Blog taxonomy : classifications and opinions

There are many reasons and purposes that an individual or organisation creating blogs. To cater different audiences' needs, there are millions blogs that are classified in different types and genre to help them search blogs easily. 


In my opinion, the blog classification that I know is based on the content of the blogs as anyone does. Blogs can be classified in the following categories:

1. By subject method: Politics, Fashion, History, Law, Sports
2. By device: Moblog (Blogs by using mobile or PDA)
3. By media type: Vlog (blog of videos), LinkLog (collections of links), SketchLog (Blog of Sketches), TumbleLogs (Blog of mix media)
4. By status of publisher: Business and Corporate Blogs.

In order to attract more audiences by differentiating the blogs, Margaret Simons (cited in Funnel, 2008) has come up with 9 new types of blog classifications that are shown below:

1. Pamphleteering blog - point of views on current issues/politics
2. Digest blog - blogs that analyse the collection of facts from other resources
3. Advocacy blog - pushes particular point of view on particular issue
4. Popular Mechanics blog - how-to Blog/tutorial blog
5. Exhibition blog - blogs that bring out one's work to an audience
6. Gatewatcher blog - blogs which keep an eye on the media
7. Diary - personal blogs
8. Advertisement -  blogs for advertising purposes
9. News blog - news/information surveillance blog

Smich (2010) argues that there are many blogs vary from personal diary types to information and news type that are obtainable easily. In addition, She classified blogs into 10 different types that are similar but a little different with Margaret Simons as follow:

1. Cultural Blog: Discuss issue about popular cultural or arts and musics.
2. Business Blog: Business related topics and stock markets.
3. Personal Blog: Personal diary (majority used of generating income or drive traffic to other website)
4. Topic Blog: Focus on the function such as few of the search engines present currently.
5. Collaborative Blog: Blogs that managed or written by two or more authors.
6. Science Blog: Used to disseminate data and information.
7. Eclectic Blog: Focuses on niches collaboratively or individual made
8. Directory Blog: focuses on specific evens and news.
9. Educational Blog: Used by students for research and findings.
10. Forum Blog: Permits two or more bloggers for posting discussion on the net.

It is no doubt that Simons' classifications are more specified than Smich's by looking into the aspect of blogging with deeper insight to attract audiences' interest. In my opinion, the classification of blogs is critical to help audiences to search for information quickly as people are busy on many things. 

Reference
Funnell, A 2008, A taxonomy of blogs, The media report, viewed 29 April 2011,<http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2372882.htm#transcript>


Smich, M 2010, Different types of blogs, myhosting, 8 April, viewed 29 April 2011,<http://myhosting.com/blog/2010/04/types-blogs-2/>