Everybody has an opinion; on every single subject imaginable, and with the Internet, social media, forums, etc., it’s easier to share it than ever. And, boy, do we like to speak our minds.
We just love to say what we think, even if it’s unnecessary which, in all honesty, is most of the time. That’s great and not-so-great at the same time.
It’s nice to see what other people think, but how do you know if they’re being honest? Is an influencer promoting hair vitamins on Instagram really honest, or are they getting paid to share their “experience”? Do you really need that teeth whitener, or is your favorite YouTuber just trying to earn money and they’ve never even touched the product they’re promoting? Where do you go to get an honest, unbiased opinion?
As it turns out, there are places like that, and we’re here to tell you all about them!
Blogs: A Modern Platform for Personal Expression
Blogs started out as simple online diaries where people would share their personal stories or daily experiences.
Over time, they’ve grown into professional platforms that cover all kinds of topics, with popular sites like WordPress, Medium, and Blogger being the most well-known out of the bunch.
Personal blogs are still a place for people to share their thoughts, opinions, and interests, but there are also professional blogs, which focus on things like travel, fashion, technology, etc., and offer expert insights.
Corporate blogs are used by businesses who want to connect with their customers and promote their products or services at the same time. So, how genuine are opinions you find on blogs? So-so at best, but that’s not to say that they can’t be found.
With over 600 million blogs online, it can be a challenge to find authentic or factual information. And with 61% of U.S. consumers admitting that they’ve been influenced by information on a blog, there’s naturally growing skepticism over sponsored posts (data by OptinMonster).
You can certainly find honest opinions on blogs, but you’ll also inevitably find paid ads and sponsorships disguised as authentic opinions. You can leave a comment to engage with the content creator, but the comment section is usually controlled by whoever owns the blog, so they decide what to get published.
So, are blogs the best place to go for real opinions? The most correct answer would be – it depends.
Newsgroups: A Legacy Platform for Open Discussion
Blogs are good, Usenet’s newsgroups are better. Newsgroups were one of the first platforms for open discussions online and they’ve played a big role in the development of online communication.
Usenet, which is the backbone of these newsgroups, allows for this free-flowing dialogue because it’s decentralized: there’s no single entity that oversees the conversations and users can participate in a wide range of topics.
Usenet is also extremely protective of its users’ privacy; everything on there is protected by SSL encryption, so people can exchange authentic, unfiltered opinions.
If you’re interested in joining these open discussions, you’ll need to go through one of the top Usenet service providers to get access to thousands of newsgroups.
According to Lifewire, Usenet has approximately 25000 active newsgroups, which offer a wide range of topics known for allowing open, uncensored discussions.
Blogs vs Newsgroups
Let’s put blogs and newsgroups side by side to see how they compare.
Control and Creation
Blogs are run by businesses or people who decide what gets published. This can lead to bias because blog owners can only make posts that support their views or that fit their brand.
On the other hand, newsgroups like those on Usenet are decentralized, which means anyone can post. This results in a greater variety of opinions because no single person or group controls the conversation.
Audience Engagement
Blogs allow readers to leave comments, but these are often moderated, so if you happen to say something the blog owner doesn’t like, they’ll just remove it. Open discussions can’t really exist in this type of environment.
Newsgroups, however, lets its users engage in actual conversations with each other, so you get a more dynamic and open environment for discussions that encourages different viewpoints.
Bias & Objectivity
Blogs can be heavily influenced by commercial interests (sponsorships or ads), which means that the content can’t be objective in those cases – even though content creators swear that it is. Blogs can offer genuine opinions, of course, but there’s a high chance of bias there.
According to HubSpot, 77% of blog posts receive the majority of tier traffic in the first 30 days of publication. This data shows that most blog posts are designed to capture attention (influencer culture, paid sponsorships). Not all blogs are unreliable, but some caution is advised. In contrast, discussions on Usenet continue for months/years.
Newsgroups are far less likely to be influenced by commercial interests because they’re decentralized and open.
Longevity of Discussions
Blogs tend to have short-lived conversations that usually end once the post is no longer new. Comments might be left, but the discussion (if it even gets to it) doesn’t continue for long.
But with newsgroups, conversation can go on for years.
Conclusion
Both blogs and newsgroups are good for finding genuine opinions, but their approach differs. Blogs are far more structured and controlled and they’re usually influenced by the owner, while newsgroups offer an open, decentralized space for discussions.
You’ll find a broader range of viewpoints on newsgroups, with ongoing conversations that can evolve over time.
We’d advise you to explore both because each of these platforms is useful in its own way.