Use that blog wisely
I’ve been reading and hearing a lot lately on what blogs are and are not. James Farmer’s post on how not to use blogs in education nicely summarizes a number of key points:
I think, like a lot of new technologies, people try to make a blog into something familiar — its a webzine, its a discussion board, its an on line journal, its a daily news source, etc. In particular I think most news stories get it wrong. David Coursey, in a recent interview on IT Conversations goes on and on about how he thinks blogs and podcasts are a passing fad. I didn’t know who Mr. Coursey was before hearing his interview, but I am sure I’ve read his stuff. He has been a writer in technical publications, on CNET radio when it was on the Internet, and currently writes for Ziff-Davis publications. Anyhow, from his traditional profession publication background, he is probably correct. But the problem is that he is looking at the whole phenomenon of blogging from the wrong perspective.
Blogging is not just one person talking. It is the aggregate of many people talking, making connections, and creating connections between ideas. It is something unique, and new. It is a new way of thinking about the world. Using technologies like RSS news aggregators, and Technorati makes it come alive. And it is more than just a passing fad.
See also:
