What Is a Blogging Tory?

The term Blogging Tory refers to any one of the many

authors affiliated with the conservative Canadian

community known as The Blogging Tories. Today,

there are over a hundred and fifty text-based blogs

associated with the group, and there are new Blogging

Tories every day. The Tories stand as an inspiring

example of a successful online community where the

ever-increasing numbers of affiliated members enjoy a

fertile environment for discussion and debate about the

ideas that shape the face of Canada.

The majority of Tory bloggers do make political events

and topics the focus of their blogs, but not all of the

content that a Blogging Tory creates and publishes is

overtly related to the movements of the Canadian

parliament or the prime minister. Although the

community members were brought together by a shared

conservative viewpoint, the fact that not all of the

postings on all of the member's blogs focus on political

topics is one of the most exciting things about the

Blogging Tories. On any given day, the main website's

blogroll may feature postings about Olympic medalists,

a James Bond film festival in Quebec, or a comical

personal experience with a telemarketer. The idea that

having a political affiliation in common makes it

possible to have a fruitful discussion about other kinds

of topics has interesting implications for how online

communities are established and how they grow.