To blog or not to blog?

A blog (short for web-log) has many functions...and faces. We'll be discussing its definition in class on Monday, but there are two main benefits of using blogs--particularly in classroom settings:
1. They are user friendly (no need to know programming languages).
2. Blogs encourage and support user interaction through the commenting feature--something you'll be using a lot in this class.

For class on Monday, I'd like you to do a little blog surfing on the internet. Using the links below, you'll notice blogs come in a variety of forms. There are personal blogs, professional blogs, community blogs, political blogs and educational blogs that range from musings on fashion to travels abroad to who should be the next president. Come to class ready to discuss features you feel are essential to what makes a blog different from a regular webpage, a chat room, a discussion board, Blackboard or even something like MySpace or Facebook.

To begin, you might want to check out the definition offered by Wikipedia (we'll be talking more about wikis later in the term). Also useful is an article, "What We're Doing When We Blog," written by blogger co-creator, Meg Hourihan. If you'd like to check out some sample blogs, try looking through the blogs listed on a site called technorati that keeps a list of the top 100 blogs.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Before we get started and begin the process of commenting on course readings and discussion, I thought it might be helpful to give you a sense of the variety of interests and talents this class holds. We had a taste of this during introductions today, but did you know:
* We have two student athletes: one on the tennis team, one on the soccer team.
* Three students interested in education, three pursuing political science, three with a writing/English major, and two quantitative students who work in mathematics and accounting.
* An unexpected fan of Lord of the Rings
* A collective interest in food: eating it, cooking it, and trying it.

As we begin to read and discuss texts in class, remember to bring your various perspectives to the table.