Are You Web Aware? - Blogs

Backgrounder

Over half (52%) of all blogs are developed and maintained by teensages 13-19.

(Source: Georgetown University , Gender, Identity and Language Use in Teenage Blogs, 2005)

The Great News

• In addition to having a friendlier look and feel, the main difference between blogs and message boards is the control given to the blog's creator. The owner of the blog is the only person who can begin a new topic, while on message boards anyone can start a new subject for others to respond to.
• Viewing blogs can be an easy way to access advice and thoughts from experts and leaders in highly-specialized areas and fields.
• Viewing and initiating blogs can provide opportunities to connect, share resources and network within a community of people who share similar interests.
• Blogs allow for information to be quickly posted on the Web, making them much easier to update daily.

The Not-So-Great News

• Since most weblogs aren't edited, it's difficult to know how credible the information is.
• Information shared in blogs may be too subjective or trivial to be meaningful in any kind of educational way.
• Blogs may provide easy access to offensive content.
• Young bloggers may put themselves at risk by sharing too much personal information.

Some Quick Facts

• Every day 8 000-17 000 new blogs appear online. On average a new blog is created nearly every 5.8 seconds and more than 3 blogs are updated every second.
  (Source: TheRegister, 8,000 bloggers born every day, July 2004)
• The Pew Internet Project estimates that by the end of 2004 there were over 8 million U.S.-based blogs.

Cool Uses of Blogs

White House Approves Pass for Blogger

Increasingly, bloggers are breaking into the realms of the mainstream news media. In March 2005, Garrett M. Graff, who writes for a blog about the news media in Washington, became the first blogger to obtain a White House press pass. Mr. Graff says he became a blogger because it is the newest trend in journalism.

Vote for your favourite blog
Since 2001, the annual Bloggies honour weblogs and blog writers in over 30 categories. Blogs are nominated and voted by the public. To view a list of the winners, go to the Web site : http://2005.bloggi.es/.

A fifth-grade class at Pinellas Park has a personal blog, helping parents stay informed about what their kids do at school. The teacher, Fred Roemer, has his class update the blog daily. According to Reimer blogs can help parents stay involved, teachers be more responsive and students develop a sense of community, all while enhancing classroom lessons.

Blog Guidelines

Here's how to get the most out of your blog.

Protect your identity. Avoid including personal information or anything that can identify you. Strategies like using an online name rather than your real name, using an unidentifiable e-mail, and using an avatar instead of a photo can help protect your privacy.

Select a suitable blog host. When selecting a Web site to host your blog, look for one that hosts for people with similar tastes and sensibilities. This way you are within a community of people with similar interests. Check to s ee if the host site provides good support. There should be a FAQ section as well as an e-mail address that you can use if you have any questions or problems.

If you only want close friends and family to read your blog, find a site that offers password protection.

Read the privacy policy. Whether you are looking for a host site for your blog or are just responding to someone else's blog, check to see if the site has a privacy policy. If it does, read it and take note of what may happen to any information you enter on the site.

Be nice to people. Make sure your blog contains accurate and truthful information. Make sure you treat other people with respect and only write about people if you have their permission. Never disclose any personal information about your friends or family.

Think about it...

All the information you include as part of your blog could potentially be accessed by anyone - including your mother!

Be careful not to include any information that could potentially be embarrassing to you or your family and friends. You never know who will be reading your entries. Think of a blog as a personal journal or diary... that can be read by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Blog Work Sheet

1. What is the difference between a blog and a message board?
2. What are some of the benefits of blogging?
3. What are some things you should consider when choosing a site for hosting your blog?
4. How can you protect your identity while you are blogging?
5. Why is it important that the information on your blog is accurate?
6. What are some blogging tips you would share with your friends?