A lot of different aspects make up who a person is and the ideas they express. These characteristics can shine through a person’s thoughts, voice, writing, opinion, style, and with all the savvy technologies today, even their personal blog. Some blogs are formatted and designed, while others are simple and standard. Blogs may be used to share views with others, connect with peers, vent emotions, and interact with the world. After evaluating and exploring three of the AP English blogs from 2007, I discovered several different genres of blog entries. Some are political and analytical, while others are more of a personal journal. I was drawn to evaluate the blogs Deep Blue, iThink, and get lost in my thoughts because of their intriguing titles, and in the process, I even learned a few new things about all three of the bloggers.
I began my blog exploration at Grant McChesney’s Deep Blue. As I started scrolling down the page, I could picture Grant mouthing every word of each post. Most of Grant’s posts are very scholastic based and political, which aren’t the most exciting reads, but are extremely educational. While reading each post, I also discovered that Grant usually writes informative blogs rather than argumentative or persuasive blogs. Like Grant himself, his page is clean cut, and neat. As a writer, Grant cuts right to the chase, and states the facts about the subject he is writing about. One negative aspect of Grant’s blog is that the majority of each writing is stated as a statistic as opposed to his personal opinion on issues. On a positive note, I was really impressed by Grant’s use of rhetorical devices throughout his writing. In Rash Refunds, Grant wrote, “The stimulus package is like a strong cup of coffee that would jolt the economy but then fade leaving it worse than before.” As an avid coffee fan, I first took offense but then was in awe of the use of a similie and personification all in one enticing sentence! Grant’s blogs are the kind of writing that triggers my thoughts on current events, but doesn’t allow my imagination to expand or inspire me to dream.
As I dug deeper into the blog world, I made a pit stop at Jon Micheal Poff’s blog. Just pulling his page up made a great first impression on me, I was totally in awe of his creative theme and layout. I am impressed at how much time and dedication he put into his page as well. I like how Jon Micheal is not shy to express his strong opinions on the very controversial issue of abortion. While I admire how straight foward his writing is, I am curious what drove him to blog about such a controversial issue. Jon Micheal was wise to blog on such an issue that would draw in so many comments because of all the different views on abortion. I saw how he gets lots of feedback from a variety of bloggers. His page is well organized and makes the reading more fun with all the graphics he chose to add to his layout. Jon Micheal writes the perfect mix of educational pieces with relatable teen issues. His blogs are easy on my mind because we share a lot of the same views, and I admire his strong morals and convictions about how people should represent themselves. I especially enjoyed his blog, Get Out of My ‘Face’. This blog is something I often think about while scrolling down my friends list on Facebook. I am sometimes shocked at the pictures that students have the guts to put out on the World Wide Web. Just like a scandalous outfit, these photos are a representation of the student and who they are. I applaud Jon Micheal for writing on hot topics that truly affect teens today.
Finally, I am coming to the end of my journey at Kaitlin’s blog, get lost in my thoughts. I love Kaitlin’s blog because of how her writing flows, and I am suprised at how I forget that I am reading her english assignment because while I read, I feel as if I am flipping through the pages of her diary. All of her posts are genuine and innocent, just like she is as a person. Kaitlin blogs at the perfect lengths as well. I never got tired or trailed off. From the first sentence on, she kept me drawn in to each post. She writes about very relateable issues and instead of spitting out facts like a robot, she incorporates them into an easy read story. I stumbled across her post entitled, Do You Know What You Are Singing?, and something inside of me jolted. She gave several great examples of all the terrible lyrics that flow from the speakers of stereos constantly, and most teens mouth right along without a second thought. Overall, after reading Kaitlin’s blog, I learned more about her as a person than I even did about any of the subjects she chose to write about.
Blogging gives me a great sense of community among my peers and I enjoy diving into the thoughts of others. I became a sponge as I read each of these very different yet similar blogs, soaking up different techniques and thoughts. I am anxious to incorporate what I observed into my newborn blog that will soon grow and release my own stories and dreams.
Songs of My Life 