To Blog, Or Not To Blog http:www'users'muohio'eduburkejjblog'html

1
To Blog, Or Not To Bloghttp//www.users.muohio.ed
u/burkejj/blog.html

• A TLTR Workshop
• John Burke
• April 6, 2005

2
What is a blog?

• Short for web log
• An online journal or diary
• Combinations of original writing/abstracting with
  links to other resources
• Reverse chronological order
• Individual author audience comments group
  authors
• Searchable archives
• Example the InfoMans blog

3
Whats a blog for?

• Outlet for expression of all kinds
• Personal, professional, political, etc.
• Current awareness updating
• Commentary on others comments
• Collaboration and group discussion
• Organizing information (text, images, links) with
  individual links and posting dates

4
Blogs in teaching and learning why

• Posting drafts for comment
• Journaling
• Online creation experience
• Group editing of documents
• Group discussion for a project
• Publishing and sharing work
• Tracking research developments
• Examples
• Georgia State University Library
• America and the World

5
Setting up my own blog

• BlogSpot (blogger.com)
• LiveJournal.com
• Available at Middletown in the near future
• Xanga.com
• Various other sites (free and fee-based) see
  this link

6
What choices do I have with blogs?

• Can be public or private
• Templates, links, layout
• Single voice one author
• Multiple authors
• RSS/Atom feed
• Comments (on/off)
• Archiving

7
How can I read blogs?

• Go directly to the blogs site
• infomanjjb.blogspot.com
• www.livejournal.com/librarianator
• Use an RSS feed reader/news aggregator
• List at www.lights.com/weblogs/rss.html
• Bloglines (www.bloglines.com)
• Use/create a page that lists blog post headlines
  (using RSS)
• www.mid.muohio.edu/library/thehap.cfm
• www.users.muohio.edu/burkejj/blogrss.html

8
What is RSS?

• Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary
• The feed a list of items headlines, postings,
  etc. with links
• Uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language) feeds
  often have .xml ending
• Newer, enhanced version is called Atom

9
Bonus whats a wiki?

• Blog-like
• Flexible arrangement
• Key difference anyone can edit posts/info.
• All revisions are archived
• Collaborative creation and editing
• Examples
• Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
• JuggleWiki (www.jugglingdb.com/jugglewiki/)
• Romantic Audience Project (ssad.bowdoin.edu8668)

10
Bonus whats podcasting?

• Audio blogging iPod broadcasting podcasting
• Recordings posted for download marketed through
  RSS feeds see iPodder.org for a directory
• Listen at computer, or on MP3 player
• More information at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P
  odcasting

11
Where can I find blogs?
0

• Technorati (www.technorati.com)
• Directory at Livejournal.com
• BlogStreet (www.blogstreet.com)
• Many searching options (www.lights.com/weblogs/se
  arching.html)
• Blogpulse (www.blogpulse.com) indicates posting
  trends
• Feedster (www.feedster.com) RSS feed directory

12
Blogs in teaching and learning where

• Weblogg ed (www.weblogg-ed.com/)
• Into the Blogosphere (blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere
  ) UThink
• Weblogs in Higher Education (www.mchron.net/site/e
  dublog.php)
• Shedding Light BLOG-MANIA (www.oln.org/teaching_
  and_learning/shedlight.php)

13
Where can I find more general information on
blogs?
0

• Wikipedia Weblogs entry (http//en.wikipedia.org
  /wiki/Blogs)
• Weblogs Compendium (www.lights.com/weblogs)
• About.com (weblogs.about.com)
• Books at Miami (and beyond) ugly link