Module 3 - Blogs

What can I say about blogs? Before Net11 I had tried my hand at writing a blog but failed miserably. Now though through "forced blogging" and my learning log for Nett11 I am having a ball!

Blogging is something which I am finding is allowing me to express concepts and ideas to more than just myself or partner or lecturer. By blogging through this unit I am sharing my thoughts with an audience of billions (ok, ok, potentially. Maybe). This instant act of self publication is gratifying and I can now see why blogging has taken the internet like a wildfire.

Now blogging it seems is part of the mainstream. The humble blog is now one of the preferred methods to disseminate information on the internet. From personal opinion to news to political commentary, celebrity gossip, ground breaking technology or reviews of all types; the blogosphere has it all. And it's still growing.

To see how much the blogosphere is growing, check out Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2008 report; the report presents some really interesting stats regarding blogs and their growth worldwide. Compiled and published since 2004 Technorati has tracked the massive growth and interest in blogging and is considered one of the key authorities in the blogosphere. In fact through Technorati you can find the top 100 blogs in the world. Of course if you want to find out the top 100 Aussie blogs (and no I'm not in it) I would suggest Blogpond as a good starting point.

Not only is blogging a great opportunity to self publish, the idea of starting conversations through comments and the further development of your ideas through this interaction is one of the most powerful aspects of blogging. I love the thrill of the comment and the possible further avenues a readers opinions or thoughts can take my own. It is this social interaction, act of communication I find so powerful. A recent Australian study has also found that this blogging and commenting process can help lead to a more fulfilling social life both online and face to face.

Have I developed a greater understanding of blogs since post number one? I know I have definitely gained a greater understanding of the compulsion to blog. I also now truly realise the power that a blog holds. In fact the mere fact that we are using blogs as part of our course work and for relective processes within our learning is simply amazing.

So it's probably obvious then that my thoughts have changed, how have yours changed over the last five weeks?

5 Tips For Beginner Bloggers

As a relatively savvy internet user I actually have very little experience with whole blogging thing. That is to say, I am completely comfortable with the concept of blogging and am aware of the various platforms, terminology and such, I just have never really got into the whole blogging thing.

So to help me along and as the start of my Net11 Learning Log, I have listed my 5 tips for a beginner blogger. Actually it's a requirement of the Learning Log, but we won't tell anyone that now will we!

1. Do your homework. A quick search on Google for Blog will return 2,580,000,000 results, that's Billions folks, so there is more than enough information on blogs out there. Of course with so much information in the blogosphere, it can be really daunting when you are just starting out. To help save some time, and your sanity, here are two resources I have found handy, Problogger.net: Blogging Tips For Beginners and Technorati.com: Blogging Basics.

2. Set a regular time to write your blog. While it's all good to write your blog when the moment hits you, it pays to also set aside a dedicated time to write your blog. Whether this is once a week or once a day it doesn't matter, just make a regular time to capture your thoughts and ideas and commit them to 010101's.

3. Learn to link. If you have been on the internet longer than five minutes then you will know that the clicky things which take you places are called hypertext or links. By learning how to link from your blog you not only get to share your fantastic finds and further educate your readers, you are also showing respect to the people who have inspired you or have written something which resonates with you.

4. Blog about what is meaningful to you. It's much more interesting to read a blog from a person who is passionate about what they are writing, than someone who is "finding a niche" to stand out from the crowd. Remember you are a niche, there is only one of you in the world and your unique way of expressing yourself is fantastic

5. Follow other blogs and comment regularly. This is an idea which I have only just picked up from my Net11 tutor Peter Fletcher, yet it is such a simple and powerful thing to do and will make your blogging that more meaningful again. As Peter has pointed out, blogging is about communication and finding new ideas and ways of thinking. So go forth, follow and comment.

So there you have it, my five tips for starting down the path to your own blog. Feel free to share yours in the comments.