I BLOG PERSONALI: PRATICHE D'USO E MODELLAMENTO SOCIALE

Weblogs developed very rapidly during the last years, by often becoming the symbol of the recognition of the Web as “Web 2.0” in the social discourses. Not only is its diffusion the outcome of a particular technological configuration, but also of a network of economical, social, cultural factors that have changed their shape in the course of time. The goal of this research is to follow the path of this development through the conceptual frame provided by the Social Shaping of Technology applied, in this case, to an object that is both an artefact and a form of Computer Mediated Communication. Firstly, to the purpose, the historical evolution of blog has been reconstructed; then, the trend of the institutional, economical, technological, cultural dimensions has been outlined whereas the author's central role in blog's dynamics emerged. On this basis a field research was carried out and accomplished with a qualitative, multi-sited methodology, in order to highlight the microsocial blog processes of appropriation, in which the main aspects of social shaping has been identified.