which people can closely take and share videos, photos, audios via internet to approximating real-life experience.
One of main technologies and service of Web 2.0 is called blog. The term of blog comes from a blend of the words web and log. It is a web consisted of entries
called posts which published chronologically with the most recent first, in journal style. The posts are automatically dated, archived and displayed in reverse
chronological order. The latest post is displayed at the top of the page and the older one gets further down. Visitors of the blogs also can add comment below
post entries and link to other webs. Most blogs are textual but there are other sorts such as photoblogs or photologs, videoblogs or vlogs and podcasts.
A source described that blogs are basic website allows users to post text, upload pictures, videos and provide links on the internet.
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These features are commonly ones provided in many blogs platform such as Blogger, Tumblr,
Wordpress and so on. Bloggers with unique and creative texts, pictures, videos or links usually will be commonly visited by other bloggers.
Musburger defines blog as s diary of a person’s thoughts, opinions, and activities with Web links accessible to certain people setup by the blogger.
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The information people share may various from less informative one to reliable
information. Usually, the more interesting information, opinions, activities and thoughts the more people visit the blog to add comments or merely read.
Furthermore, Ahluwalia concluded in her research that blog facilitates people to interact and comment in other posts which make blog as an effective approach,
highly productive and meaningful tool.
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In addition, based on McBride research, he cited that positive comments and reaction caused by global audience will be a
large scale of writing evaluation.
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The theory and result of research led to the fact
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Carol D. Rinke et. al., Using Blogs to Foster Inquiry, Collaboration, and Feedback in Pre-Service Teacher Education, New York: IGI Global, 2009, p. 306.
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Robert B. Musburger, An Introduction to Writing for Electronic Media, Burlington: Elsevier Inc., 2007, p. 259.
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Gurleen Ahluwalia, Deepti Gupta, and Deepak Aggarwal, The Use of Blogs in English Language Learning: A Study of Student Perceptions, PROFILE, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2011, p. 33.
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Ronald McBride, Ph.D. and Valerie King, Ed. S., Improving Writing Skills Using Blogging in the Elementary Classroom: Choosing Tools They Use, 2010, p. 3.
that blog can facilitate students to do their peer feedback in evaluating their
writing.
2. The Features of Blog
Blog provides many features to facilitate the reader and writer. Usually, novel blogger will choose easy managing hosted blog rather than premium one. But
professional blogger tends to upgrade their blog features in order to get additional and premium features. Here some of main features of blog which easily found in
many hosted blogs: posts, archives, comments and templates. Blog post includes a subject tittle and a body messages. Post length can be
relatively short or long such as one to dozens of paragraphs. It can comprise a variety of media objects, including text, pictures, graphics, or multimedia. Entry
post will show a time stamp to make the author easier find the post she or he has written.
Archives usually sorted in chronologically, alphabet and label of post custom. This feature helps author to manage their post to be easily found by
their reader. Moreover, the author can set the archives as they want. This feature is a must feature provided in almost hosted blog.
The next feature of blog is comment box in the below of every post. This feature facilitates the author and the reader to give comments about the post the
author has posted. In order to serve best service to the blogger, the hosted blog allows other blog platform users to give comments as they want. In other words,
the authors will instantly receive feedback from the readers about their blog entries. This blog feature gives the opportunity to build active interaction between
the authors and the readers. That’s why this feature give opportunities to people
who wants to enhance their productive skills especially writing skill to receive and provide feedback related to their writing.
Another service provides by blog is templates. The blogger can choose many layouts, typography and so on to customize their blog. This way will give a
feeling of personal to blogger without any technical expertise needed. In addition,
the hosted blogs allow user to customize their blog using their own code.
3. Kinds of Blog
People today use blogs in many ways and for some purposes. So, there are a number of kinds of blogs in internet that can be distinguished as personal blogs,
community blogs, journalism blogs, education and research blogs and also knowledge blogs.
Blog authorized by individuals is calledpersonal blogs. Mostly, it is also can be lined to other websites or web logs. This personal looked blog usually contains
posts of daily activities, experiences, ideas, knowledge, feelings, personal information and so on.
Unlike personal blogs, community blogs managed and authorized by some people included in particular community they belong. This blog supports
individual to be involved in higher level community participation. Usually, this blog facilitated people of non-member to access information, news and many
things related to the community. Another kind of blog is journalism which provides community critiques and
commentary on current journalism and news. People not only share the news but also give their opinions. This blog shows many perspectives of subject matters
which critically discussed. Education and research blogs also known as edublog are present advance
tools to user as learners. This media, students are allowed to publish their own writing and develop a social network to collaborate. In this blog both students and
teacher elaborate to create effective language class. The last is called knowledge blog which is can be used to store and codify
knowledge into a virtual online storage. It is usually maintained by personal or community. Today, many people voluntarily run this blog to share knowledge and
relate their experiences.
