Transcript Slide 1
Computers in Libraries Washington, DC The Blogging Explosion Libraries and Weblogs
Darlene Fichter [email protected]
University of Saskatchewan
March 14, 2003
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
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)
Terminology
Blogger – person who maintains a blog Blogging – the act of creating a blog Blogrolling Blogrolodex – moving from blog to blog – a listing of other blogs Blogorrhea – hundreds of posts per day about anything Blawgs , Klogs … See discussion of terminology on MetaFilter
A peek at the past
NCSA’s What’s New page June 1993 Netscape’s What’s New 1993-95
Librarians' Site du Jour
Levine, 1995 – Jenny Dave Winer 1996 Cam World 1997 Created and coded by hand Simple chronological lists
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
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
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?
In the limelight
Lots of media hype Google bought blogger Tripod, the Web publishing unit of Terra Lycos AOL is supposed to provide tools
Dissecting a web log
beSpacific.com
Accurate, focused law and technology news www.bespacific.com
Blog entry
Time stamp Comments Draft mode Timed release
Other features
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
Pop open the hood
3. Post and publish
Feature rich blogs
Powered by PHP, perl or some other scripting language and back-end database Two examples: Movable Type Pmachine
Timely Get to the point Quick to skim “Human filter” Contextualized What’s “Hot” www.daypop.com
Pluses
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
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
Searching blogs
Google indexes many Rise of “Google bombs” – a Adam Mathes called his friend a “talentless hack” brilliant gag by Directories at www.lights.com/weblogs Blogdex (MIT) http://blogdex.media.mit.edu
Linkhype Popdex Ecosystem Daypop Waypath Blogwise – geographic categorical index
Choosing a blogging solution
Lots of options Dive in and try a few for free: Blogger, Onclave,Web Crimson
Types of blogs
Solo Community blogs Slashdot – news for nerds LISNews.com
Hosted locally or remotely
Hosted Antville Blogger LiveJournal Onclave Local Server PMachine Movable Type Grey Matter BlogComp http://www.urldir.com/bt/
Client solutions
Clients FogCreek’s CityDesk, Windows http://www.fogcreek.com/CityDesk/ Eastgate’s Tinderbox, Macintosh http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/
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
10 ways to use blogs
1. New Stuff to Share Recommend internet sites & tools
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
Get interactive
3. Talk back Books you like Let users post reviews and comments
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
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
10 ways …
7. Professional / personal development Reflective nature, adds focus 8. Résumé Professional blog Write about your interests and what you find interesting
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
Be a leader
10. Community information Collect and syndicate local [city] news and events or university or college happenings Be everywhere.
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
Library related blogs
Gary Price – The ResourceShelf Jenny Levine Shifted Librarian Jessamyn West Stephen Cohen – librarian.net Librarystuff.net Complete List of Library blogs www.libdex.com/weblogs/ For fun type in “librarian” in Google
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
Thank you!
Darlene Fichter [email protected]
University of Saskatchewan Library