Blogging Workloads

Now that I have a reason to have a blog (assigned for homework) it feels more legitimate to me. And now that I have several very good blogs I use for work-related information RSS'd to me every day, I find that I have even greater respect for bloggers. I used to think it was a self-indulgent exercise, keeping a blog, and now I find I am very disappointed when a blog that I like has nothing new for the day. It's a lot of work for these good bloggers and a different sort of pressure than, say, writing for a newspaper.

We are all out there waiting in the "cloud" for great stuff; it feels more connected and personal than just reading a book or watching a commentator on TV. I guess that's the point everyone is making about web 2.0. It's just taking me a while!

Week Two Thing 1 -- set up your own blog

Blogger was very easy to use.  I've used Wordpress and I think I prefer Blogger.  I would love to show my kids how to use it; I think they would enjoy writing on a blog, but part of me thinks it is either too risky (because of safety or just hurt feelings when people comment on their blogs) or too artificial (if you put so many protections on the blog that no one is truly reading or commenting on it).  

It's a whole new world for parents and librarians and we have to make individual judgments as best we can.