The Public

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So my first opinion on this is that it is apart of the public sphere. I think that the public sphere consists of anything that a person can say their opinion about. This opinion has to be credible and have access to everyone. Obviously because it is an opinion it does not have to be your opinion.

Now I'm going to talk about what Habermas would say.

"A portion of the public sphere comes into being in every conversation in which private individuals assemble to form a public body."

This would support that the blog is part of the public sphere. Blogs are conversation for people to read and decide whether or not they support. They help to gather opinions and support. They work to communicate a message to a larger group of people this way more than one person can have an opinion and this opinion can be peer reviewed.

He would say blogs are apart of the the "Public Opinion." Because that's what blogs are opinions on topics. Habermas says "It is no coincidence that these concepts of public sphere and public
opinion cam about [ in the eighteenth century]." These two go hand in hand and play off of each other.

Although it is apart of the public sphere I would say that blogs can take away from the public sphere because for some people it allows them to say things without feeling like it is connected to them. They can be more free with their words and opinion because they are not having to say this to a person. The instead are saying it and if you do not like it you can always hit the the hand "x" button. So for me I will always appreciate when someone say their own opinion, to my face and gives me a chance to respond and see their initial reaction/hear their initial argument.