Blogging and Instant Messaging A very brief introduction! SUNY Potsdam IT Fair 2005 Jenica P. Rogers August 25, 2005

What I’ll cover today: What is a weblog? How are weblogs created? What kind of information do weblogs provide? RSS feeds Implementation in Higher Ed What is Instant Messaging? Who uses IM? Why use IM? Implementation in Higher Ed

Weblogs (Blogs): What are they? Wikipedia definition: “A weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic time-stamped posts on a common webpage.”web applicationpostswebpage “Blogs run from individual diaries to arms of political campaigns, media programs and corporations, and from the writing of one occasional author to the collaboration of a large community of writers.”political campaignsmediacorporationscommunity “Many weblogs enable visitors to leave public comments, which can lead to a community of readers centered around the blog; others are non-interactive.” All above from: Also see: BusinessWeek article: b _mz001.htm b _mz001.htm

What kind of information is on blogs? Extremely varied! Personal journals Collections of interesting news on a single topic Editorial-type content Essays, ramblings, rants – some more compelling than others Photographs Audio files You name it: You’ll find it’s been blogged.

Key Features of Blogs Sequential periodic posting of content to a static page Extremely dynamic in content and style – easily changed Content is updated weekly, daily, hourly… Time, date, and author stamps on content Often allow reader comments Often informal in tone Like this:

How are blogs created? VERY simply. Web-based interface for publishing User name and password Interface operates inside your browser Interface ‘feels’ like a word processor Free services: LiveJournal, TypePad, Blogger (and more!) all will provide the interface for posting and the website hosting for free.

Blogs in Higher Education A blog about blogs in HE: weblog focuses on locating, evaluating, discussing, and providing guidelines to instructional resources for faculty in higher education.” “University of Calgary's student newspaper online” a broad-ranging weblog contributed to by (mostly) academics Maintains a listing of subject-specific weblogs in academia:

Blogs in HE libraries OURS: Potsdam Reads: College Libraries News: Binghamton University Science Library: Moraine Valley Community College Library:

Webfeeds: What are they? Referred to as “RSS feeds”, labeled with little orange buttons that say “XML” RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication Blogs produce ever-changing content Feeds supply the user with that information as it is changed RSS saves the time of the user/reader – it tells you when something’s new since you checked last.

Examples of Webfeeds Chronicle of Higher Education: New York Times Headlines: NASA news feeds: TV shows… sports teams… the possibilities are vast. AND: Nearly ANY blog.

How do you use a webfeed? “To read webfeeds (often called RSS feeds), you need a software tool called a feed reader (also called a news reader or an aggregator). Your feed reader maintains a list of your favorite webfeeds, checks them regularly for updates, and displays their contents.”

Newsreaders: Stand-alone software: NetNewsWire: Web-based aggregators: Bloglines: Browser plug-ins: Pluck, for IE: A list of available readers:

What Is Instant Messaging?

Who uses IM? Our students. Pew Internet & American Life report on teen internet use: “To [teens], is increasingly seen as a tool for communicating with “adults” such as teachers, institutions like schools, and as a way to convey lengthy and detailed information to large groups. Meanwhile, IM is used for everyday conversations with multiple friends that range from casual to more serious and private exchanges.” display.asp display.asp

Why Use IM? The short answer: It’s where your students are. Go to them. The longer answer: IM will not replace other communication technology But IM broadens our ability to connect with students in a way that is meaningful to them

Implementation in HE Libraries: Online reference service User feedback shows students prefer IM to or telephone Online courses: Can provide online real-time communication capability to remote students “Virtual” office hours: Students with questions can ask them… and you can answer

Thanks for your interest… …any questions? This presentation is online at