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The Blogging Explosion Libraries and Weblogs

Computers in Libraries. Washington, DC. The Blogging Explosion Libraries and Weblogs. Darlene Fichter darlene.fichter@usask.ca University of Saskatchewan. March 14, 2003. Overview. What are blogs? A little history Blog dissection class Blogs & emergent information

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The Blogging Explosion Libraries and Weblogs

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  1. Computers in Libraries Washington, DC The Blogging ExplosionLibraries and Weblogs Darlene Fichter darlene.fichter@usask.ca University of Saskatchewan March 14, 2003

  2. Overview • What are blogs? • A little history • Blog dissection class • Blogs & emergent information • Blog features and software • 10 ways to use a blog • How to find out more

  3. What is it? Blog / Weblog is • A web page containing brief entries arranged chronologically • Can be like • A journal or diary • ‘What’s New’ page • Interesting links page “To me, the blog concept is about three things: Frequency, Brevity, and Personality.” Evan Williams (creator of Blogger)

  4. Terminology • Blogger – person who maintains a blog • Blogging – the act of creating a blog • Blogrolling – moving from blog to blog • Blogrolodex – a listing of other blogs • Blogorrhea – hundreds of posts per day about anything • Blawgs, Klogs … • See discussion of terminology on MetaFilter

  5. A peek at the past • NCSA’s What’s New page June 1993 • Netscape’s What’s New 1993-95 • Librarians' Site du Jour– Jenny Levine, 1995 • Dave Winer 1996 • Cam World 1997 Created and coded by hand Simple chronological lists

  6. Librarian’s Site du Jour November 30, 1995 --You've used their publication manual, now visit their web site. Yes the American Psychological Association has launched PsychNET, with lots of good stuff for non-APA members … http://www.jennyscybrary.com/1995/november.html

  7. Blogs today • Range from the simple to the sophisticated • Few features to chalk full on add-ons and little wizards • Interesting and useful to mundane and completely irrelevant

  8. Blogging explosion • 2000-2003 • Tools that made it easy to publish • No need to know HTML • No need to know FTP • Add / edit content anywhere, anytime • Dozens of features – dynamic, quick and easy to develop • Millions?? worldwide Can you guess what South American country is a hotbed for blogs?

  9. In the limelight • Lots of media hype • Google bought blogger • Tripod, the Web publishing unit of Terra Lycos • AOL is supposed to provide tools

  10. Dissecting a web log • beSpacific.com • Accurate, focused law and technology news • www.bespacific.com

  11. Blog entry

  12. Other features • Time stamp • Comments • Draft mode • Timed release

  13. Blogging add-ons • MyMediaList • manage book, music lists • AudioBlogger & AudBlog • phone and leave audio clips • Bloglet • set up a email subscribers option • Blogarithm • blogs that changed each day • Blogrolling • Bookmarklet to add links

  14. Pop open the hood

  15. 3. Post and publish

  16. Feature rich blogs • Powered by PHP, perl or some other scripting language and back-end database • Two examples: • Movable Type • Pmachine

  17. Pluses • Timely • Get to the point • Quick to skim • “Human filter” • Contextualized • What’s “Hot” • www.daypop.com

  18. Minuses • ROT • Redundant • All posting the same stuff • Obsolete • Links expire • Best before date! • Trivia • “my cat coughed up a fluff ball” • Misinformation • Rigor of validating information (rumor) varies greatly • Bias

  19. Resource for emergent information • Source for “emergent information” • Many times daily • Often before it hits the newsstands • e.g. • Viruses and hacks – slashdot • Biz News – Jeremy Allaire’s • Talks about the fact he is leaving Macromedia • Nothing official on Macromedia site where it says he’s CTO

  20. Searching blogs • Google indexes many • Rise of “Google bombs” – a brilliant gag by Adam Mathes called his friend a “talentless hack” • Directories at www.lights.com/weblogs • Blogdex (MIT) http://blogdex.media.mit.edu • LinkhypePopdex • Ecosystem • Daypop • Waypath • Blogwise – geographic categorical index

  21. Choosing a blogging solution • Lots of options • Dive in and try a few for free: • Blogger, Onclave,Web Crimson

  22. Types of blogs • Solo • Community blogs • Slashdot – news for nerds • LISNews.com

  23. Hosted locallyor remotely • Hosted • Antville • Blogger • LiveJournal • Onclave • Local Server • PMachine • Movable Type • Grey Matter BlogComp http://www.urldir.com/bt/

  24. Client solutions • Clients • FogCreek’s CityDesk, Windows • http://www.fogcreek.com/CityDesk/ • Eastgate’s Tinderbox, Macintosh • http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/

  25. Just a few of the factors • Types of blog • Features and functions • Server platform • Unix or Windows or MAC • IT help • Scripting languages • Security and privacy Blogging Software for Intranet Applications. ONLINE, January 2003

  26. 10 ways to use blogs 1. New Stuff to Share • Recommend internet sites & tools

  27. Promote it! 2. Marketing • Promote library events and programs • Let visitors subscribe via email • Distribute headlines (RSS) • My Pick: Announce movies, • link to trailers, reviews

  28. Get interactive 3. Talk back • Books you like • Let users post reviews and comments

  29. 10 ways … 4. Staff development • Fact sheets on new electronic resources • Tips and tricks 5. Share knowledge - KM • Best practices – “know-how” • Use for a committee, enable the “comment feature” • Presentation Blogging for Knowledge Exchange

  30. IT and budget crunch? 6. Automate Managing Links • Track web site links under review for adding to catalog or best sites • Tips: • Enable the comment button. • Choose a blog that archives by “topic” and use it for your links

  31. 10 ways … 7. Professional / personal development • Reflective nature, adds focus 8. Résumé • Professional blog • Write about your interests and what you find interesting

  32. Solve email overload 9. Project Tracking and Management • Provides a record in one place for a team of decisions, next steps • Points for discussion or comment

  33. Be a leader 10. Community information • Collect and syndicate local [city] news and events or university or college happenings • Be everywhere.

  34. Blogging and libraries • Lots of opportunities for libraries and librarians • Lightweight content management solution • Easy to publish • Inexpensive (free) • Multiple contributors • Lighten web maintenance workload

  35. Library related blogs • Gary Price – The ResourceShelf • Jenny Levine - Shifted Librarian • Jessamyn West - librarian.net • Stephen Cohen – Librarystuff.net • Complete List of Library blogs • www.libdex.com/weblogs/ For fun type in “librarian” in Google

  36. Finding out more • Weblogs Compendium • Articles: • Darlene Fichter - Blogging Your Life Away. ONLINE, May, 2001 • Darlene Fichter. Blogging Software for Intranet Applications. ONLINE, January 2003

  37. Thank you! • Darlene Fichter darlene.fichter@usask.ca University of Saskatchewan Library

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