Weblogs - What are they? Who is using them? What are other universities doing?
Tuesday, December 16, 2-3 PM
Baker Systems, room 120
What are they?
(Source: rebeccablood.net)
Weblogs are personal or organizational web pages organized by dated entries, with newer items posted to the top of the site, usually consisting of links, media, commentaries, personal thoughts, essays, papers and ongoing discussions.
What types of weblogs are in use today?
(Source: rebeccablood.net)
There are two main categories of weblogs: community based and web publishing based. We will deal with the web publishing based weblogs here.
There are three main types of web publishing based weblogs: Filter-style, Journal-style, and Blog-style.
Filter-style weblogs are based on links and comments posted to the site in response to other content on the web.
Journal-style weblogs are based on the original writings of the weblog owner.
Blog-style weblogs combine both Filter-style and Journal-style to provide a focused opinionated portal for both original writing and web content criticism.
Why are people using weblogs?
- to reveal things (attitudes, opinions, political thought) about one's self that may have gone unnoticed; posting over time reveals something about the writer.
- to improve one's writing style, increase confidence in one's writing style
- to provide an intimate look into the life and work of individuals
- to provide a space for community building, communities may spring up where none previously existed
What are the elements of a weblog? (Not all are necessary)
(Source: BloggerCon Essays)
- ability to post new content quickly by date
- ability to create categories, filter content presentation
- ability to archive
- ability to browse or search content
- ability to view content based on calendar
What are some issues related to weblogs?
(Source: BloggerCon Essays)
- How should one link to content on the web? Should there be an Elements of Style for weblogs?
- When to link/Rule of link -- when writing at length on a subject one should always link to original source material.
- Unedited vs. Unfiltered
- Unfiltered means there in no structured process to decide what does and does not get posted to the site.
- Unedited means there is no editing process, no pre-thought to postings on the site -- more stream-of-consciousness.
- Should there be a way to identify structured vs. unstructured content?
- An example of unstructured content would be opinions posted to a weblog.
- An example of structured content would be a lengthy paper on an issue on which the author has professional knowledge.
How are other universities using weblogs?
Harvard Law - Center for Internet and Society (HLS)
- anyone with a harvard.edu email address may sign up for and create their own weblog
- managers of the service hold regular meetings to promote the use of weblogs, discuss issues of policy, and new technologies
- managers of the service and IT administration have worked out many policy issues
- they hold a weblog conference
- offer a directory of all their weblogs
- offer a view of weblogs by popularity
- use Manila (weblog posting tool written by Dave Winer, one of the managers)
Stanford Law - Center for Internet and Society
- limited to members of the Center
- both a weblog for the center and for individual professors
- allow grad students weblog space
- very focused on subject matter related to the Center
- using MovableType (Perl based weblog publishing tool, open source)
What type of weblog tools are available?
(Source: Microcontent News)
Web publishing weblog tools are divided into two groups: those that need to be installed by the user before using, and those that are hosted or downloaded as applications.
No Install Weblogs and WYSIWYG Desktop Applications:
Blogger, Pitas, Diaryland, Big Blog Tool, Web Crimson
Pros:
- Ease of Getting Started
- Low Cost
- Multi-User support
Cons:
- At Mercy of Web App
- Don't Control Your Data
- Browser-based Editing
- Lost Data
- Limited Support for WYSIWYG Editing
- Limited Support for Comments
Caveats:
Of course, some of these cons can be addressed. The following caveats solve most of the six cons listed above:
- Data Export Features
- Weblog API, Client Applications
- WSYIWYG editing
- Comment Support
Install Weblogs
Userland/Manila, Greymatter, MovableType, bloxsom, CityDesk, TinderBox
Pros:
- Fewer lost posts
- Data stored on your own Server
- Customizability
- Native Support for Comments
Cons:
- Requires a webhost, costing money
- Can lose data if your server crashes
- Have to download and install program
- Have to download and install updates
Installing Perl Publishing blogware can be a bit intimidating for someone who isn't very comfortable with computers: you have to understand UNIX Permissions, how CGI works, and be comfortable installing Perl scripts. Because of the technical knowledge required to install Perl-based blogware, it's generally limited right now to advanced users (and their friends).
It's somewhat similar to the Linux operating system in that respect - most users stick with the Windows that's pre-installed on their systems, but some folks who really want to get under the hood will download and install their own version of Linux.
