International Communication Gazette Triastuti 407 24

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Article

Indonesian womens blog

formats from TanahBetawi to Serambi Mekah:Women bloggerschoices of technicalfeatures

Endah TriastutiCommunication Department, The Faculty of Political and Social

Sciences, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Drawing on the critiques of the active/passive dichotomy and using an ethnographicapproach, this article looks at the forms of Indonesian womens engagement in a con-vergent media world through blogging. We examine the technical, personalized author-

ing tools Indonesian women use in their blogging practices, and conclude that potentialchoices are not limitless as they hinge on authors contexts.

Keywords

Blogging, convergence, everyday life, Indonesia, internet, technical features, women

Introduction

This article presents an ethnographic study of the blog formats used by Indonesianwomen. It aligns with recent scholarly ideas on media use in everyday culture

(Couldry, 2004; Hjorth, 2008; Takahashi, 2010). We consider a broad range of

user engagements with the media, identifying the various forms which such engage-

ments may take in Indonesian women blogging. Our definition of blog formats

refers to the technical interface, which are the actual blogging software and its

layout options. A number of scholars have mentioned the significance of blogging

tools in the early days of blogs (Boyd, 2006; Herring et al., 2004). Not only do

blogging tools make interactive communication possible, but they can turn a

the International

Communication Gazette

2014, Vol. 76(45) 407424

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DOI: 10.1177/1748048514524111

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Corresponding author:

Endah Triastuti, Communication Department, The Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, The University

of Indonesia, Jl. Pondasi no. 73 Kp. Ambon, Jakarta 13210, Indonesia.

Email: [email protected]

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consumer into a producer a prosumer in marketing parlance. Recent blogging

tools offer flexible technical functionalities that users can adjust to taste. Although

a majority of Indonesian female bloggers use free hosting services with standard

technical affordances, many choose to pay for more diverse and flexible features

that let them create a distinct public face.

The notion of produser, a term coined by Bruns (2006: 5), signals the increased

complexity of audiences as both producers and consumers. This study looks at

differences between womens blogs in Java and elsewhere in Indonesia, based on

Doueihis notion of anthology (2011: 31) and Herring et al.s hybrid natureof blogs

(2004: 11), proposing views of authorship and intentionality that hint at the pos-

sibility of personalized and autonomous models of authorship.

Furthermore, this study relates the varied faces of Indonesian womens blogs to

Donald Normans concept ofperceived affordances (1988, 1998) to explain usersfreedom to decide what technical options to use. These decisions tend to be

strongly intertwined with the local context, both cultural and geographical

(Heskett, 2005; Hutchby, 2001; Norman, 1998).

Paradigm shifts

This section recalls the shifts in communication studies paradigms that have exam-

ined a wide range of relationships between media and users, from the subtle to the

overt. Rather than using scholarly assumptions of a passive audience, this studybuilds on scholarly arguments that view the audience as active and thus able to seek

out a media source that best fulfills its needs (Blumler and Katz, 1974: 1517, 235).

Additionally, this study also elaborates on the idea that audience engagement with

the media is complex and should be examined in context (Couldry, 2004;

Nightingale, 1996).

As media consumption is not isolated, but contextualized, the relationship

between audience and media use cannot be universally predicted (Takahashi,

2010). Takahashis definition of communication describes a broad range of com-

municative behaviour, emphasizing the complexities of audience media engagementin the context of convergence in everyday life (Takahashi, 2010). That is to say

media practices are not the same everywhere. On the contrary, they are highly

contextualized and vary according to social and individual situations.

The arrival of the Internet underscores and extends the above paradigm shift in

audience understanding. The technological affordances of the Internet allow for an

interactive communicative experience through networks connected by satellite,

radio, and fiber-optics links (Creeber and Martin, 2008: 14; Flew, 2008). We

argue that the active vs. passive audience dichotomy is entirely inappropriate

for a medium such as blogging, which is all about producing and sharing digitalcontent as well as establishing/maintaining networks. This study therefore follows

scholarly arguments while focusing on what Indonesian women bloggers do with

their medium of choice across a whole range of situations and contexts, including

geography and ICT infrastructure.

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The hybrid nature of a blog: Its format

Several scholars describe and discuss the notion of blog in varying, often conflict-

ing ways (Boyd, 2006; May, 2010; Puschmann, 2009). Numerous influential studies

on blogs and blogging have focused on blog content (Blood, 2002; Boyd, 2006;

Krishnamurthy, 2002). Scholars frequently use the term format to designate a

blogs intention: a diary blog, a political blog, an educational blog, etc.

(Boyd, 2006; Puschmann, 2011).

In addition, they emphasize the role of technical features that enhance inter-

active communication and social networking: links, comments (Ali Hasan Adamic,

etc.). Since 1999 blogging applications and their technical features have expanded

greatly, creating a dynamic whole composed of posts, links, comments, images,

search features, advertisements, calendars, archives and badges1 (Herring et al.,2004, 2005). Regardless of the assumption that a blog can usually be classified

based on its content, Herring et al. (2004, 2005) have introduced the notion of

the hybrid nature of blogs to describe an emerging, rich mix of technical charac-

teristics.2 Indeed, users can modify at will their blogss structural features (blog

format) based on their communication needs. Additionally, according to Boyd,

distinct affordance structures configure the environment in ways that shape par-

ticipants engagement (2010: 39).

Puschman (quoted in Giltrow and Stein, 2009: 15) assimilates these technical

features to devices that promote self-publishing functions. In other words, there is alink between blogging software and blog format that points to the way a blogger

performs particular types of interactions and activities. Bloggers may use particular

blogging applications to set up publicly accessible features such as columns, ban-

ners, badges, links, and images. These choices give impact to the blog format.

However, several scholars indicated that the blog format remains a largely unex-

plored topic (Devitt, 2009; Giltrow and Stein, 2009).

It is important to note that the discussion of the flexible, hybrid nature of blogs

in Herring et al.s study does not pay attention to users engagements with their

daily contexts. It also overlooks the idea that technical applications do not exist ina vacuum, but are interconnected with a user social and cultural context. To

pursue this further, this study will build on scholarly views stating that blog for-

mats are tied to users autonomy in authorship, which in turn is anchored in users

cultural contexts (Doueihi, 2011). We draw on the work of Donald Norman (1988,

1999) on perceived affordance to examine the claim that the hybrid nature of

blogs hinges on social contexts and therefore opens up the possibility of limitations:

the software offers a number of affordances but not all of those may be actually

used, depending on user context.

In 1988, Don Norman applied the concept of perceived affordance to thedesign of everyday artifacts. According to Norman, an affordance is the perceived

and actual property which enables particular types of interactions and activities

(Norman, 1988, 1993). In brief, drawing on Normans definition, blogging software

can be categorized as a perceived affordance helping a blogger design her blogs

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public face. Norman offers two important insights. First a thing is not limited to a

physical object: it can be a technological instrument in a virtual environment.

Second, the relationship between the user and the properties of the thing does

not hinge on human ability only, but most importantly on physical, logical, and

cultural constraints (Norman, 1999, 1988).

Bearing in mind that blog authors choose technical features according to their

communication needs (Doueihi, 2011), scholars argue that the flexibility of perso-

nalized authorship tends to be limited by skills, personal taste, and technological

contexts (Benkler, 2006; Doueihi, 2011; Myers, 2010). Bandwidth (1984) and media

characteristics (Walther and Parks, 2002) are other factors limiting the flexibility of

personalized authorship. Both factors link to data transferring (Benkler, 2006).

A multimedia feed such as video, sound, and pictures carries a lot more informa-

tion than one based on numbers and words (Nardi, 2005; Ramirez and Burgoon,2004). The hybrid nature of blog features strongly depends on technological infra-

structure, which is in turn determined by social contexts (Galletta and Zhang, 2006;

Kim, 2003). Concretely, this study will look at the differences between the magazine

look of Java womens blogs and the standard look of womens blogs from outside

Java, showing that the users daily context shapes a blogs public dynamics.

The following sections will show that the Internet creates a paradoxical situ-

ation, one that is especially relevant for Indonesian women. On the one hand,

people are becoming more familiar with the existence of the Internet and believe

social networks can easily be created via the Internet. On the other hand, there is aninfrastructure gap between, for instance, urban and rural areas. This study will

show that due to this paradox women need to adapt their engagement with

blogging.

Methodology

This study stems from ethnographic research on blogging based on participant

observation, informal, and formal interviews (between October 2009 and

November 2012). Most of the interviews took place in face-to-face circumstancesin six different areas (Bali, Makassar, Aceh, Jakarta, Jogjakarta, and Semarang). In

addition, discussions were continued through email and instant messaging. During

4 years of observation and informal interviews the author was a formal member of

five blogger communities (Batam Blogger Community, Bali Blogger Community,

Aceh Blogger Community, Loenpia Semarang, and Anging Mammiri), and a

lurker in two more (Komunitas Blogger Bengawan and Wong Kito). This insiders

position afforded greater access to bloggers and data about blogging.

A number of women bloggers using IssueCrawler were selected in an effort to

map the interconnections between individual blogs in sections of the blogosphere(Bruns, 2007). From this map, a list of Indonesian womens blogs was drawn. Only

those womens blogs were included that showed in- and out-links in relation to that

list. Interviews took place and were recorded in formal sessions or in more natural

settings. Additionally, hundreds of informal discussions were held with a diverse




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range of bloggers: men, women, early adopters and newcomers, founders, admin-

istrators, people who blog professionally and others who blog in their spare time.

The formats of Indonesian womens blogs

Four significant differences in the formal features of blogs were found across the

study area: hosting methods, the integration of cross-social media platforms, con-

nectivity issues, including geographical and political constraints, and finally blog

awards, understood as a means of bringing the community closer. Each of these

differences will be discussed in turn.

Hosting methods and why they matterAs an illustration, Table 1 lists differences between fee-based and free blog hosting

services.

A majority of Java female bloggers choose fee-based hosting as it makes for

dynamic looking layouts. The latter afford more opportunities to create distinctive

layouts, as free blog platforms only allow a standard look.

Let us take Yogyakarta blogger Tikabanget (32, married) as an example.

Attracted by its unlimited features, as compared to free hosting services, she sub-

scribes to a fee-based platform (personal interview, 6 August 2012). Her blogs

home page shows a dynamic horizontal sliding panel in the centre of the page,which is also known as a continuous carousel (Figure 1). There are three columns

under the continuous carousel where she puts the recent posts archive, a list of

recent comments, and recent tweets from her Twitter account.

Another Jakarta female blogger, Gudangku (37, single) gives similar reasons for

her choice of fee-based hosting. Because she lacks technical skills, she had a web

design service modify her blogs features (personal interview, 5 August 2012).

Gudangkus home page displays flexible columns (Figure 2). The upper part of

the page has two columns, and the bottom part has four. The most recent post sits

in the middle. The sidebar to the right lists recent posts. The four-column section isa list of blog categories. The blog includes three pages: the home page (My Place,

Table 1. Hosting methods.

Free hosting Fee-based hosting

Limited features Unlimited features (cost-dependent)Limited storage Unlimited storage (cost-dependent)

Fixed domain names Unique domain names

Default template Flexible, rich template

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Figure 2. Gudangkus blog: a dynamic design.

Figure 1. Tikabangets blog: a fashionable design.




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Rumahnya), the profile page (About Me, Tentangnya,) and a third page (Photo

Archive, Gudang Foto) that links to another blog, focusing on photography.

Like Gudangku and Tikabanget, a majority of Java bloggers in our sample also

chose paid-hosting blogs.3 These women have similar reasons for this choice: having

a prestigious and fashionable blog appears to be their main motive. Considering

the importance of a blogs public face, this study draws on Papacharissis view that

web authors use a variety of features to promote themselves (2002: 654).

A single woman from Semarang who also works as a web designer, Neng-Ocha

supports this argument by stressing the importance for a blogger to have a unique

domain name that acts as a brand name, so that readers can easily remember it

(personal interview, 24 November 2009). Of course, the choice of fee-based hosting

is not just a tactical step in securing an outstanding or attractive blog format: it also

helps women build a prestigious, unique profile in the blogosphere. Such tacticalmoves underscore a need to achieve exclusivity and integrity. In addition, Jakarta

blogger CeritaEka (32, married) emphasizes that having the dotcom4 suffix in her

URL improves search engine indexing, broadening her readership and network

(personal interview, 5 and 8 September 2012).

CeritaEkas statement supports Papacharissis (2002) view that interactivity and

vividness of a homepage attract visitors. More importantly, in the case of

Indonesian women, paying for hosting is indicative of a dedication to enhancing

their exposure and public image an investment towards a better chance of being

networked. In line with CeritaEka, Jakarta blogger Venus-to-Mars gives herrationale for choosing a fee-based blog platform:

In fact, everyone acknowledges that blogging has great power. At least, for me per-

sonally, blogging set the stage for all my current accomplishments. New knowledge,

new jobs, and almost every good thing that came to me stemmed from blogging.

(personal interview, 4 September 2012)

Venus-to-Mars and CeritaEka show us that those Indonesian female bloggers who

choose to pay for their hosting needs do not do so based on style considerations,but out of a need to make the most of blogging. Not only does this increase

readership, but it creates revenue through paid advertising on their sites.

Bloggers such as NonaDita and Tikabanget claim that making money through

online advertising is not their major motive. For instance Tikabanget rejected

several offers because they did not feel right (personal interview, 6 August 2012).

Likewise, NonaDita insists that her blog is a place for knowledge sharing. She does

not earn money from it. (personal interview, 6 October 2012).

To some extent, these findings confirm Papacharissis (2002) conclusion that

blog features can be understood as authors personal markers to attract visitors.Hence, these bloggers decision to have their own, unique URL reflects their aware-

ness that paying for a domain is important to make their blog noticeable by web

search engines, which in turn plays an important role in widening opportunities

and exposure.

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By way of comparison, this is what a Kalimantan female blogger had to say:

Most of my female friends have a negative opinion of blogging, as they cannot earn

money from this activity. For me blogging offers more advantages than money.

(personal interview with Honeylizious, 19 March 2012)

However, fee-based hosting has another advantage: security. Sofyan, a web

designer, explains that free blog services give bloggers no control over content

and thus provide no data back-up, unlike fee-based services. (personal interview,

19 January 2009).

In contrast to most Java bloggers in our study, who favour paid hosting as a

measure of their dedication, a majority of bloggers from the other islands are

content with free hosting services, particularly in Aceh, Kalimantan, andPalembang. Uninterested in a slick blog format, these women prefer free plat-

forms that offer standard, static features. A free blog is characterized by static

columns. The bigger column displays the authors posts, with the most recent on

top. The smaller column includes a blogroll (some bloggers separate female from

male authored blogs), a calendar, various lists (old posts, recent comments, most

popular posts, post categories), a shout box, a box listing the blogs followers

(most display the latters avatars), cross platform media follower buttons, a list of

recent tweets, a visitor statistics count box, a box of visitor live reports, tickers,

and badges.Another example: FindingNova sees no reason to give up her free blog as she

joins the free blogspot.com platform. This solution supports her blogging activities,

so she has no need to switch to a fee-based service (personal interview on 5 August

2012). FindingNovas choice strongly relates to Paparachissis view that the choice

of a blogging client and a blog format are part of a users self-promotion.

FindingNovas choice is part of her performance as a member of a particular

community.

Another Aceh blogger, IhanSunrise favours personalized authorship on a

simple-looking blog:

I dislike complicated features. For my blog I prefer clean and simple features that give

a tidy impression to my visitors. I have no need for complex features. (personal

interview, 5 December 2009)

Palembang blogger ItikKecil, who uses a free platform, offers another angle: she

refers to her blogs safety rather than appearance, which supports Sofyans view

that fee-based hosting is safer than free hosting:

Actually, Ive already bought a domain: itikkecil.com. I still do not have an urgent

reason to move my Wordpress.com content to the new host. Perhaps, when I feel

Wordpress is unsafe and requires too much attention, I will move to my new domain.

(personal interview, 5 August 2012)




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Infrastructure impacts

Needless to say, here external factors are most important, and the privileges offered

by unique URLs become less significant. Kalimantan blogger Honeylizious com-

plains about the Provinces poor wireless infrastructure, which prevents bloggers

from building interactive and stylish blogs (personal interview, 20 March 2012).

Clearly, broadband availability and reliability are not evenly distributed across

Indonesia. In Kalimantan Internet connections do not support the sophisticated

blogging found in Java. Although women outside Java do author blogs, poor

Internet infrastructure prevents them from using colourful graphics, video content,

and multiple pages. Honeylizious confirms the impact of infrastructure in that for

some Indonesian bloggers fee-based hosting is not an option as it would simply not

work. In Indonesia dial-up connections through a PT Telkom land line (PTT is themarket leader in telecommunications) remain the norm for rural/remote sites and

small cities. By way of information, in 2010 there were only 15.8 telephone lines per

100 people across Indonesia (BMI, 2012).

Like many others in provincial areas, Siti only subscribes to Speedy a PT

TELKOM Internet connection solution as her Internet provider only offers

dial-up connections, which do not guarantee continuous service:

My blog is very simple. (Wireless) Internet connection in Pidie is not good. Oh well,

I have already signed up for an Internet connection with Speedy. (personal interview,4 December 2009)

Another blogger who joined our conversation laughed and said: Hope for the best

and prepare for the worst. Speedy sucks. Sometimes it goes damn slow, and other

times it just stops working without notice (personal interview with Maimoon,

4 December 2002).

In fact even those who have fixed land line telephone connections face band-

width problems and the high price of a dial-up Internet connection. Internet users

without a fixed dial-up connection are also struggling with their mobile network asthe quality is as bad as that of a fixed dial-up connection:

One should not forget that many rural areas are still untouched by Internet connec-

tions. How could one wish for an Internet connection, in fact many areas are not yet

covered by mobile network operators. We must build antennas just to get a mobile

signal. Provincial wireless connection is intolerably bad. How could we author a fully

featured blog? (personal interview with Honeylizious, 20 March 2012)

The Government is considering several solutions to remedy Internet connectionproblems across Indonesia, such as wireless connections and Internet cafe s.

Unfortunately, both solutions are facing problems owing to Indonesias new decen-

tralization policy based on laws no. 22/1999 and no. 25/1999. Under these laws the

Government handed over a number of domestic affairs to the local authorities.

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With respect to telecommunication regulations, several provincial governments

involve network providers, service providers, and telecommunication network

companies (Purwati, 2000). Local governments see in the telecommunications busi-

ness an opportunity to increase income by levying additional taxes and user

charges. On account of these regulations private communication companies

cannot develop a local wireless Internet infrastructure, which is why people in

rural areas are often deprived of sufficiently cheap Internet connections.

In what follows, this study provides evidence of the compatibility (or lack

thereof) of connections between users. Relevant in this respect is Hjorths question

(2006): But beyond the hype of industry rhetoric and users being prosumers

(consumers plus producers) what is the reality for users? In the case of

Indonesia we see that the infrastructure falls short in terms of bandwidth, avail-

ability, and connectivity. This is why, rather than Papacharissi (2002) and Herringet al. (2004), who only look at public image building on a blog using advanced

blogging software, we could rather follow Goggin (2008) and Hjorth (2006), who

argue that it all boils down to user reality i.e., availability, connections, and

infrastructure. Several external factors prevent Indonesian women bloggers from

taking advantage of the hybrid nature of blogs as they have limited options to

modify blog features.

Replacing the blogroll: Cross-social media

platform integration

Early studies on blogging only focused on links and contents. In the early days of

blogging, besides indicating social acknowledgement, links were the only sign of

connectivity between bloggers (Blood, 2000, 2004). However, in the late 1990s,

two companies www.blogger.com and www.pitas.com introduced two innov-

ations: commenting and blogroll features, which offered higher interactivity

functions.

The more recent blogging clients allow users to set up interactive blog formats

that let readers add content through such features as comments, blogrolls, ping-backs, trackbacks, and social media cross-platforms buttons. For this reason,

scholars agree that innovation in blogging software has been increasing the

interactive potential of the medium (Ali-Hasan and Adamic, 2007; Koop and

Jansen, 2009).

However, as blogging clients become more sophisticated the blogroll a sidebar

displaying links to the authors favoured fellow bloggers sites and meant to boost

traffic to the blog seems to have lost in popularity among our Java bloggers. One

blogger thought this feature so last decade (personal interview with Venus-to-

Mars, 4 September 2012). Venus-to-Mars replaced her blogroll with the GoogleReaderfeature. Google Reader streamlines subscribed blog content and aggregates

the data in one specific location so that blog subscribers can consume updated

information whenever they are ready for it. Using a blogroll, authors must con-

stantly check updates manually, while Google Reader automatically updates the


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authors favourite links. Another issue is the unwritten rule that you have to recip-

rocate whenever a blogger links to your blog: this may prevent the user from

shaping her blog as she sees fit. Of course, as some blogs become more popular

and more links are forged, other blogs fall out of favour and with them the blogroll

reciprocity rule. So to avoid this problem, one blogger chose not to activate the

blogroll function, freeing herself from the potential conflicts that may be generated

by this particular aspect of blogging etiquette (personal interview with TikaBanget,

6 August 2012). Another blogger indicated that the quid-pro-quo rule could be bad

for her blogs appearance: I would receive complaints from visitors who would not

find their blogs on my blogroll. I know it and it would irritate me (personal

interview with CeritaEka, 5 September 2012).

Like TikaBanget and Venus-to-Mars, CeritaEka decided to replace her blogroll

with other features. The more recent blogging clients offer various features thatcover the blogrolls function in a more advanced fashion. Features such as social

media buttons, the RSS button, or Google Reader not only reflect an bloggers self-

awareness as networked content producer (Ali-Hasan and Adamic, 2007; Marlow,

2004), but they illustrate Normans concept of perceived affordances (1988, 1998).

Our bloggers exercise their discretion over technical options by replacing the blog-

roll function with other features that serve her goals. Thus for them a blogroll

represents a readership network. We may conclude that these days a blogroll does

not necessarily encourage social bonds or foster close relationships (Efimova and

de Moor, 2005). Indeed, for Adamic and Ali-Hasan, a blogroll is more a matter ofidolatry of A-List bloggers, pointing to uneven power relationships within the

blogosphere.

Another reason to de-activate the blogroll feature is the Internet connection

issue. Jakarta blogger CeritaEka makes sure the formal features of her blog facili-

tate smooth communication. She deactivated her blogroll out of concern for her

readers, especially those without a high-speed connection:

When the blogroll is active, it displays links on your blog, which causes it to load more

slowly. Potential readers may get frustrated and leave. (personal interview, September2012)

In light of the above, some bloggers choose to activate other features which redirect

to other social media platforms to increase connectivity. The most common way to

bypass blogroll problems is to provide links to Twitter and Facebook, two cross-

platform social media. A bloggers home page typically displays sharing buttons to

Twitter and Facebook accounts, the Facebooks like button, the Twitter and

Facebook follower buttons, and Twitters real time news feed.

This choice by our women bloggers to use such social media features does twothings: it clarifies the notion of the hybrid nature of blogs, and it asserts their

practical control over connectivity and their will to establish relationships as blog-

gers while creating favourable conditions for readers. In other words they take

advantage of their medium of choices hybrid nature to increase their

Triastuti 417



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online visibility. Indeed, blogging does not just involve writing, reading, and com-

menting in a limited sense. It opens up the potential for all sorts of social connec-

tions online:

My Twitter and Facebook buttons signify my presence in online world, in a sense.

They tell my readers they can meet me and my writings on my blog. But, I also have

Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can interact with me on Twitter and Facebook.

You also can chat with me there. Why? I know my friends are there, so I am too.

When they discuss an interesting topic, I am there and I may join in the conversa-

tion. (personal interview with TikaBanget, 5 August 2012)

Clearly, innovations in web authoring tools such as social media platform buttons

play an important role in Indonesian womens blogging. Besides authoring a blog,it lets them access, publish and propagate issues, opinions and experiences from

their own perspectives (Radloff, 2005: 85). By activating Twitter and Facebook

buttons on their blogs, our Java bloggers facilitate complex interconnections using

cross-platforms tools.5 What happens on Twitter and Facebook often inspires blog

posts, written up into more detailed opinion pieces, discussions, or jokes. Blog

posts may also be redirected towards Facebook and Twitter, which may spark a

new discussion there. This illustrates the way people make use of newer technolo-

gies to interact in ever more complex ways. Taking this point further, interaction in

cross-platform media means being visible in public. Using such technical featuresboth strengthens a bloggers engagement with blogging and increases her online

connectivity, deepening an involvement with social networking that began through

blogging. We might say that a blogs technical features often make for an enlarged

social network.

For Java women bloggers, recent web authoring tools such as social media

cross-platform buttons to be pasted on home pages are more effective than the

blogroll feature in increasing readership and developing social bonds. These new

tools let them increase their visibility, and if possible, their popularity.

Blog awards: Bringing the online community closer

In contrast with Java bloggers who strengthen their social bonds and connectivity

through social media features, Aceh bloggers tend to socialize with visitors by

bestowing awards. Such awards take the form of badges or images and are a

distinctive formal feature of blogs from Aceh. The blog awards complement

other features such as links and comments. A blogger will present an award to a

peer by writing a post that describes her motivations. The blog award is a public,

interactive activity: bloggers nominate other bloggers and announce the awards intheir blog posts (see Figure 3).

A blog award is a means for a blogger to articulate a relationship or friendship

with another blogger. Our findings show that blog awards are a way for a reader to

publicly praise and appraise a favourite blog.




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While nobody knows where the blog award idea originated from, it does help

Aceh bloggers create a more close-knit social network. Previous research has

shown a common thread in that the nature of a social network and community

can be identified through links and comments. The blog award strengthens social

bonds within a blog construed as a social network. Moreover, it rewards loyal

readers and acknowledges a bloggers dedication. In other words, not only do

awards sustain readership, they also enlarge the circle of friends in the blogosphere.So they can be said to be a tool to hold conversations on blogs that without links

and trackbacks posts across weblogs lose their physical connection even when

they are connected to each other logically (Efimova and de Moor, 2005: para 65).

Conclusion

This study hinges on Herring et al.s (2004) theoretical discussion of the hybrid

nature of blogs. Herring et al. (2004) assert that, shaped by multimodal elements,

blogs offer a wide range of technical features that meet the communicative needs ofusers. However, regardless of this hybrid nature, a blogs technical features are not

limitless: they are based on its authors context and even values (Norman, 1988).

This study of the Indonesian female blogosphere shows that women bloggers

across seven different communities display different public faces. For instance,

Figure 3. Awards on FindingNovas blog (Aceh).

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most Java bloggers in our sample favour a magazine look and thus pay for bloghosting. Conversely, in other regions a majority of bloggers are content with the

basic nature of free blog platforms.

We have seen that these distinctions are mostly not influenced by economic

factors. Instead, due to the lack of an adequate Internet infrastructure, presenting

a full featured public face can be complicated. This indicates that technical blog

features are anchored contextually. We have found striking differences in public

face between blogs from Java and blogs from outer Java. These differences are

congruent with hosting type and choice of technical features, the latter begin a

factor of the quality of the Internet infrastructure. Java blog formats have anI blog therefore I am feel owing to the blogging clients used as well as the blog-

gers motivations and expectations. In other words, the technical options used are

means to an end. These choices do not always take the best possible advantage of

the hybrid nature of blogs. Instead, aware of the infrastructure gap in Indonesia,

Figure 4. An award on Mutiabachnars blog (Aceh).




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these Java women adjust blog format to maximise readership/reader contributions.

This highlights a relationship between authority and engagement, with a focus on

choice of blog format as a means to change roles between readers and authors

(Doueihi, 2011), opening up opportunities to produce and consume for all. Our

Java bloggers shape their blogs public face and make it a suitable place for

interaction.

However, such choices are made possible by a well-established infrastructure,

which does not fit with other womens reality. Indeed, outer Java bloggers have an

old school approach in their choices of blog format one that is predetermined by

the poor infrastructure they must contend with. Distanced from large metropolitan

centres and services, they are not only disadvantaged by inadequate infrastructure

but also miss out on many potential activities.

This study of womens blogs from different Indonesian regions evidences strongengagement between women, media, and daily context. Consistent with Couldrys

idea that media uses are anchored in cultural practices (Couldry, 2004), this

research shows that applying universal assumptions about technology is likely to

lead one astray, as in the case of Indonesian women bloggers, whose blog formats

are shaped by the countrys economy, geography, and politics.

Funding

My PhD research, this study is part of, was funded by an Indonesian government scholar-

ship (20092012) and an international postgraduate tuition award from the University ofWollongong (20122013).

Notes

1. Badgesare small icons, often functioning as hypertext links, which represent the bloggers

affiliation with a product such as blogging software or groups of users (Herring et al.,

2004: 5).

2. Like Herring et al., Puschmann divides a blog prototype into three aspects: technical,

linguistic, and contextual (2009: 5859).

3. Although Java has a well-established Internet infrastructure offering users smooth datatransfer, many Indonesian women still use free hosting services (e.g., www.emyou.word

press.com,www.dandelion.blogspot.com).

4. Dotcom is the generic term Indonesian bloggers use to describe a fee-based blogs URL.

5. Noting the visibility of Twitter and Facebook features on Javanese womens blogs, we

need to remember that 90% of Indonesias Facebook user access the Internet using

mobile telephones (Nielsen Research, 2011).

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