The blog as database
Blogging and the blogosphere through the eyes of
software and search engines
Anne Helmond, PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam @WordCampNL, 31 October, Utrecht.

Research on blogging
1. Freshness Fetish
2. Software-Engine relations
3. Template Culture

1: Freshness Fetish

UPDATE!

I’m Sorry Blog
© danielgebhart.com

Blog Abandonment
© Wefeelfine

2: Software-Engine
Relations

The Life Cycle of a Blog Post, From Servers to Spiders to Suits — to You
© Wired/Infographic: Build

This graph animation illustrates the reach over time of a blog post
© Matthew Hurst

The blogosphere visualized
This a hyperbolic display of blogs using both the WWE and the ICWSM 2007
data sets.
© Matthew Hurst

Visible blogosphere

The blogosphere according to
the engines

Software optimized
for the engines

Software optimized
for the engines
blog comments do not count for the engines

Software optimized
for the engines
blog comments do not count for the engines

Software-engine symbiosis

Software-engine symbiosis
default settings

Engines are the starting
point of the blogosphere

Engines segregate
web spheres

3: Template Culture

Software Culture
“We live in a software culture - that is, a
culture where the production, distribution,
and reception of most content is mediated
by software.” Manovich (2008)

Template Culture

“h4ck3r” Culture

Database Culture
CLI WordPress Theme

Widget Culture

The Widgetized Self

Thank you!
Questions?
www.annehelmond.nl
@silvertje