Blogging for Webmasters 2005 AALL Annual Meeting Steven C. Perkins, J.D., M.L.L. Coordinator of Reference Services University of Houston Libraries

What is a Blog?  A Blog is a Web Log, an interactive web page that allows readers to post comments on the items posted to the blog.  See, for a detailed explanation.  Blogs can be used with RSS feeds to keep your readers notified of important information.  Many organizations use blogs to ensure that everyone receives information in a timely manner.

The Evolution of Web Pages  Before there was a World Wide Web there was Dr Ted Nelson and XANADU®,  The first browser, WorldWideWeb, created editable web pages,  Later web browsers did not allow you to interactively edit the web pages on the server.  Static web pages ruled the WWW until...

The Introduction of the Wiki  In 1995, Ward Cunningham established the first Wiki, at the Portland Pattern Repository, and interactive web page editing was back in the WWW,  29 Dec 1997 saw the first use of WebLog on the RobotWisdom website,  Originally hand-coded, blogs were quickly automated, and are now mostly maintained through a browser-based application

Blog Software  Three of the main software tools used for blogging are: Blogger, TypePad, and Movable Type  Blogger is owned by Google,  Six Apart, owns TypePad, MovableType, and LiveJournal,  Radio UserLand is another widely used blogging tool,

Types of Blogs  Audio blogs, includes PodCasting,   Videoblogs,  Moblogs for mobile phones,  PhotoBlogs like Flickr,  Klogs, Dashlogs, and Linklogs can be used to point users to information sources

Blog Directories  Bloglines is a blog aggregator where you can search for blogs on the subject of your choice,  Law Professor Blogs links to legal blogs, “blawgs” by law professors,  Library weblogs can be found at

Questions to ask before starting a Blog  What are you using it for? Alerts Updates Discussion Who will manage How many editors Public or Private

Problems with Blogs  Most blogs are abandoned after being started. LiveJournal has nearly 8 million blogs but only 3 million are actively maintained.  Open blogs can be subjected to comment spam.  Hosting a blog on your own server may be very troublesome.  Using an off-site host can also cause problems.  You could get sued. See, the EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers,

Problems (cont.):  Legal problems include Intellectual Property, Defamation, Privacy, Employment,  Legal protection is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, 47/usc_sec_47_ html 47/usc_sec_47_ html  Bloggers reporting the news and those reporting on public records have some protections beyond Sec. 230,

Some Law Blogs:  LLRX,  Legal Periodicals from W&L,  Law Library Technology,  BeSpacific,  Lawrence Lessig,

Who is Using Blogs in AALL?  The AALL Annual Meeting,  The CS-SIS,  Law Libraries, s&folderId= s&folderId=93662

BLOG Resources:  Blogging and RSSing the Librarian Wayhttp:// ngRSSingtheLibrarianWayTrends.ppt Blogging and RSSing the Librarian Way  All About Blawgs, by Robert Ambrogi,  Blog Software Breakdown,  Blogger Tour,  Blogging: Reading and Creating Blogs, g_notes.pdf g_notes.pdf

RSS the Blog helper:  RSS has several meanings  There are different versions of RSS  Most Blogs have the capability of automatically generating RSS feeds  Some web browsers can read RSS feeds: FireFox, Safari, Opera  Many people use separate rss readers to manage their RSS feeds: FeedReader, and BlogLines

Who is Using RSS for Law?  GPO: x.htmlhttp:// x.html  Washington & Lee Law Journals Feeds for tocs:  AALL TS-SIS,  Utah State Courts, Appellatte Court Opinions,  Louisiana Supreme Court Opinions, h t t p : / / w w w. a a l l n e t. o r g / s i s / t s s i s / i n d e x. h t m

RSS Resources:  RSS for Content Publishers and Webmasters,  RSS Resources from MALL,  Blogging and RSSing the Librarian Wayhttp:// DITBloggingRSSingtheLibrarianWayTrends.ppt Blogging and RSSing the Librarian Way