Blogging in Review: Top Ten Blog Posts

Presenting: my top ten favorite posts in order of the date posted. Enjoy!

1. New Year = Spanking New Post! - This is my very first post. I wanted to include it as an example of my blogging foundation. I don't think its so bad, though a little hard to read. I would have bolded the headings for increased scan-ability.
2. Online Class 1: Barlow and Whalen...Discuss -This is my second post and already you can see the progress I've made in terms of formatting. There are bolded text, linking, and separation of ideas by paragraphs. I also liked this article because it presented an argument in a concise and easy to follow manner.
3. Songsmith Rocks! -This is an example of the majority of non class related posts I did for this blog. I really enjoy this post because it shows that I don't have to write a lot to convey a message, I can use other media like a video or a song.
4. Blogging and other writings: a comparison -This posts compares online writing to print writing. I liked this post because I think my ideas are relevant and presented in an easy to read way.
   
5. It's about time I posted a picture. -This post is an example of how dynamic a blog post can be. I used a combination of text, pictures, and video to convey my message.
   
6. Searching for Something? -I really like this post because it contained a lot of useful information and was presented in an interesting and easy to read way. I also think that the title is intriguing and informative.
7. Online Class 7: Zines -This post is very well organized and easy to scan. I was able to clearly lay out my Zine project for all to review. I also included a label for easy organization. This was one of my posts that solicited comments.
8. Attempting to Organize -This is another product description. I feel that I gave a good review of the tool and gave readers enough information to arrive at a general opinion. But, I also included external links that would take them to more information about the product.
9. Online Class 10: Web Project -I liked this post because like the Zine post, I was able to clearly outline my ideas in an easy to read format.
10. What I stumbledupon today -This post reviews another product/tool in an easy to digest manner. I offer reasons why I like it as well as reason why I don't. I demonstrate how the tool works and link to more information.

Blogging in Review

I wrote my first blog post just four months ago as a part of my Writing for the Web course. The semester is now coming to an end and I feel that it would be beneficial to review my progression as an online writer.

Blogging Techniques
One of the key things I've learned in the course is how to communicate to online readers both through modifying the content of my blog as well as the format. I find that Constance J. Peterson's Writing for a Web Audience sums it up best. A good blog post:

• Punch up headlines
• Emphasize key concepts
• Create meaningful captions
• Simplify for understanding
• States conclusion first
  
• Has only one idea per paragraph
• Makes each page stand alone
• Links wisely
• Is current, accurate, and credible
  

The Power of Blogging
This experience has also taught me that blogging can be a powerful tool for forming public opinions. Just look at the impact of Engadget and Gizmodo on the technology industry or the impact of blogs like the Daily Kos, the Huffington Post, and FiveThirtyEight on politics. In fact I would argue that blogs are so influential in our daily decision making that corporations are taking note and have started participating in this new media. In the last ten years, social online media as an industry sector has grown tremendously. It seems everyone is online spreading some kind of message.

Digital vs Print
To me, digital writing like blogs are more informal and generally more accessible than writing for print. I've done a lot of writing for other classes and blogging has been the easiest way for me to voice my opinions in a quick and effective way. I enjoy how interactive a blog can be, a element missing from writing a reflection or an essay. It's almost as good as having an in person discussion with someone. As I discussed in my post Blogging and other writings: a comparison blogging is different from print writing because blogging:

• Is more interactive
• Allows for more creativity in presenting ideas
• Is a social activity

My Progression
Having written in this blog for the entire semester, I have learned that my writing style and my personality is better suited for writing on the web. Specifically, I enjoy the interactiveness of the online public and the feeling that I am reaching out to a lot of people. This sense of power is very compelling.

My writing style is also better for online writing because I enjoy writing in blog form: in chunks with headings, captions, and pictures. I find that a multi-media approach best conveys my ideas in an efficient and effective way.

I can't say that I am a citizen journalist but I feel that I do contribute to the overall dialogue. I have discovered that much of what I write is influenced by what I read which are reviews of innovative ideas, tools, and products.

I think Meg Hourihan's post What We're Doing When We Blog best explains my experience as a blogger and why I prefer blogging to writing for print. She writes:

"Blog posts are short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal, no matter what topic they approach. They can be characterized by their conversational tone and unlike a more formal essay or speech, a blog post is often an opening to a discussion, rather than a full-fledged argument already arrived at."

While we may differ in the content of our blogs, we are the same in that blogging provides us with a method of communication unlike any other. As a writer, whose purpose is to communicate with her readers, blogging is perhaps one of the best medium.

Final Thoughts
Overall I have had a positive blogging experience. I can truly say that I have enjoyed this course immensely and feel that I have been given just the right amount of information and support for developing my blog. One area that I would have enjoyed exploring though is that of blogging in the context of business and entrepreneurship. Overall I would recommend learning about blogging and online media to everyone, especially if you want to stay in the information loop. I know I have much to learn and will continue to refine my digital writing skills.