Blogging Can Help You Survive

As I was cleaning out my "favorites" in Explorer, I came across a great article from the Blog Herald I had wanted to blog about. I know blogs are supposed to be timely, and although this is from October, I think this is even more timely now then in the past. Titled "6 Ways Blogs May Help You Survive the Economy," the entire article discusses how blogging can be beneficial in these hard economic times.

Three of the six really stood out to me. First, was to use blogs to find spending/saving tips. Many people blog for their enjoyment and will talk about their daily life. As a college student, I am always looking for ways to cut corners. The article discussed how some women are blogging about how they save money by clipping coupons. We all hear about how much we can save from people on television and specialists, but hearing a mother say it makes it so much more meaningful. Personally, I trust this because I know mom's run around the grocery on a daily basis trying to save some money.

Also, blogging and social networking help to build a support system. People are losing jobs and stuggling to make ends meet. By starting a blog, they can form relationships with people who can help them to get through these rought times. Whether getting a comment or e-mail, knowing someone who cares can help you keep pushing forward.

Lastly, blogs are all about you. The blog needs you to survive. And you need the blog to record your thoughts opinions. They are a great way to take time to yourself and forget what is going on around you. Instead, you can write about what you are doing lately, an interesting article you read or a hardship you are trying to overcome. No matter what, when you blog you develop readers who also depend on you. They are interested in what you have to say and look forward to new posts.

After reading all of the six positives, I realized I definitely need to blog more often. It's something I enjoy. I like reading about current issues and giving my opinion on them. I also think it is important to look at my own life and talk about what is going on. It's a great way to analyze what I've been doing and how I am handling situations. New goal for next quarter- blog weekly, if not more!

Adopt a WHAT?!

Continuing my research of freedom of speech for bloggers in China, I discovered that you can adopt a Chinese blogger. Or any blogger for that fact. The issue is that Chinese blogs are being shut down and closely monitored. Bloggers have looked into moving their blogs to sites outside of China, but it would get expensive and they would face language barrier issues. Therefore, it would not be worth the move in the end. Instead, blogs using independent host services can host a blocked blog. This is basically a loop hole. The host blog just makes it harder for the adopted blog to be shut down. The only requirement to be a host blog is that the blog does not have large readership in the same country as the blocked adopted blog. If the host blog does, it could get shut down. Here is the more in-depth version, http://www.masternewmedia.org/free_speech/China/adopt_a_chinese_blog_initiative.htm

After reading this article and grasping the concept of adopting a blog, I was taken back. It really is a shame that bloggers have to go to such an extent to keep their blogs up and running. It's disappointing. China is seen as such a great country at times, especially after the 2008 Olympic Games. They are advanced in technology and have a thriving economy; they appear so civilized and seem to be a power nation. But really, they are barbaric in a sense. Their government micro-manages everything, even the Internet, to avoid people from saying negative things about their country. The government should not be so concerned about this. Look at America, people say negative things all the time, but we are still a united country with freedom of speech. It really is a shame, a damn shame.