Sunday, May 01, 2005

從網上日記到博客力量

一眾Blogger對有線節目「新增點」探討博客文化那一集,回嚮甚大,我想起當日一個關於本地博客文化的採訪:

「點解你要寫Blog?」我訪問一個寫blog年資比我多幾年的大學生。

「因為想表達自己。我平日也有寫日記的習慣,寫blog就是網上日誌,一些平日很難開口的事,可以在Blog說出來,朋友會主動關心我呢,」大學生認真地說。

那天的採訪,其實是突破機構關於青少年「網上日記」文化的調查,大學生是調查員之一,有份擬定調查題目。她的Blog的確是網上日記,一個純粹私人的交流園地。

Posted by Hello


突破靈巧地將調查目標放在Online Diary,而不是Blog,然而這些網上日記,明明是Blog的一種,我應該怎樣寫這篇稿?怎樣令讀者易於明白?

「Florence,我可唔可以在網上日記旁邊,加上Blog這個字,讓讀者容易一點明白?」編輯豪哥問我。

我猶豫了5秒鐘。「可以,」我答得肯定,其實內心矛盾。我這樣一寫,將網上日記等同Blog,可會被不少blogger視為千古罪人?

為了讓更多人認識Blog這個字,我決定大膽一點。我知道,我的稿內沒有足夠篇幅,將Blog的概念與歷史,由盤古初開講到連戰訪京。既然網上日記也算是Blog(雖然Blog不止如此),套用Blog這個字並不算錯,而且有太多太多人,根本連Blog是什麼也不知道。只要有機會,應該爭取讓「Blog」在主流媒體曝光。

況且,我的報道焦點是一個關於網上日記的調查結果,這也反映了部分本地年青博客的寫Blog心態。

調查的結論是這樣的,突破訪問了過千名接觸過網上日記的青少年,有七成半撰寫網上日記,當中七成半覺得網上日記能促進朋友間的關心。由此引申家長應該鼓勵青年寫網上日記,讓他們多與朋友溝通,並從中認識自己。(以我的理解,他們並非鼓勵家長監視子女寫blog,雖然他們的建議頗為「家長式」),青年亦可透過網上日記這平台,嘗試表達對社會時事的意見。

我採訪的那一刻,確實有點失望。連突破如此具組織性的青年機構,也將青少年博客文化,縮窄作網上日記現象,還有那些機構肯花心思,認真地研究本地廣義的博客文化呢?

我不知道這是突破對Blog的認知,還是為了方便研究才主攻網上日記。訪問出席記者會的青年後,我無法不認同,很多青少年當寫Blog是網上日記,沒有多想寫Blog的深層意義。

他們的表現,的確是本地部分博客的想法,也是主流媒體對博客文化的狹義理解。

我當然希望突破的調查,以及媒體對博客文化的探討,可以多走一歩。事實上,這或許反映了本地博客文化尚未發達,還未走到某個觸發點,展示博客文化顛覆傳媒權威、社會主流意識的力量。

Posted by Hello


香港人認識博客文化,離不開木子美的「遺情書」,由此Blog與網上日記劃上等號。

即使是外國,將Blog當作網上日記也多的是,但有更多的媒介和企業,利用了Blog那種雙向互動,「每個人也是媒體」的特性,作為一個主流媒體以外,與顧客和受眾溝通,反客為主的宣傳渠道。例如通用汽車副總裁Bob Lutz的Fastlane Blog,從副總裁角度對汽車業的看法(當然也有自我宣傳成份),透過網友的comment,直接掌握受眾反應與投訴。

我們的高官和恆指藍籌股老闆們,又有誰如此有見地,會寫Blog搞公關呢?華語世界的博客文化,相比英語博客世界,組織仍然鬆散,未能衝擊商業世界的秩序,也未曾建立影響企業決策和消費文化的無形權力。

至於媒體權威,華人博客的另類聲音,還未夠大至足以與主流媒體分庭抗禮,也就無從達到西方博客的多元消息渠道,削弱媒體權威了。

如果有一日,李嘉誠或者曾蔭權寫Blog;又或者有在大機構工作的博客,因為在Blog內透露機構秘密被炒,Blog在媒體的議題表內,就會一登龍門聲價十倍,有關Blog的報道,要幾多有幾多(這就是主流媒體了!)。

這一刻的Blog,亦會發揮Blog潛藏的社會力量。

Posted by Hello


舊同事Ben推介今期Business Week,關於Blog在美國商業社會的應用,構成的消費者權力如何顛覆商業文化,值得一讀。擇錄部分如下:

Sure, most blogs are painfully primitive. That's not the point. They represent power. Look at it this way: In the age of mass media, publications like ours print the news. Sources try to get quoted, but the decision is ours. Ditto with letters to the editor. Now instead of just speaking through us, they can blog. And if they master the ins and outs of this new art -- like how to get other bloggers to link to them -- they reach a huge audience.



How does business change when everyone is a potential publisher? A vast new stretch of the information world opens up. For now, it's a digital hinterland. The laws and norms covering fairness, advertising, and libel? They don't exist, not yet anyway. But one thing is clear: Companies over the past few centuries have gotten used to shaping their message. Now they're losing control of it.



A prediction: Mainstream media companies will master blogs as an advertising tool and take over vast commercial stretches of the blogosphere. Over the next five years, this could well divide winners and losers in media. And in the process, mainstream media will start to look more and more like -- you guessed it -- blogs.


Posted by Hello


連Business Week都有自己的Blog,唔知我工作的報館,幾時會有Blog呢!阿Ben話,將來的記者不會再依附一個媒體,而是以Blogger身份做自由撰稿人。多謝Ben的美意,但我連我的傳媒工作前景,也矇矇矓矓,好像看到一些機會,卻可望不可即,在這個文化與思想也單一的社會,可不敢抱有多餘的幻想了!

有朝一日有機會,為香港blog界寫一篇跟Business week般像樣一點,深入一點的報道,算是我這個傳媒人Blogger的小小心願吧!

延伸閱讀:
Business Week: Blogs will change your business(免費註冊,或需註冊才可閱讀)
突破「網上日記與青少年調查」

關於有線「新增點」節目的網上評論:
Just a side kick : Blog文化?主流媒體的食古不化
聞.思.見.錄 :新增點:Blog熱潮
網絡暴民:冰山一角
瘋腿的地下室:新增點:Blog熱潮
Whisper at the Tolo Harbour : 網誌文化
餘弦棧:這裏不是日記
獨立媒體阿藹:新增點:需要家長輔導的Blog文化

Tag:

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is it a bit too early to define "Blog"? It is in such an infancy stage.

willsin said...

Anyway, 我唔覺得主流媒體的注意有甚麼值得稀罕.看完其他網友的睇法令我覺得佢地有少少天生麗質難自棄...

(我也剛寫了一篇)

DoA said...

Florence,你這篇很好啊,可以讓也我們知道採訪者/製作人的難處。畢竟寫BLOG的人有無限時間和篇幅,又可以不斷修改。

突破是服務青少年的,她把重心放在網上日記(不論研究結論是否正確),也是理所當然囉。

其實每次「爭論」也有好處的,至少把問題思考得更深入和更立體。

熊一豆 said...

很值得延伸討論的文章。

香港的blog culture,比起台灣、大陸等地,起步及發展都來得要晚及慢。它將會變成怎樣的一回事,或許我們大家都是參與其事者。

自己寫blog只短短大半年,但箇中經驗對我卻有很大影響,可以說blog帶給了我很多之前意想不到的,例如帶給了我一些新朋友,一個MPhil題目,使我下半年重返讀書生活。

Blog的互動經驗,及其形成的community,在日逐漸僵化的社會、人際關係之外,提供了一個支援網絡。對於都市人來說,我想這是很重要的。

另,一些細眉細眼的分享,也很令人心暖,例如這陣子興各類sticker,大家都先後貼上了,又或是pet或是clock或是其他小花款……感覺有點像小學生,呢期興啲咩,就大家一齊玩:p

Anonymous said...

拜讀大家的 blog 已很久,但自己仍較愛在 bbs 留言。

香港 blog 文化未普及,一來與港人不慣寫一篇完整長文有關係,二來 bbs 或留言板,討論區相對多人瀏覽,而且相對較易隱藏自己身份。

例如早前失蹤的港燦,他的話題在其他熱門 bbs 都有討論,若他只在 bbs 參與討論,不是獨自開一個 blog 來抒發己見,他突然選擇失洗去自己在網上的身份,不會這麼容易被大家察覺。

從突破機構對 blog 及早前某些社工對隱蔽青年的定義,總覺得,某些團體往往靠先控制某一社會現象的定義權和描述權,來提升它們對這話題的權威性,及爭取在這話題做研究的撥款或資源的慣用策略。

懷疑突破機構內應有其他事工知道 blog 的定義不只限於個人日記,但它們作為在主流媒體率先發表 blog 文化研究的機構,把 blog 定義收窄有利自己操控將來有關話題的發表權,研究方向和加強在有關方面爭取研究經費的能力。

~~ gaubinfor

Alex said...

唔,我工作的範疇是國際新聞,發現此地不少報紙的國際版,處理有關Blog的外國新聞時,都會稱為「網誌」而非「網上日記」的。雖然編輯通常都會問「可唔可以叫網上日記」,但是經一番「解釋(也可稱為教導,嘻嘻)」後,都會認同網誌是比較貼切的叫法(當然,兩字起題也易些)。

港聞編輯與外電編輯,會不會對此有不同的詮釋?值得問問呀。

Crazylegz said...

可能之前一味的罵有線亂說「blog就是網上日記」過於偏激,想不到你們作為傳媒也有矛盾的一刻。「只要有機會,應該爭取讓「Blog」在主流媒體曝光。」那起碼有線的節目算是做到了一半。不過它們的篇幅比你多得很,就應該盡責地將基本的BLOG解釋和歷史作一點點解釋吧。

你這一篇的文章可讀性甚高,尤其是以傳媒人角度去看這件事,比道聽途說好得多了。有關businessweek的報導我一定會細心閱讀的,謝謝你!

pig said...

想以podcaster 身份問一問,到底現時傳媒怎樣看podcasting?

Wilson said...

Trackback:

前文說有線電視的節目,是「嘗試探討香港的網誌文化」,越想越覺得自己說錯了。反覆思量,「探討香港的網誌文化」從來就不是該節目的主旨,這不過是我監人乃後之說而已。

網誌文化〔二〕

littleoslo said...

對於普羅大眾,很多人不上網,又或止於收發電郵,或msn 同icq,對於blog根本可能是聞所未聞.短短15分鐘,點講?

所以我認為以日記這個簡單而人所共知的概念去帶出blog的意思是無可厚非,只是節目中沒有強調blog的不同及特色,成一敗筆.

DoA said...

看熊一豆的留言想說句題外話,密斯大埔也是在這裡見到SOPHY便嚷著要領養一隻BLOG PET。

Anonymous said...

人手trackback :

BLOG IS SHARE
http://blog.yam.com/sputnikworld/archives/103633.html#comments

Anonymous said...

I guess blog serves the purpose of bbs (discussion of a topic, opinions), posting of happenings on oneself (for mingling/catching-up with real life friends/new friends made online), public icq (messages to selected few...for blog service which allows post customly set to be readable by selected registered users only), notice board (for posting announcement, invitation), self-publishing area or scrapbook (our poems, artwork, photos, doodles...self-talents which one consider one has :p). We give opinions, we show what we are (there is some saying that people tend to present or "picture" a virtual identity different from that one have in realistic world...which i beg to differ, as i see most bloggers tend to share their deepest thoughts in their blogs), we aggregate force and noise (mostly in political events), we direct the attention of people to care about the other not commonly know side of hk (in my case, as most of my blogger friends [ie. readers] are not hkers), we express ourselves in the way we like (no matter how childish or crazy it is), we share thoughts, we paste news clippings for self-reference (and as readers, we might get the chance to read news piece we somehow overlooked).

Blogging is fun, it's like a magazine, in which we see contents we are expecting (based on the theme of the blog, if one has...e.g some have an emphasis in photography), we see "ads" (the public announcement), we see columns (opinions of all aspects). As individual as we can be, we "self-publish" in our very own style.

In some blogger tools which offer "community function", they even have bloggers of common interesting aggregating.

examples:
(this is the community that singapore ljers gathered together)
http://www.livejournal.com/community/sg_snapshots/

http://www.livejournal.com/community/sg_ljers/
(in this you probably will find the hottest casino discussion mentioned over there)

http://www.livejournal.com/community/sgselltrade/
(place trade off your unwanted stuff)

http://www.livejournal.com/community/ipodmini/
(seek help for electronic gadgets)

and many other communities of a common interest. even just on a reality show.

In short, we all blog, but we are blogging with no fixed style. Don't have we bloggers stereotyped lah, Breakthrough!

(livejournal has a perfect function in reading comments (they are held in threads) and in setting accessibility of each post, but it offers no function that is compatible with the "catgorized" function like in wordpress. That is one of its weak points)

- mfy

Crazylegz said...

人手trackback:

http://crazylegz.blogspot.com/2005/05/blogger.html

Anonymous said...

What's a blog?

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Since Blogger was launched, almost five years ago, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.

And we're pretty sure the whole deal is just getting started.

Publish your thoughts

A blog gives you your own voice on the web. It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.

Many people use a blog just to organize their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands. Professional and amateur journalists use blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalers reveal inner thoughts.

Whatever you have to say, Blogger can help you say it.

Get feedback
The blogging experience is about not only putting your thoughts on the web, but hearing back from and connecting with other like-minded folks.

Blogger Comments let readers of your site from all over the world give feedback on what you share on your blog. You can choose whether or not you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis (and you can delete anything you don't like).

Group blogs can be excellent communication tools for small teams, families, or other groups. Give your group its own space on the web for sharing news, links, and ideas.

Find people

Blogger Profiles let you find people and blogs that share your interests. And your profile lets people find you (but only if you want to be found).

Your Blogger Profile lists your blogs, your recent posts, and more. Clicking on interests or location takes you to other people's profiles, whose blogs you might enjoy.

And more...
Blogger has a variety of ways to easily update your blog besides the easy-to-use web interface:

Email Posting means you can send a message to your web site from your favorite email program, your wireless device, or anything else that sends email.


BlogThis! is a button that you can put on your browser (or via the Google Toolbar) that lets you quickly post to your blog from anywhere on the web. Use it to quickly comment on a news story or web site.

You can post photos to your blog with an add-on tool called Hello.

There's even a feature, called AudioBlogger, that lets you call Blogger from any phone and leave a message that is immediately posted to your site as an MP3 audio file. (It's fun at parties.)

Florence Lai 黎凱欣 said...

male,willsin與無塵工作室,

雖然香港的blog文化還在起步,但我相信,什麼是blog,是我們自己塑造的,它未必厲害到立即推翻傳媒權威,但它絕對是一個平台,對於不同人,有不同的意義,blogger可以很自閉,也可以很開放.

公爵大人,謝謝你,我理解到突破選擇網上日記為研究對象的原因,也明白你對於blogger行動的看法,可能我的職業病,令我太習慣做一個旁觀者吧

熊一豆,很羡慕你重返校園哩,多得bloggers之間的噓寒問暖與鼓勵,支持我渡過很多很多漫長孤獨的凌晨

Florence Lai 黎凱欣 said...

無名氏, 無可否認,newsgroup和bbs對被動的港人來說,較自己寫blog吸引,更何況港人生活忙碌,堅持寫blog要很多精力,時間和意志

不過,寫blog給我一個沉靜下來,觀照自己的機會.

博客世界隨時歡迎你

Alex,港聞編輯好像沒有什麼特別的譯法,如果讓我選擇,我會揀網誌,貼切一點

瘋腿,謝謝你的體諒,真的,我很希望blog有朝一日能夠在大眾媒體登堂入室,讓更多人明白blog的存在意義

pig,不瞞你說,podcasting還未引起主流報章和雜誌的注視,電腦雜誌的篇幅應該會多一點

Florence Lai 黎凱欣 said...

小奧,你的分析很冷靜呢,這的確是媒體的兩難,究竟怎樣可以不過分簡化一個題目,而又能深入淺出,是一門深奧的藝術

公爵,密斯大埔的basil很cute!

sputnik,多謝你的trackback

mfy,你很認真哩,謝謝你的連結

Anonymous said...

我覺得blog跟網上日記界線開始模糊了,於我而言,在網上寫東西帶點自己的情意,也可以同時有深層的目的,層面是在私人與大眾之間,不大能分開。我是這樣認為的。
anyway,我今晚是為著節目題材"blog"來做research的,在螢幕上不停的找,慶幸來到這個網,看見大家的討論,令我對blog再認識多少少,我可不要重蹈cable覆轍...可惜我個台冇錄cable新增點,唔知佢衰乜!

Anonymous said...

愛情37C

對的時候﹐認識錯的人--愛情零度C

錯的時候﹐認識對的人--愛情稍微起溫﹐攝氏20度﹐天還很涼。

錯的時候﹐認識錯得人--愛情沒有交叉點。嚴冬。愛情零下。

對的時候﹐認識對的人--愛情37度﹐稍微發燒﹐為愛瘋狂。

(本小說獲得馬來西亞星洲日報MyBlog深情連載)

備註﹕如果感動﹐絕對歡迎寫下感言。

Unknown said...

遲來的留言。
對於那個有關網上日記的訪問,我自己沒有看過,不能說些甚麼。我自己在「突破」工作,倒是略知那個調查的源起。那個調查應是由研究組的義工發起的,「突破」的角色主要在於輔助同學如何建構這個研究,要尋找一個怎樣的研究角度,以致同學能在能力範圍完成得到。

我沒有參與其中,不過按事理推測,以網上日記為調查重心,應與青年人流行使用xanga有關。以blog形式使用這類網上工具,按我自己的觀察則多為二十多歲、對世界較多意見較多思考的網友。所以公爵的回應指「突破」是服務青少年,所以把重心放在網上日記,我看是一個很合理的推論。

從技術層面看,blog與網上日記其實是同一類應用程式,分別在乎我們如何使用,正如online game可以是純粹的遊戲,也可以是附有共同目標的網上社交群體。

至於那些「家長式」的指引,我想大概是為了應付家長們的要求,在他們可以接受的起點稍稍推前一步而已。我自己在一些家長聚會中,家長會問如何搜出孩子的blog或網上日記,我通常會當面說:你這樣做其實是在破壞溝通,給你知道了,也不會改善你們的關係的。

我也寫過一篇有關blog的文章,多多指教。
二○○五Blog海漫游
我們的電子部落時代

::Pakkin::

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