This document discusses research on blogging and the relationship between blogs, software, and search engines. It covers three main topics: 1) how blogs strive for freshness and frequent updates, 2) how blog content moves from servers to search engines and readers, and how software and engines influence each other, and 3) how blogging culture is shaped by software templates, widgets, and default settings that prioritize search engine optimization.

1. 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.

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

5. 1: Freshness Fetish

9. UPDATE!

10. I’m Sorry Blog
© danielgebhart.com

11. Blog Abandonment
© Wefeelfine

13. 2: Software-Engine
Relations

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

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

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

18. Visible blogosphere

19. The blogosphere according to
the engines

20. Software optimized
for the engines

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

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

23. Software-engine symbiosis

24. Software-engine symbiosis
default settings

26. Engines are the starting
point of the blogosphere

27. Engines segregate
web spheres

28. 3: Template Culture

29. 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)

30. Template Culture

33. “h4ck3r” Culture

34. Database Culture
CLI WordPress Theme

35. Widget Culture

36. The Widgetized Self

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