My early impressions of using a blog were quite positive. I had previously expected the experience of creating and maintaining a blog to be complicated and time consuming. This week taught me that I could not have been more wrong. Creating a blog takes between 2-5 minutes. I did not have a Gmail account and, since I was using Blogger which requires the user to have a Gmail account, I had to create one. Once I did that, the process was smooth, easy and extremely uncomplicated. Blogger guided me through the various steps necessary and, before I knew it, I had created my own blog! I was pleasantly surprised at the many features which are available to add and personalize a blog. The settings, layout and monetize tabs are filled with add-ons which can enhance and customize one’s blog as well as enable it to cater to a specific audience or field. In addition, the blogger has the ability to edit any post at any time and to change any add-on or customization without difficulty- another huge advantage for a beginner like me!
My early impressions of using a RSS feeder were positive as well – although I found it more difficult than creating blog. I used Google Reader to create RSS feeds. Google Reader’s website has a presentation on how RSS feeds work. After watching it, I was able to choose several news websites to follow such as CBC, BBC, FoxNews, CNN, ABC and MSNBC. I found it more difficult to put RSS feeders in my blog simply because I did not know how to add them. I “played around” with the blog for a while, exploring the various options in each tab, until I discovered that, in the layout section of the blog, there is an option to add feeds. I picked three websites to follow: CBC, FoxNews and CNN. Initially, I was not used to having all the updated news on these news sites in one place. It felt strange not having to check CBC, BBC, FoxNews, CNN, ABC and MSNBC individually. In addition, the layout was different than in the actual website and I had to adjust to the new layout. A day later, I began to appreciate RSS feeds. I could receive all my news updates in one place – which saved time and energy. The format was clear and the information presented was exactly what I would have searched for in the actual website! The same is true of the three news sites I chose to follow on my blog.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Web 2.0 and the Blog
In today’s day and age, Web 2.0 technologies are essential for the development of any professional or business person’s life. Web 1.0, the previous version of the Internet, was all about an “information silo” with its Publish/Browse format. Readers were consumers. Web 2.0 revolutionized the world with its Read/Write format. Readers became active participants, collaborating and connecting with one another. Web 2.0 has many benefits for professional and business people. Users can communicate with colleagues, clients and professional organizations and share ideas, media and information. Users can customize the manner in which they use and search the web, saving them precious time and energy. Users can receive instant news updates, giving them access to the information they need, when they need it. Users can co-author encyclopedias and Wikipedias, which can help get their name out there and give others access to important information. RRS feeds help determine which information should be skimmed over and which should be read in depth. These time-saving tools enable the user to use his or her time more effectively and efficiently. In addition, Web 2.0 enables users to develop skills which are integral to the success of any professional or businessperson, such as higher order thinking skills (from high to low - create, evaluate, analyze, apply, understand, knowledge). It also encourages participation and creativity from the users and readers, allowing the user to reach out to new audiences he or she may have otherwise never encountered.
Blogging in particular is very beneficial for professional or businesspeople. Blogs are all about ideas, reflections and conversation, updated on a regular basis. Blogs contain questions and links. They ask readers to think about what has been said and to respond. Readers are engaged and there is a continuous dialogue. For any professional or businessperson, this can be a huge resource, not only because it enables one to be constantly connected to clients and colleagues, but because it allows the user to connect to readers, clients and colleagues on a personal level. In today’s competitive world, the personal touch is something which is often lacking. There are many types of blogs which can be used, depending on one’s profession or business. They include personal diaries, news blogs, activist blogs, political blogs, education blogs, technology blogs, corporate or industry blogs, celebrity and gossip blogs and even hobby blogs. Bloggers can write content and readers can comment back and forth. Bloggers can also add a blog roll and links to other websites or blogs, all of which can increase traffic to the blog.
Blogs can be used in classrooms, allowing students and teachers to communicate with each other about the material and assignments. Blogs can be used as professional tools to enable groups to communicate internally or externally. Small committees or groups can use blogs to share links, store documents and manage and communicate the knowledge within a group. Blogs can be used as building blocks for websites, which can help ensure that they are always updated. Blogs can be used in any setting to post information, announcements, projects, photos and FAQ. Blogs can even replace key sections of websites. All in all, blogs are quite flexible and have so much potential that it would be impossible to list the many areas in which they can benefit professional and businesspeople. It is important to note that blogs teach bloggers certain essential skills, such as critical reading and writing skills, information management skills, media and information literacy as well as the manner in which human and computer networks function. Blogs teach the blogger the art of collaboration. They also help develop confidence and improve self expression – all of which are extremely useful no matter which field one chooses to enter!
The above information was taken from Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
Blogging in particular is very beneficial for professional or businesspeople. Blogs are all about ideas, reflections and conversation, updated on a regular basis. Blogs contain questions and links. They ask readers to think about what has been said and to respond. Readers are engaged and there is a continuous dialogue. For any professional or businessperson, this can be a huge resource, not only because it enables one to be constantly connected to clients and colleagues, but because it allows the user to connect to readers, clients and colleagues on a personal level. In today’s competitive world, the personal touch is something which is often lacking. There are many types of blogs which can be used, depending on one’s profession or business. They include personal diaries, news blogs, activist blogs, political blogs, education blogs, technology blogs, corporate or industry blogs, celebrity and gossip blogs and even hobby blogs. Bloggers can write content and readers can comment back and forth. Bloggers can also add a blog roll and links to other websites or blogs, all of which can increase traffic to the blog.
Blogs can be used in classrooms, allowing students and teachers to communicate with each other about the material and assignments. Blogs can be used as professional tools to enable groups to communicate internally or externally. Small committees or groups can use blogs to share links, store documents and manage and communicate the knowledge within a group. Blogs can be used as building blocks for websites, which can help ensure that they are always updated. Blogs can be used in any setting to post information, announcements, projects, photos and FAQ. Blogs can even replace key sections of websites. All in all, blogs are quite flexible and have so much potential that it would be impossible to list the many areas in which they can benefit professional and businesspeople. It is important to note that blogs teach bloggers certain essential skills, such as critical reading and writing skills, information management skills, media and information literacy as well as the manner in which human and computer networks function. Blogs teach the blogger the art of collaboration. They also help develop confidence and improve self expression – all of which are extremely useful no matter which field one chooses to enter!
The above information was taken from Exploring Web 2.0 by Ann Bell.
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