The Daily Blog

Blogging is emerging as a new source of income for people with computer skills and something to say. As well as being a popular pastime for people who enjoy the interaction, successful bloggers who have come up with a good concept and attract large numbers of hits per day can also draw an income through associating themselves with an established company requesting input from bloggers, or by allowing advertising on their blogs. This has also opened up a huge opportunity for interactivity within online communities globally.

Blogging essentially means web log (shortened to blog) and involves writers entering their thoughts on a range of subjects on a regular basis. There is an interaction element to the blog, where other people can continue a conversation and give feedback to the blog, and the author can also comment on each of these posters.

Topics can range from politics to personal observations about life, and while the common assumption is that bloggers are self-indulgent and write about banal and trivial topics, other bloggers post about quite serious topics with a more formal writing style. Blogging has also been embraced by modern media organisations where it is considered more of a relaxed writing style for an internet readership. Companies are now employing bloggers to promote products or services.

TAFE offer courses in a variety of computing skills, including Blogging, Pod-casting, and other Media Journalism and Information Technology.

About blogger, Kate, aka 'Bossy':

We meet Kate de Brito, an advice columnist who works for News.com.au as a freelance blogger, who finds the internet a great tool for social feedback and interactivity. Kate writes her daily advice column 'Ask Bossy' under the persona, Bossy, in order to keep a professional relationship with her work and to maintain her private life separate to her blog, unlike other typical bloggers who share details and secrets about their personal lives.

Kate started out her career as a cadet with The Daily Telegraph/Mirror in 1990, working her way around the office for 3 years. She continued to work as a journalist, writing for The Daily Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald and then went on to complete a degree in Counselling/Psychotherapy at the Jansen- Newman Institute in Chatswood, allowing her to justify 'Ask Bossy' as a forum for discussion of moral issues and relationships, giving advice to people who post questions about their personal problems.

Kate enjoys this work as she believes she facilitates people gaining feedback on their issues and engaging socially with an online community, providing genuine support and input form a variety of perspectives, which is an interesting aspect to come out of the development of information technology.