Report: More Blogs Than Humans on Earth
In its year-end report, the International Council on Internet Punditry (ICIP) says that the number of web logs, or 'blogs' in the world has now surpassed the number of humans.
"Our most recent blog population count indicates a total of 7.5 billion blogs worldwide, which is almost a full billion more than the amount of people on the planet," said Blaine Noonan, Executive Director of the ICIP.
"In the time it took me to just say that last sentence, 130 million more blogs were created worldwide. And those are just the Anti-Bush ones."
Noonan attributes the near-exponential expansion of the blogosphere over the past year to the ease with which computer users can easily create multiple blogs.
"It is remarkably simple for anyone, even buffoons with their own television shows on major news networks, to create their own blog," said Noonan, who himself has his own blog devoted to his abiding passion, ultimate frisbee.
The global blog population is all the more impressive, considering that more than half of the earth's population have never even used a computer. Noonan explained, however, that lack of computer access is no longer an impediment to blog authorship: "Now, even people who have never even seen a real computer are able to create their own blogs, thanks to new mind-melding technology available with blogger.com's version 11.0."
Finland, one of the most wired nations, is the most blog-heavy, according to the ICIP. The ratio of blogs to people in Finland is 13 to 1.
"Yes, we Finns certainly love our blogs," said Pukka Valonenen, the Finnish Minister of Culture and Minister responsible for online opinion, when informed of the report's findings. "We use them to say many bland, inoffensive things. Often, we voice inane or blatantly obvious political opinions on them as well. It is great fun."
Jenny Orkmyer of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is a self-described 'blogaholic.' She maintains 41 separate blogs, including one devoted to her laundry habits, another one devoted to her cat and yet another blog about her fantasies involving CBC Newsworld personality Don Newman. She supports herself through an annual grant from the Canada Council for the Arts designated for female bloggers in Atlantic Canada.
"I have a left-wing blog, where I say...left-wing things, and then, I have a conservative blog, where I contradict everything I say in my other blog," continued Orkmyer, who described her daily routine as "incredibly hectic." Afternoons are devoted to Orkmyer updating, among other blogs, her book blog ("the world must know what self-help books I'm reading right now"), her weather blog, where she discusses local weather, and her grocery blog, where she share her grocery purchases in excruciating detail with the rest of the online community.
"Updating 41 different blogs is a full time job. My loyal readership expects fresh consent all the time on all of my blogs," explained Orkmyer while admitting that her passion has caused some familial strife.
"My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy. He only has six blogs. He's so old-fashioned."
Posted on January 10th, 2006