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« My taxes, hard at work. | Main | Somebody get this freakin' duck away from me! »

March 12, 2003

Calling all bloggers

Check it out:


My thesis is an attempt to fill in the void in academic work about blogs. Previously in articles and commercial books published about blogs (Rebecca Blood's books and the O'Reilly book, for example), why we blog has been researched using personal experience, with a few indepth interviews, or by analyzing websites. None of these three ways can come close to providing as accurate a depiction of the blogging population - who we all really are, why we blog, and how we're using our blogs - as a survey.

So how about it? We've all taken the "what robot are you" and "what type of hat do you keep behind your toilet" tests, so why not take a few minutes and help this kid out?

Oh, and if you think it's a cool thing to do, maybe you could trackback in your own blog, and help spread the word? That'd be cool. :)

Posted by wil at March 12, 2003 12:13 PM
Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.wilwheaton.net/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/154

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Calling all bloggers:

» Why we Blog from J.A.S.O.N
Just saw this over an Wil Wheaton's site. Basically it's a survey about why we blog, some demographics (nothing personally... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 01:23 PM

» blog-speak from Calvin's WebLog
I've had my blog running for all of 3 days, and I'm already filling out surveys about being a blogger... sheesh! Calling all bloggers... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 02:52 PM

» A minute of your time, Mr/Ms Blogger? from jozjozjoz :: brain barf... yum!
I saw this at WWDN... ---excerpt--- Check it out: My thesis is an attempt to fill in the void in [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 03:15 PM

» why does a blogger blog from Leonine Ponderances
Wil Wheaton asked his readers to pitch in on this survey and I thought it was an interesting idea so I participated... And I figured I might as well post the answer to the "WHY" here for the reasons stated... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 03:34 PM

» I don't normally do this kind of thing from OutsideInfinity
He asked for it, he got it and my thoughts on it as well. [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 04:15 PM

» blogger survey from geeky chick dot net
Hey blog kids! Take a quick survey on blogging to help a Georgetown student with her thesis. It's anonymous, easy and inobtrusive. Mostly demographic type stuff. [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 04:24 PM

» Bloggity. Blog. Blog. Blog. from Acid Drops
Wil Wheaton (yes, the actor from Stand By Me and ST:TNG) is letting us know about a research project by a Georgetown University student - or online stalker, maybe ;) - on blogs and bloggers. Check it out, do the... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 06:36 PM

» ¿Llamando a los webloggeros? from Coleccionista de Venenos
En mi blog favorito, el del encantador y talentoso Will Wheaton encontré un mensaje que decía "Calling all bloggers", se trata de lo siguiente: hay una joven haciendo una tesis relativa a las bitácoras, blogs, weblogs, online journals... y para [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 06:47 PM

» Blogging Survey from :: woggerblog ::
At Wil's behest, I am writing an entry dedicated to an academic study of blogging. The survey was pretty cool,... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 07:57 PM

» http://www.laserblog.com/archivesmt/000135.html from LaserBlog.com Brainwaves from the edge.
This person is doing a thesis and needs input from bloggers. Go to the site and take the survey. .: [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 08:39 PM

» ::Blog Much?:: from Teh Remy Effect
IF you're a blogger checking out my site then you should take a moment and check this out a buddy of mine pointed me to it and I feel obligated to pass the info on. blog blog blog... [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 09:19 PM

» Got Blog? from Annotations On Life
So... Wil posted a link re: some guy doing research for a paper on why we blog. He asked his readers to trackback on it and here's mine. Why do I blog....? [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 09:39 PM

» Do you blog? Why? from The Long Letter
None of these three ways can come close to providing as accurate a depiction of the blogging population — who we all really are, why we blog, and how we're using our blogs — as a survey. [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 09:52 PM

» Calling All Bloggers! from Thoughtstream
So, what are we waiting for? Let's tell him why we do it. [Read More]

Tracked on March 12, 2003 10:56 PM

» Blogger Call!! from ::@:: Reality of Dreams ::@::
Blog Survey Call [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 01:22 AM

» http://thespus.e-gamerz.com/archives/000008.html from Dramatic Insanity
what i think of the entry on the survey [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 04:39 AM

» There Goes My Love Rocket Red: from There Is Nothing To Not Be Amazed At
According to Popbitch Sigue Sigue Sputnik will re-release Love Missile F1-11 when the war with Iraq starts. I had no [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 05:58 AM

» 100 Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall.. from Manda Mia
This is going to be a hodgepodge post. Sorry, I feel too lazy to separate the topics better. :p Hey, [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 08:08 AM

» I blog, you blog, we all blog. from Lick The Balls
Alright, everybody is doing it, and now a student at Georgetown wants to pick your brain a bit as to... [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 08:20 AM

» Calling all bloggers from BonkBlog
From Wil Wheaton: 'So how about it? We've all taken the "what robot are you" and "what type of hat [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 08:54 AM

» Blogging Survey from brendoman.com
Speaking of Wil Wheaton, he posted yesterday about a student taking a survey about blogging for his thesis. If you [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 11:29 AM

» Social research on blogging - more of it from Andrew's Blog
Blogs as a basis for social research are increasing in pace. This post mentions a survey here that attempts to learn about such things. I was very surprised not to see mention of weblogs.com, blo.gs, TrackBack, PingBack, RSS, and so on. This is just t... [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 11:37 AM

» why do you blog? from rants and ramblings
One of my classmates at Georgetown is doing her thesis on blogging -- who blogs? why do they do it? She has an online questionnaire, [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 12:03 PM

» how do you? how do YOUUU? how do you. from A Story
hey...came across something on wilwheaton.net...its really quite cool. A Georgetown student is doing a survey to research why we blog. [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 12:08 PM

» calling all bloggers from Mind of Knowledge
found this link on willwheatondotnet calling all bloggers and blogs to help complete a survey of the world of blogs http://www.christineregina.com/thesis/intro.htm go and enter it now!... [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 01:00 PM

» for tha bloggaz in the hizzouse from kellybelly.net - it's rufus approved!
any of you who blog ... if you have a few minutes to spare ... please go take this survey. it's for a good cause. a struggling college student type of cause. seriously. it took all of like, five minutes to fill out. and it's anonymous. :disguise: [from... [Read More]

Tracked on March 13, 2003 08:37 PM

» Survey of blog authors from Tincture of Absinthe
Wil Wheaton has noted a survey that a student is doing about the sociology of blog authors. It's not intrusive and seems to be collecting interesting data.... [Read More]

Tracked on March 14, 2003 07:58 PM

» why do you blog? from rants and ramblings
One of my classmates at Georgetown is doing her thesis on blogging -- who blogs? why do they do it? She has an online questionnaire, and is calling all interested bloggers to fill it out and offer their own perspectives... [Read More]

Tracked on June 12, 2003 07:46 AM
Comments

I Blog, Therefore I Am.

Posted by: Brian at March 12, 2003 12:16 PM

Done and done! In the mean time...

Make "Jane" come to blockbuster quicker.

Posted by: Brandon at March 12, 2003 12:22 PM

ROCK THE HOUSE!!!! JOY TO THE WORLD!!!! Wil, you are da' bomb, as we used to say back in the day. WHOO HOO!!!!!!

A great book on the topic: We've Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing Our Culture, ed. Rebecca Blood. I personally hope weblogs are no fad trend on the Net, that we never go away...

Posted by: Pup at March 12, 2003 12:22 PM

Offtopic comment DELETED.

Posted by: Eichybahn at March 12, 2003 12:28 PM

It's great of you to post this link for this woman! I'm looking forward to reading the book. You might want to tell her to add a spot for people to enter their blog URL, since it would be interesting to see how the responses match up to what is actually *on* the blog!

Posted by: Vic... at March 12, 2003 12:30 PM

Offtopic comment DELETED.

Posted by: Eichybahn at March 12, 2003 12:30 PM

Sure why not. This can be my good deed for the day.

Posted by: Greg at March 12, 2003 12:30 PM

Another survey...if Wil says so.

Posted by: ze-mag at March 12, 2003 12:38 PM

Done diddly done

Posted by: scaryduck at March 12, 2003 12:42 PM

That was so much more rewarding than the last couple quizzes I took... why do I keep taking those quizzes anyway?

Well, now that my good deed for the day is done, I guess there's nothing left but to kill a few kittens.

Thanks, Unka Willy!

~j

Posted by: joemorf at March 12, 2003 12:50 PM

Cool.

And Wil, I did not know you did one of the voices in the Rats of NIHM.

You are cool :)

Posted by: Justin at March 12, 2003 12:53 PM

Pup, You ROCK! Keep Up the Good Work!
Wil, You ROCK! Thanks for posting this for my friend!
Everyone Else, You also ROCK! Thanks for helping a friend out!

It's cool to see everyone getting together for a fellow weblogger!!!

Posted by: Rosy at March 12, 2003 12:58 PM

This person thinks that there is a derth of academic work in and on blogging?

This person clearly needs to get this person's tushie to the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association meetings and periodicals.

Blogging is not ignored by academics!

</rant>

Posted by: Wendy at March 12, 2003 12:58 PM

Whoops. Considering she's in my own grad program, perhaps I should have been more kind....

Posted by: Wendy at March 12, 2003 12:59 PM

Done.

Interesting topic for a thesis, I would be interested in the outcome. :)

Posted by: NephraTari at March 12, 2003 01:00 PM

That thesis topic is so 2002. :)

http://minerva.simons-rock.edu/~pprimate/writing/thesis/index.html

Posted by: Purple Primate at March 12, 2003 01:06 PM

Good deed for the day...check.

Posted by: Shannon at March 12, 2003 01:26 PM

i came
i saw
i filled in the questionaire.

:)

cheers wil

tyson

Posted by: Tyson at March 12, 2003 01:54 PM

I OBEY.

Posted by: Christopher Feyrer at March 12, 2003 02:00 PM

I myself am fascinated by the social and cultural aspects of the internet, and I am an avid blogger. One of the best books on the subject of internet culture has got to be David Weinberger's "Small Pieces Loosely Joined." Don't miss it.

Posted by: scott d. feldstein at March 12, 2003 02:26 PM

I actually recently bought both of those books (mentioned in the italics). They are pretty interesting read.

Posted by: Michelle at March 12, 2003 02:36 PM

I've had my blog up 3 days and I'm already filling in surveys about it... sheesh.
What country is it from? Some of the questions are wierd... but I love statistcs, so I filled it out.

Posted by: calvin at March 12, 2003 02:47 PM

I own this blogging book:

"Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content" published by New Riders Publishing.
http://www.newriders.com/

Same company that publishes Jakob Nielsen, Jeffrey Veen, etc.

Posted by: ElectraSteph at March 12, 2003 02:49 PM

I am a loyal follower and I followed thou instruction to complete said survey.

I am a blogging fool!

Posted by: Paul at March 12, 2003 02:53 PM

No thanks.

Posted by: Statuslas Kuzava at March 12, 2003 02:57 PM

Very cool thing for you to pimp, Wil. I'm going to trackback now.

-Jocelyn

Posted by: jozjozjoz at March 12, 2003 03:10 PM

As a fellow thesis warrior, I'm all but happy to help out!

As a leisure researcher (seriously, that's what I do...) I'm very interested to see the results!

Posted by: kendoka at March 12, 2003 03:35 PM

Doing it now... Lalalala fun way to spend my wednesday night...

Posted by: Aidan YSK at March 12, 2003 04:01 PM

Questions answered, blog post created (with trackback).

One aside, you need to fix the html in your trackback popup, its all running together making it rather hard to read.

I'm not sure if you'll have access, you don't say how you heard about this in the first place, but I hope that you will post the results of the survey when they are available.

Lets see who can guess how many trackbacks are sent to this post. I'll set my sights at 30. Because web users are inherantlly lazy (I know I am most of the time) and most of us won't bother to post it up.

Thanks

Posted by: ophois at March 12, 2003 04:26 PM

I'm tired right now.

Posted by: Kevin at March 12, 2003 04:30 PM

What I meant was, I'll answer it in a bit.

Posted by: Kevin at March 12, 2003 04:31 PM

you are such an amazingly nice person!!!
I hope people help me when the time comes for me to do my thesis :)
and like someone said a few comments before: I obey... just because you are extremelly nice

Posted by: Soda Cáustica at March 12, 2003 05:00 PM

It's awesome that you folks are helping out. Way to go :)

Posted by: wil at March 12, 2003 05:00 PM

hallo everyone!

I too am doing an academic paper on blogs, but
I'm going to be examining them as public/personal media versus private/corporate media and the relationship between both spheres.

So anyone else doing academic stuff on blogs or personal/corporate media please email me! I'd love to brainstorm. I'd also love to hear ideas and suggestions for future investigations.

Also, Will - Would you care to comment on celebrity bloggers? They seem to inhabit a strange space between the personal/public and corporate.

Rock on everyone!

Katie
raynes.goldie@utoronto.ca

Posted by: Katie at March 12, 2003 05:10 PM

sorry minus the L in Will

Posted by: Katie at March 12, 2003 05:11 PM

Done & Done.

To my Live Journal @ www.livejournal.com/users/Iamubergeek!!!

Away!!!

Posted by: EnglishBen at March 12, 2003 06:20 PM

Great idea Wil.

Posted by: Bryan Kaplan at March 12, 2003 06:22 PM

all your blog are belong to us!

Posted by: batty at March 12, 2003 06:46 PM

I am happy now :) You were/are my first trackback ever...

Posted by: Soda Cáustica at March 12, 2003 06:49 PM

damn. i should have just gone here! my final project for a history of pop culture class was on blogs. and no one would answer my damned questionnaire!

*shakes fist*

Posted by: Kalin at March 12, 2003 07:29 PM

Well, hello there young man! No, you don't know this old lady, I only met you once at a con in Philly many years ago. Came across your page here by accident while searching "f**k bush" of all things. ;-) Don't know how your page came up in that list of search results.

To comment on the French Fries "non-issue"; I wonder how foreign-born people feel about current sentiments expressed in congress. And, I wonder, will people be boycotting French restaurants next? And, please tell me, whatever are we going to do with that "Big French Broad" in New York?
Send her back?

I'll tell you youngsters something; I do a lot of foreign travel, or used to, I've stopped for a while. But when I was out and about, I would not admit to being an American, it was just too embarrassing. "Nope, I'm Canadian." I'd say. If only to avoid being mugged or spit upon.

As for blogging, I don't know much about them, except that I'm glad to see all these young people doing it. I don't know if I'd appreciate anyone reading my personal journal, thou (that is, at least not until I'm dead and gone and don't have to face all the people I've insulted).

My lovely niece, (who can't be leaving for the Univ of Alaska too soon), has insisted on making one for me, which I have not started yet. I'm still too used to writing in a regular journal. (When and if I get started on it, you're welcome to view it. I'll give the addy to you privately if you're that curious. I'm told I have had, and still experience, an interesting and weird life. I hope it continues.) :-)

And, hey, (This is called a "plug" kiddies), try checking out MY book. Well, okay, I'm just the co-author, but it counts. I wrote 16 chapters. The book is called "The Tombstone Tourist", by Scott Stanton. And I AM credited! Gots me photo in the back'in ever'thin.

I feel so special.

Anyway, Will, glad to see you're doing well. Saw you in some "giant snake" movie a while back, one of those nights where I picked up a bunch of videos that looked "so stupid they must be funny". You did a good job, hope you're going to be doing more film work.

Take care, kiddo. Nice to see you keeping busy.

Peace, Love, Save the Whales. [Potentially site-deleting comment removed]
:-)

Posted by: Sandra at March 12, 2003 08:38 PM

Okay. Why not? I have nothing better to do.

"Survey says!"

There ya go survey person, whoever you are. :}

Hmm...why do I blog?

Well, it's simple. I figure I can keep trying to say something that Wil would find interesting and then he would email me about my blocg and I'd email back and then he and I would become pretty good personal friends then I could tell all my freinds that I have a Celebrity friend...

Oh. Wait, no that's not it. Sorry Wil. You have enough friends already I'm sure!

hehehe >=}

Seriously though, I've never really known until I took that survey why I blog. That's pretty cool. Learn something new about myself everyday...

Posted by: WebNuT! at March 12, 2003 08:40 PM

Wil,
I am glad that enough of the other readers felt like doing this survey. I just do not have the energy tonight. I have eaten enough, to know that I can sit out of this one.

FG

Posted by: Fabian at March 12, 2003 09:54 PM

It's odd when I think about what compels me to blog so much.? I guess maybe I feel like I have all of this untapped, creative energy and it's one way of working it out of me.

Plus, it is a fun way to keep in contact with friends you don't see everyday.

Thing is the blogging thing is so popular that I'm just one tiny blog in a sea of 1,000's of blogs on the internet.


Posted by: RetroRandy at March 12, 2003 09:59 PM

I don't have a blog but I wanted to commend Wil for his absolutely awesome self.
Thank you Wil.

Posted by: Monique at March 12, 2003 10:24 PM

I have done as you have asked. For you're part you must continue to maintain a high quality blog. Carry on...

Posted by: Ryan at March 12, 2003 10:59 PM

Questions answered...
Blog entry created...
Trackback completed...

We live to serve...
...
...
... well, kinda

Posted by: Lurch Kimded at March 13, 2003 01:26 AM

first time posting

Posted by: jeeve at March 13, 2003 01:33 AM

Sorry..only have..barely..time for yours!!!

Posted by: bluecat/redblanket at March 13, 2003 05:43 AM

Why some people say 'no to war' and then they say [potentially site-deleting comment removed]? I mean, after all he is a human being, and if we are against war, we should be against all kinds of war, the personal, intimate ones where only a few people die and the massive ones where genocides are commited. If someone wants to be a pacifist, the best thing would be for that person to be a pacifist all the way. (I am sorry this doesn't have to deal with the blogger issue but Mrs. Sandra comment did 'click' on my brain)

xoxo

Posted by: Soda Cáustica at March 13, 2003 07:13 AM

The survey's author has told me that the survey will be up until March 15 but may be extended if needed. Please help out as early as possible.

Come on Wil, we blogged about this last week. Didn't you get the office memo? ;)

Posted by: Yog Sothoth at March 13, 2003 08:45 AM

1. Survey taken
2. Blogged about it
3. Trackbacked
4. Started to wonder who this thesis person was
5. Asked Google, but she didn't know either... Unless she's majoring in Biochemistry, that is.
6. Giving up on the matter as it's becoming too close to unlaziness :-)

Posted by: Urban at March 13, 2003 09:13 AM

I hope that some of those extremely intemperate remarks above get edited out quickly, before the whole site gets shut down.

Posted by: Old Traveler at March 13, 2003 09:54 AM

I just got my weblog up last night w00t!

and yep, wil, you're pretty cool!

Posted by: sugi_grl at March 13, 2003 11:11 AM

as far as trackbacking goes, it's no longer a matter of laziness if you have MT and turn on auto-trackback. All you have to do now is link to the post! I love MT! Good job on getting the word out on this Wil!

Posted by: brendoman at March 13, 2003 11:37 AM

Hi everybody; please excuse me if I make newbie mistakes. I didn't know blogs existed before they were the subject of a TechRepublic article on March 10th.

I realize this is off topic, but what makes a web log different from other web pages? I've viewed a dozen in the last four days and I'm trying to figure out what defines this genre. I'm interested in any business communications applications for web logs within a corporate network. I'm also trying to figure out how web log pages differ from Weather.com or what I create periodically for my company intranet with Dreamweaver.

Please, send me an e-mail with "Blog" in the subject and define a web log. Differentiate between a web log and other types of personal web site. If possible, cite corporate uses. Use back of page if necessary. You may now open your blue books.

Thanks. Again, if I've committed any newbie mistakes or offended anyone, I deeply apolgize. Mr. Wheaton, if you blow this all away, I'll understand completely.

Charlie Spencer
LAN Specialist II

caspencer@switch.com

Union Switch & Signal Inc.
645 Russell Street
Batesburg, SC 29006

Posted by: Charlie Spencer at March 13, 2003 01:52 PM

Hee hee ... what robot are you?
Having my own blog and being a bit obsessed with reading other people's blogs, I just want to say how thankful I am that you do not use your blog to post the polls and surveys you may take ... yeeuck! Hate that.
My blog is a bit less interesting than yours though ... thus it not being so incredibly public. You are a brave man.

Posted by: Julia at March 13, 2003 05:48 PM

Took it.
I'd trackback, but I can't with the way I do my site.

Posted by: Tom at March 14, 2003 11:50 AM

I just started my blog this week and so of course there's not much of interest there yet. Hell I only just got a title for it yesterday. But I did take the survey even if some of my answers were more theoretical than anything. Thanks for telling us about it. You Rawk.

Posted by: AngelGypsy at March 14, 2003 11:59 AM

I filled out the survey.

Posted by: Ginger Snap Cookie at March 14, 2003 11:59 PM

i love you

Posted by: sarah at April 24, 2003 10:49 AM

nice

Posted by: Jman at April 21, 2004 09:49 PM
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