Blog Analysis

The title of the blog I picked is Amazon Web Services Blog. The URL for the blog is http://aws.typepad.com/. The blog is written by an individual named Jeff Barr. He has been deemed a "Web Services Evangelist at Amazon." He is definitely pro-Amazon when it comes to using the services and products it has to offer. The blog is written professionally but Barr writes in a way that allows the reader to fully understand the content that he discusses. Barr employs a formal writing style when it comes to using proper grammar but it reads with a touch of informality because it is understandable to anyone. The AWS blog is extremely topic-based. It talks about the web services that Amazon provides and how to use them successfully in one's business. Barr's content is informative because it tells the reader about the services, educational because it shows the reader how to use them (see blog from Feb. 3 for example), and persuasive because Barr solely talks about the benefits of Amazon's services. The blog tends to be updated every 3-5 days. Barr posts new content but takes advantage of links, as well. The blog has been in existence since March 2005. After searching the archives, a reader is able to see how these services came to be in existence and how they have progressed as technology has over time. The links that Barr includes in his website take a reader to the AWS website and how-to demonstrations of particular services. Glancing over the blog roll shows a number of technologically savvy indidviduals and groups that either are looking to employ the use of these services or already do use them in their daily business. The majority of the sites that link with this blog are other blogs that discuss the benefits and downfalls of these types of services. Barr's blog does use trackbacks to see who else is referring to or linking to his blog. The blog does enable two-way communication by allowing readers to post comments to Barr's entries. There are not a large number of comments but this may be because the comments are moderated and have to be approved by Barr before they appear on the blog. Comments seem to come from a number of different blog followers. Generally, the people who follow Barr's blog are technologically savvy people who can benefit from purchasing and incorporating these services into their businesses. On the other hand, a lot of the readers seem to be avid supporters of AWS. I think that the visual design supports the blog because it is simplistic and basic. The site is very easy to navigate. Down the sides of the blog are a number of links to Barr's posts by specific dates or topics. My overall impression of the blog is that although it is put together well, it seems rather simplistic for the technologically advanced topics that it talks about. On a personal level, I would rank the blog as a 3. For those in the business world and that could really use these services, I would give the site a 5. I do not really need to use these services seeing as how I am still a college student. But for those small and large companies that want to compete in certain industries, these services and the knowledge on how to use them properly, is extremely important.