Thursday 25 January 2007
Closing Reflections
Whats one thing you have learnt about blogging? What is your next step as a blogger?
Its a heatwave! Its a heat-ray!
Its the second day running with Cape Town temperatures peaking at over 35C. Inland they're well over 45C! We're at maximum fire hazard with firefighters being rushed from one fire to the next.
Quite by coincidence the US military has announced a heat-ray gun called the "the Active Denial System" which is intended to repel people. Apparantly it "it projects an invisible high energy beam that produces a sudden burning feeling".
Legal and Ethical Issues
Blogging raises several ethical and legal issues including:
1) Should bloggers adopt a journalistic code of ethics? Rebecca Blood argues in favour of journalistic ethics for bloggers. Apple sues a blogger to reveal his sources. Kimberlee Weatherall and Eugene Volokh provide 14 Copyright Tips For Bloggers.
2) Who owns the copyright on a blog? Blog plagiarism is becoming an increasing problem.
3) What forms of legal sanction might bloggers face? These include being sued for libel or even for comments from readers revealing confidential information. Bloggers have been arrested in several countries including France, Egypt, Iran and China. Sometimes blogs which are critical of government policies become invisible or inaccessable , including recently in Ethiopia. In the USA its more usual for bloggers to risk losing their jobs if they blog about their work. Chris Pirillo provides advice about "How Not to get Fired for Blogging".
4) Is it possible to blog anonymously? It may be according to the "Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents" from Reporters without Borders.
1) Should bloggers adopt a journalistic code of ethics? Rebecca Blood argues in favour of journalistic ethics for bloggers. Apple sues a blogger to reveal his sources. Kimberlee Weatherall and Eugene Volokh provide 14 Copyright Tips For Bloggers.
2) Who owns the copyright on a blog? Blog plagiarism is becoming an increasing problem.
3) What forms of legal sanction might bloggers face? These include being sued for libel or even for comments from readers revealing confidential information. Bloggers have been arrested in several countries including France, Egypt, Iran and China. Sometimes blogs which are critical of government policies become invisible or inaccessable , including recently in Ethiopia. In the USA its more usual for bloggers to risk losing their jobs if they blog about their work. Chris Pirillo provides advice about "How Not to get Fired for Blogging".
4) Is it possible to blog anonymously? It may be according to the "Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents" from Reporters without Borders.
Meet two bloggers!
Celia from the UCT Humanities Library will talk about why blogging is vital to her work. Andrea from the Centre for Educational Technology will introduce you to her travel blog.
Our blogs
We have serious blogging diversity across this group!
Chris explains the difference between the truth, lies and bullshit. Kobus asks for discussion of fee structures and surgical procedures. Darrol tries to get a court order for the eviction of a defaulting tenant. We are invited to followgrace but its difficult to keep up with her reading, crafts and whippets. Robin explains the origins of the Junkets publishing house. Helena wants to write Mc Gregor Subjectively as a newletter about this semi-mythical town. Meanwhile Norman gets lyrical and about a football visionary. Gordan and Jean are planning their Big African Adventure and Desiree and her family are living the adventure in Cape Town.
Chris explains the difference between the truth, lies and bullshit. Kobus asks for discussion of fee structures and surgical procedures. Darrol tries to get a court order for the eviction of a defaulting tenant. We are invited to followgrace but its difficult to keep up with her reading, crafts and whippets. Robin explains the origins of the Junkets publishing house. Helena wants to write Mc Gregor Subjectively as a newletter about this semi-mythical town. Meanwhile Norman gets lyrical and about a football visionary. Gordan and Jean are planning their Big African Adventure and Desiree and her family are living the adventure in Cape Town.
Monday 22 January 2007
Friday 19 January 2007
10 steps to better blogging
While there aren't hard and fast blogging rules, there are a number of accepted standards that make writing and reading a blog that much more enjoyable. For an introduction, see the '10 steps to better blogging' presentation.
Wednesday 10 January 2007
What can I blog about?
From algebra to zebras - you can be sure someone out there is blogging about it.
There are very few subjects, and some may say there are none at all, that are off limits. So what are you going to blog about?
Perhaps you want an online diary so that you can share your day-to-day news with family and friends across the globe. Or a travelogue that chronicles your intrepid adventures in South America.
You might want a space to air your views on a particular topic, be it current events, religion or the dismal state of South African soccer.
Or maybe you just feel the urge to brag about your grandchildren / gardening prowess / glass antiques collection.
The choice is entirely yours. So pick a subject, or a few for that matter, and go for it!
There are very few subjects, and some may say there are none at all, that are off limits. So what are you going to blog about?
Perhaps you want an online diary so that you can share your day-to-day news with family and friends across the globe. Or a travelogue that chronicles your intrepid adventures in South America.
You might want a space to air your views on a particular topic, be it current events, religion or the dismal state of South African soccer.
Or maybe you just feel the urge to brag about your grandchildren / gardening prowess / glass antiques collection.
The choice is entirely yours. So pick a subject, or a few for that matter, and go for it!
Blogging the World
A discussion about blogging generally starts in the wild early days of the World Wide Web of the early 90s. The dominant form of personal website during the 90s was the home page. (Some of these were truly awful ;) The history of blogs starts with easily updated "Whats new?" lists of new and interesting websites hence the term weblogs. The genre then diversifies? fragments? into forms such as the online journal, the citizen journalist, the bridge blog which comments on postings from several other blogs, teaching blogs and research blogs.
What they all have in common is separation of content from appearance, easy updating, listing of postings from most to least recent and a collection of recommended links (often other blogs).
Please reply with a comment outlining some of the objectives for your blog.
Are bloggers really like this?
Source: Blog Herald 8th May 2005
Is there any validity to the stereotype of bloggers as self-obssessed ?
Welcome to the Workshop!
Welcome to the "Blogging for Web Presence" workshop! This blog will be the main online environment for the workshop alongside the blogs of workshop participants.
We'll meet in the Upper Campus Student Learning Centre labs on 22nd Jan and 25th Jan from 5.30 - 7.30 pm. Between these meetings your assignment is ..... blogging ;)
We'll meet in the Upper Campus Student Learning Centre labs on 22nd Jan and 25th Jan from 5.30 - 7.30 pm. Between these meetings your assignment is ..... blogging ;)
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