May 31, 2007 at 3:16 pm (Blog Basics)
With the Read/Write web in full swing, there are a lot of options when it comes to the type of software that will operate your blog. Many blog networks provide free blogging software and storage for your blog. It’s sort of like having your own free web site, like at geocities.com, but along with storing your web files, the networks also provide WYSIWYG (what you see if what you get) software. Here are some of the more popular blog software networks:
- Blogger.com
- WordPress.com
- LiveJournal.com
Most newbies start off with free blogs. However, you can also create a blog on your own using the same kind of blog software (such as Blogger, WordPress, Moveable Type, and Type Pad). The advantage to doing this is that you have more control and usually more power (bells and whistles). The disadvantage is that you usually need to be more technically savvy than if you used a freebie blog site. These blogging software platforms are just that, software, so normally, you need some kind of programming skills to really be able to use them well.
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May 26, 2007 at 8:48 am (Blog Basics, Getting Started)
Most bloggers start out as blog readers. They usually have a few blogs they like to read regularly, either by bookmarking them on a web browser and visiting daily or subscribing to an RSS feed. So, if you want to join, that’s your first step: become a blog reader. After becoming a reader, the next step is normally to start commenting on these blogs, thus becoming part of the conversation; however, technically to become a full-member of the blogosphere, you need to blog. It sounds like a large leap from reader to casual commenter to blogger, but because of the free access to blog software and user-friendly platform most of them have, it’s really not that difficult. You’ll need to determine the answers to the following questions to get started blogging:
- What is my purpose for blogging?
- What type of blog do I want to write? Filter? K-blog? Journal? Combination?
- Who do I want to host my blog? Assuming you want free hosting, options might be WordPress.com or Blogger.com (for example).
- What do I want to blog about? Can you word this topic into phrase, tagline, or subtitle?
- What would I like the title of my blog to be? (This can affect your URL.)
- Do I want my blog to be public or limit it to a select group who will need a password to access it?
- Would I at some point want to earn some revenue from my blog?
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May 7, 2007 at 11:40 pm (Blog Basics, Getting Started)
Before jumping into the blogosphere and starting your own blog, it’s a good idea to do a little preliminary brainstorming first. Below are a few questions to consider before starting your first blog:
- What is my purpose for blogging?
- What type of blog do I want to write? Filter? K-blog? Journal? Combination?
- Who do I want to host my blog? Assuming you want free hosting, options might be WordPress.com or Blogger.com (for example).
- What do I want to blog about? Can you word this topic into phrase, tagline, or subtitle?
- What would I like the title of my blog to be? (This can affect your URL.)
- Do I want my blog to be public or limit it to a select group who will need a password to access it?
- Would I at some point want to earn some revenue from my blog?
By answering these questions before you start up a blog, you can save yourself a lot of time and thoughtfully create a blog you will enjoy blogging on regularly.
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May 7, 2007 at 10:48 pm (Blog Basics, Professional Blogging Tips)
Right now, there are millions of blogs out there on the World Wide Web, but there are not necessarily millions of readers for every single blog. That means there is a chance of getting lost in digital space. If you just want to write a blog for yourself, then this may not be that big of a deal for you. However, one of the cool points of writing a blog is the idea that you are starting a conversation for others in the blogosphere to join in. Thus, most bloggers want to be seen and virtually heard.
One way to become popular is to fill a void. Just like with any business, if you can fill a need you can usually make some money. Therefore, if you can fill a content void, then you can usually attract readers.
While this may be easier said than done, the idea of niche blogging is to find a rather narrow topic that you have some knowledge, interest, or expertise in, and which is not much (if at all) covered by other bloggers. For example, a political blog would not be a good niche because there are zillions of them on the net. If you are a famous politician, you might get some attention, but otherwise, you will be just one of (too) many bloggers covering a topic that is pretty much done to death.
On the other hand, if you are a gardener and have a keen interest in creating Zen rock gardens, then that would be a much narrower topic. Check a blog search engine to see how many Zen rock garden blogs you can find. Read through some of the hits that show up when you search, and ask yourself if you see a need for this topic. Is there an audience? Is there enough information out there already?
See these articles/blog posts for more on niche blogging:
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/12/16/niche-blogging-benefits/
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/04/19/one-blog-many-cateogories-or-many-blogs/
http://blogs.tech-recipes.com/davak/2007/02/19/is-niche-blogging-a-myth-small-isnt-the-new-big/
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/6_startup_lessons_2007.php
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May 7, 2007 at 7:46 pm (Blog Basics, Class Handouts)
Most people who eventually become bloggers start out by reading other people’s blogs first. Even after joining the blogosphere as a blogger, it is important for bloggers to continue reading other blogs in order to be part of the conversation. Blogging is all about community and cooperation. If you basically blog in a vacuum then you miss out on this and really aren’t part of the blogosphere. But, how do you find blogs in the first place? How do you manage to find blogs on topics you are particularly interested in?
Here are few tools available on the Internet for tracking down blogs:
- http://blogsearch.google.com/ - Yes, you can use straight Google to find blogs, but even better is Google Blog Search. It operates the same as Google; just type in key words of phrases and click “Search Blogs,” and it will bring up a list of blogs in that topic. If you are already familiar with Google as a web search engine, then this is a good place to start.
- http://technorati.com/ - This is a blog database. You can search through the blog directory using key words, much like a typical search engine.
- http://www.feedster.com/ - Using RSS feeds to monitor blogs all over the web, this is another blog search engine.
- http://www.blogpulse.com – Also a blog search engine, Blogpulse, though, also attempts to concentrate on blog trends.
- Other blogs – Finally, a wonderful way to locate blogs on topics you are interested in is by checking another blog’s blog roll or also reading through comments posted on a blog. The blog roll will have blogs listed on similar topics. The comments will often have links back the blog of the person who commented. Usually, this person will be writing about the same or similar topic.
(image link)
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April 9, 2007 at 2:40 pm (Blog Basics, General Info)
The term “weblog” is a combination of the word “web” and the word “log.” The term “blog” is a shortened version of “weblog.” Though the most common form of blog resembles an on-line public diary, there are a number of different types and variations of blogs.
Wikipedia (a wiki) defines weblogs as follows:
A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media.The term “blog” is a portmanteau, or, in other words, a blend of the words web and log (Web log). “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
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April 4, 2007 at 1:34 pm (Blog Basics)
- Journals: Like a personal diary, these are used to record a sort of memoir in progress.
- Filters: These usually provide links and commentary to other articles or information posted throughout the web, often creating a mixture of original content and information from outside resources.
- K-blogs: K stands in the case for “knowledge,” and the purpose of these blogs is to pass on information. They usually are made primarily of original content written by the blogger.
- Combination: A large number of blogs are a mixture of all of the above: journals, filters, and k-blogs.
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Leaving Comments
May 27, 2007 at 2:51 pm (Blog Basics, Links/Comments)
One way to be part of the blogosphere is to read and comment on other blogs. Comments are a way of joining the conversation. Often, bloggers will actually prompt their readers to respond. Comments provide an outlet for readers to join in and discuss the issues posted in blog entries.
Normally, when leaving a comment it requires you to include your name, email address, and the URL of your own blog (if you have one). A link under the post will actually say “Comments.” By clicking on this link, an area will open up allowing you to post your thoughts. Some blogs permit for comments to publish right away, while others will hold the comments for the blogger’s approval. Another option is to require comments to be registered members of a network (like at Blogger.com) or there might be a special series of words or numbers that must also be entered by the person leaving the comment.
All of this is to provide a way to limit spamming. If a blogger opts for comment approval, she can go in later and either approve or deny the comment to be published. Safeguards such as registration or special words require extra steps from the person commenting, so this often will deter spammers (though not always).
Other than commenting to be part of the blogosphere, another reason for commenting is to leave links back to your own blog. This way, you automatically add external links which point back to your blog. It is also a pretty good way for blog readers to find other blogs of interest because very often those leaving comments have blogs on the same or similar topic.
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