The structure of public debate on blogs: Inclusivity of access

Based on the three features necessary to the definition of what a public sphere is, Baoill identifies the strengths and weaknesses of how public debate is structured in the social space furnished by blogs.

The first feature: Inclusivity of access

Oxford University Press. "The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System." No date. The Advocates for Self-Government. 11 Jan. 2008 <http://www.theadvocates.org/images/web-politics.
jpg>.

Richard Davis, author of Web of Politics, identifies some ways Internet democracy hinders public participation:

1. Technological literacy - The skills necessary to maintain a blog are fewer than the skills that were necessary to maintain “a relatively simple website a number of years ago,” but the technological skills necessary to have one's voice heard in the blogosphere is not the hindrance, it is the time necessary to maintain the content.

2. Time commitment – The time commitment related to blogs is not in writing them, but in reading them; the burden is in keeping up with the information as the writer updates his or her blog.

Such time continues to be, to a certain extent, a luxury not all can afford. This is an external factor that should be taken into account when considering how much time readers of the blogosphere have to participate in a debate.

“Clifford Stoll, for instance, bemoans the fact that ‘simply keeping track of this electronic neighbourhood takes a couple of hours every night’ (Stoll, 1995, p. 2).”

Jwm. "Clifford Stoll." 9 Feb. 2005. Pro-Linux Magazine. 11 Jan. 2005 <http://www.pro-linux.de/berichte/stoll_
interview.html>.

Because of the vast amount of information on blogs (and the vast amount of blogs) that are on the Internet, some claim that blog-readers get the opportunity to read “every group's position on that topic, not just the views of the major groups” (Rash, 1997, p. 100).

Others claim that this wealth of information will only widen the gap between levels of political involvement; Richard Davis says that the information on blogs offers “greater advantages to a political elite,” and creates barriers “for those who are uninterested and uninvolved” (p. 183).

The point is that amount of time blog interaction (not blog writing or reading per se, but “browsing potential sources and contributing to debates with other bloggers”) takes may dissuade potential users from getting involved.

3. Additional Financial Resources – The cost of Internet access is also a consideration, though access to public computers may be available.

Baoill, Andrew Ó. "Weblogs and the Public Sphere." Into the Blogosphere: Rhetoric, Community, and Culture of Weblogs. 11 Jan. 2008 <http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/weblogs_and_the_public_sphere.html>.