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Weblogs are fully functional Web sites with built-in tools enabling writers to create stories, news headlines, commentary, lists of links and diary entries which are updated regularly. Weblogs provide writing spaces, characterised by their ability to handle text, images and other media components such as audio files. Unlike Web sites that may be created and only periodically updated, Weblogs are continually updated by the editor of the site and his/her nominated sub-editors. Each story posted has an associated discussion thread enabling invited members to contribute their own comments and reflections. In this way a Weblog becomes an accumulation of writing and other content maintained by a community of Webloggers who share a common interest.
Weblogging has attracted a following of journalists seeking alternatives
to the more restrictive environment of print or more conservative online publications.
Weblogs provide journalists with greater flexibility to express themselves and
create truly interactive content. Weblogs also provide journalists with a virtual
writing space that they can share with Webloggers interested in the topic area
under discussion. Some examples of journalist style Weblogs include:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Weblog/
http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/
http://www.poynter.org/medianews/
You will need to use a Weblog host service for your online journalism assignment. There are several free providers including the following:
Blogger.com provides
a free, automated Weblog publishing tool.
You also need to join blog*spot which is a free Weblog hosting service integrated
with the Blogger tool.
Conversant
provides a free content management system.
Unlike Blogger, there are no advertisements inserted into your free site.
GrokSoup.com provides
hosting, content management tools, templating, and XML based content sharing.
All editing is browser based and the service is free.
Pitas.com provides free hosting for Weblogs and news sites. Pita sites are easy to update using a simple web interface.
The disadvantage of most of these free services is that the hosts
do not provide storage for digital images and media files such as audio and
video clips. While it is possible to link to media on any other server you will
need access to another server for storage of the media components if you want
to use any of these services for your assignment. The alternative provider used
in the creation of Annie's test
site is Schoolblogs.com.
Schoolblogs provides a feature rich solution for the creation of web sites,
free storage of media components such as images and audio files as well as collaborative
editing using the threaded discussions assigned to each post.
These step-by-step instructions take you through all of the processes followed
to set up the example story presented in Annie's
site. However, in the spirit of the expressive freedom which characterises Weblogs,
you are encouraged to develop your own story using any of the tools available
to you as a managing editor of your own Weblog site. T
These instructions step you through each of the Editors menu options which are displayed at the top of the screen of anyone logged into a site with Editorial privileges. You can step your way through this guide by selecting the next option links at the top and bottom of each screen. You can also select the option you wish to learn about by selecting the appropriate option from the main menu.
A comprehensive user guide for anyone accessing a Weblog site that uses Manila blogging software is available online by selecting the Help option from the Editors menu bar displayed at the top of the screen.
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October, 2002
University of South Australia. Contact Denise Wood (Learning Connection) for further information |
