Weblogs; what, why, where & when Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com (Last updated 23 rd Feb 2007)

What we’ll cover How you can use weblogs to obtain information How you can create your own weblogs, and why you should! Using weblogs to give you extra leverage for your own site and how to beat the competition

How you can use weblogs to obtain information

How you can create your own weblogs, and why you should!

Using weblogs to give you extra leverage for your own site and how to beat the competition

What is a weblog? A page on a website that: Is organised chronologically Archives older content Updated regularly Links to other resources Articles are (generally) very short Contains personal comment or opinion Is (usually) created by weblog software

A page on a website that:

Is organised chronologically

Archives older content

Updated regularly

Links to other resources

Articles are (generally) very short

Contains personal comment or opinion

Is (usually) created by weblog software

What is a weblog (cont) (Often) allows readers to comment Is updated on a regular basis; often several times during a day, certainly at least once a week Provides an RSS feed for news aggregation

(Often) allows readers to comment

Is updated on a regular basis; often several times during a day, certainly at least once a week

Provides an RSS feed for news aggregation

A few more definitions RSS Rich Site Summary Really Simple Syndication Allows people to read a weblog without coming to the site by using a News aggregator Software on the web/on your computer Scans for new information regularly Is like your own personal newspaper

RSS

Rich Site Summary

Really Simple Syndication

Allows people to read a weblog without coming to the site by using a

News aggregator

Software on the web/on your computer

Scans for new information regularly

Is like your own personal newspaper

Let’s look at a weblog

Weblogs live on the net You can view my current weblog at: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/ http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/ Gary Price’s Resource Shelf at: http://www.resourceshelf.com/ EngLib for science at: http://www.englib.info/ ResearchBuzz at http://www.researchbuzz.com/

You can view my current weblog at:

http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/

http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/

Gary Price’s Resource Shelf at:

http://www.resourceshelf.com/

EngLib for science at:

http://www.englib.info/

ResearchBuzz at

http://www.researchbuzz.com/

Some more weblogs Tom Roper’s weblog at http://tomroper.typepad.com/ Karen Blakeman’s blog at http://www.rba.co.uk/rss/blog.htm Ian Snowley’s weblog at http://snowley.typepad.com/ian_snowleys_weblog/ School Library Association at http://www.sla.org.uk/blog/slablog.html

Tom Roper’s weblog at

http://tomroper.typepad.com/

Karen Blakeman’s blog at

http://www.rba.co.uk/rss/blog.htm

Ian Snowley’s weblog at

http://snowley.typepad.com/ian_snowleys_weblog/

School Library Association at

http://www.sla.org.uk/blog/slablog.html

Even more weblogs The Loopy Librarian at http://loopylibrarian.blogspot.com/ The Information Overlord at http://www.informationoverlord.co.uk/ Freedom of Information weblog at http://foia.blogspot.com/

The Loopy Librarian at

http://loopylibrarian.blogspot.com/

The Information Overlord at

http://www.informationoverlord.co.uk/

Freedom of Information weblog at

http://foia.blogspot.com/

Some business blogs Fortune 500 http://www.eu.socialtext.net/bizblogs/index.cgi Talis http://blogs.talis.com/panlibus/ Gartner Group http://weblog.gartner.com/weblog/weblogindex.php Jupiter Research http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/toplevel/

Fortune 500 http://www.eu.socialtext.net/bizblogs/index.cgi

Talis

http://blogs.talis.com/panlibus/

Gartner Group

http://weblog.gartner.com/weblog/weblogindex.php

Jupiter Research

http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/toplevel/

A little more on RSS Really Simple Syndication

Really Simple Syndication

The RSS feed looks like this: Phil Bradley's weblog http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/ Internet searching, web design, search engine developments and anything that will interest librarians! en-GB 2007-02-23T10:57:53+00:00 Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult' http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2007/02/egypt_blogger_j.html Egyptian blogger jailed for 'insult'. Abdel Kareem Soliman has been jailed for four years for criticising and insulting Islam and the president. He'd used his weblog to take a swipe at the country's top Islamic institution. The link goes to... <p><a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6385849.stm&quot; title=&quot;BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'&quot;>Egyptian blogger jailed for 'insult'</a>. Abdel Kareem Soliman has been jailed for four years for criticising and insulting Islam and the president. He'd used his weblog to take a swipe at the country's top Islamic institution. The link goes to the BBC story.</p> Current Affairs philipbradley 2007-02-23T10:57:53+00:00 Google charges for web programs http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2007/02/google_charges_.html Google charges for web programs. Well, this is all over the blogs and news at the moment - my link goes to the BBC version of the story. No great surprise here really; Google is going to start selling a... <p><a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6385487.stm&quot; title=&quot;BBC NEWS | Technology | Google charges for web programs&quot;>Google charges for web programs</a>. Well, this is all over the blogs and news at the moment - my link goes to the BBC version of the story. No great surprise here really; Google is going to start selling a premium version of their email, calendar, word processing and messaging package. It'll cost £27 or 40€ or $50 which includes more storage, phone help and 99.9% uptime (which is actually downtime of about 9 hours per year if you don't want to work it out yourself) and it'll be advertisement free.</p> <p>Google is of course saying that it's not an attack on Microsoft.</p> Google specific philipbradley 2007-02-22T15:30:52+00:00

Phil Bradley's weblog

http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/

Internet searching, web design, search engine developments and anything that will interest librarians!

en-GB

2007-02-23T10:57:53+00:00 Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'

http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2007/02/egypt_blogger_j.html

Egyptian blogger jailed for 'insult'. Abdel Kareem Soliman has been jailed for four years for criticising and insulting Islam and the president. He'd used his weblog to take a swipe at the country's top Islamic institution. The link goes to...

<p><a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6385849.stm&quot; title=&quot;BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'&quot;>Egyptian blogger jailed for 'insult'</a>. Abdel Kareem Soliman has been jailed for four years for criticising and insulting Islam and the president. He'd used his weblog to take a swipe at the country's top Islamic institution. The link goes to the BBC story.</p>

Current Affairs

philipbradley

2007-02-23T10:57:53+00:00

Google charges for web programs

http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2007/02/google_charges_.html

Google charges for web programs. Well, this is all over the blogs and news at the moment - my link goes to the BBC version of the story. No great surprise here really; Google is going to start selling a...

<p><a href=&quot;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6385487.stm&quot; title=&quot;BBC NEWS | Technology | Google charges for web programs&quot;>Google charges for web programs</a>. Well, this is all over the blogs and news at the moment - my link goes to the BBC version of the story. No great surprise here really; Google is going to start selling a premium version of their email, calendar, word processing and messaging package. It'll cost £27 or 40€ or $50 which includes more storage, phone help and 99.9% uptime (which is actually downtime of about 9 hours per year if you don't want to work it out yourself) and it'll be advertisement free.</p>

<p>Google is of course saying that it's not an attack on Microsoft.</p>

Google specific

philipbradley

2007-02-22T15:30:52+00:00

The news aggregator Gathers together, collates and displays the results of RSS feeds in a way a human being can read them properly You can view as much or as little of a weblog as you want You can update as often as you want You can quickly add feeds to a news aggregator

Gathers together, collates and displays the results of RSS feeds in a way a human being can read them properly

You can view as much or as little of a weblog as you want

You can update as often as you want

You can quickly add feeds to a news aggregator

Without an aggregator You go from site to site everyday to keep up to date Or more likely, you don’t You have to put up with spam, adverts, popups It takes a lot of time You have to deal with lots of different webpages

You go from site to site everyday to keep up to date

Or more likely, you don’t

You have to put up with spam, adverts, popups

It takes a lot of time

You have to deal with lots of different webpages

With an aggregator It’s a one click job You save time Date is provided in a consistent format You’re always up to date Easy to add/drop feeds An increasing number of sites are using RSS to present content, therefore your options are larger

It’s a one click job

You save time

Date is provided in a consistent format

You’re always up to date

Easy to add/drop feeds

An increasing number of sites are using RSS to present content, therefore your options are larger

Bloglines

News aggregators The previous slide showed my collection of weblog feeds held at Bloglines at: http://www.bloglines.com/ AmphetaDesk at: http:// www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/

The previous slide showed my collection of weblog feeds held at Bloglines at: http://www.bloglines.com/

AmphetaDesk at: http:// www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/

AmphetaDesk

Using RSS First, find yourself a news aggregator Then start adding feeds to it. Look out for the symbol

First, find yourself a news aggregator

Then start adding feeds to it. Look out for the symbol

What feeds can I add? Feeds from weblogs (all 4,000,000 +) News websites such as: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/default.stm Guardian news http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/ New York Times technology http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html?partner=rssuserland

Feeds from weblogs (all 4,000,000 +)

News websites such as:

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/default.stm

Guardian news http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/

New York Times technology http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html?partner=rssuserland

Finding feeds Icerocket at http://www.icerocket.com/ Google Blogsearch at http://blogsearch.google.com/ Technorati at http://www.technorati.com/ Library weblogs at http://www.libdex.com/weblogs.html

Icerocket at

http://www.icerocket.com/

Google Blogsearch at

http://blogsearch.google.com/

Technorati at

http://www.technorati.com/

Library weblogs at

http://www.libdex.com/weblogs.html

More feeds Liszen at http://www.liszen.com/ Libworm at http://www.libworm.com/ My Pageflakes collection at http://www.pageflakes.com/philipbradley.ashx?page=4541261

Liszen at

http://www.liszen.com/

Libworm at

http://www.libworm.com/

My Pageflakes collection at

http://www.pageflakes.com/philipbradley.ashx?page=4541261

How else can I find them? Use a weblog search engine, either to find feeds or see what people are talking about Look at the ‘blogroll’ on a site you’ve already found, and view the weblogs the author links to Traditional web search for topic and weblog

Use a weblog search engine, either to find feeds or see what people are talking about

Look at the ‘blogroll’ on a site you’ve already found, and view the weblogs the author links to

Traditional web search for topic and weblog

Even more on RSS News syndication Both Google and MSN generate RSS feeds based on searches http://www.topix.net/ & http://www.icerocket.com/?tab=news also do this. Search for information via RSS http://www.feedfindings.com/

News syndication

Both Google and MSN generate RSS feeds based on searches

http://www.topix.net/ & http://www.icerocket.com/?tab=news also do this.

Search for information via RSS

http://www.feedfindings.com/

RSS Display news on your website http://www.feeddigest.com/ allows you to mix feeds and put them on your site Display news on your mobile phone http://phonefeeds.com/ Collect all your mail via RSS http://www.bloglines.com Gmail allows this as well

Display news on your website

http://www.feeddigest.com/ allows you to mix feeds and put them on your site

Display news on your mobile phone

http://phonefeeds.com/

Collect all your mail via RSS

http://www.bloglines.com

Gmail allows this as well

RSS Track FedEx packages Information on discount airfares http://www.justtheflight.co.uk/rss/flights.html eBay bargains http://www.rssauction.com/ Get stock updates http://www.xanadb.com/archive/perl/20030617

Track FedEx packages

Information on discount airfares

http://www.justtheflight.co.uk/rss/flights.html

eBay bargains

http://www.rssauction.com/

Get stock updates

http://www.xanadb.com/archive/perl/20030617

RSS Get weather reports http://www.rssweather.com/dir/Europe/UK/ What people say about you, your company, your products http://technorati.com/ Music, radio shows, TV clips http://www.podcastalley.com/

Get weather reports

http://www.rssweather.com/dir/Europe/UK/

What people say about you, your company, your products

http://technorati.com/

Music, radio shows, TV clips

http://www.podcastalley.com/

RSS Stay updated on someone’s schedule http://www.rsscalendar.com/rss/ Cinema schedule updates http://citycinema.reinvented.net/ Read your favourite comics http://www.comicalert.com/ See what other people are browsing http://www.furl.net

Stay updated on someone’s schedule

http://www.rsscalendar.com/rss/

Cinema schedule updates

http://citycinema.reinvented.net/

Read your favourite comics

http://www.comicalert.com/

See what other people are browsing

http://www.furl.net

RSS Get software updates http://www.download.com/ Shopping deals at Amazon http://www.onfocus.com/bookwatch/AmazonRSS.asp Solve Xmas present problems with RSS wishlists http://www.thethingsiwant.com/

Get software updates

http://www.download.com/

Shopping deals at Amazon

http://www.onfocus.com/bookwatch/AmazonRSS.asp

Solve Xmas present problems with RSS wishlists

http://www.thethingsiwant.com/

RSS Virus and security alerts http://sophos.com/ Events happening in your city http://eventful.com/ Search for a new job http://rssjobs.com/ Keep track of your notes http://www.aypwip.org/webnote/

Virus and security alerts

http://sophos.com/

Events happening in your city

http://eventful.com/

Search for a new job

http://rssjobs.com/

Keep track of your notes

http://www.aypwip.org/webnote/

RSS Find recent photographs taken near you http://geobloggers.com/ Create RSS feeds for sites without them http://www.wotzwot.com/rssxl.php Get revisions of group documents http://www.writely.com/

Find recent photographs taken near you

http://geobloggers.com/

Create RSS feeds for sites without them

http://www.wotzwot.com/rssxl.php

Get revisions of group documents

http://www.writely.com/

In summary: Weblogs allow you to keep up to date in areas that interest you They provide informed comment on issues of the day, new information and the latest developments They help you identify experts in particular areas You don’t need to ‘browse the net’ to obtain data!

Weblogs allow you to keep up to date in areas that interest you

They provide informed comment on issues of the day, new information and the latest developments

They help you identify experts in particular areas

You don’t need to ‘browse the net’ to obtain data!

How you can create a weblog It’s so easy, it’s almost criminal! Find some weblogging software Some is free, some is commercial Some resides on your system, others are web based They’re all easy to use – you don’t need HTML skills, programming skills or anything else!

It’s so easy, it’s almost criminal!

Find some weblogging software

Some is free, some is commercial

Some resides on your system, others are web based

They’re all easy to use – you don’t need HTML skills, programming skills or anything else!

Weblog utilities Blogger http:// www.blogger.com / Livejournal http:// www.livejournal.com / Xanga http://www.xanga.com/ Radio Userland http://radio.userland.com/

Blogger

http:// www.blogger.com /

Livejournal

http:// www.livejournal.com /

Xanga

http://www.xanga.com/

Radio Userland

http://radio.userland.com/

Weblog utilities (cont) Create your account Do you want to host the weblog on your own system, or use space they provide? What are you going to call your weblog? What description are you going to give it? How do you want to add entries? Do you want to create an RSS feed?

Create your account

Do you want to host the weblog on your own system, or use space they provide?

What are you going to call your weblog?

What description are you going to give it?

How do you want to add entries?

Do you want to create an RSS feed?

The next steps Once you have created your account, start adding entries! The Blogger icon on the Google toolbar

Once you have created your account, start adding entries!

The Blogger icon on the Google toolbar

Adding a weblog entry

Adding an entry with Typepad

What’s the use? Weblogs can be used to alert readers to new developments in a subject area They are a useful way to remind yourself about good webpages They provide quick and easy links to resources

Weblogs can be used to alert readers to new developments in a subject area

They are a useful way to remind yourself about good webpages

They provide quick and easy links to resources

In summary Weblogs are easy to create They don’t cost anything except time They do have disadvantages Must be kept up to date They can take up a lot of your time if you get addicted

Weblogs are easy to create

They don’t cost anything except time

They do have disadvantages

Must be kept up to date

They can take up a lot of your time if you get addicted

The business case for weblogs It brings you directly to the notice of your customers every single day It shows them that you know what you’re doing It shows that you are an expert in the field You’re doing a job for them, and they’ll love you for it More specific ideas…

It brings you directly to the notice of your customers every single day

It shows them that you know what you’re doing

It shows that you are an expert in the field

You’re doing a job for them, and they’ll love you for it

More specific ideas…

Using weblogs in business Create an ‘Announcement and special offers’ feed. If you produce anything that changes over time you can use a weblog to keep people up to date – new products, new courses, updates to existing courses. Keeps your clients up to speed Reduces the need for mail outs and printed items Special offers only available via the weblog

Create an ‘Announcement and special offers’ feed.

If you produce anything that changes over time you can use a weblog to keep people up to date – new products, new courses, updates to existing courses.

Keeps your clients up to speed

Reduces the need for mail outs and printed items

Special offers only available via the weblog

Using weblogs in business Client of the week/month Recognition of your clients Provides them with greater exposure Creates good will It takes next to no time to do it, but can have a lasting impact

Client of the week/month

Recognition of your clients

Provides them with greater exposure

Creates good will

It takes next to no time to do it, but can have a lasting impact

Using weblogs in business Create staff feeds Great to keep staff up to date on what is happening in your organisation All the data is centralised in one place No need for emails/printed data that could get lost Good for training, special offers etc Memos, presentations, files, new policies

Create staff feeds

Great to keep staff up to date on what is happening in your organisation

All the data is centralised in one place

No need for emails/printed data that could get lost

Good for training, special offers etc

Memos, presentations, files, new policies

Using weblogs in business Add a ‘Frequently asked questions’ element to your weblog Daily/weekly contests related to the site What’s new information What’s coming soon A photo blog Developer notes News on your chosen topics

Add a ‘Frequently asked questions’ element to your weblog

Daily/weekly contests related to the site

What’s new information

What’s coming soon

A photo blog

Developer notes

News on your chosen topics

Using weblogs in business For specific groups: Sales team weblog Vertical blogs for everyone in the company interested in a specific subject Internal job adverts and other HR related topics Information centre pushing data out to everyone else

For specific groups:

Sales team weblog

Vertical blogs for everyone in the company interested in a specific subject

Internal job adverts and other HR related topics

Information centre pushing data out to everyone else

Using weblogs in business Reduces information overload Gets the message out there quickly Groups can participate in a weblog – not just one person Can be shared with whoever you want – staff, customers, the world!

Reduces information overload

Gets the message out there quickly

Groups can participate in a weblog – not just one person

Can be shared with whoever you want – staff, customers, the world!

Using weblogs in business Don’t forget – ALL of this information can be made widely available to the world Add the RSS feed icon to your page Keep a note of your statistics Register your weblog with the weblog search engines Link other weblogs to yours, and they’ll do the same for you

Don’t forget – ALL of this information can be made widely available to the world

Add the RSS feed icon to your page

Keep a note of your statistics

Register your weblog with the weblog search engines

Link other weblogs to yours, and they’ll do the same for you

What else can you do with them? You can add pictures to a weblog Great for promoting new products Introduce new members of staff Moblogging Weblog on the move. Report on a conference that you’re attending. Photoblogging Add in pictures of the conference as well!

You can add pictures to a weblog

Great for promoting new products

Introduce new members of staff

Moblogging

Weblog on the move. Report on a conference that you’re attending.

Photoblogging

Add in pictures of the conference as well!

What else can you do with them? Email blogging Some software allows you to email a weblog onto your page Add a chat room to your weblog Set up chats/discussions, promoted by your weblog Add the headlines of your weblog onto your home page to keep it current Allow people to comment on entries

Email blogging

Some software allows you to email a weblog onto your page

Add a chat room to your weblog

Set up chats/discussions, promoted by your weblog

Add the headlines of your weblog onto your home page to keep it current

Allow people to comment on entries

In summary Weblogs allow you to promote your organisation in an entirely new way They provide flexible approaches to data delivery They streamline the provision of information internally and externally You become seen as an expert in the area

Weblogs allow you to promote your organisation in an entirely new way

They provide flexible approaches to data delivery

They streamline the provision of information internally and externally

You become seen as an expert in the area

Using a news aggregator Bloglines at http://www.bloglines.com You must have an email account you can access to validate your Bloglines account

Bloglines at http://www.bloglines.com

You must have an email account you can access to validate your Bloglines account

Bloglines

Contact details Phil Bradley’s site at: http://www.philb.com Weblog at: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/ http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/ http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/frivolity/ Article on weblogging at: http://www.philb.com/weblogs.htm

Phil Bradley’s site at: http://www.philb.com

Weblog at:

http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/

http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/

http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/frivolity/

Article on weblogging at: http://www.philb.com/weblogs.htm