Blog posts

Cecil R. SchwalbeThe Not-So-Wily Coyote applies the sniff test to Lonesome George the Javelina.

Ethics
Grading
Links
Mechanics
Content
Revisions
Tips on writing a blog
Examples

All the students in this course must keep a blog. You’ll post once a week for 12 weeks, and your posts will be graded. The grading criteria are below. You must choose a topic related to the news and stick with that one topic for 12 weeks.

Here are the blogs from fall 2006:

• Off-Track (Mandy) http://offtrackmanders.blogspot.com/
• Project Runway (Katie) http://projectrunwaynerd.blogspot.com/
• Fun With Exercise (Erica) http://funwithexercise.blogspot.com/
• Design Guy (Michael) http://mydesignguy.blogspot.com/
• His Name Is Jonas (Stephanie) http://hisnameisjonas.blogspot.com/
• Junk Science (Irma) http://irma-junkscience.blogspot.com/
• International Students (Lily) http://asuintlstudents.blogspot.com/
• NFL and Fantasy Football (Tyson) http://nfldude.blogspot.com/
• Philly Sports (Jamar) http://jamrock66.blogspot.com/
• ASU Recycle (Laura) http://www.recycleasu.blogspot.com/
• ASU Football (Julie) http://asufootballbabe.blogspot.com/
• Creationism (Fran) http://www.createdexnihilo.blogspot.com/
• Why didn’t I think of that? (Jay) http://whydidnt.blogspot.com
• Horror Geek (Adam) http://horrorgeek.blogspot.com
• Wide World of Sports (Grey) http://wideworldsport.blogspot.com/
• The Suns (Brad) http://suns31.blogspot.com

Below are examples of excellent blogs from previous semesters:

• NFL draft (Alana) was syndicated http://nfldraftme.blogspot.com/
• The Fourth Estate (Ray) http://fourthestate-v2.blogspot.com/
• Phoenix Suns (Hannah) http://nashlover.blogspot.com/
• 2006 Mariners (Eric) http://mariners2006.blogspot.com/
• NBA (Richard) http://nbathoughts.blogspot.com/
• Beer (Matt) http://letstalkbeer.blogspot.com/
• Music commentary (Chelsea) http://scenepoints.blogspot.com/
• Politically inactive (Lindsey) http://politicallyinactive.blogspot.com/
• Hurricane Katrina (Dianna) http://miomyo.blogspot.com/
• Native Americans (Regina)
http://nativeamericanjournalists.blogspot.com/

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Cecil R. SchwalbeLonesome George reacts to the invasion of his privacy.

With thanks to Mindy McAdams, University of Florida

Writing on a regular schedule will make you a better writer. That’s why you’ll make 12 blog postings during the semester, starting in Week 3.

See the Week 2 assignment page for links to examples of blogs.

Ethics
Be sure to read the Blogger’ Code of Ethics before you start blogging.

Grading
The two lowest grades for the 12 blog posts will be dropped, so you’ll be graded on only your 10 best postings. If you’re happy with your grades after 10 postings, then you may stop.

Total points for your blog posts: 100 (out of 1,000 for the entire course).

Each blog post is worth 15 points. This will be calculated as follows:

7 points | Content (Is it interesting? Thoughtful? Well written in your voice? Relevant to your blog’s focus? Timely? Current?)

6 points | Mechanics (Grammar, spelling, punctuation and AP style)

2 points | Quality and relevance of the link(s) you included in the post (Quality means the site is credible and current; relevant means the site applies to your topic)

You will lose points for misspelled words, grammar and punctuation errors, inaccuracies and the like.

Important! Be sure to check the COMMENTS link for feedback, questions and comments from the Lovely and Gracious and others. Classmates are encouraged to comment if they wish.

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Cecil R. SchwalbeThe critters feign indifference after their brief encounter.

Links
Each post must have a functioning link to an outside web page that is not written by you. This requirement is meant to encourage you to search the web regularly for new and interesting content.

Your blog post must comment on the linked content. The link must be relevant to what you’ve written in your post.

Links are more valuable (higher quality) when they’re more specific. A link to the home page of The New York Times is not very valuable because (a) anyone can find that page without your help and (b) the contents of that page will change in less than 24 hours.

Links are more valuable when the linked content is provided by someone with expertise or a unique perspective. The content of some personal web pages has little value because the author lacks qualifications.

Links are more valuable when your link text tells the user what to expect. The words “Click here” or “This link” do not tell the user anything about the linked content.

You can also add relevant photos, audio clips, or video clips to your blog. Just speak to the Lovely and Gracious Mrs. Dodge.

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Mechanics
You’ll lose points for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and AP style.

Note that AP style includes certain standards related to content, and you’re expected to follow those standards. While other blog writers may use curse words, pornographic language, and graphic descriptions of violence, you’ll lose points if you do the same. The reason: Your written language in this course must be of professional journalistic quality. Bloggers who aren’t journalists can follow different standards—but you cannot.

Put a title on each posting.

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Content
You’ll blog about a group or country you're interested in. It could be the NBA, Barbaro, the indy music scene, dog owners or Mombasa.

Always keep your audience in mind. Your primary audience is, of course, your instructors, who are grading you. But your audience is also (potentially) worldwide and can include anyone interested in your blog’s focus. Your instructors will be considering your wider audience and evaluating whether you’ve written something of interest to that audience.

Rambling, redundant writing isn’t going to appeal to any audience.
The web is a fast medium, and web users are impatient. Get to the point. Edit your writing down to the fewest words possible that still convey what you want to say. That said, your blog should reflect effort on your part. If it’s not a haiku, it should be at least 100 words long.

Rather than a neutral tone, we encourage you to write in your distinctive voice. Let your personality shine through!

And have something interesting and worthwhile to say!

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Revisions
You may raise your grade by revising your blog. To earn the points, you must print out the revision and hand it in at the next class with the marked-up copy.

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Picking a blog topic
1. What do you want to blog about? Narrow it down to one word: ___________________. Then expand it to a paragraph.

2. Give your blog a name: __________________________________.

3. What is your approach? __________________________________ Impassioned advocate? Satirical observer? Dispassionate reporter?

4. Who is your audience? ___________________________________ Local? National? Internationl? Men? Women? Both? Students?

5. How much does your audience know about your subject? A lot? Some? A little? Nothing?

Tips on writing a blog
Vince Maher offers advice for new bloggers:

• A blog entry is a stub for conversation.   
• Think about the perspectives of your audience.   
• Write tight headlines that encourage interest.   
• Make points or lists and make then scan-friendly.   
• Link to the context.   
• Quote indirectly and link.   
• Format long documents for print.   
• Never delete anything.   
• Troll the blogosphere for secondary conversation.   
• Be active in your own conversations.   
• Create buzz everywhere.

Examples
To find out what bloggers are blogging about RIGHT NOW, check out Blogdex. Here are a few frequently updated blogs:

BuzzMachine
Cinecultist
Cowboyz 'n' Poodles
Engadget
GarageSpin
Lost Remote
MediaBlog
A Girl and a Gun
InstaPundit
PressThink
Romenesko

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