Blogging Assignment
Let’s start, as we all seem to do these days, with the Wikipedia definition.
A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual [1], with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others 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 many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting), which are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging, one which consists of blogs with very short posts. As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs.[2] With the advent of video blogging, the word blog has taken on an even looser meaning — that of any bit of media wherein the subject expresses his opinion or simply talks about something.
This
is what blogs
are. The next questions would be why. What prompts people to want other people
– complete strangers - to know what they think?
And what prompts complete strangers to read? One reason is offered by Bill from
“What's
the point of blogging?
Stephen King once wrote that the aesthetic of fiction is "story, story, damnit, story." He regards a
good story in fiction as more important than narrative cleverness, descriptive
vividness, or "even character." Well, the more I blog the more I
think the point of blogging is "conversation, conversation, damnit conversation." A post need not be the most
insightful, the most brilliant, or the most informed (although it must reach
some minimal acceptable standard for each of those). There are people in the
community who are more insightful, more brilliant, and God knows more informed
than you are. What you can do, and what you ought to do,
is write a post that sets up the topic at hand for the most interesting and
informative discussion you can. The community, which is the real point of all
this anyway, will take it from there. This is especially true on Daily Kos,
where
So, blogs facilitate conversation. They are also (and perhaps this might be more to the point of why many people blog) a means of self expression. They can be lyrical. They can be catty. They can be critical. They can be bubbly. As you write, be aware of the persona you are creating. Tone, word choice, writing style all play a part.
Blogs are also a way to track the rich, the famous, the infamous, the wannabe famous and, increasingly, a way to get famous. (Check out this article – now woefully out of date at three years old.) They are egalitarian in that anyone with a computer is free to start his or her own blog. They are elitist in that there are blogs and then there are BLOGS. Technorati (http://technorati.com/) rates them. What makes one blog “better” than another? They are . . . what you make of them.
Possible approach to blogging and choosing a topic for your research paper:
•Start with free writing
•After two weeks of this, see if any patterns develop.
•Chose one of the topics that comes up (frequently?) in your blogs to develop.
•Then use your blog to free write/further consider that topic.
•Now bring in some research. What have you found? Start breaking down your sources. What emerges?
•Go back to your original ideas. Anything changed?
Things to blog about:
•Anything within the parameters of the class – celebrity, fame, fans.
•The day’s news and/or editorials. Our sudden fascination with all things Malia and Sasha for instance. Or the transition of some people from the Business section to the Gossip Columns (how *is* Steve Jobs feeling these days?). How about having the first president with a MySapce page?
•Things that have happened to you – conversations you’ve had. Or overheard. Events you’ve attended. Movies you’ve seen.
•Whatever it is you’re a fan of yourself – Lance Armstrong, Steve Jobs, Brad Pitt, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfry, The Office, Anthony Bourdain, Jersey Shore.
•Something that came up in class – either in the readings or the subsequent discussion.
How often?
In the initial weeks, I’m asking that you blog more frequently. As you zero in on a research topic, the nature of your posts will necessarily change.
•In weeks 2 - 8 post three entries a week. Unless stated otherwise, you are free to blog about any topic related to the class at any time within that week. I strongly suggest you don’t do them all at the end of the week. It defeats the purpose and makes me cranky. In addition to your posts, comment on at least two entries from your classmates. Comments should reflect some thought you have given to the entry, rather than functioning as a verbal thumbs up.
•Once the proposal is assigned and you begin to identify your topic, your blog should reflect the shift from the broad to the narrower. It then becomes the place to work out your topics. During weeks 9, 10 and 11 post two entries per week and post as least three comments to entries from your classmates. These posts can begin to include references to the research that you are conducting on your topic.
•During weeks 12-13 you will be finalizing your argument. At this point the blog should become more focused on your research. Use it to work out some of the ideas you are working through as you begin writing. Use it to consider how others have approached your topic (some of this may eventually find its way into your paper). . This is also a space for discussing what didn't make it into the paper - the twists and turns your research took, what you rejected and why, what you really wanted to include and couldn't. At this point you should be making one to two posts a week and posting two to three comments. •Your last entry (due the last day of classes) should be a reflection on the experience of having kept a blog all semester.
FAQ –
How
long should my blog posts be?
Long enough. This sounds flip on the surface, but your posts should have a point, and length depends on the point you are making and what you need to do to make it. Do you need to set up the context? Do you need to provide a link to a picture or an article that prompted your post? Your posts can begin as gut reactions, but at some point you should pull back and consider *why* you had the reaction you had. This may take several paragraphs depending on your topic. Some may take more, some less.
How
do I link to outside materials?
Click on the “link” symbol in the composing screen (first symbol to the left). You will be asked to provide the URL to the external source.
Can
I link directly to someone else’s comment in the class blog?
You certainly can. In fact you are encouraged to and, in some cases you will be required to. Do as above, but instead of providing the external link, click on the entry you want to link to.
Should
I name my blog entries?
Yes. Among other things, this makes it easier for others in the class to find and link to your entries. It also allows readers to see, at a glance, what the entry is about.
How
do I see only my own entries, (or only the entries of another student in the
class)?
On the right hand side of the page, Filters allows you to choose the specific author you want to see.