great many amateur items remaining active, for sure. We’re even witnessing people in the developing world, who’ve only very recently been made privy to the Web and it’s multitudinous options for publishing one’s thoughts and ideas, latching on to the long tail of the phenomenon with their own voices, adding to the millions and millions which have existed for many yesterdays before. And, oh yes, we also see in real time the evolution of select blogs from amateurish beginnings to new professional heights, attaining national and international influence and notability along the way.

Some examples of such transformations are fairly evident: The Huffington Post, GigaOM, Ars Technica, Autoblog, TechCrunch, portions of Wired.com (Listening Post, Threat Level), portions of NYTimes.com (The Lede, The Pour), and many other widely-read and widely-referred new-media institutions. (Dare we put Profy in that boat as well? We dare.)

‘Referred’ being an especially poignant term in the progression of blogs.

For years, we have seen instances of blogs that have amassed steady readerships well past the million mark. Whether they be political in nature (DailyKos, The Huffington Post) or cover all things gadgetary (Engadget, Gizmodo), they’ve regularly shown, for many, many a season their ability to attract seriously large audiences.

But only recently have such online publications received considerable attention day to day in the realm of typical chatter. Whereas in 2004 and 2005 (in some cases 2006, even) one would tend to think twice before mentioning one’s interest in a particular blog at the lunch or dinner table, today it is more or less accepted that one mention such a reference in an average setting. You know, a setting involving one’s non-geek friends or family members.

Even to bring up a noteworthy blog post in workplace conversation is hardly unusual.

Not to mention the recognition blogs have gotten from venerated and historically-renowned institutions over the past year or so. While only blogs would speak of blogs very openly and frequently pre-2006, outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times now look to the blogosphere on increasing occasion for topics of interest – particularly those concerning public advocacy.

And we can’t forget to give a word or two to the advancement of Web design in the land of blogs. It’s impossible to deny. Some blogs are simply looking very, very attractive today. While the visual changes to a good percentage go almost entirely unnoticed, a portion make it a point to impress the reader. Again, take a look at The Huffington Post, Ars Technica, or the new GigaOM. They ain’t too shabby, eh? No, they’re quite aesthetically pleasing, which, you have to agree, is what many people naturally consider when choosing a source of news and opinion.

All in all, the modern blog has progressed. Greatly. From a simple beginning, it’s managed to carry itself up the proverbial ladder in a few years’ time, and now stands tall amid big-money media houses. Yes, even the giants have joined in on the fun, creating their own blogs to gain new followings of their own.

What does this mean for the future of blogging? Does it portend a consolidation in the total number, with a decrease in amateur blogs, and disproportional fame given to the topmost percentile?

In short, yes, it does. But that’s always been expected. Such a trend occurred in the old media landscape. New media will experience a similar transformation. Which is fine by us.

Well, as long as we’re still alive and kickin’ with this here publication when all’s said and done.

What do you think of the blog in its historic framework? Think it’s going to grow further? Has it peaked? Will the long tail shrink? Let us know in the comments below.