ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, uses and gratifications researchers began looking beyond traditional media to the Internet. Early examination concentrated on the Internet as a whole, but later, specific components such as the web, e-mail, bulletin boards and chat rooms were investigated. While there are many studies that have examined Internet users and uses (Charney & Greenberg, 2001; Eigh-mey, 1997; Ferguson & Perse, 2000; Johnson & Kaye, 2003a; Kaye, 1998; Kaye & Johnson, 2004; Lin, 2002; Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000), there is a dearth of academic research about why blog users use blogs. The few explanations of blog use available are generally based on casual observation and conversation among blog users, journalists and bloggers (Ashdown, 2003; Frauenfelder & Kelly, 2000; Kurtz, 2002; Leo, 2002; Morris, 2001; Rosenberg, 2002).
