I also took a step back and asked myself what motivates bloggers to blog. I thought that this was an important question to answer because it would affect the sociotechnical implementation of the blog or journal tool.
Based on my own thoughts and what I have read so far, I can identify three broad motivational factors:
1. Intrinsic factors
Certain people are just drawn to the practice of blogging because they want to or like to. After all, people wrote in diaries or kept memoires before blogs made their appearance.
2. Known or unknown audience
For some bloggers, knowing that there is a potential audience out there is motivating. Some bloggers do not know who their readers are but write because of the potential of reaching or affecting someone.
Other bloggers may be keenly aware of some audience members, possibly because of the responses they get in their blogs or via email. Their readers may challenge, encourage, sympathize, etc. and these actions motivate the blogger to continue writing.
3. RSS feeds and/or TrackBack
RSS feeds are a "push" technology that conveniently bring blog entries to readers. TrackBack allows one blog to link to another. This allows both readers and bloggers to follow threads of blog thought. The linkages also form a network of thought and expression which might be motivating to bloggers.
With these factors in mind, I have come up with a list of questions:
- Do teachers keep journals? Why or why not?
- Will the knowledge that others are reading a teacher's blog encourage or discourage that teacher to journal honestly and thoughtfully?
- Would teachers appreciate RSS feeds or even a TrackBack feature in PIHnet?
2 comments:
More on what motivates bloggers to blog from Brooks et al:
1. Personal relevance
2. Prior experience with other journal genres
3. Instructor's articulation of goals and hopes of blogging
Blog motivation according to Downes (2004):
1. He cited George Siemens who said that blogs "allow ideas to be based on merit, rather than origin" (p.22). In other words, anyone can say just about anything as long as they have some basis for saying it.
2. Anticipated audience (I wrote about this in my original entry).
3. Citing Mark Pilgrim: Writers will write because they can't not write. I would label this an intrinsic factor behind blogging.
I think that the most contentious point is the first one. Writing based on merit is also possible in many discussion forums, listservs, usenet groups, etc. While the "rank" of users in these media may be made known to other users, there are circumstances where postings are anonymous.
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