What's a blog?

From Editor & Publisher:

Media and political types are currently obsessed with the newfound influence of blogs, but is the trend being overhyped? According to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, relatively few Americans are generally familiar with the phenomenon of blogging.

Three-quarters of the U.S. public uses the Internet at work, school, or home, but only one in four Americans are either “very familiar” or “somewhat familiar” with blogs, Gallup reports.

More than half, 56%, have no knowledge of them. And even among Internet users, only 32% are very or somewhat familiar with blogs.

There’s no question that blog popularity is spreading by leaps and bounds. But as of late February, when this poll was conducted, only 3% of Americans said they read blogs every day. Fewer than one in six, 15%, read blogs at least a few times a month.

Not surprisingly, there is an age gap here. About 21% of those 18 to 29 read blogs at least monthly, but only 7% of those over 65 do so.

Gallup found no gender gap but some political angle, as 24% of liberals say they read blogs at least monthly while only 15% of conservatives do.

This poll sounds a little off - and no, I don't say that because I'm a blogger but based on conversations I have with a host of people on and offline. While there are always people to whom I need to explain what a blog is, I find that on the decline.

What I find far more intriguing, however, is how CNN and other networks are spending time each day discussing what's being discussed on a blog. Now, while blogs cover many topics, a big one is what's being covered/not covered by the mainstream media. So to have the MSM looking at blogs to see what's covered in MSM is sort of like peering at a mirror reflection of you looking in a mirror.... the permutations go on for while and it can be quite hyponotizing. But you're always looking at the same thing which means you're missing much else.