Introduction to Blog Archetypes

One of the side projects I have been working on here is to loosely categorize the blogosphere to get a deeper understanding of how blogs are used and the goals they accomplish.

A few months ago I first examined the different blog entry archetypes, templates that typify the forms used by bloggers as they create their content. Over the next couple of weeks, I will begin to look briefly at the next level up in the blogging hierarchy, the blog itself.

A Blog Archetype is, in short, describes the composition of a blog as a whole. Two primary characteristics can be used when determining a blog's archetype:

• Editorial Goal - Although not always obvious, clearly there are goals, some unspoken, that motivate the blogger to commit to the development and upkeep of a blog.

• Entry Composition - Editorial goals are brought to life via the blog entries themselves. The authors selection from one of the many Blog Entry Archetypes provides a framework for the narrative.

The Blog Archetypes fall, roughly, into three distinct categories, business, personal, and social. Naturally there is overlap between these different uses and hopefully some of the motivations will be made clear as they are discussed.

A roadmap for the archetypes should be available in the next few days.