Alsu Shakirova
Dr. Ray Watkins
English 4760
A
Selective Annotated Bibliography of Blogs
After Abortion. 2006. Blogs by Women.
<http://afterabortion.blogspot.com/>
This
weblog’s topic is life after abortion. The contents include personal
experience, speaking out, resources for coping and healing with post abortion
depression. This blog deals with an issue that is very difficult to discuss in
person, that is why it might be helpful for women to find the postings on this
blog where women share their traumatic experience and the ways to cope with the
aftermath of abortion. I like the way the webspace of the blog is divided into
two parts: the actual blogs on the left and resources for healing, resources
for information, pro-choice resources, abortion in the arts featuring poetry,
novels, and songs dealing with the subject. The blog entries offer not only
personal experience, but also the information on professional help and conferences
on women’s health after abortion. I think that the choice not to place any
images and make the site plain is dictated by the topic and makes the blog easy
to navigate and search the information needed. The collaborative nature is
highlighted by a link to create a blog or contribute to the postings.
Blogging Blog. 2006. Blogs by Women.
<http://www.bloggingblog.org/>
This site attracted my attention with its title which underlined
the purpose: a blog about blogging. The entries focus not only on the technical
side of starting a blog, but also on finding the readership and marketing it.
This blog is absolutely essential for the audience trying to create an
interesting blog for an audience. The collaborative nature of the site is
emphasized by the list of contributors, recent comments, and best blogs on the
right side of the main page. In this way, the blog provides examples for
novices in this field. The visual images of the page are funny and attract
attention: on the left side, there is a picture of a teddy bear typing on the
laptop; on the right side, there is an image of the same teddy bear working on
a desktop computer. For me, these images suggest the user-friendly nature of
blogging and technology in general. The blog is also geared towards women and
technology by providing a list of blogs created by women, especially covering
the areas of different technology tools women can use to be competitive and
marketable in the sphere of blogging. I think this site is indispensable in
learning the first steps in the blog world.
Blogs by Women Bloggers. 2006. Blogs by Women.
Since the main focus of my research for this class is
concentrated on women, writing, and technology, I have chosen this site which
organizes 1299 entries by women bloggers into different categories, such as Arts and Entertainment, Business/Work, Internet and Computers, Feminists and Feminism, and many other
issues relevant not only to women but society in general. I like the structure
of the main page, listing the directory of all the 1299 entries in the left
column, placing recent blog entries in the middle, and the information on how
to link to this blog and get one`s own webpage started. Since it is physically
impossible to browse through all the numerous entries, I find breaking them
into categories very helpful. For example, I am particularly interested in the
language and feminism, and instead of trying to read all the blogs, I can go
directly to the category titled “Feminists and Feminism” to find something
catering to my interests. There are a few images for the randomly picked and
displayed blogs on the left side of the page. They make the main page more
visually interesting without breaking the focus from the content. Overall, the
blog is very informative and easy to navigate.
Cut to the Chase. 2006. Blogs by Women.
< http://cut-to-the-chase.blogspot.com/>
This
is a blog that looks at news and media in general and political/societal topics
specifically, with a special emphasis on what the mainstream media either fails
to disclose or chooses to "frame" in a particular light. The blog
entries mainly deal with the interpretation of the political and social events
that differ from the official presentation on cable news channels and
government level. The imagery of the main page has a powerful statement about
patriotism that should not imply dumb obedience to a leader who lies, cheats,
and takes the lives of innocents. The visuals of different branches of
government – Department of Justice, Defense, Treasury, and Department of State
– provide the idea of these offices giving false information about the actions
of the president and his cabinet. The issues raised in the entries encompass a
wide range of problems inside and outside the
The
weblog has the links to other blogs of the same nature and the tools to create
one`s own blog. Although the content and the style of the entries cater to
certain audience, the information presents the alternative to the news covered
by mainstream media.
Delight – The Stylish Blog. 2006. Blogs by Women.
This
blog offers reviews of stylish online boutiques ranging from vintage handbags,
pet gear, and sleek home furnishings to wedding gifts plus spotlights on
services, fashion and style blogs and a section on sales, coupons and specials
all updated daily. Overall, this blog presents an organic fusion of fashion and
shopping catering to women who want to know about current fashion trends and
shops to buy the products advertised. The visual structure of the blog is
well-organized and images go together with descriptions and prices of the
advertised clothes. Besides information on shopping and prices, there are also
entries on celebrity clothes, fashions, and looks. Overall, the blog is geared
towards women and shopping, because most of the items are female clothing and
accessories. The title of the weblog suggests that shopping is a delight for
women which is a stereotype since not all women, including me, like shopping.
However, if women browse this site and learn about prices and venues, shopping
will be an easy and pleasant activity.
Fly Away
Weblog. 2006. Blogs by
Women.
< http://www.flyaway-weblog.com/>
This weblog is
interesting for me because it concentrates around traveling with entries on
road trips, time sharing a vacation home, offbeat tourist attractions, and
other interesting vacation possibilities. At the top of the main page, there is
a colorful road sign with arrows pointing in different directions with the
names of countries -
The Hathor Legacy. 2006. Blogs by Women.
<http://thehathorlegacy.info/>
I have chosen this blog because it is focused on the portrayal
of women in TV and film. I really liked the goal stated by the creator of the
blog under the category Site Mission,
“the mission is to create a record of dissenting voices, so the film/TV
industry is forced to admit our opinions exist.” The blog is well structured
and easy to navigate. The left column contains the question inviting the
visitors to vote for the favorite TV Bitch, listing the names of female
characters from different TV shows. Although I could not quite comprehend why
the creators would perpetuate the stereotype of using the derogatory term, I
thought it was an interesting way to attract the readers’ attention and include
male audience. The actual blog entries are placed in the center, and the right
side of the page presents a list of categories dealing with women in different
genres of films, women in media, and women in music. I also like the fact that
the blog is advanced, including the forum for exchanging messages between
people interested in the topic and other sites on the same theme. The search
engine makes it easy to find a particular detail in the blog. The blog is
designed to attract attention by using bright colors and images pertaining to
the sphere of television and film. I found this site both entertaining and
highly professional.
Writer’s Edge. 2006. Blogs by Women.
<http://www.writers-edge.info/>