A Weblog Primer

1

• A Weblog Primer
• Memo Cordova
• 9/05

2
Weblogs - What is a weblog?

• From the OED
• A frequently updated web site consisting of
  personal observations, excerpts from other
  sources, etc., typically run by a single person,
  and usually with hyperlinks to other sites an
  online journal or diary.

3
Weblogs - What is a weblog?

• A web site that contains brief, discrete pieces
  of information called posts that are arranged in
  reverse chronological order. A weblog can contain
  a wide variety of content including written
  essays, annotated links, documents, graphics, and
  multimedia.

From http//www.xinfomodel.com/glossary.html
4
Weblogs - Terminology

• Web log weblog or Blog
• Blogger one who blogs
• Blogosphere network of blogs
• Post blog entry, a daily musing, etc.
• Comment just what it is

5
Weblogs - Where did they come from?

• Term coined by Jorn Barger in 12/1997
• Jesse James Garrett, editor of Infosift, began
  compiling a list of "other sites like his" as he
  found them in his travels around the web.
  Jesse's 'page of only weblogs' lists the 23 known
  to be in existence at the beginning of 1999.
• This rapid growth continued steadily until July
  1999 when Pitas, the first free
  build-your-own-weblog tool launched.
• From Weblogs a history and perspective - 7
  September 2000
• http//www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_hist
  ory.html

6
Weblogs - How many are there?

• Technorati is now tracking about 80,000 new
  weblogs being created every day, which means a
  new weblog is created about every second.
• 14.2 million weblogs as of July 2005
  http//www.ofcomwatch.co.uk/2005/
  08/how-many-weblogs-out-there

7
Weblogs Why the popularity?

• Blog software became widely available
• Software does not require specialized knowledge
• Simple to use publishing everyone can write

8
Weblogs

• Kinds of blogging services
• 1. Free, web-based blogging software

9
Weblogs

• 2. Not so free

• Some charge anywhere from 9.00 to 145.00/year
  for weblog hosting.
• You can always upgrade from the free version.

10
Weblogs
Check out a typicalblog
11
WeblogsAnatomy
Banner/title of Blog
Blogger, or person(s) responsible for the post
may include a profile of Blogger
Most recent post or entry on top, usually dated
Older posts/entries move to bottom
Archived posts
You can comment on content
12
Weblogs

• Who is blogging?
• Corporations, non-profits, governments, rock
  stars, pets, my uncle Dilbert, and a host of
  public, academic, and special Libraries!
• How many libraries are blogging?

245!
13
Weblogs
Estimates as of April 2005 from
http//www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/?p98

• 107 academic libraries
• 86 public libraries (15 have multiple blogs)
• 12 school libraries
• 12 assorted special libraries
• 11 library associations (state/national/provincia
  l, etc.)
• 8 library consortia
• 6 government libraries
• 3 corporate libraries

14
Weblogs

• Why blog?
• One-click online publishing
• Technically easy
• Update content as needed
• Can have more than one blog Library blog, legal
  news blogs, book blogs, ILL blogs, etc.

15
Weblogs Library weblogs (WordPress)
http//www.library.ohiou.edu/newsblog/
16
Weblogs Library weblogs (Movable Type)
http//teenblog.plymouthlibrary.org/
17
Weblogs Library weblogs (Blogger)
http//library.louisville.edu/kersey/news/2004/10/
welcome-to-our-blog.html
18
Weblogs Library weblogs (Blogger)
http//ubaltlawlibrary.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_uba
ltlawlibrary_archive.html
19
Weblogs Library weblogs (WordPress)
http//www.lili.org/futures/blog/
20
Weblogs
21
Weblogs The possibilities
22
Weblogs
Questions?