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This article analyzes the evolution of literary blogs and their role as reading influencers. The importance of blogs as agents in the establishment of the literary canon is highlighted. Additionally, it is mentioned that France, Brazil, and Taiwan are the countries with the greatest interest in this study topic. The article also addresses the characterization of reading and literary blogs, establishing a typology that includes commercial blogs, professional blogs, and individual reader blogs. It is concluded that the bibliographic review of literary blogs is essential for future research on the blogosphere and the promotion of reading. [Extracted from the article]

This study develops a self-construal framework containing both individual- and social-level variables to explain bloggers' inner motivations to create contents voluntarily. With the aim of bridging the gaps in previous blogger-related studies, this research explores intrinsic and psychological benefits behind voluntary bloggers' sharing behaviour via social network sites or weblogs. The proposed structural equation model is tested with survey data from 414 bloggers, and all hypotheses are statistically supported. The findings indicate that voluntary bloggers' involvement results from self-reassurance, which is induced by a self-construction process comprising both independent and interdependent selves. This study enriches extant literature on bloggers' behaviour by incorporating self-construal theory into the sphere of creating contents. In essence, the self-construal model paves the way for future comprehensive psychological frameworks, which can help researchers and practitioners deepen their understanding of blogger enthusiasm in self-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to respond to the ever-changing global economic environment, the technological and vocational education system in Taiwan needs to be dramatically reformed to the changing needs of the domestic industrial structure. Integrating practical talents with practical industrial experiences and competences can help avoid discrepancy and close the gap between vocational education and the practical demands of industries. Thus, to achieve the goals of technological and vocational education, it is necessary to incorporate instruction that meets the demands of the industrial-oriented manpower in Taiwan. In this study, the well-known problem-based learning (PBL) approach, utilized commonly in the educational area of medicine and business management, was integrated with the qualitative method of action research to explore how such a learning strategy could influence college students' learning outcomes regarding industrial-oriented competences. The research results were induced from the empirical data collected via participatory classroom observations, and analyses of teachers' instructional journals and semi-structural interviews. A survey with quasi-experimental design of the control group pretest and posttest was conducted by using an industrial-oriented competences scale to explore the influences of PBL on students' learning outcomes of industrial-oriented competences. The findings are expected to shed light on the teaching and learning strategy of college students' industrial-oriented competences and contribute to theoretical implications and future educational and industrial development of Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blogs are one of the most widely used Internet applications; however, there is a lack of attention paid to understanding blog adoption with respect to individual reading/writing habits. This paper, therefore, investigates how individual reading and writing habits contribute to blog adoption. A survey was conducted in order to understand the relationship between an individual's reading and writing habits, in terms of reading/writing attitude and reading/writing behavioural patterns, and the adoption of blogs. A total of 210 blog users participated in the study. Hypotheses were tested and data were analysed using multiple regression analysis and logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that reading and writing habits are a significant predictor of blog adoption. Furthermore, based on Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory, this study also investigated whether people's habitual characteristics (i.e. heavy and light) have some sort of relationship with the stage of blog adoption (i.e. earlier and later). A subsequent analysis showed that people with a heavier reading habit group tended to adopt at an earlier stage, while this consequence was absent in those with heavier writing habits groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many modern consumers use blogs as important information sources, which they evaluate on the basis of blog-specific cues. Using the theory of self-disclosure, this study posits that bloggers' product evaluation self-disclosures, social self-disclosures, and blog popularity are key determinants of readers' cognitive and affective trust. Readers' trust in turn should affect their product attitudes and feedback intentions towards the blog. With a survey study involving seven blog articles about dining experience and a structural equation model, this research confirms the positive influences of product evaluation self-disclosures and popularity on readers' cognitive trust and of social self-disclosures on readers' affective trust. Both cognitive and affective forms of trust enhance product attitudes. Affective trust also increases readers' feedback intentions towards the blog. With these findings, this study offers suggestions for bloggers and companies that use blogs as marketing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some studies show that the Twitter's growth is leveling off and that its marketing has become ineffective. The purpose of this paper is to analyse what is needed for microblogs’ perpetuation. Factors such as message quality, source credibility, perceived usefulness, perceived interactivity, perceived playfulness, confirmation, and satisfaction were tested for their impact on continuance intention. A post-acceptance model of microblog continuance was proposed based on information system continuance model. We found that continuance intention to use microblogs is greatly affected by satisfaction, which in turn is affected by perceived interactivity and perceived usefulness, but satisfaction is not affected by confirmation or perceived playfulness. Although confirmation has no direct effect on satisfaction, it affects perceived interactivity and perceived usefulness, which in turn affect satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study aims to present a conceptual model of how blog readers' perceptions of satisfaction generate blog loyalty, which in turn enhances bloggers' power. This study also seeks to investigate the moderating influence of subjective norms on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – The structural equation modelling approach was used to estimate a conceptual model based on survey data from blog readers in Taiwan. After discarding incomplete responses, the final sample consisted of 567 completed responses. Findings – The majority of the results supported the hypotheses. Three types of exchange outcome satisfaction influence blog readers' perceptions of bloggers' power by increasing attitudinal loyalty. Information satisfaction has a direct and positive effect on expert power. Most importantly subjective norms exhibited a positive moderating relationship between exchange outcome satisfaction and attitudinal loyalty. The authors found no evidence to support the relationship between exchange outcome satisfaction and behavioural loyalty. Originality/value – From the perspectives of exchange outcome satisfaction, loyalty, power, and susceptibility to normative influence, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the process through which blog readers become loyal to their bloggers and are influenced by bloggers' expert and referent power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown the significance of a good user interface in affecting a blogger's decision to select a platform for their blog and a reader's decision to read one, and so it is vital that both developers and bloggers need a greater understanding of how they can improve user experience through perfecting their blog interfaces. The aim of this research is to explore the critical factors influencing the quality of blog interfaces and the causal relationships between these factors, enabling blog interfaces to be designed more effectively. Using an approach combining a focus group and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), this study defined eight factors in four dimensions that influence blog interface quality. The results of the DEMATEL analysis identify the key causal factors and effect factors, as well as the causal relationships between the eight factors via the impact-relations map. The research also indicates the most critical causal factors that bloggers and developers should focus on, in order to most effectively improve the quality and attractiveness of blog interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to understand factors that affect continuance intention of a popular hedonic information system, blogs. The expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) is adapted with perceived enjoyment, habit and user involvement. Data was collected via an online survey. A total of 430 valid responses were collected. The research model was assessed by structural equation modelling (SEM). The results show that continuance intention of blog use was predicted collectively by user involvement, satisfaction and perceived enjoyment. Habit, however, exhibited no strong relationship with satisfaction and use intention. Users' satisfaction with blog use was predicted primarily by perceived enjoyment, followed by users' confirmation of expectation and user involvement. Perceived enjoyment was predicted by users' involvement and users' confirmation of expectation. Blogging time significantly moderates the effect of habit on perceived enjoyment, but not on satisfaction and continuance intention. The integrated model explains 65% of the satisfaction and 57% of continuance intention. The results suggest that integrating perceived enjoyment and user involvement into the ECT provides better insights into continuous use in the blog context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blogs, or weblogs, have rapidly grown in recent years. Blogs are easy to use, possess interactive features and attract widespread use, leading them to be recognised as a communication medium in web-based information technology. However, why do so many people use blogs? The purpose of this study is to incorporate the technology acceptance model (TAM) with media choice factors to explain and predict blog acceptance behaviours. The media choice factors include media richness, critical mass, social influence (SI) and media experience (ME). This study conducted an online field survey and applied the structure equation modelling method to investigate the empirical strength of the relationships in the proposed model. In this study, 521 experienced blog users were surveyed to examine this model. The results strongly support the proposed hypotheses, indicating that technology acceptance and media choice factors influence blog acceptance behaviours. This article provides implications and recommendations resulting from the study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As growth in the blog market has intensified in recent years, bloggers can easily switch to other blog websites. Blog service providers must adopt viable strategies to keep their customers. However, not many studies investigate the factors that may help blog service providers to retain current bloggers from the perspectives of switching costs and social embeddedness. This study fills this gap and examines the antecedents of customer retention intention on the Wretch, a popular blog website in Taiwan. Three hundred and nine sets of valid data are gathered. Analytical results indicate that switching costs positively affect customer retention intention. Structural embeddedness of blogger-blogger and structural embeddedness of blogger-message positively affect switching costs. Relational embeddedness of blogger-blogger and relational embeddedness of blogger-message negatively affect switching costs. This study demonstrates that switching costs function as an important mediator between embeddedness and customer retention intention. The findings of this study significantly contribute to efforts of practitioners to develop advanced system functions and services on blog websites based on the social embeddedness perspective in order to form an exit barrier, heighten the importance of switching costs, and retain customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With social media playing an increasingly important role in marketing strategies for travel agencies, this study explores travel agencies that develop their own travel blogs as a marketing channel in order to differentiate their products or services and their strategic performances. The paper herein adopts a two-stage research design, with the first stage developing a three-round Delphi research. According to this research, Taiwanese travel agencies consider four external environment forces, five internal motivations for investment, four developing differentiated strategies, and four channel performance measurement indicators for managing travel agencies' own blogs as a marketing channel. The second stage explores a quantitative survey, Structural Equation Modeling, with the structural equation testing the business model of a travel blog marketing channel strategy. Finally, the findings provide innovative approaches for effectively exploiting differentiated marketing channel strategies when targeting maximum profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many studies focus on information sharing in communities and organisations, little research has been carried out on the antecedents of continuance intention of blog sharing. This study focuses on amateur blogs, which are the major customers for blog service providers (BSPs). The purposes are to investigate the antecedents of continuous blog sharing and determine whether they change with gender, age, and blog experience differences. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework and related social-psychological foundations, this study proposes outcome expectancy of financial capital, knowledge capital, and social capital, perceived usability, social influence, self-disclosure, and information literacy as the antecedents of continuous blog sharing. A survey of 268 blog authors reveals that usability is a necessary condition for continuous blog sharing. Outcome expectancy for knowledge capital and social capital can encourage continuous sharing behaviour, but expectancy for financial capital does not. Meanwhile, blog sharing is primarily a personal endeavour facilitated by inner self-disclosure, not extrinsic information literacy or social influence. In addition, the antecedents differ according to gender, age, and blog experience differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new perspective to facilitate learner-centred weblog evaluation, based on content attractiveness, blogging support, and the value-added service construct. A mixed method, combining fishbone diagram, fuzzy logic techniques, and the analytic hierarchy process, was conducted to identify further the criteria that attract bloggers to engage in blogging, based on user perspectives in a higher education context. Results indicate that the dimensions of content attractiveness and value-added service for the benefit of students contributed two-thirds of the overall weights. Respondents' appreciating a pleasant atmosphere is the first priority. Findings also indicated both similarities and differences among freshmen, non-freshmen, and instructors and provide a valuable reference for various types of learning resources. This study made two contributions to research. First, the extracted weight values of the critical factors from the proposed hierarchical system framework serve as guidelines for enhancing the robustness and attractiveness of weblog content. Second, the evaluation process provided insights for managing weblog quality effectiveness to promote joyful interactions while exhibiting mutual connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand blog continuance. Specifically, this paper aims to compare two theoretical models and an integrated model to identify which theoretical models best predicts blog continuance intention. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted through an online survey. Data collected from six famous blogs in Taiwan (n=361) were analyzed using structural equation modeling and pairwise nested F-tests. Findings – Results show that the ECT-IS model and the integrated model have greater explanatory power of blog continuance intention than the technology acceptance model (TAM). The results of pairwise nested F-tests show that the ECT-IS model exhibits statistically significant R2 improvement compared to TAM. However, the R2 improvement in the integrated model is not statistically different from that in the ECT-IS model. The ECT-IS model is also more parsimonious than the integrated model. Thus, the ECT-IS is a preferable model. Confirmation and satisfaction are salient factors influencing this intention. Practical implications – The results of this study provide useful information for blogging service providers (BSPs) to enhance and develop useful blog functions for user satisfaction. By revealing the differences and comparisons among these three models, this study can help BSPs promote the benefits of their blogs to strengthen the continuance intentions of their customers. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first studies to examine of influence change of variables and compare the relative ability of two competing theories, ECT-IS and TAM, and an integrated model in explaining blog continuance intention. The results confirm that the ECT-IS is a better model than the other two for explaining blog continuance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Social Penetration theory, this study explores the topics that bloggers disclose on their blogs, and in the real world. A total of 1,027 Taiwanese bloggers participated in this online survey, which revealed that bloggers self-disclosed nine topics (attitude, body, money, work, feelings, personal, interests, experiences, and unclassified). Further, we examined the depth and width of what bloggers self-disclosed to three target audiences (online audience, best friend, and parents), confirming that their disclosure is significantly different for each of these target audiences. Bloggers seemingly express themselves to their best friends the most, followed by parents and online audiences, both in depth and in width. The 'wedge model,' proposed by Altman and Taylor (1973), has been extended to online relationships in this study. In comparison to male bloggers, female bloggers seemed to disclose more to their best friends and parents in their daily lives; however, no significant difference was observed in their disclosure to online audiences. Younger bloggers (<20 years old) seemed to disclose a wider range of topics; however, there was no significant difference in the depth of their disclosure on their blogs. Discussions of these results are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blogs have been increasingly used to supplement traditional classroom lectures in higher education. This paper explores the use of blogs, and how student attitudes towards online peer interaction and peer learning, as well as motivation to learn from peers, may differ when using the blog comments feature, and when students are encouraged to read and comment on each other's work. We contrast two ways blogs affect learning engagement: (1) solitary blogs as personal digital portfolios for writers; or (2) blogs used interactively to facilitate peer interaction by exposing blogging content and comments to peers. A quasi-experiment was conducted across two semesters, involving 154 graduate and undergraduate students. The result suggests that interactive blogs, compared with isolated blogs, are associated with positive attitudes towards academic achievement in course subjects and in online peer interaction. Students showed positive motivation to learn from peer work, regardless of whether blogs were interactive or solitary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of weblogs (blogs) used in educational contexts, gaining a better understanding of why students are willing to blog has become an important topic for practitioners and academics. The main purpose of this study is to explore the individual difference antecedents of perceived enjoyment and examine how they influence blogging intention through the mediation of perceived enjoyment. Based on previous literature, the Big Five personality traits (ie, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience), as well as computer self-efficacy and personal innovation in information technology, are hypothesised as potential antecedents of perceived enjoyment in the acceptance of blogging. Data collected from a sample of 358 students at seven universities in Taiwan were tested against the research model using the structural equation modelling approach. The results indicate that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and personal innovation in information technology have a significant influence on perceived enjoyment, which in turn significantly influences blogging intention. The findings of this study provide several theoretical and practical implications for educational uses of blogging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years gastronomy blogs providing an important channel for electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) to take place are quickly becoming a popular new source of reading material for blog readers. However, little is published to understand what factors from gastronomy blogs play critical roles in predicting readers’ intention to taste local food and beverages. Based on reviewing previous studies, this study developed a research model containing three main categories of variables: (1) inspiring taste desire (i.e., experiencing appeal and generating empathy), (2) forming taste awareness (i.e., providing image, delivering knowledge and presenting guides) and (3) facilitating interpersonal interaction (i.e., social influence and cybercommunity influence), and suggested that these potential variables can influence readers’ behavioral intention to taste directly. Data collected from 329 respondents in Taiwan were tested against the research model using the structural equation modeling approach. The results indicated that excluding delivering knowledge, all the other proposed variables (i.e., experiencing appeal, generating empathy, providing image, presenting guides, social influence and cybercommunity influence) were the critical components significantly influencing online readers’ intention to taste, and the proposed model accounted for 70% of the variance. The findings of this study will not only help hospitality and tourism practitioners in understanding the perceptions of potential customers, but also provide insights into research on technology''s influence on hospitality and gastronomy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines how attitude interacts with factors affecting intention in course blogs. Based on technology acceptance and knowledge sharing, we develop a model which comprises nine constructs and eight research hypotheses, with attitude as a mediating construct. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze survey data collected from 340 primary school students in Taiwan. Attitude is the pivot of the factors influencing intention. The results show that, in order of importance, reciprocity, perceived ease of use, reputation, and expected association are the major factors contributing to attitude, whereas perceived usefulness, altruism, and trust have no significant influence on attitude. This study makes a contribution in understanding how educators and e-learning service providers can reinforce learners' attitude in an attempt to achieve the intention of continued course blog usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores travel blog marketing channel strategies and the conceptual business model of the marketing channel from travel agency practitioners’ perspective. It is the first attempt to evaluate the external environment forces of adopting a travel blog marketing channel and to discern the motivations for investment in a travel blog marketing channel. In addition to developing travel blog marketing channels’ differentiated strategies and emphasizing the performances of travel blog marketing channels, this study adopts a three-round Delphi research design. According to the findings, Taiwanese travel agencies consider four external environment forces, five internal motivations for investment, four developing differentiated strategies, and four channel performance measurement indicators. This study is quite innovative in that no one else so far has analyzed nor tried to discern the issues of travel blog marketing channel strategies and the business model of travel agency blogs. Finally, the construct of a travel blog marketing channel strategy model for Taiwan’s travel agency industry can help address practical and theoretical needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of adopting blogging upon Chinese language composition instruction in a vocational high school in Taiwan. The researchers developed a model that utilises blogging in Chinese language composition instruction. Forty randomly selected students from a public vocational high school served as the research participants. The experimental instruction was employed for eight weeks; all students completed a pre-test before the intervention and a post-test after. Statistical approaches reported include descriptive statistics, a one-sample t-test, and an independent t-test. The results of the study are as follows: (1) the instructional model of utilising blogging in Chinese language composition in a vocational high school can be successfully implemented with positive outcomes; (2) utilising blogging in Chinese language composition instruction can positively enhance students' composition learning; (3) the participants possessed a positive attitude toward the instructional model of utilising blogging in Chinese language composition instruction, and the majority of participants reported feeling positively about the overall design of the blog, the teaching materials, and their own achievement in learning composition; and (4) the instructor-student interaction was positive, which enhances participants' learning motivation and compositional ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore college students' computer attitudes regarding the use of blogs. The computer attitude survey included four factors: computer anxiety, computer confidence, computer liking, and computer usefulness. The subject for investigation consisted of 134 college students at a technical university in central Taiwan. The findings indicated that male students had higher confidence and lower anxiety scores than female students and participants who had personal web design experience reported significantly lower computer anxiety and higher computer confidence than those who did not have such experience. There was a significant variance in the length of time blogs were used and results demonstrated that students who spent more time blogging were more likely to have positive perceptions on computer usefulness. Most importantly, participants appeared to have developed optimistic attitudes toward computer usefulness based upon the amount of valuable information they had acquired from others' blogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to highlight the possibilities and challenges that underlie efforts to integrate blogs into teacher-education programs in Taiwan higher education. The participants were 12 pre-service teachers undertaking Master's level study in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The outcomes of the blogging project were highlighted in terms of pre-teachers' professional development on the blogs, their difficulties encountered, problem-solving strategies employed, and the students' perception of blogging. The results suggested that blogging could encourage pre-service teachers to actively and reflectively engage in knowledge sharing, knowledge transformation, and knowledge generation. Blogging also encouraged the development of numerous strategies to cope with difficulties encountered in the blogging process. Overall, pre-service teachers held positive attitudes toward blogging as a support for their professional development and were conscious of audience considerations, and so tended to select and respond to blog content deemed interesting and useful to their audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elected representatives in numerous democracies have adopted blogging as an additional mode of communication with their constituents. In the UK and other advanced democracies, this development has stimulated scholarly optimism as a potential remedy to the estrangement that citizens feel between themselves and their representatives. This article looks at the blogging practices of legislators in Taiwan, a third wave democracy that has recently witnessed declining turnout and support for democracy. Legislators in this switched-on democracy have enthusiastically embraced blogging—the article addresses how they are using the medium and assesses the prospects for reconnecting representatives and their constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although blog service providers have developed and promoted various interactive functions of their blog platforms, effects of the interactivities on posting behaviour are still vague. Based on past literature, we proposed an information sharing behaviour model involving three types of interactivities, flow and satisfaction. A survey of 586 blog owners demonstrated strong support for the model. The results indicated that flow and satisfaction were positively affected by various types of interactivities and influenced the information sharing behaviour. Furthermore, gender differences in the relationships among interactivities, flow and satisfaction were found. Finally, the implications of this research were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to compare impression management tactics and self-presentation in popular blogs in Taiwan and the United States. It is suggested that cultural factors such as the way that popular bloggers relate to others may contribute to how they present themselves and their social relations in blogs. To examine blogs as a new platform for studying cross-cultural communication, this paper first focuses on general descriptive elements of popular blogs and centers on elements of content of Taiwanese and American blogs. Second, this study compares the differences among impression management tactics in these blogs. Building on Goffman's (1959) constructs of self-presentation and operationalizing impression management strategies, this study content-analyzes the most popular blogs created by Taiwanese bloggers and American bloggers. Differences in the two independent variables mostly confirm our hypotheses. Findings showed that Taiwanese bloggers paid closer attention to their social relations, but refrained from revealing personal details; they also used more self-promotion strategies by showcasing their intellectuality. American bloggers, on the other hand, tended to dwell less on their relations, but were more open about themselves. Both findings are in line with the characteristics of the bloggers' cultural backgrounds: either relation-oriented or individualistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspectives of sentence patterns and sentence making, this study aims to explore 129 Taiwanese college students' (mixed genders and majors) responses to the class blog (http:// blog.sina.com.tw/f_2a/) offered in a required course in English Grammar in the spring semester of 2007. The research question is: How did two classes of Taiwanese college students relate the class blog to their learning about sentence patterns, practicing sentence-making and increasing sentencemaking ability? Data collection included 6-point-scaled course evaluation questionnaires together with a box of free comments, the instructor's journal entries, the class blog postings, and the students' reflection papers. The results of the study indicated that overall the respondents reported that the class blog significantly helped them to learn about sentence patterns (M=5.26), practice making sentences (M=5.53) and increase their ability to make sentences (M=5.31), which were particularly supported by the students' free comments in their questionnaires and their reflection papers. Suggestions are made for interested teachers who are using or will use blogs; implications are produced for interested researchers to work on further studies related to class blogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Weblog is a good paradigm of online social network which constitutes web-based regularly updated journals with reverse chronological sequences of dated entries, usually with blogrolls on the sidebars, allowing bloggers link to favorite site which they are frequently visited. In this study we propose a blog recommendation mechanism that combines trust model, social relation and semantic analysis and illustrates how it can be applied to a prestigious online blogging system – wretch in Taiwan. By the results of experimental study, we found a number of implications from the Weblog network and several important theories in domain of social networking were empirically justified. The experimental evaluation reveals that the proposed recommendation mechanism is quite feasible and promising. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Viewing the blog technology as an integral part of the current social-technical environment, this research aims to investigate whether the main influences on message diffusion within a blog community originate from external mass media channels or internal interpersonal communication channels. Design/methodology/approach - The authors employed the innovation-diffusion model and the OLS estimating method to study message diffusion of two documentary films on the Wretch, the largest blog community in Taiwan. Findings - The results indicate that the mass media is the main source of message diffusion and that the internal communication power may increase as the opinion leader promotes these messages. Research limitations/implications - Other factors that may influence message diffusion such as topic, design characteristics, and the existing social network have not been included. Practical implications - For practice, the result indicates that the mass media and the blog might complement each other. Originality/value - This research is one of the first that attempts to apply the innovation-diffusion model to analyze message diffusion within the blog community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project explored uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as wikis, blogs, and e-mail to facilitate knowledge exchange between in-service teachers in New York City and in-service teachers in Taipei, Taiwan. The project purposes were (1) to increase participants' awareness of international cultures in an educational context (2) to enhance cross-cultural interaction between the two countries, and (3) to provide participants opportunities to use ICT tools. The findings show that both groups of participants gained important perspectives on global education, increased knowledge of each other's culture and its impact on education, and increased competence with ICTs. Participants also demonstrate the ability to develop strategies to add global dimensions to the curriculum and instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — Weblogs, or blogs, have been a significant new development in recent years. Many businesses have begun using blogs to stimulate discussions, garner ideas, and provide further visibility. Thus, blog usage as well as individual motives behind continued usage is an important area of research. This research aims to examine behavioral motivations underlying individual intention to keep using blogs. Design/methodology/approach — Based on social cognitive theory and related technology adoption literature, this study considered knowledge self-efficacy, subjective norms, feedback, and personal outcome expectations as the determinants of continuing to share information on blogs. The proposed model was empirically evaluated using randomized survey data collected from 155 users of a popular web site in Taiwan (WRETCH blog). Findings — The results revealed that although both self-efficacy and personal outcome expectations affected directly the intention of sharing information on blogs, personal outcome expectations had stronger impacts on behavioral intention. In addition, social persuasion has no direct but indirect impact via self-efficacy and personal outcome expectations on the intention of sharing information. Practical implications — This study contributes to a theoretical understanding of the factors that promote the usage of weblogs. For web log service providers, the results help them better develop tools to enhance people's intention to share information. Originality/value — The paper verifies the effect of knowledge self-efficacy, personal outcome expectations, and social persuasion on the behavior of blog users. Furthermore, it verifies the determinants of knowledge self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates factors influencing Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs in Taiwan. First, this paper identifies Taiwanese Internet users’ beliefs about news-related blog credibility. Secondly, it examines whether these belief factors can predict their perceived credibility of news-related blogs. Thirdly, it explores whether Internet users’ individual characteristics, Internet use motivations, Internet use behavior, and innovative characteristics can predict their perceived credibility of news-related blogs. Four belief factors about news-related blog credibility were extracted from 13-item five-point Likert questions and account for 57.565% of the variance. Two out of four belief factors contributed significantly to the prediction of Taiwanese Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs. These predictor factors altogether explained 18.3% of the variance in Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs. To determine if belief factors were still predictive of Taiwanese Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs after controlling demographic, Internet use behavior, Internet use motivations, and users’ innovative characteristics, several hierarchical regression analyses were undertaken. The full model explained 29.1% of total variance in Taiwanese Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs. After controlling all possible confounding variables, the predictive impacts of credibility factors on Taiwanese Internet users’ perceived credibility of news-related blogs remained powerful and stable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on the interest showed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the elections in Taiwan in 2012. It examines the impact of Ma Ying-jeou's re-election on the political decision of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the relation of both countries, and the economic development in China. Meanwhile, it highlights the insights of several Chinese bloggers about the influence of the elections' results on Taiwan's political system.

An introduction is presented in which the author highlights on the issue intentional knowledge sharing behavior and shares his view points on knowledge and defines that it as a managed, gathered and communicated information in the view of his experience in his life.

The article discusses research investigating the effects of classroom blogging on English as a second language (ESL) undergraduate writers' performance compared with a traditional teaching approach. Researchers conducted an experimental comparison study using two intact writing groups comprised of 25 ESL majors at a university in Taiwan. Students were assigned to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG) and taught by the same instructor. Both groups received two 50-minute lectures per week for 18 weeks and the same course materials. The differences in the performance of students who used classroom blogging compared to paper-based methods to complete assignments are discussed.