Amir-Ebrahimi 343e continual availability and access to written records and archives Th
gives the blogger an awareness of the fact that whatever one writes in one’s
weblog can be referenced by others. The archives contain the whole his-
tory of the weblog, posts and comments. This new narration can provide
a new social context for the blogger that is different from that of “real”
life. Through this archive, bloggers have the possibility of recording the
history of their presence and their interaction with others in the blogo-
sphere and to review it when necessary. This capability provides the new
generation with the possibility of auto-revision and the chance to have a
common and written history.
e archive also helps the blogger to crystallize a new persona. In Th
fact, to maintain consistency and coherence of character, the blogger must
have more vigorous discipline of thought and articulation than is required
in real spaces. Sometimes the virtual persona becomes so acknowledged,
powerful and famous in the blogosphere that it gradually affects the
“offline” life of the blogger. Osyan “Rebellion,” a young male blogger writ-
ing since 2002, said in one of my focus groups:
At first, you build a weblog, but then it is the weblog which
manipulates you. Sometimes I think that I must stick to the
personality that I am showing in my weblog. Not that I should
maintain appearances, but that I must make it consistent. For
example if I make a claim in my weblog to feminism, then I
must live up to it in my real life. (Focus Group 2003)ally, the comments section also plays an important role in the Fin
construction of self for the blogger. This is the space of “others,” where
readers can enter and interact with the blogger and his or her writings.
These comments show the reflection of the self in the other’s opinion and
establish the position of the blogger in the blogosphere. Allowing others
to express themselves in a space that is considered personal and private,
reading and refusing to delete their opinions, critiques and reactions, all
produce a new kind of social negotiation that can empower bloggers to
see different facets of themselves through the opinions and interactions of
others.
My focus groups included a word association test. For bloggers who
participated, the idea of the weblog was most often associated with the