As per recent reports, every , 17posts are published in this ‘big blog-world’ or blogosphere. Every day about 120,000 new blogs are created and internet may be having about 70 million blogs covering unimaginable number of areas.
The number of blogs doubles every three hundred days, as of now.
In India, where internet usage is increasing at a rapid pace, on conservative estimates it may be having more than 500,000 blogs. The figures could be 1.5 times more then this number. In fact there is no exact number, all have estimates.
Hindi blogging has also caught on, one can see growing number of Hindi blogs, but it is the majority hindi heartland which is taking a major share in the same. Blogs like Mohalla, mamatatv, merekavimitra and thousands of such names are already on the web and getting hits everyday. These blogs not only get Indian but even non resident Indians who log on to them. Hit rates on the blogs are increasing, anyone searching for information, entertainment, gossip or who wants to express opinions digs into these blogs. Though some question that will blogging replace or tak eover journalism, may be not rather it will add value and complement the same.
Blogs only reach people who are on the internet, still many in India are not. In fact on the contrary bloggers may initiate discussion and interest on an issue, opinions especially of celebrities or experts become news. One gets to understand diverse views on blogs and the interest which is generated can reflect the ‘newsy’ value of the news item. The only advantage for the citizens is that you are no longer dependent on the traditional media, which somehow gets restricted to big names or celebrities. In fact blog can offer a vent to opinion and news of the people. Blogs, can raise concern on social issues, like www.safemotherhood.blogspot.com raises on the issue of high maternal mortality ratio in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The blog contributes its bit to give visibility to the issue of maternal deaths and factors impacting the same.
Traditional media these days is dominated by celebrities. But in the blogosphere, any individual can achieve that status or bring things to limelight. Blog like www.newswhichmatter.blogspot.com, helps to bring the issues to limelight which otherwise may remain in clutter. It is titled as different stroke of news from India and was intiatlly focused on Madhya Pradesh but now expanding. It is more than two years old and has many logging in, giving space to off beat news and social issues.
The others, like www.madhyapradesh.blogspot.com promote Madhya Pradesh tourism, letzchangedrulz-miracles.blogspot.com are trying to speak up on the issues. Advertisers and publishers are also realizing the importance of the blog-world. As per recent media reports Salt Water Blues, Compulsive Confessor, Cutting Chai, Jabberwocky are being offered by advertisers and publishers, others can to hope for and after all it engages people and young people. Amount of traffic is growing as is range of writers, diversity and quantity of high-quality blogs will continue to increase.
As bloggers continue to gain tangible influence in public debates, our understanding will increase and hopefully ad revenues too.