David Wiley has posted an excellent primer for anyone in this field who has been watching the EduBloggers and who would like to get in on the action.
David’s piece covers most of the necessary bases, and he even provides a handy OPML file to load into your RSS aggregator — which is, as David correctly notes, as important a tool as your weblogging system.
Just to confuse matters, I thought I might add a few tips and pointers of my own — I don’t claim to be an expert, and hope that some of the other smart folks in our cozy little lovenest of Ed Tech subversion will offer their own thoughts as well…
Make it your own: One of the coolest things about weblogs is that it’s your own piece of virtual territory. Observe webloggers you admire, copy what works for you and ignore the rest. If you want to do something with your weblog, but you don’t see anybody else doing it, that’s a sure sign you should go ahead and do it. Don’t hesitate to bring in elements that are somewhat tangential to Ed Tech — if readers aren’t interested in a post, they’ll simply ignore it.
Publish your postings as soon as possible or you might lose them. Things move fast, and can get drowned out in the buzz. (Remember, your weblog might also serve as your own personal repository of useful resources.) Most weblog applications have links you can put in your browser’s toolbar, which can speed the posting process along considerably. If you don’t have time to compose your thoughts, go ahead and simply post a raw link and/or quote (with attribution) — it’s better than nothing. Maybe you’ll go back and elaborate later. Which leads us to…
Write imperfectly. Write clearly enough to respect your reader, but don’t agonize over every word. The corollary of this not to freak out if another weblogger uses a phrase you don’t particularly care for, or if you detect a minor flaw in the argument. Chances are that the weblogger was writing quickly, so cut some slack. I’m not saying constructive criticism is inappropriate — a friendly correction in the “comments” field is always welcome — but I’ve been part of some promising weblogging communities that have imploded under the weight of endless and pointless flamewars.
Roll ’em if you got ’em: Blogrolling (listing the weblogs you are regularly reading) serves lots of purposes… It gives the sites you link to a nice plug, and when your URL starts popping up in their referral user statistics they’ll probably check out your page — if only to see what you are saying about them. The power of narcissism plays a vital role in the creation of weblog communities.
Your blogroll, and sidebar links in general, also serve as something of a signature for your site. When I visit someone’s home I instinctively scan their bookshelves to get a read on the inhabitant, when I check out a new weblog I find myself skimming the blogroll for a sense of what it’s about.
Somewhat related…
Crosslink: When another weblogger turns you on to something you post, credit them with a quick link as a reference. Not only is it a nice thing to do, but it’s also an informal backbone to the semantic web, a way that online communities develop. And if readers like your posting, they know where to go for more.
Check out a few metablog tools: a virtual universe of metawebloggia is out there. It’s easy to get lost, but I’d recommend two sites: MIT’s Blogdex and Technorati each perform three vital functions.
1) They filter the “top stories” that webloggers are posting today. These lists are a quick way to get a sense of what’s hot online.
2) You can enter a URL of an interesting resource you’ve found online, and see who else has linked to it. (An excellent way to find other webloggers with similar interests.)
3) You can enter your own URL, and see who is linking to you. Loads of fun, or frustration. What was that about the power of narcissism?
MOST IMPORTANT: Have fun, and fasten your seatbelts. I’ve learned more about my field in the past couple of months than… well, ever actually. My fellow webloggers have been the best teachers I could ask for, and the Internet is one groovy classroom. I honestly believe that my own experience is proof of concept, and underlies my conviction that the ideas that we are peddling can provide a framework for Education worthy of a capital E.
