Blogging....huh??


 * THINK....THINK......THINK about these rules for blogging. Do they make sense? Can you think of others we need?** By __Monday June 2nd__, have these all read and post a comment in the discussion tab above.

Starting a blog: Blog tips from experts

Adapted from USA Weekend Magazine Issue Date: May 27, 2007

1 Know your motive. If you want to start a personal blog to update friends and family, you can simply jump into the blogosphere. However, "if you have more ambitious motivations, figure out what those are and what niche you're going to fill," says Steve Rubel, a senior vice president of Edelman's Me2Revolution Group. His blog, Micro Persuasion, discusses how technology affects public relations.

2 ...Be sure to make your blog easy to read; avoid small type, busy backgrounds and difficult-to-read colors.

3 Just do it. Some bloggers post entries several times a day; others post less often. "It will take a few dozen or even a few hundred times to develop your voice," says Garrett Graff, the first credentialed blogger to attend White House press briefings. "Experiment, and enjoy what you're doing."

4 Promote yourself. "Blogging is all about conversations," Graff says. "They carry across many blogs and many days." Build your blog by conversing with other bloggers, linking to blogs you like and commenting on other blogs.

5 Play nice. "The only law that exists in the blogosphere is common law," Rubel says. "You have to play by the community's rules, or you won't be accepted. ... Don't allow or engage in behavior you wouldn't tolerate in your home." -- Kelly DiNardo

The following is taken from a blog I found during a class on technology. The original blog can be found here: Our Class Blog. Scroll down about halfway top find the original post. Then go back and read the rest.

Regarding Item 4, we have already established that your language for this wiki may be informal. If you and your bff want to chillax and talk about books, that's cool. Just remember that all posts need to be appropriate. Rules for Blogging

1. Please, no last names, addresses, IM screen names etc. Never EVER EVER give out or record personal information on your blog. Your blog exists as a public space on the Internet. Don’t share anything that you don’t want the world to know. For your safety, be careful what you say, too. Don’t give out your phone number or home address.

2. Do not link to your personal blog/journal from your school blog; you might reveal information on there that you don’t want to reveal on your school blog.

3. If you want to write your opinion on a topic, make sure you’re not going to be offensive as you write it.

4. Always make sure you check over your post for spelling errors, grammar errors, and your use of words. Paste your post in a word processor and run spellcheck, or download a spellchecker for your browser.

5. Never disrespect someone else in your blog, whether it’s a person, an organization, or just a general idea. You don’t want someone making a stab at what you are passionate about; don’t do it to someone else. Again, your blog is a public space. And if you put it on the Internet, odds are really good that it will stay on the Internet. Always. That means ten years from now when you are looking for a job, it might be possible for an employer to discover some really hateful and immature things you said when you were younger and more prone to foolish things. Be sure that anything you write you are proud of. It can and will come back to get you if you don’t.

6. Don’t write about other people without permission; if you can’t get their permission, use first names only. Never share someone else’s last name.

7. Watch your language! This is part of our school community. Language that is inappropriate in school is also inappropriate in your blog.

8. Make sure things you write about are factual. Don’t be posting about things that aren’t true. Link to your sources. Never link to something you haven’t read. While it isn’t your job to police the Internet, when you link to something, you should make sure it is something that you really want to be associated with. If a link contains material that might be creepy or make some people uncomfortable, you should probably warn them by using a parenthetical note or some other word of caution.

9. Keep it education-oriented. That means that you probably shouldn’t discuss your plans for the weekend, the last dance etc.

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