Weblogs; what, why, where & when

1. Weblogs; what, why, where & when Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com

2. What we’ll cover • How you can use weblogs to obtain information • How you can create your own weblogs, and why you should! • Using weblogs to give you extra leverage for your own site and how to beat the competition

3. What is a weblog? A page on a website that: • Is organised chronologically • Archives older content • Updated regularly • Links to other resources • Articles are (generally) very short • Contains personal comment or opinion • Is (usually) created by weblog software

4. What is a weblog (cont) • (Often) allows readers to comment • Is updated on a regular basis; often several times during a day, certainly at least once a week • Provides an RSS feed for news aggregation

5. A few more definitions • RSS • Rich Site Summary • Really Simple Syndication • Allows people to read a weblog without coming to the site by using a • News aggregator • Software on the web/on your computer • Scans for new information regularly • Is like your own personal newspaper

6. Let’s look at a weblog

7. Weblogs live on the net • You can view my current weblog at: • http://www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html • Gary Price’s Resource Shelf at: • http://www.resourceshelf.com/ • EngLib for science at: • http://www.englib.info/ • ResearchBuzz at • http://www.researchbuzz.com/

8. A little more on RSS • Really Simple Syndication

9. The RSS feed looks like this: • <rdf:RDF> • <!--Generated by Blogger v5.0--> • - • <channel rdf:about="http://www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html"> • <title>Phil Bradley's Blog</title> • <link>http://www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html</link> • - • <description> • For librarians and people interested in search engines, searching the net, designing web pages, new utilities and so on. Short commentaries, keeping you up to date with the world of internet search and design. • </description> • <dc:date>2004-10-26T09:52:51Z</dc:date> • <dc:language>en-GB</dc:language> • <admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.blogger.com/"/> • <admin:errorReportsTo rdf:resource="mailto:rss-errors@blogger.com"/> • - • <items> • - • <rdf:Seq> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/wikipedia-in-guardian.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/firefox-microsofts-worst-nightmare.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/gogettem-meta-search.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/microsoft-fixes-date-for-desktop.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/onelook-reverse-dictionary.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/firefox-better-browser-than-internet.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/my-presentation-at-internet-librarian.htm"/> • <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.philb.com/blog/2004/10/yahoo-image-search.htm"/>

10. The news aggregator • Gathers together, collates and displays the results of RSS feeds in a way a human being can read them properly • You can view as much or as little of a weblog as you want • You can update as often as you want • You can quickly add feeds to a news aggregator

11. Without an aggregator • You go from site to site everyday to keep up to date • Or more likely, you don’t • You have to put up with spam, adverts, popups • It takes a lot of time • You have to deal with lots of different webpages

12. With an aggregator • It’s a one click job • You save time • Date is provided in a consistent format • You’re always up to date • Easy to add/drop feeds • An increasing number of sites are using RSS to present content, therefore your options are larger

13. Bloglines

14. News aggregators • The previous slide showed my collection of weblog feeds held at Bloglines at: http://www.bloglines.com/ • AmphetaDesk at: http://www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/

15. AmphetaDesk

16. Using RSS • First, find yourself a news aggregator • Then start adding feeds to it. Look out for the symbol

17. What feeds can I add? • Feeds from weblogs (all 4,000,000 +) • News websites such as: • BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/default.stm • Guardian news http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/ • New York Times technology http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html?partner=rssuserland

18. How else can I find them? • Use a weblog search engine, either to find feeds or see what people are talking about • Look at the ‘blogroll’ on a site you’ve already found, and view the weblogs the author links to • Traditional web search for topic and weblog

19. In summary: • Weblogs allow you to keep up to date in areas that interest you • They provide informed comment on issues of the day, new information and the latest developments • They help you identify experts in particular areas • You don’t need to ‘browse the net’ to obtain data!

20. How you can create a weblog • It’s so easy, it’s almost criminal! • Find some weblogging software • Some is free, some is commercial • Some resides on your system, others are web based • They’re all easy to use – you don’t need HTML skills, programming skills or anything else!

21. Weblog utilities • Blogger • http://www.blogger.com/ • Livejournal • http://www.livejournal.com/ • Xanga • http://www.xanga.com/ • Radio Userland • http://radio.userland.com/

22. Weblog utilities (cont) • Create your account • Do you want to host the weblog on your own system, or use space they provide? • What are you going to call your weblog? • What description are you going to give it? • How do you want to add entries? • Do you want to create an RSS feed?

23. The next steps • Once you have created your account, start adding entries! • The Blogger icon on the Google toolbar

24. Adding a weblog entry

25. What’s the use? • Weblogs can be used to alert readers to new developments in a subject area • They are a useful way to remind yourself about good webpages • They provide quick and easy links to resources

26. In summary • Weblogs are easy to create • They don’t cost anything except time • They do have disadvantages • Must be kept up to date • They can take up a lot of your time if you get addicted

27. The business case for weblogs • It brings you directly to the notice of your customers every single day • It shows them that you know what you’re doing • It shows that you are an expert in the field • You’re doing a job for them, and they’ll love you for it More specific ideas…

28. Using weblogs in business • Create an ‘Announcement and special offers’ feed. • If you produce anything that changes over time you can use a weblog to keep people up to date – new products, new courses, updates to existing courses. • Keeps your clients up to speed • Reduces the need for mail outs and printed items • Special offers only available via the weblog

29. Using weblogs in business • Client of the week/month • Recognition of your clients • Provides them with greater exposure • Creates good will • It takes next to no time to do it, but can have a lasting impact

30. Using weblogs in business • Create staff feeds • Great to keep staff up to date on what is happening in your organisation • All the data is centralised in one place • No need for emails/printed data that could get lost • Good for training, special offers etc • Memos, presentations, files, new policies

31. Using weblogs in business • Add a ‘Frequently asked questions’ element to your weblog • Daily/weekly contests related to the site • What’s new information • What’s coming soon • A photo blog • Developer notes • News on your chosen topics

32. Using weblogs in business • For specific groups: • Sales team weblog • Vertical blogs for everyone in the company interested in a specific subject • Internal job adverts and other HR related topics • Information centre pushing data out to everyone else

33. Using weblogs in business • Reduces information overload • Gets the message out there quickly • Groups can participate in a weblog – not just one person • Can be shared with whoever you want – staff, customers, the world!

34. Using weblogs in business • Don’t forget – ALL of this information can be made widely available to the world • Add the RSS feed icon to your page • Keep a note of your statistics • Register your weblog with the weblog search engines • Link other weblogs to yours, and they’ll do the same for you

35. What else can you do with them? • You can add pictures to a weblog • Great for promoting new products • Introduce new members of staff • Moblogging • Weblog on the move. Report on a conference that you’re attending. • Photoblogging • Add in pictures of the conference as well!

36. What else can you do with them? • Email blogging • Some software allows you to email a weblog onto your page • Add a chat room to your weblog • Set up chats/discussions, promoted by your weblog • Add the headlines of your weblog onto your home page to keep it current • Allow people to comment on entries

37. In summary • Weblogs allow you to promote your organisation in an entirely new way • They provide flexible approaches to data delivery • They streamline the provision of information internally and externally • You become seen as an expert in the area

38. Contact details • Phil Bradley’s site at: http://www.philb.com • Weblog at: http://www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html • Article on weblogging at: http://www.philb.com/weblogs.htm