UNLV Study Finds Bloggers Not Misanthropic Opinion Freaks After All

In January, I reported on a survey on blogging and social interaction being conducted by the research team headded by Dr. Reza Torkzadeh and grad students Reza Vaezi and Jerry Chang at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Management Information Systems. Here, from Reza Vaezi--the student who originally contacted me about the survey--are some of the survey results. And they're pretty positive about us:

Weblog users are socially active people. About half the respondents helped to elaborate a special issue or concern in the Blogosphere and 32.8% of them initiated elaboration of a special issue or concern. Also, 39.3% of respondents joined a campaign through Weblogs. The majority of Weblog users said they knew in which Weblog they can find their needed information; suggesting that they are skilled Internet users and very familiar with Blogosphere.

Weblog users and social interaction. About half the respondents stated that they have met other people through Weblog and 12.6% stated that they dated people they met through Weblog; not only they use Weblog to communicate but they also meet each other. Responses to the open ended question, “how many friends you have made through Weblogs”, range from zero to 100.

Weblog influence on the individual. We received many comments about Weblogs. One respondent said, “Blogs have changed the way I work and socialize. I generally find everything, from current events (news) to cooking recipes through blogs or links to websites that were posted on blogs”. Another respondent said, “I have owed many things from writing my personal Weblog. I have become a ‘web developing’ teacher and a journalist by lessons I learned and experiences I got from Blogging. So, I’m a big fan of Weblogs, Blogging and Blogosphere.

Weblog and social issues. We received many comments that reflect how bloggers see the role of Weblog in society. “I believe that Weblogs have changed many things on the internet and in the real world, especially in the world of media”. Another comment reads, “I believe that Weblogs are an essential and valuable part of society. They allow people who would not normally have a voice in American society, in particular, to speak and be heard by others who have the same feelings, opinions, problems, experiences, etc.” Another respondent said: “I think Weblogs are a great way for people around the world to communicate and share information and ideas. One respondent said, “The best thing about Weblogs is bringing people together over a common interest.

Weblog and work. Results suggest that 6.7% of respondents tried to hire someone based on what they read on his/her Weblog. Also, 12.3% of respondents said they received a job offer or were invited to an interview because of their Weblog; an example of Weblogs use in human resource management.

The team also concluded that such positive results demonstrated "a clear need for research to explore and examine impact of this technology on the individual, organization, and society."

Here! Here!

There's now a follow up survey posted here: http://faculty.unlv.edu/rtorkzadeh/survey/


I'll be going in and taking this survey and hope you will too!

web 2.0,media, culture tech Blogs Blogging Bloggers