Baratillo.net: What is Libel? or More specifically what is Libel in the Philippine setting and how does it affect on-line media practitioners?

Alex: Here’s a definition of libel from the revised penal code –”A libel is public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect,real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.”

This law is very vague and only a few libel cases have led to conviction. The merits of these decisions are also in question. Take note also that this law is outdated, even by media standards. It is based on the revised penal code of 1930s, predating World War 2 and certainly before digital media.

Let me emphasize that libel has certain elements before it can become a full judicial case, one of which is intent of malice. Many journalists get away with libel because they are able to produce factual data that are basis for their stories.

Baratillo.net: Is the blogger or on-line media practitioner liable for comments said/posted on his blog, forum or website?

Alex: If the law is to be strictly followed, to the last word, yes. Because blogs and online media are public communiques, and are read by more than two people (libel requires 3 people or so — the 2 parties involved and a third-party to actually hear it), they can put under the libel clause.

Article 355 states that “a libel committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonograph, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means, shall be punished by prision correccional….in addition to the civil action which may be brought by the offended party.” That also includes articles written in forums, email and yes, online stories and blogs.

Again, let me emphasize that the way the article is written can be weapon against the blogger. If the blogger is able to produce the necessary documents, eye-witness and other substantial evidence that strengthens the argument in question, they can be let off. However, thehighlight of blogging is that it is the opinion of the writer and does not need to conform to traditional media standards. Still, libel, by its very nature, can still apply to blogging and all forms of digital media only because it sweeps across all forms of communications methods.

Baratillo.net: What can a blogger or on-line media practioner do to avoid libel? What shoudl one keep in mind in when writing or composing content for the Web?

Alex: This is a very tricky question primarily because an outdated law is being forced upon new methods of communication. A case can only be filed if a person in question is within national jurisdiction. If national extradition treaties are expanded, it can cover all criminal
and civil cases. Brian Gorrell would be charged with libel by the Australian government if the Philippines has extensive judicial partnerships with them. However, there are none for now and only
certain level of criminal cases are subject to extradition treaties. Gorrell, by the lack of any cross-border judicial partnerships, is free to air his opinions.

Bloggers and similar forms of communication methods including social networking and microblogging, should not yet be subject to libel laws of any country until the revised penal code is re-revised to accommodate digital means. Even if the law has sweeping views of what platforms are used, it does not necessarily mean that digital media is already within its scope. In contrast, lawyers can argue that the lack of such provisions that include digital media in libel does not mean that people online are not liable as well. This is very tricky and one that should fall within a debate among those involved.

Still, bloggers can still enjoy their freedom. but to avoid legal inconveniences, i would suggest that bloggers, on a broader sense, should stick to ethical standards of writing, just as they have to follow the standards of grammar and spelling. It is not one for a blogger to destroy the reputation of another person without duly presenting the right evidence. Bloggers are also citizens and as such, must exercise responsibility in their actions. There are many rules that are being developed among blogging communities but one important rule is to be accountable for your statements.

Baratillo.net: Another issue among bloggers and on-line media persons is Intellectual property whether it be a post, a photograph, a video or even a sound file. What can be done to protect one’s Intellectual property?

Alex: The IPO Philippines has yet to come up with clear cut rules about intellectual property online. For now, current laws should suffice.

Because there are no moral and ethical regulations that dominate the internet, IPRs remain unprotected. Again, if the act of copyright infringement or IPR violations are done in one country, the violator may not be charged in the country of the aggrieved party.

However, third party companies are developing applications to ensure IPR and copyright laws are managed, if not enforced. digital rights management is one of these. but these are expensive and only apply to high-profile intellectual property by big companies. For ordinary users, they can apply certain available technologies to protect themselves from their materials from being copied. these include putting watermarks in their photos, video and even sound clips. even if their material is copied, people who view them would still know the original source.

Baratillo.net: If a blogger or on-line media practitioner discovers his photo or post has been used without permission what are the steps that can be taken if the theft was done by another on-line media practitioner or another media entity – for example a magazine, newspaper or TV Show?

Alex: We’ve done this in Inquirer.net. As stated earlier, current IPR laws can be applied and usually, the violators are slapped w/ a legal warning or even a lawsuit. Normally, violators comply for fear of legal impediments. even ordinary people can ask for legal help to protect themselves as long as they can prove that they have the original material with them.

END

George Orwell once wrote an essay on the reasons for writing. It is probably one of my favorite essays on writing that I have read. Another one would be Edgar Allan Poes’ composition.

Reading it now and also looking at the large expanse of the writers universe on the web I can say that Orwell did not touch on everything. Most if not all reasons he mentioned centered on non-monetary reasons for writing.

People write for a living. The Russian writer Anton Chekov wrote several short stories to make a living.

But there are other reasons for writing and Orwell, who was also a prolific writer and wrote as a means to earn income wrote that these were:

To record and to report things that happen.

To point out to the reader an d to the world an object, animal, person, event, and phenomena of (i) beauty; (ii) interest; (iii) uniqueness.

To move the reader to act to a certain way. Mark Anthony’s speech before the Romans who were looking at the body of the assasinated Caesar along with his assassins is a classic example of moving people. Even the use of honorable men was used so effectively that at the end of the speech. These honorable men were then viewed as anything else but that.

To satisfy an aesthetic sense of proportion. To see beauty in the written word. People who read aloud poems and stories would know this. The play and use of words to paint and give voice to our worlds is such an example.

To satisy the ego: To satisfy us: A sense of pride and fulfillment when one finishes a work is a reward. Applause or acclaim for one’s work is a form of reward and a reason to write.

To record
To point out
To move people
To satisfy an aesthetic need
And to satisfy the ego

These reasons have been mentioned is what Orwell said were the reasons he wrote. Of course there are more reasons for writing. One could be the same need that prompted the King’s barber to dig a hole in the bamboo grove and shout about the King’s Donkey Ears. Or the need of people to tell Fairy Tales to remind children and adults that there is victory over a witch, an Evil Stepmother or a Tyrant. Or to show how the powerful can be humbled in a story or an essay.

What is yours?

Lets get straight to the point. Are these things payolas or bribes that will induce the write/blogger to write something positive about the product, service or even an event that is being promoted?

No … but one has to make a distinction between a freebie or a prize becomes a machine of seduction and corruption.

So what are exactly given?

Freebies are there to be distributed. They are giveaways that are marketing tools. Every time you look at a freebie one is reminded of the product. Most are very obvious as pens with the logo of the company. Some can be subtle as flash drives with the press release inside. For restaurants this sometimes come in the form of Gift Cheques – practical if one wants to go back and review the restaurant again. And there are times that actual products of the company is given like a camera.

Then there are things that seem to defy the definition of freebies and come in as tokens of appreciation for attending the events. These come in as gift cheques or other non-related items.

Events and product launches are things that are done to promote a thing, a product, a service or an event. And sometimes aside from the free lunch and the freebies some sort of tokens are given. This are done as professional courtesy. And admittedly these are done to enhance the experience.

Then there are the raffle prizes. As I observed these are promotional instruments used and given out during the end of the event so that the writer and blogger would stay for the whole event. And again they act as marketing tools to promote their products.

All of these things are marketing and promotional tools used by the events and press launches to ensure that the writers and/or bloggers:

1. Attend the event
2. Finish the event
3. And be reminded of the event after it has happened.
4. Also as a show of professional courtesy for attending the event.

One can do a lot of things with such freebies. First, you can opt not to take them. Second, you can opt to give them away. Third, depending on your policy – the amount of the raffle prize may determine whether you accept it or not or give to a pool that will be raffled out. Fourth, you can opt to accept it.

As you can see there are several options one can take. As a blogger in my opinion whatever option one take it is important to have disclosure. This is important because you have a bond of trust with the reader. Also it is important that when one writes down the article or post to have some distance and impartiality. In a sense a disclosure will make it more easier for one to write more impartial and critical about an item.

There are times though when such things can take on the form of a bribe. This happens when a demand to write or write a favorable treatment for the product, service or person is demanded. The key word here is demand/demanded. As in its a deal. In other words you get this product for writing a favorable post. Quid pro quo. My advise is say NO.

Another danger here is to forget the real reason for attending the event or a press launch and that is to be there for the story. If it is there. I think its wrong to go there for the food, the freebies, the event and even the raffle. Do not get affected nor addicted to it. Its not a party or a social gathering – despite all the marketing and promotional things it is a press launch and a product launch. And that is why it is not advisable to bring one’s families or friends – especially if the invite is only for one.

Remember the budget from this comes from public relations, promotions and marketing. And the events are designed both to convey information and make it attractive. One should look beyond the garnishes and the presentation.

Clearly this writing and blogging thing is a road through the orchard of knowledge and temptation. Some are there to invite you to come in; Some are there to inform; and then there are some that were designed to corrupt. How to make the distinction? Its up to you. I only wrote what I know of and what my opinion on it is. End of the day you decide what to do.

There is a poem that goes what are little girls made of and what are little boys made of. At least this is what I remember from a long time ago in my life when the word Internet had not yet become a word and Spam was a canned food. Anyway, I stumbled upon some old notes and dug a few scribblings up on where do articles come from ?

Personal Experience

You and I are the sum of all things that have directly or indirectly happened to us. Whether it happened a few seconds ago or whether it happened to our Grandfather when he was our age. These are interesting things and even more interesting when told skillfully.

Professional Experience

Different things happen to different people specially when one is in a different working environment. The tale of a movie star can be different from a heart surgeon but both are interesting and refreshing to reader. How the movie star tackled a role and how the surgeon interacted with a patient can be told. Heck! even a jobless man’s journey is a worthy tale to tell.

Observations taken: second-by-second; hour-ny-hour; day-to-day, week-by-week; month-by-month; and year-by-year.

Close your eyes. And concentrate on the sounds around you. I can hear the electric fan whirling like dervishes. The clock’s syncophated tic-toc. The carpenter hammering outside. And the train as passes the rail tracks. And then the drone of motorcycles passing by. Just to name a few.

What else if you were observing using your eyes?

Things that happen around you make good material.

Yes, there are a number of sources for an article or a post. The first three mentioned were up-close and personal. Something the observer had first-hand access to. The following are things that an observer can learn from or view from other sources – mostly second-hand but equally effective as basis for articles and posts.

Ideas from events in past,present and in the future
News from other blogs, media – both traditional and on-line

Ideas from books and periodicals

The Priest was assigned to a town far out of Manila. In fact it was outside of Luzon, the island where Manila was, and in so far in fact that the people there spoke a different language. Now the Philippines being an archipelago or a group of islands it was no wonder that different languages developed.

Now when the Priest learned that he was be to assigned to this town, learned also that there was a need for him to learn the language: the local tongue. And weeks before he left he read all the books about this language and started to read and write … at least try to.

When he left he brought with him the most biggest dictionary about the language. A proper dictionary hardbound and not concise.

He was much welcomed in the town. And his command of the common tongue or at least attempt at it greatly endeared him to the people of the town. And he was pleased.

Every Saturday evening the priest prepared a speech for his homily in the vernacular or language of the town.Two or three books he did consult – the Bible and the proper Dictionary. Following the rules, guides and strategy he composed his speech. Minding his ps and qs but at the same doing a bit of storytelling he composed his speech.

He would look over it again and again. Speaking out a loud. Checking and checking. Fortunately, the church stood at the end of the village and only the frogs and other creatures of the rice field could hear the Priest write and practice.

The next morning at mass the speech was said. And the church goers were happy. A speech in their own tongue.They were happy. So happy indeed that they congratulated the Priest.

Much encourage the Priest composed a new speech again the following Saturday night. And the Priest talked about the worshippers and their offerings at the temple. He did not stop till he was content with the speech.

The next morning. Success repeated itself. The community was so happy. In fact, the oldest citizen a grandmother who was alive when the Priest were Spaniards and said Mass in Latin was so overcome by it that she wept and almost broke down in tears if not for her daughter ,who was just a kid when General McCarthur came back and kicked the Japanese and was more less used with the Mass in American English, held her up.

Again the people came up and congratuled the Priest. Who was so proud and pleased at himself that he bought and ate a bag og chicharon that day.

This went on and on. Every Sunday of the week. The Priest was happy and reassured himself that he was doing his God’s work.

Till one day, the People stopped congratulating the Priest. They would still and wish him a good day but that was that.

And it was like that for another two or three weeks.

After today’s mass the Priest was so angry. So angry that his face began to look like old Beelzebub himself or one of those blood colored demons from Down Below. He was so angry that he began to think how ungrateful these people were.

Then he looked outside the window and then he began to remember the sermons and the first days he realized something. It was a shame a sinner felt once he realized a sin he had done. The realization was as deadly as hemlock, which was used to end a famous Greek Philosopher’s life. Hemlock as a poison worked at a constant pace killing a person bit by bit. First the toes and then the legs – It was a creeping death … slow but sure. And so it was with this realization and shame that came upon the Priest.

As shame came upon the Priest he began to cry.

Notebooks – Aside from the desktop computer at home. I keep two notebooks. The first one is a computer laptop. Actually, one of the first netbooks or ultralight computers that came out. The Asus Eee 701. Yes. It is still working and with a set of thumb drives and SD cards this is my mobile communication, mobile blogging device and my ‘typewriter’ when I am far away from home.

Being an ultralight it has its advantages. You can almost carry it anywhere.

Another set of notebook I still carry is a notebook. Quite handy when going from place to place or event to event. A pocket notebook is handy. Start up time is fast and it does not crash.

It is also good for brainstorming, mind webbing, doodling and playing tic-tac-toe.

Dongle, thumb drives and SD cards – The dongle is quite handy when connecting to the Internet where there is diffiultu getting wifi. Believe me there are such places. While thumb drives and SD cards are quite useful in storing data and running applications while at the same time not compromising the performance of the computer notebook.

A digital media player and a set of good headphones – Quite useful if you want to retreat into the coccoon of writing. Partially isolates you from the world and enables you to write under the musical environment of your choice. I prefer a different media player than the one in the notebook.

A camera – For capturing those moments in raw or jpeg or any other format. Most cameras come with video recording features. And this can also come in useful when capturing those precious moments and news worthy events.

A USB Microphone – This is good for podcasting on the road or when outside the house. A USB microphone can isolate sound and deliver quality podcast n terms of sound. But the content is still dependent on you.

A Dictionary – No matter how fast the Internet is. I still find it useful when writing and you need to check a specific detail. One of my favorite books.

A book – Of course something to reade during the free hours and when writer’s block descend.

Pens and pencils – These things are quite useful when scribbling things down and when doodling. I always carry a clutch pencil with me that its own sharpener.

Food and beverages – Most important for a scribbler and writer on the move.

Of course as in all things a sense of humor – a self-effacing one is of great also.

What weapons of choice do you have?

And we have seen also an increase number of groups create personalities on-line for a company or business. Lets us look at two such undertaking:

THE CASE OF LOLA TECHIE

BayanTel’s Lola Techie. Successfully used by Bayantel as a marketing tool for their broadband service has become the virtual face of Bayantel. Her videos on youtube has generated a lot of interests and her accounts in facebook, twitter and plurks is followed regularly. And she even had a fan’s What is interesting about Lola Techie is that she is a creation of Bayantel: A fictional character created by Bayantel and its partners.

A collaboration between the actress, Bayantel, its blogger and social media team. Lola Techie started out as a concept. And slowly but surely BayanTel’s marketing team led By John Rojo developed the character – a full profile and biography for Lola Techie, who was involved in Ball Room dancing before discovering tne Internet. And this profile and biography was handed over to the bloggers and social media team to develop content.

And it turned out well. Lola Techie was well-received.

And even if she was a creature of fiction it did not matter. As I said well received. Perhaps … because Lola Techie was also entertaining and her adventures were funny.

So the people loved it. According, to Bayantel due to Lola Techie sales of broadband services increased geometrically.

ON-LINE PERSONALITY X

Another business also started to create an on-line personality for their business. This time around a real person was used. Similar to Lola Techie – the person’s name was used in three platforms Facebook, Twitter and Plurk. And so far it has not been as successful or nearly as successful as Lola Techie’s campaign.

Why?

Perhaps, there are too many voices in that character. There is no singular character coming out. Unlike, the one for Lola Techie even if there were many writers all wrote in one voice – one character came out. Therein lies the strength of building a nearly complete biography and character sketch. In Ancient Rome, there were writers who did ghost writing work for Roman Citizens and Roman Emperors. These Ghost writers mimicked the style and tone of writing of their clients – so much so that the Emperor Claudius once chanced upon a book in the library written by himself but had no recollection of it. Yet there it was written in his words and style.

There is the danger of ghost writing for a person’s on-line identity. You cannot. You cannot do it easily. Like the ghost writers of old one must be consistent and constant.

Or at least be entertaining. Otherwise, the on-line persona suffers.

So in establishing an on-line fictional persona it is important to be consistent and better if one is entertaining. I strongly believe that it is ill-advised let anyone subsume or ghostwrite one’s personal online-person and in the process give them access to all data about oneself. It is going to hurt your credibility on-line and come back to haunt you even if you are no longer connected to the business

Also assuming one is successful in establishing a fictional persona. It is important to remember it is not only important to use the on-line persona to preach the word but also to get feedback. In this case of Lola Techie it would be interesting to know if the persona has also been used to get feedback.

The number of on-line media sites have increased.

Friends who earn on-line report dividends from their enterprise whether by advertising or other methods of earning cash.

The number of blogger events – likw the Philippine Blog Awards, Iblog and the Mindanao Blogger Summit, PEBA – have increased, diversified and continue. And the number of parties (coming from business and politics) interested in on-line media – cms, blogs and social media – have tripled in number but unfortunately a number of whom are still stumbling and fumbling across the Internet forest.

We have also seen the increase in how Netizens – for good or bad – used the power of on-line and social media to influence things off-line. The great Book Blockade episode and the Golf CLub incident proves this. The use of on-line media during the disaster brough about by the typhoon was phenomenal – information dissemination during those time was instrumental in easing the effects of the disaster.

On-line media though is still the double-edged sword that has to be used carefully lest one does damage to oneself and others.

Such encounters also led to the realization ,personally, that there is a need to provide education and legal support for bloggers and on-line media practitioners. To prepare them for the legal, political and business problems that may arise from the practice of on-line media. And critically important to also provide assistance of organizations or individuals tapping or encountering on-line media. A number of whom still have limited understanding of how on-line media practitioners work and how online and social media communities behave.

This is also the year that we learned everything was vulnerale. The year 2009 has taught us that off-line and on-line we are vulnerable – nothing is constant in the constant sea of change that is both worlds.

First, to allow all comments in, This would free the blogger from legal responsibility for the comments. And then this would be coupled with a system that would allow commentators/readers themselves to mark the comment as spam or as inappropriate.

Second, Is to moderate comments. Direct moderation as opposed to community moderation. It was further added that this would then make the blogger legally responsible for the comments.

Of course this has not yet all been legally tested. I have been told there have been cases involving forums,

Months pass and a lot things have happened. Political and social discussions in the blogging community have exposed how lethal and how the medium of blogging can be used to critique and also destroy reputation and lives. No different from the other form of media.

I am not a lawyer but I do believe that the blogger not only acts as the writer of the blog but also its editor, publisher, moderator, photographer, actor, director and producer. I also believe that one cannot separate the blog from its comments. This I truly believe not only from the legal but also from the ethical point of view. It does not matter where your blog is or who you are. The Blogger is responsible for his blog – everything.

I believe that because of this responsibility one of the tasks of the blogger is to moderate and even edit the comments. However, In order to do so a blogger must also sit down and write a commentary policy. One way or the other comments here and other blogs have been moderated automatically using such services as Akismet and blog settings have been set-up to do so,

Here is the commentary policy that was written just before the end of 2008 and posted in this page:

Dear Friend and Reader,

Thank you for reading this blog. Here is the commentary policy of this blog. You are free to join the discussion – agree, disagree, debate and even criticize the blog and the blogger. Just be aware and before you post your comment of the following:

A. The Blog and the Blogger reserves the right and sole discretion to remove comments, words or phrases that are:

1. Defamatory
2. Abusive or incite hatred
3. Advertise commercial services

and

B. In extreme cases, The Blog and the Blogger reserves the right and sole discretion to remove/edit comments, words or phrases that are:

4. Excessively Off-topic, irrelevant or inane
5. Needlessly aggressive or rude

Have a nice day!

Juned

At least this thing makes it all clear, And its not just something pulled out of the air, I believe this has to be done because ultimately it is the blogger who is responsible for the blog, This is as important as giving air to both sides of any issue – in reportage or even in a commentary.

So why is it hard to pin down a blogger? Why do some companies and individuals have a hard time with bloggers? Why is there a love-hate relationship between bloggers and journalists? Do bloggers really like to become journalists. Or is it something else?

When one says a blogger what comes to mind?

A lot of things really and this is because bloggers are a lot of things really. Bloggers came in all sorts. And often the stereotyping of the blogger as a techie or an opinion writer is a critical mistake when approaching a blogger or becoming one.

SOME DEFINITION OF TERMS BEFORE WE PROCEED

BLOG: An on-line website or more specifically a conten management system or an on-line publishing platform that enables an individual, a blogger, to publish articles in a reverse chronological order.

BLOGGER: A person who writes for a blog. Often the blogger is also the publisher of the blog. A blog may have more than one blogger as such this is called a group blog.

POST: An article or material published in the blog. Post here is often used to refer to the article itself or the act of publishing the article or posting.

I. BUT WHAT ARE BLOGGERS?

1. Based on what they write about and what form it takes, blogs and bloggers can be described as:

1.1. Diarist/Journal Writer

This blogger is concerned with writing down his actions and thought on a blog. This may include day to day activities or highlights. It may also contain posts or entries that include photos, videos and audio files.

Aside from day to day musings the diarist can and will also write about anything … from a personal point of view. This is probably the quinsential blogger. The blogger that everyone knows and probably starts out as one. And up to this time this probably the largest and biggest blogger group.

A number of these blogs are also private – meaning only friends and those the bloggers are at ease and who they trust can read this blog. Although there are diarists and journal writers who open their blogs to the public it is important to remember that they consider themselves on-line diarists or bloggers.

1.2. Opinion Writer

There are blogs and blogger who focus primarily their writing or posts on commentary and analysis. The focus may be on national or local issues. It may even focus on a specific industry or pastime. It may even focus on specific hobby. What differentiates it from the other blogs is that it primarily publishes or posts commentary articles.

In a sense these are online pundits or columnists. Opinion makers who by the virtue of blogs and the Internet have found a platform or pulpit to expound and syndicate their opinion.

These types of blogs are often seen to enhnace and even supplement reading lists of online readers. An addition to commentary read, heard and seen in media.

1.3. Specialist/Experts/Prosumer/Hobbyist

These are subject focused blogs that are written and published by bloggers. These are also called niche blogs: Implying that they are focused … subject focused. Technology and travel blogs fall in this lot.

And the number of different topics that this can cover is almost unlimited. From computers, cellphones, food, travel and even stamp collecting. If there is an interest on any particular topic then there is and there will probably a blog about this.

1.4. Video Blogger/Podcaster/photoblog

A blog whose posts are made of video and audio files. This different from the previous blogs because they are seperated because of format rather than form or genre. So as you can imagine. The topics or genre that can be covered by these blogs are as varied as the other blogs.

So you can see a video blog diary style, A podcast about literature or politics, a pictureessay on a photoblog.

2. Bloggers also differ Based on their Goal:

2.1. Personal:

Some have as their goal as just to publish their post – whether it be the wriitem, word, sound, image, moving images or a combination of these elements – on-line to a select number of people or to the general public. And there are a number who would just like to publish their posts for their person – no one else will read those posts.

For these bloggers money is not a concern but the idea of posting their thoughts in text, image, sound and moving images is important.

2.2. Revenue:

Some have as their goal to make money. Some place ads and use a number of advertorial schemes on their blogs. Some work for blog networks – a network of blogs owned by a company that hires bloggers to write for them. And then there are some who work as consultants or blog trainors.

2.3. New Media/On-line Media/Media/

Some publish their post in order for the world to see. More often these blogs and their bloggers consider themselves part of media. In a sense they mirror the topics and niches that are already found in media. A number of bloggers cover technology; beauty & fashion; entertainment & pop culture; food & beverage; politics; and a host of other things.

The posts, blogs and bloggers may range from chroniclers/reporters to writers who dabble in commentary and analysis.

In effect this is on-line media.

II. TAKE NOTE: Not everything is distinct

It should be considered though that although there are blogs and bloggers that can be distinctively classified into three types depending on goal or four in the case of form, there are also blogs and bloggers that exsist in a mix format. There are blogs that exsist for the purpose of revenue and media. As there are blogs that exsist for the reason of personal and media. In terms of forms there are blogs that are personal chronicles in video,audio and image.

The combination is nearly endless.

What is important though is for anyone who is going to be part of the blogging community and who would visit it often is to understand that one cannot just stereotype bloggers or pigeon hole them.