Blogging Issues

Just a little info on the blogging process, problems I've encountered, etc.:

I love blogging! Or maybe it's fiddling with my own blog that I like so much. I am indeed...dare I admit it...a lurker. This, as my UNC peers know, means that I navigate silently through and around the blogs of others. I don't know if it's a voyeuristic quality or if I just want to give only pertinent feedback--either way, I plan to start making myself a bit more known. There's just such a stigma associated with being a lurker!! :0

I haven't really encountered any technical problems creating or maintaining my blogspot. My small but helpful background of HTML was imperitive in adding all the links and pics in my sidebar. I know that a couple of folks had problems in that arena. I definitely recommend getting a coding crib sheet; I reference it all the time.

Am I satisfied overall with my blog? Yes, but I'm getting very few comments, which leads me to wonder if my blog is too dry. However, blogs are (in my opinion) just as much for the writer as the reader. I've put my 2 cents out there--the rest is up to you--whomever you may be. I think that a blog should be evaluated based on its intent and overall purpose. If you get what is advertised--what you expect--then it should be considered successful. As for the author--I could care less as long as they don't claim to be someone they are not. The blogging community to me is like the old west waiting to be explored. It's a brave new world, people.

JOMC 223 Initial Blog Comments

UNC Peer Blogs

Lauren Reynolds Quarter Life Connection I love Lauren's topic! It's so close to home since I'm only two years from being 30. It's original and inspiring.

Drew Lomax Liberation Watch Drew is knowledgeable and an expert in his field. His experience makes him the perfect person to cover this subject.

Dean Smith Counterframe Dean's newslinks are great. I also like Knight Ridder D.C. I normally read their articles when researching on NC Live. Thanks, Dean for providing the link to this resource!

Jennifer Munday Expressions of a Wanderer Great title! Makes me want to check it out--the reader expects mystery and philosophical views on the world!

Steven Anthony Views From the Pen Interesting technology topic--Cell Yell! Looking forward to reading more.

Sarah Michelle Klemens Michelle's Freedom Forum Engaging topic--one with impact. Michelle should offer an interesting and much needed perspective.

Jongrak Lee Global Network Impressed with Lee's qualifications. He will off offer experienced insight about global issues.

Hui Liu CCC Watch Hui Liu offers personality and style. Her cross-cultural communication blog is well-written and easy to read.

Diana Manevskaya American Experience Catchy title and good resources. Diana offers a unique perspective as an international student.

Julie Rains Kids Play Games Useful blog. Practical and audience centered.

Kimberly Snider Joining the Political Process Applicable topic. Should be fun to follow. I'm interested to see where this will go after the election.

Tracy Swartz Journalist in the City Another great title--exciting! Can't wait to read about Tracy's NY experience and how she evolves and adapts to her environment. Good luck, Tracy!

Cool Photoblogs

I'd like to say, "Thanks, Deb!" for turning me on to photoblogs. I wasn't really familiar with the concept, and after perusing the Web for our last assignment, I found a couple of really good ones. I put them in my blogroll (to your right); however, I want to give a little info to encourage anyone reading to actually check them out. The first one, Daily Dose of Imagery, is the "real" one. This guy takes real world pictures every day and shares them via his photoblog. Each day he posts a new pic with a caption, and you can backtrack if you want to see previous shots. Where this gets interesting is here: another guy decided to create a parody photoblog called Daily Dose of Generic Imagery, which is a sort of copycat site. The format is the same, and the shots are amazingly similar. It's fun to check them and do a day-by-day comparison. Try it for entertainment purposes!

Friday's Sites

Rushing to meet the 6pm deadline...yikes!

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Information Technology offers a wealth of information on education-technology and distance ed. The Wired Campus provides daily headlines, and the date of update is visible at the top of the page. The site offers a search box, which I always look for on a site, and back issues of The Chronicle are available. Other links include community colleges, government and politics, grants and fellowships, and facts & figures. The format choice is effective and visually pleasing. Info is easy to locate; navigation and access are both good.

Distance Education: Networking Learning Technologies was not particularly helpful in my quest for info. A variety of subcategories are offered including colleges, grants, lesson plans, networking, etc., but I still was not impressed. Other than the small title at the top, the purpose of the site is unclear. It appears to be just a page of results. The links are pertinent but not annotated. This leads to excessive navigation.

Thursday's Sites

Distance-Educator.com has been serving professionals since 1970! The date of update is right at the top with announcements and easy-to-find navigation channels. There are featured partners, which add validity, and the user can submit news and articles as well as read about distance education issues. Tabs are provided to daily news, higher ed, business and industry, K-12, and even the government and military. The format choice creates a "busy" appearance; page is sectioned into columns, but readability is fine nonetheless. Overall a good site that I can use later.

Resources for Distance Education does offer a lot of resources on the subject of distance ed, however, the page is simply that--a list of links. There is little white space, and it's hard to sort through all the information. The annotations are not terribly helpful, so you may spend a significant amount of time navigating to find that the link is not what you expected. The site has potential but needs work.

Permission to Whine?

First let me say that this post in no way relates to my topic or the purpose of this blog. I do hope, however, that at least one person reading this will benefit from my utter and complete lack of reason.

Dictionary.com defines procrastination as "to postpone or delay needlessly." Overburdened is defined as "an overload." I'm coining a phrase of my own--procrastination due to overburdening. In an effort not to sound like I'm making excuses, I just want to justify my under par participation this week in all areas of my life. Imagine a pie chart...I'm giving a little to this and a little to that...and not enough to any one thing. Every single thing seems to be suffering because I've taken too much on. Listen to others when they say, "Christy, you'd better be careful not to try to do too much..." Never. If you know me, I will try to DO IT ALL. However, I feel that I have truly learned my lesson. My fingernails are down to nubs, and I wake up drained and dreading the day. This is no way to live, I tell you people!

I'm currently teaching at my full-time job as I've mentioned many times before in our discussion groups. Obviously, I'm taking this class at Chapel too. That should be enough for any one person, yet I took on more. Sure, I can teach an online class for another institution. Enough? Not yet. Oh, and do a little freelancing too? Sure, how hard can it be, I asked myself (and of course money talks). My overall point and moral to this story--and I apologize for taking so long to get to it--is that we are only human. I will recognize my limits from this moment on, and I am promising myself, here and now, that I will not overburden myself past the realm of sanity ever again. (Please remind me next semester that I said that). Remember that you can try to do it all, but is it worth it when the work or the results are not your best?

Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Wednesday's Sites

Distance Education Clearinghouse powered by the University of Wisconsin offers today's distance ed headlines. This site provides worldwide news, opinions, articles, as well as updated headlines. The right margin contains links and info to technology, programs & courses, and research & statistics. Definitions and a glossary are provided for the novice user, which is a real plus. Though the white background is just a bit harsh, overall the site is really helpful and user-friendly. I'd recommend it.

The Online College Degree Resources page is not so great. At first glance, it looks nice; I actually like the format better than the Clearinghouse mentioned above. However, the content is not what I had hoped for. There is some discussion of convenience and communication, which is helpful. The site is not horrible...but it doesn't offer ENOUGH info on the advantages/disadvantages of distance ed. It did not appear to be updated this year, and there were no articles or headlines offered.

Tuesday's Sites

JEFFLINE: Academic & Instructional Support & Resources is a good source for distance ed info. Maintained by Thomas Jefferson University, this site states the benefits of online learning and provides statistics and advantages to supplementing a course with Web-based tools. The Web-based learning environment is analyzed; issues addressed include students' perspectives, accessibility of instructors, the student-centered teaching approach, and different learning styles. Blackboard, pedagogical benefits, time management, and suggested methods for student progress and assessment are discussed. Format is acceptable, and navigation is simple.

Although I like the print version, I am not impressed with the T.H.E. Journal Online: Technological Horizons in Education. I had hoped to find more pertinent info on distance education. Most of the site focuses on tools and technology; e-learning is discussed but takes some navigation to locate. Visually, the site is not appealing; there is an overabundance of RED.

Monday's Sites

One of the best sites I found is Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning: Student-Centered Teaching and Learning Online. Created by the University of Illinois, this site's mission is to inform and empower distance education faculty by providing the resources to teach effectively, utilize technology fully, and develop contstructive learning environments. Their Online Learning Update features daily news pertinent to distance ed on an international level. A blog and listserv are available. The site's navigation and format are both user-friendly and visually pleasing. The source is reputable and peer-reviewed.

A site that I'm not so pleased with is eLearners Advisor. The site is strictly student-oriented, and information is difficult to access. Though the site offers useful info about distance education, the user has to go through each "step" of the site, which directs you to the next page. There is no way to skip to the info you really want to see. The "steps" are a series of questions that determine whether online classes are right for you, the reader. The intention is good, but navigation is poor due to access. As a busy reader, I don't want to take a long test just to get to the subject matter on the last page. The site is attractive and overall informative but overall not good enough to revisit or recommend to others.

Website Evaluation Criteria

The criteria I use to evaluate online resources are listed and annotated below. My evaluation of specific sites will be posted tomorrow.

1. Web design/readability: A technical writer by trade, this is of the utmost importance to me. The presentation of a page is the first impression and must effectively represent its company or organization. If the design is poor, I will probably move on to another site without perusing the site’s contents. Specifics I notice are appropriate white space, text size, style, grouping, page length, and excessive graphics or ads. I also include correct grammar, sentence structure, and spelling in this category.

2. Navigation/search: A good Web site should upload quickly and be easy to use. I should be able to scan the page and locate what I am looking for without hunting. Active links should be direct and take me exactly where I expect to go—not to other links, the wrong place, or “around the bush.” I prefer pages that offer a site search; this saves time and eliminates the need to read the whole site, unless you are reading for pleasure. As users, we have also come to expect the following navigational options: index, contents, hyperlinks, bookmarks, and help files.

3. Coverage: A site should have a clear title and purpose and meet my expectations. If I expect to find specific information that (theoretically) should be there and then it isn’t—I’ll be disappointed in the writers and/or the site as a whole. There should be a wealth of information with equal concentration on quantity and quality. A site should be leading; in other words, it should keep me interested. Articles and such should raise additional questions or have segues to related topics. A site should also be original; redundant information is annoying.

4. Considerations: When creating sites, Web designers should always consider users with special needs. Physical limitations may include users with visual or other disabilities. For example, readers who are color-blind will have difficulty seeing text on a screen or page. That is why color choice and contrast for background and text are so important. Colors also have a cultural and social significance; a designer should research his or her audience for color associations. Other factors are technical limitations. Not every user has the same equipment (type of computer or screen size, access, or speed which can hinder readability).

5. Accessibility: When I say “accessibility,” I mean access to information on a site. One of my biggest pet peeves is finding a great site with pertinent articles that is hampered by a membership or subscription requirement. Some sites restrict you from reading anything but titles and sources (to pull you in), while others may at least let you read the front page headings or announcements. I expect full access to news, articles, and archives.

6. Timeliness: A reputable site will usually update periodically—sometimes even daily—and include the date at the bottom of the page. In the field of technology this is imperative! Readers want the latest news on advances (in hardware, software, popular issues, etc.) and want to know what is happening in the business sector (what products are selling, what companies are merging). A site that is slow to report new information will get lost in the pack, and if the same info is on the site day after day, week after week, I won’t visit it unless looking specifically for archives.

7. Reliability: Though keeping a site updated is expected, reliability is equally important. Excessive downtime is not appropriate; no one likes to visit a site and see an “under construction—come back later” sign. Does that mean five minutes, one hour, or two days? In today’s society of instant gratification, we want things now. If you have to check back with a site, that is terribly inconvenient.

8. Accuracy: Does the information on the site correspond with that of other reliable sources? Is the information clear, correct, and concise? Articles and especially news should cover who, what, when, where, and how. Details are a must.

9. Credibility: Though reputation is not everything, name recognition is helpful. If you trust a site, you may not need to verify facts and figures elsewhere. Especially if a site is consistent over time, I’ll return to it and recommend it to other Internet users.

10. Peer review: This goes hand-in-hand with credibility. Usually peer reviews or reputable sponsors will be listed at the top of a page in full view—much like the sanitation grade in a restaurant. Once you see it, you feel more comfortable. I don’t believe everything I read or hear, but I will give it more or less consideration depending on the source. Peer reviews in professional circles add validity.