Have you seen EPIC?

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Have you seen EPIC?

• http//epic.lightover.com/

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Syndicated Content(web sites and blogs)
November 28, 2005

• Getting to content, faster easier

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This is a LUNCH and Learn

• You eat, Ill talk
• But its OK for you to ask questions
• Lets pray first

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Part 1 Major Focus Today

• READING syndicated content
• Keeping up with changes, without consuming a lot
  of time

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Today is a sampler

• NOT in-depth training
• If there is interest, we can discuss real
  training (if you really need it)

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This is NOT

• a blogging introduction
• But feel free to be inspired to blog
• And stay tuned for part II
• Focus is on READING syndicated content

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Warning!

• Prepare for a bit of information overload
• NOT by my presentation
• By what it may lead to, for you
• Information junkies this may be your fix
• "I was just wondering which if any of these
  sites that everyone has listed has RSS feedsmy
  new drug of choice
• - Dan Barber

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Some blogs of possible interest

• http//seacoastchurch.typepad.com
• http//www.garylamb.blogspot.com
• http//www.FoxNews.com/rss/index.html
• http//perrynoble.com/
• http//www.TerryStorch.com
• http//www.google.com/googleblog
• http//tonymorgan.typepad.com

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Blogging vs. Syndicating

• Are blogs just a fad?
• Possibly
• Does syndication make sense anyway?
• Probably
• Syndication and blogging dont have to be the
  same thing
• timely delivery of content

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Handout 1

• More sites of possible interestYou may not like
  these
• Choose your own. Estimates are that some 1500
  are created daily!

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More and More

• How do you limit yourself? How do you "get it
  faster?"
• Compare with reading. You CAN'T read every book
  you're interested in! Nor every newspaper
• Compare with websites in general. You CAN'T
  check every one you might care about.
• TV news. News Radio. Cable News. How much?
• Of course, you do keep up with phone calls and
  email, right?

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How can you keep up?

• Reading these sites is interesting (addictive)
• Do you make them all favorites?
• Do you create a page to sites of interest and
  link from there?
• Do you set a task to look every day?
• Is there some way to make this easier?

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Is there some way to make this easier?

• Of course!
• Introducing Syndication
• RSS Really Simple Syndication
• AKA Rich Site Syndication, and other names
• If you really care, more details here
• http//www.feedburner.com/fb/a/aboutrss
• RSS is a standard for publishing regular updates
  to web-based content

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Publishing?

• As with newspapers and magazines
• Making something new available
• Doesnt mean somebody HAS to read it
• Somewhat of a push of content
• Consider thousands (millions!) of individual
  publications. YOU collect those of interest to
  YOU. Your own virtual newspaper?

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Push?

• Q If the site is pushing, how do I receive it?
• A A feed reader
• Is Outlook a reader? No
• Is Internet Explorer a reader? No
• At least not directly, not of syndicated content

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Feed Readers

• Also know as RSS readers
• Or aggregators
• There are LOTS of them, some free, some not
• SharpReader
• FeedReader
• FeedDemon
• And many more

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Bloglines

• A very easy start at RSS reading
• http//www.bloglines.com
• Bloglines is an RSS reader
• Allows you to easily monitor many different RSS
  feeds
• Free. Does require a login

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Google Reader

• Google is fairly new to the RSS reader market
• Very interesting product
• http//www.google.com/reader

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Handout 2

• Reference information

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Using Bloglines - MyBlogs

• Once you have a bloglines account, use the
  myblogs link
• http//www.bloglines.com/myblogs
• Lets look at mine

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Demo

• Tonys current Bloglines view
• http//www.bloglines.com/myblogs

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Keeping things under control

• Grouping
• Unsubscribing / retiring
• You cant read it all!

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Editing Bloglines Subscriptions

• Its easy to add a feed if you know the address
• Or, add a favorite item and its easy to add
  while reading
• Want more on what youre reading, click the
  heading to open the real site
• Change your subscription right at the top of
  each feed

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What feeds do you want to see?

• Look at sites to see who they reference
• Google has a new search for blogs
  http//blogsearch.google.com
• Or a regular google search forsubscribe rss
  feed(Yes, the brackets matter)
• There are plenty of other ways

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Miscellaneous thoughts

• Podcasts
• Blogging policies
• Tagging. Check out sites like
• http//www.technorati.com
• http//del.icio.us
• Plenty of others

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How interesting?

• Does this make sense for you?
• Time waste, or time gain?

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Questions? Discussion?
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Brief break?
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(No Transcript)
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Part II - Blogging

• Blogging (Personal publishing? / simple website)
• Why blog?
• Who should blog?
• Should Perimeter Church have bloggers?

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Handouts

• Same as for Part 1 pick up if you dont already
  have

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What is a Blog?

• Web Log gt Weblog gt blog
• A journal?
• A personal news column
• An outlet for an author of short content
• Or long
• From Part I RSS is a standard for publishing
  regular updates to web-based content

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Why Blog?

• Alternative to email and traditional web sites
• Good for daily (or weekly) or other semi-regular,
  not-too-frequent, updates
• Excellent for short, urgent, announcements
• Think newspaper article
• You are the journalist
• YOU control the distribution frequency

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Why?

• You get to be your own editor
• Test the market for your publication
• Very easy updating
• Latest news, plus automatic archiving of all
  previous

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Who should blog?

• Anyone with something to share
• Those who need alternative ways to communicate
• Anyone with a ready audience

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Issues

• Personal vs. Church Staff Member where are the
  boundaries?
• Costs
• Time
• Confusion with www.perimeter.org or the Pulse

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The time question

• If you already send email, does blogging take
  additional time?
• It may take less!
• Unless youre creating entirely new content

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Big question

• Is this discussion showing disloyalty for current
  communications mechanisms?
• Or is blogging compatible with our web site, and
  the Pulse, and other legitimate endorsed
  communication methods?

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Some reference information

• Blogging Policy http//www.leaveitbehind.com/home
  /2005/04/fellowship_chur.html
• Getting Started http//www.techsoup.org/howto/art
  icles/internet/page2084.cfm

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More reference

• Terry Storchs Blogging 101 class
  http//www.terrystorch.com/2005/05/blogging_101_no
  .html
• Brian Baileys building a better blog
  http//www.leaveitbehind.com/home/2005/01/building
  _a_bett.html

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Protecting yourself if you blog

• The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has
  taken a lead in protecting free speech on the
  Internet, has put together guidance on how to
  stay out of trouble. This is well worth reading,
  even for experienced blog writers. You'll find it
  at
• http//www.eff.org/Privacy/Anonymity/blog-anon
  ymously.php

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Blogging opportunities for Perimeter

• Global Outreach Journeys prep progress (daily
  updates?)
• Special Events Childcare
• Community Outreach Critical Needs
• Randys notes (sermon or otherwise)
• Perimeter IT Training
• Watershed events

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More thoughts on Perimeter Blogging

• News of the day
• Whats new in the Perimeter Bookstore
• The latest on Randys books
• New releases (web or otherwise) from Sound
  Resources
• Unite!

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More thoughts on Perimeter Blogging

• Discipleship
• Front Door Ministries needs and schedules
• Any Ministry Team communications, records,
  archives
• General Teaching Church
• Church Resourcing
• What else?

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What about?

• Using blogs as the target for the buttons on
  the Pulse?
• Blogs make it very easy to see how new content is

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Blogging quick start

• Use your bloglines account to try it out
• Very basic
• Free
• Better try typepad.com
• 30 day trial
• Lots of built in tools
• Fancy wordpress or MovableType
• Time and money

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Privacy

• Most blog sites are public
• You can choose to publicize your blog. Or not
• Security through obscurity

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Who wants to blog?

• Personally?
• Under a Perimeter umbrella?
• Does blogging make sense for Perimeter Church?

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Any need for deeper training?
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Miscellaneous

• Permalinks
• Trackbacks
• Links to others
• Quotes and Attributes

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Questions Discussion
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Have you seen EPIC?

• http//epic.lightover.com/

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Thank you for coming!

• Please ask if you want more info

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(No Transcript)