The Daily Tar Heel

Issue date: 11/23/05 Section: University

Check out all those blogs

With 16,525 undergraduate and 10,353 graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill, communication plays an invaluable role on campus. Now, more than ever, that communication is coming in the form of personal diaries.

Web logs, online journals accessible to large audiences, allow students to become better acquainted with others at UNC-CH by permitting the exchange of opinions and ideas through writing and commentary.

Similar to any other habit, Web logs - known as "blogs" colloquially - can either be used in moderation or become an addiction.

Comment "Blogs are their own steroids, they can be just as good or bad as anything." - Journalism professor Paul Jones (I also direct ibiblio.org, a digital archive run jointly by UNC-CH and the Center for the Public Domain.)

Sound of the revolution

As a new means of communication, blogs are revolutionizing the Internet, fostering an immediate and accessible flow of information from reader to reader. On campus most students see the blogs as an expansion of the tenets of the college lifestyle, though there has been some backlash.

Comment "People can send out party invitations, look at the news, shop, and even find dating over the Internet. It's the direction society is going." - Alex Robinson, sophomore English and anthropology double major

Comment "People spend more time at the computer, which is a waste of time." - Eric Neff, junior geography major

Just a bunch of gossip?

Among the younger generation, blogs often have been marred with the stigma of being no more than a tool for social gossip.

Comment "It seems so narcissistic. People that usually write in blogs tend to take it to the extreme." I don't operate a blog. - Robinson

Comment "Diaries seem too personal to put out there. Plus, it seems more practical to call up a friend." I also think that self-reflections should not be made public through blogs. - Amanda Buckley, senior Spanish major

New discussion forum

Beneath the surface of UNC-CH's blogosphere lies a realm for discussion between students at an ever expanding campus.

Unlike students of decades ago, the Pit no longer is the living heart of campus. The area itself is becoming less dense as more students take residence in South Campus or around Chapel Hill.

Instead of the Pit's vocal forum, today's student soapboxers have claimed blogs as a means to air their opinions and to discuss issues.

Even The Daily Tar Heel has launched a series of blogs to inform the campus of events they can't fully cover in the print edition.

Comment "In my political blogs I use a lot of satire and exaggeration to try to convey my messages in an interesting way." I have seen a lot of newsworthy information released on blogs. They are a good way of reaching large audiences with personal viewpoints. For instance the participants in this year's student elections, which are still months away, have been thoroughly discussed for the better part of the year. "People see other blogs and the controversy that can be generated and want to participate and get their opinions out." - Kris Wampler, Student Congress representative (wamplersays.blogspot.com)

Comment "I discuss mostly national politics and what will help democrats win elections. Blogs are a constantly updated medium and help with the debate of political issues in the country and here on campus." I see blogs as a useful campuswide forum. The discussion on the blogs helps students see how Congress representatives form their positions. - Dustin Ingalls, Student Congress representative and public relations director for the UNC-CH Young Democrats (I average 23 new hits per day at my blog, senorswanky.blogspot.com.)

Could be used for more

Some student leaders say the blogs could be more than a forum for discourse. If used effectively, blogs might help students get better acquainted with campus representatives and make them aware of issues both internationally and locally.

Although campus leaders underscore the potential of the blogs, their real impact is still questionable.

Comment My blogs range from expressing frustration to commenting on state politics. "I started my first blog because I was frustrated with my roommate. Most of my blogging then turned to student organizations and student body elections." - Ginny Franks vice president of legislative affairs for the UNC Association of Student Governments (I receive about 150 individual hits every day at my blog, missoginny.blogspot.com.)

Comment Blogs might spark a new communication revolution and become a more viable source of news, though not all UNC-CH students will be affected. "The unfortunate thing about the student body is that those not involved in campus happenings now won't be reached by blogs. I got used to being a columnist for the back page (of the DTH) and missed challenges. Sometimes I talk about how conservatives and liberals can come together." - Derwin Dubose, former co-president of the Campus Y (This month alone I have received 5,020 views, and I started the blog, derwindubose.net, simply to continue writing.)

Getting it out there

Students might not always be aware of their representatives' views because leaders' blogs are not publicized and are unknown to many. Some say the University should sponsor a service that will offer students a direct connection between the campus and blogs. Other schools, including N.C. State University, are either looking to provide such a link or already have one.

Comment I think making student blogs available to others on campus would be beneficial. "In a large campus like UNC, blogging is important because students, while trying to form their identity, may find social cliques or get support from others with the same mentality." - Joseph Fulton, freshman and business management major

Comment Students should have a voice in society. "People that may normally not have had the avenues to influence the public before can now express their views and lives to millions of people. "One of the things that makes a celebrity is fame, and blogs have the potential to help ordinary people gain this." - Freshman business and journalism double major Ben Jones

Comment Regardless of individual blog readership or the move to subsidize the forums, it's clear that a communication evolution has hit the campus, and it threatens to play a role for some time. - Editor (Contact me at udesk@unc.edu.)

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