The Potential of Blogging as a Way for Citizens of Windsor to Develop a Dialogue about the Past, Present, and Future of the City

Past

    Blogging makes possible the development of a narrative and communal dialogue of Windsor’s past in several ways. Peter Brooks refers to “the anticipation of retrospection as our chief tool in making sense of narrative” (Rettberg, 115). As a result, when reading a blog, knowing that we will be able to look back into past archived posts will allow us to better understand the dialogue that is developing about Windsor.

    The fact that blogs are an ongoing narration means that at any time the blog can be used as a tool for looking into Windsor’s past; specifically, the details of significant events within the community, and more importantly, how citizens were reacting to these events at that time, and how they are viewed at a later date. Unlike other archived media, such as old newspaper articles or television broadcasts, blogs make use of two-way communication. They not only offer a look at past stated information or opinion, but also open up these events for communal dialogue and debate. In this way, when looking back at events that have occurred within Windsor, individuals are able to observe the dialogue that went on about them in the past, and if they so wish, reengage themselves by adding new information or commentary. The public sphere, “an ideal democratic space for rational debate among informed and engaged citizens” (Rettberg, 46) is inherently present within blogs, and within this medium can span both the past and present.

    For Windsor, especially in today’s changing economy, blogs offer the ability to look at past events, decisions, problems and successes; and apply those facts and the public dialogue surrounding them to present day decisions. This allows for a more informed community that is able to better understand its past and apply this knowledge to creating a better present and future.

Present

     Blogs also enable the development of a dialogue about Windsor’s present through their development of a modern public sphere that is based on the web but also expands beyond it. Blogs begin by presenting relevant issues within the city of Windsor online, and then grow beyond the internet through readership, community awareness and discussion. A problem within Windsor can be written about in the newspaper or broadcasted on the nightly news, but only when it is posted on a blog can the issue be so readily linked to a plethora of related issues. Blogs are able to “make sense of the Web’s infinity of links” (Steve Johnson, "Use the Blog, Luke"), and gather information related to the problem at hand if readers are interested in exploring further. In addition, through comment boards and linking, blogs set the stage for a communal exchange of ideas and opinions on the issue. This ready exchange of information available to all members of the Windsor community enables blogs to create an in-depth dialogue of Windsor’s present issues and activities.

     Furthermore, the idea of citizen journalists means that readers can avoid the problematic concept of typical news outlets as “a commodity sold by merchants (Rettberg, 46). Through advertising, the content of many newscasts is biased; as Joseph Liebling wrote, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one” (Liebling 1960). Through blogging, a free service available to all on the internet, every Windsor citizen can make use of this sort of freedom of the press. Each member of the community is allowed equal opportunity to state their opinions and perceptions, ensuring that all viewpoints on Windsor can be presented.

     Blogs possess an unparalleled ability to provide in depth information on current issues and create a communal dialogue surrounding them while offering the best solution to biased news sources. As a result, blogs arguably hold the best potential for creating an accurate dialogue of Windsor.

Future

     The future of blogging is said to lie not as a means for replacing other media mediums, but in its “potential to do something far more original than offer up packaged opinions on the news of the day; they can actually help organize the Web in ways tailored to your minute-by-minute needs” (Steve Johnson, "Use the Blog, Luke").

     As a result of this ability, blogs are proving to be more and more useful for community discourse and raising awareness within Windsor.  The archive of information that blogs can build in regard to the city’s past and present, enable informed readers to make predictions about the future. These predictions hold the ability to be based on Windsor’s past and present, including straight facts, opinions across the community and related events that have been linked within the blogosphere. The ability of blogs to enable citizens to create a dialogue for Windsor’s future lies in the mass amount of information they are able to present and the communal discourse they are able to create.

References

Johnson, Steve. "Use the Blog, Luke"

Liebling, Abbott Joseph. (1960) "Do You Belong in Journalism?", New Yorker, 14 May.

Rettberg, Walker, Jill. (2008)  Blogging. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

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