Blog basics
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The document discusses the implementation of blogging at UGA libraries, outlining various blogging software options and their respective advantages and disadvantages. It emphasizes the importance of blogs for promoting library events, sharing information, and engaging users through dynamic content. The presentation also covers tools and technologies, including widgets and RSS feeds, that enhance the blogging experience.
Blog basics
- 1. Available at: http://www.robinfay.net/presentations/blogbasics2009.ppt All links available at: http://del.icio.us/georgiawebgurl/blogbasics2009
- 2. O v e r v ie w Introduction Blogging: Brief overview of what the UGA Libraries are doing and why Issues and Challenges Overview of software: Wordpress vs. WordpressMU vs. Wordpress.com, Expression Engine, Movable Type, Drupal Hosted blogging vs. blogging offsite (Wordpress.com/Blogger vs. hosted) Making a decision Final thoughts & questions
- 3. What is a blog ? Briefly, a blog (short for weblog) is a web based publication which is updated in a periodic manner. The goal of blogging is to provide an easy means to put content on the web. Most modern blogging software functions very similar to word processor software. When you see this icon (think of satellite transmission beams), you know you are seeing a live site which is updating via a feed.
- 4. …and why would the UGA library want one? Libraries use blogs to promote events & services, provide access to up- to-date information about building issues (special hours, etc.), highlight new databases, and communicate a variety of information from readings to exhibits to new features in the catalog! Users can subscribe to ‘feeds’ via their phones, pdas, special web based reader services, as well as internet browsers and e-mail programs such as Firefox and Thunderbird to get the latest up to date information.
- 5. UGA Libraries WAG (Web Advisory Group) which works with the Web Editor in oversight and maintenance of the UGA Libraries webpage, charged a subcommittee to investigate blog software as means of keeping our users up to date on Libraries news & events. Not only did we want to add some dynamic content to our website, but we needed another means to push information to our users.
- 6. This subcommittee investigated many different blog softwares including: • •Blogger (Free, Commercial, with ads) •Expression Engine/PMachine (Paid, Commercial) •Movable Type (Paid, Commercial) •WordPress (Free, Open Source)
- 7. UGA Libraries WAG (Web Advisory Group) which works with the Web Editor in oversight and maintenance of the UGA Libraries webpage, charged a subcommittee to investigate blog software as means of keeping our users up to date on Libraries news & events. Not only did we want to add some dynamic content to our website, but we needed another means to push information to our users.
- 8. UGA Libraries WAG (Web Advisory Group) which works with the Web Editor in oversight and maintenance of the UGA Libraries webpage, charged a subcommittee to investigate blog software as means of keeping our users up to date on Libraries news & events. Not only did we want to add some dynamic content to our website, but we needed another means to push information to our users.
- 10. Up next : blogging!
- 11. B lo g g in g Remember all links are also located on the del.icio.us page! One of the easiest way to tap into Web 2.0 technologies is through the use of blogging. We have been blogging since January 2005 at http://www.libs.uga.edu/blog/ We use Wordpress (open source software) hosted on the libraries server UGA uses Wordpress. Wordpress also offers some options these days. Let’s take a quick look!
- 12. A little about Wordpress Wordpress •Advantages/Disadvantages •Complete control + •Keep up with upgrades – •Server stuff = •Customizing Wordpress MU How it differs from regular Wordpress Advantages/Disadvantages New; not as many plugins YET Spam filter – Yes Multiuser/multiauthor blogs What if you can’t host a blog? Let’s look at some options.
- 13. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog B lo g g i ng Free choices hosted elsewhere: Blogger.com Wordpress.com Remember all links are also located on the TypePad.com del.icio.us page! Why would you want to blog?
- 14. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog B lo g g in g Reasons to Blog/social network: PR/Marketing Subscription via RSS feeds; also ability to embed content into other websites (pageflakes etc.) Ease of updating website Instant updating/editing Provide a more informal “face” to the library Push out content to users, i.e. be in their space Depending on software, can set up publication of announcements & posts Sounds great! Ready to start? Consider…
- 15. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog B lo g g in g • Consider: Guidelines & writing style sheets. Appropriateness of content? • http://www.libs.uga.edu/blogetc/ • Finding contributors • Keeping the blog active and maintained • To comment or not to comment • Advantages of immediate content and high ranking pages in google Okay, now let’s look at the fun stuff!
- 16. How can flickr be used in a blog?
- 17. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog Social bookmarking – del.icio.us Uses for websites and blogging • Del.icio.us toys (links list, tag clouds, etc.) • Networking • Resource sharing and discovery • Easy maintenance of links lists Let’s take a look at some libraries using del.cio.us.
- 18. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog Video hosting – YouTube Uses Embed videos in blogs, presentations, websites, etc Storage space (no need to store large size videos on server) Networking Resource sharing and Discovery Videocasting Let’s look at some libraries using YouTube.
- 19. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog W o n d e r f u l w o r ld o f w id g e t s • What is a widget? • Widgets are just little tools which are generally easy to install in a user interface. • Widgets can be embedded in blogs and websites (snapshots, flickr toys, etc.), downloaded for use on the desktop or on a mobile device. Blogger and wordpress are both utilizing widgets more. Pageflakes, a free web based service, uses widgets to put the page together. Pageflakes widgets include RSS feeds, flickr, and even static webpages. How can we use widgets?
- 20. W o n d e r f u l w o r ld o f w id g e t s Widgets make it easy to embed third party content (flickr, youtube, etc.) or even code into websites with little or no coding experience. Widgetbox.com is an excellent resource! Remember all links are also located on the Widgets are frequently drop n drag or copy and del.icio.us page! paste. Examples of widgets to embed in websites: flickr slideshows, youtube movies, snapshots, links lists, etc. Pageflakes and netvibes are two widget based services Let’s look at Meebo. Meebo offers an IM widget.
- 21. Meebo provides a single interface to AIM, Yahoo, MSN Chat Meebo widgets are embeddable > Meebo in action So, how does that work?
- 22. This is the widget code for UGA’s meebo account. Notice the embed code. This is all copy + paste provided by meebo. Let’s look at Meebo. Let’s look at another widget product called snapshots.
- 23. Snapshots provide a popup preview of links.
- 24. Copy and paste code provided by snapshots. You’ll need to sign up for a free account in order to create your code. RSS Feeds are also used in some widgets. Let’s touch briefly on feeds.
- 25. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog A lit t le a b o u t R S S f e e d s What are RSS feeds? RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication RSS provides an easy way for users to find and subscribe to information. Makes content portable to other web pages including blogs. Feedburner.com What happens when you put 2 or more of these kinds of technologies together?
- 26. Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog Yo u g e t a M AS H U P ! In web terms, a mashup takes content or data from different sources or services to create a new thing An example of a mashup is Flickr Maps which uses both images from Flickr and Google Maps http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/8496262/
- 27. This presentation: All links + extras! Web 2.0 Technologies + Your blog http://del.icio.us/webtechnologiespresentation/ More resources: • Intro to Web 2.0 Minipresentation: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dkcxvp2_7d7ms9d Blog Comparison/Getting started with blogging http://www.robinfay.net/web2.0/getting_started/ About/Contact: Amy: • Amy is a Reference & Instructor Librarian, the Assistant Web Editor for the Libraries, and Instruction Coordinator for the Main Library, to a name a few of her hats that she wears. • http://www.libs.uga.edu/staffpages/watts.html Robin Robin is a Database Librarian, member of the Libraries’ Web Advisory Group, freelance webdesigner & metadata consultant, to a name a few of her hats that she wears. http://www.robinfay.net