The Amazing World of Blogs

1
The Amazing World of Blogs

• Mike Ribble
• Instructional Services Coordinator
• College of Education
• Kansas State University

2
What are Blogs

• Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a blog
  as a website that contains an online personal
  journal with reflections, comments and often
  hyperlinks provided by the writer.
• Wikipedia goes on to talk about the range of
  blogs from individual diaries to arms of
  political campaigns, media programs, and
  corporations.

3
http//davidwarlick.com/2cents
4
Where did it begin?

• Term weblog coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger then
  shortened to blog by Peter Merholz in 1999.
• Its precursors were AP Wire, Ham radio glogs,
  Usenet, e-mail lists and bulletin boards.

Source - Wikipedia.com, accessed 8/26/2005
5
http//www.peterme.com
6
How Did It Become So Popular?

• Political Influence - 2001-2002, fall of Trent
  Lott, rise of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark
• 2003, Iraq War - Baghdad Blogger
• 2004, Rathergate - bloggers exposed documents
  as forgeries

Source Wikipedia.com, Accessed 8/26/2005
7
http//directory.etalkinghead.com
8
Blogs Today

• 50 million Americans or 30 of ALL American
  Internet Users visited a blog in the 1st quarter
  of 2005, up 45 from 2004
• Blog readers view more pages, spend more time
  online and tend to make more purchases online
  than average Internet user

Source clickz.com, Original report by comScore
(sponsored by SixApart and Gawker Media
9
Source comScore (2005)
10
http//powerlineblog.com
11
http//wizbangblog.com
12
So How Can They Be Used In Education?

• Instructors - posting content related
  information, networking or knowledge sharing,
  instructional tips, announcements, annotated
  links
• Students - reflective journals, assignment
  submission, dialog for groups, share resources
• University - recruiting tool, announcements

13
http//www.tulane.edu/blog
14
http//www.erau.edu/db/journals/st5.html
15
How Do I Create A Blog?

• 1 - Find a free blog host site and create an
  account - blogger.com, livejournal.com,
  blogmeister.com
• 2 - If want to host your own blog - obtain
  software for your website - Moveable Type (most
  popular)

16
http//www.blogger.com
17
http//www.livejournal.com
18
http//www.sixapart.com
19
Whats Next? RSS

• RSS - Really Simple Syndication - select websites
  that want updated material
• Websites have created RSS feeds (tags to alert
  users about updates). When there is a change in
  information on the site the users are notified of
  the update. This saves the user from having to
  go search for information.
• Can set up feeds in Bloglines

20
http//bloglines.com
21
Whats Hot? Podcasting

• Podcasting is audio blogging.
• Come back Oct. 7 to hear more on podcasting
• The original podcasts were for Apple iPods, but
  anything that can play MP3 files can listen to
  podcasts
• New Apple iTunes allows users to download
  podcasts to their player.

22
iTunes Music Store - Podcasts
23
http//davidwarlick.com/connectlearning
24
Thank you for your attention
I have given you some ideas to think about - now
go and try some of them out. Always remember,
start small and build on successes.
I know there are questions - so lets get started.