|
Fictitious, Fake, Fiction, Forged or Felony?  Articles on Blogging Bloggers and blog readers alike are not quite sure how to place these type of blogs that do not convey reality. After all, aren't blogs supposed to be all about authenticity? Well, at least that's what the blogosphere would like to think in general. So, what are bogus blogs anyway?
First of all, not all bogus or non-reality blogs are the same. Some are more tolerable or acceptable than others, for one. And, although there's only a fine line that distinguishes these bogus blogs from one another, it's possible to categorize them accordingly in to five basic types as follows:
• Fictitious Blogs
Fictitious blogs are also known as character blogs. They are weblogs that portray a made-up character's view of the "real world." These are often used as a marketing ploy or as a way to come up with an alter ego. They are often meant to entertain and/or to create a buzz about a product, business or individual. They are not meant to deceive anyone. An example of a fictitious blog is Delicious Destinations , an initiative by the company Gourment Station . The blog is written by a fictitious character called T. Alexander. Captain Morgan's Blog is another fictitious blog. It is based on the character from the Captain Morgan Rum Co.
• Fake Blogs
Fake blogs, or fraudulent blogs, are weblogs that are deliberately created to deceive its readers. The bloggers pretend to be someone who they're not. Sometimes, real people are imitated and at other times, fake bloggers make up a character.
Many bloggers and blog readers consider The Lincoln Fry Blog as one example of a fake blog, as it is not based on a real person and some comments are also manufactured. But, some may also argue that this can also be considered a fictitious or character blog.
There's also a sub-type of fake blogs. And, these are blogs that are simply created to drive traffic to their own sites or products without any real content. They also tend to flood their blogs with keyword spamming.
• Forged Blogs
Forged blogs are weblogs that are ghostwritten for another individual. The bloggers are officially appointed by someone to blog for them, usually for pay. This may sometimes be used by celebrities, politicians, and very busy business men who wish to keep a blog for themselves but don't have the time to do so.
• Fiction Blogs
Fiction blogs are weblogs that are specifically written as novels/novellas or as an extension of a fictional character. They may be written in the first or third person. This type of blog is purely for entertainment purposes. Some examples of fiction blogs
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a forerunner with fiction blogs. Blogger.com even offers a tutorial on writing/publishing novels through blogging in coordination with NaNoWriMo.
• Felony Blogs
Felony blogs, as its name suggests, are weblogs that are of criminal in nature. They are often used to do criminal activities like phishing. Other types of activities that felony bloggers do include: spreading computer virus and hosting keylogging software (spyware/adware). The BBC talks about felony blogs in the article, Bogus blogs snare fresh victims . To avoid getting caught by these blogs, the BBC's article urges readers to follow the following tips: 1) Do not visit links to blogs that came from strange emails or messages, 2) Keep anti-virus and anti-spam updated; and 3) Regularly scan and clean up your computer.
©Sheila Ann Manuel Coggins. Do not reprint or publish elsewhere without permission. |
