Canadian blogosphere
Encyclopedia
Canadian blogosphere is used to describe the online
predominantly English Canadian
community of weblogs
that is part of the larger blogosphere
.
Canada has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world. Of Canadian internet users, a recent poll suggested that over 42% had read a blog in the previous three months.
of a political nature have a particularly high visibility in Canada. Former prime minister Paul Martin
kept a high-profile blog during his campaign for leadership of the Liberal Party
. Monte Solberg
kept a widely read blog while he was in opposition, but ended blogging after being named Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Former Jean Chrétien
advisor, Warren Kinsella
's blog enjoys a similarly high profile. The contents of political blogs have been used to both defend and attack politicians in Parliament. Canadian comedian Rick Mercer
also keeps a blog that frequently pokes fun at Canadian politicians.
Jim Elve of Blogs Canada was the first to create a directory of Canadian blogs in the early part of this decade. Since then Allan Janssen has purchased BlogsCanada after it lay dormant for 4 years, and his company Janssen Marketing is reviving the site with the intention of making it Canada's premier news and blogging aggregator like http://www.mynewshub.com.
After developing a rich ecosystem of individual bloggers in the early 2000s, the political part of the Canadian blogosphere
began to organize itself into larger groupings as http://www.mynewshub.com based on broad political ideology (left-right politics
), party alignment (New Democratic Party
, Liberal
, Conservative
) and geographical location (province or city). Membership in several groups is common.
The largest political blog group are the right leaning Blogging Tories
with some 300 blogs, including Small Dead Animals and Stephen Taylor
. More recently, Liberal and NDP bloggers, many of whom are Progressive Bloggers
, have joined to create Liblogs
and New Democrats Online. The environmental Green Bloggers have about 90 Canadian Bloggers. There is also a group of non-partisan Canadian bloggers, committed to no particular party, called The Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians. There are also a number of regional blog groups, although most are non-political.
MP Garth Turner
's blog is one of two active blogs by Canadian MPs. He was suspended from the Conservative caucus amid allegations of breaching caucus confidentiality on his blog.
MP David L. Anderson
also has a blog focusing on Western Canadian agricultural issues.
for MP's voting history, attendance records and number of words spoken in Parliament
. New Democrat MP Pat Martin
said this website was "serving a public function" and "motivating MPs to do a better job." Liberal MP Paul Szabo
was determined to be the "parliamentary windbag” of the 38th Parliament with 107,873 words spoken.
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
predominantly English Canadian
English Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
community of weblogs
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that is part of the larger blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
.
Canada has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world. Of Canadian internet users, a recent poll suggested that over 42% had read a blog in the previous three months.
Political blogs
Though Canadians compose blogs on many topics, weblogsBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
of a political nature have a particularly high visibility in Canada. Former prime minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
kept a high-profile blog during his campaign for leadership of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. Monte Solberg
Monte Solberg
Monte Kenton Solberg, PC is a former Canadian Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development...
kept a widely read blog while he was in opposition, but ended blogging after being named Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Former Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
advisor, Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren James Douglas Kinsella , is a Toronto-based Canadian, lawyer, author, musician, political consultant, commentator, and blogger...
's blog enjoys a similarly high profile. The contents of political blogs have been used to both defend and attack politicians in Parliament. Canadian comedian Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
also keeps a blog that frequently pokes fun at Canadian politicians.
Jim Elve of Blogs Canada was the first to create a directory of Canadian blogs in the early part of this decade. Since then Allan Janssen has purchased BlogsCanada after it lay dormant for 4 years, and his company Janssen Marketing is reviving the site with the intention of making it Canada's premier news and blogging aggregator like http://www.mynewshub.com.
After developing a rich ecosystem of individual bloggers in the early 2000s, the political part of the Canadian blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
began to organize itself into larger groupings as http://www.mynewshub.com based on broad political ideology (left-right politics
Left-Right politics
The left–right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions, political ideologies, or political parties along a one-dimensional political spectrum. The perspective of Left vs. Right is a binary interpretation of complex questions...
), party alignment (New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
) and geographical location (province or city). Membership in several groups is common.
The largest political blog group are the right leaning Blogging Tories
Blogging Tories
Blogging Tories is the name of a group of Canadian bloggers who come from the centre, centre-right, right-wing and libertarian sides of the political spectrum...
with some 300 blogs, including Small Dead Animals and Stephen Taylor
Stephen Taylor
Stephen Taylor may refer to:* Stephen Taylor, Baron Taylor , British physician, civil servant, politician and educator* Stephen Taylor , lecturer in human resources at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School...
. More recently, Liberal and NDP bloggers, many of whom are Progressive Bloggers
Progressive Bloggers
Progressive Bloggers is the name of an affiliated group of Canadian bloggers who come from the centre, centre-left and left-wing of the political spectrum...
, have joined to create Liblogs
Liblogs
Liblogs is the name of a group of Canadian bloggers. The Liblogs membership consists of bloggers who generally support the Liberal Party of Canada...
and New Democrats Online. The environmental Green Bloggers have about 90 Canadian Bloggers. There is also a group of non-partisan Canadian bloggers, committed to no particular party, called The Blogging Alliance of Non-Partisan Canadians. There are also a number of regional blog groups, although most are non-political.
MP Garth Turner
Garth Turner
John Garth Turner, PC is a Canadian business journalist, best-selling author, entrepreneur, broadcaster, financial advisor and politician, twice elected as a Member of the House of Commons, former Minister of National Revenue and leadership candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada...
's blog is one of two active blogs by Canadian MPs. He was suspended from the Conservative caucus amid allegations of breaching caucus confidentiality on his blog.
MP David L. Anderson
David L. Anderson
David L. Anderson is a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Cypress Hills—Grasslands, a position he has held since 2000. He was a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2003. He is a businessman, and a farmer...
also has a blog focusing on Western Canadian agricultural issues.
Political blogs as watchdogs
Canadian bloggers in their role as citizen journalists also hold elected politicians up to increased scrutiny. The How'd They Vote? website, set up by blogger Cory Horner mines HansardHansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
for MP's voting history, attendance records and number of words spoken in Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
. New Democrat MP Pat Martin
Pat Martin
Patrick "Pat" Martin is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.-Career:...
said this website was "serving a public function" and "motivating MPs to do a better job." Liberal MP Paul Szabo
Paul Szabo
Paul John Mark Szabo is a Canadian politician. He is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga South for the Liberal Party.-Early life and education:...
was determined to be the "parliamentary windbag” of the 38th Parliament with 107,873 words spoken.