Classification of Blogs

Blogging covers a vast amount of topics in different areas of expertise according to the publisher themselves.

 Wikipedia (2007) classifies blogs into:

• Subject matter: Politics, Fashion, History, Law, Technology, Sports, Business, Science, Entertainment
• Types of Device used: Moblog and Sousveillance
• Media type: Vlog, Linklog, Sketchblog, Photoblog, Typecast and Phlog
• Status of Publishers: Corporate and Organizational Blogs

There are times whereby blogs are a combination of different styles. In order to differentiate the types of blogs out there, topic, style, format and audience is taken into consideration. 

Classification by Margaret Simmons (Author and Freelance Journalist): 

     1. Pamphleteering Blogs

        - More than one author publishes posts expressing strong opinions on a wide range of topics

        - E.g. Larvatus Prodeo and Catallaxy

    2.   Digest Blogs

        - Material collected and linked from mainstream media or other blogs

        - Commentary is added

        - E.g. Fair go Fairfax

    3.   Advocacy Blogs

        - Viewpoint on one particular issue by a vested interest group (commercial organisation, political party)

    4.  Popular Mechanics Blog

        - Source of information on how to do stuff (e.g. gardening, quilting)

    5.  Exhibition Blog

        - Made by artists writers, craftspeople and etc

        - Bringing their own personal work to the audience

    6.  Gatewatcher Blog

        - Keeps on eye on the media (e.g. Possum Comitatus)

    7.  Diary

        - People talking about their personal lives

    8.  Advertisement

        - Created by companies to commercialize or bloggers paid by those companies to talk about their products or services.

    9. News

       - Reports on current news

       - Audience is the general public

The differences can be seen as Margaret Simmons gives an in-depth look at different blogs. As compared to Wikipedia, she gives a better insight on the differences of blogs out there in the web. It is easier to classify the blogs into specific genres and topics as she has done.

Reference List:

1. Wikipedia, 2009, Blog, viewed 14th of November 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog>.
   
2. ABC Radio National, 2008, A Taxonomy of Blogs, viewed 14th of November 2009, <http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2372882.htm#transcript>.