Did you know that businesses and media giants have been showering popular bloggers with free gifts in order to get them to say something positive about certain products in their blogs? Most bloggers are given cheap things, like DVDs and free gym bags, but some popular bloggers are given video iPods and even all-expense-paid vacations. One blogger even got a speaking role in “Scrubs”!
My final project focuses on the phenomenon of blogola, and the ways in which it affects bloggers and the blogosphere. Blogola is essentially the purchasing of bloggers’ opinions, a marketing strategy recently adopted by Big Business in America. In addition to defining and providing examples of blogola, I discuss first-hand accounts of blogola and examine bloggers’ reactions to it (not surprisingly, most are opposed to it until they are targeted and receive free gifts themselves). I also have a lengthy section of my essay dedicated to the benefits offered by the blogosphere, and how blogola counteracts and lessens their effectiveness.
The conclusion of my paper ties together all that I have learned about blogola and addresses the solution that must be pursued if the benefits of the blogola and the independence of bloggers are to be preserved.
I had a great time with this project, and I hope all who read it enjoy it as much as I did! Here are the links:
Hypertext Essay & Site
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment