A blog could be akin to an online journal on a subject. (Smith-Worthington/Jefferson 2011) The main difference is it is in reverse order. The top of the page is the most recent post. A blog can be used for any manner of subjects from the news, special subjects or just personal daily grind. (Page 179) The writing style usually is less formal but yet is still important to follow proper grammar and
sourcing to remain credible as well as avoid legal complications. When reviewing the parameters of blogs the social networks such as Facebook and so forth could be described as a community blog.
sourcing to remain credible as well as avoid legal complications. When reviewing the parameters of blogs the social networks such as Facebook and so forth could be described as a community blog.
Getting Started.
Once the logistics such as hosting and software are worked out there are several steps needed tosuccessfully build a good blog. Fortunantly I was given a link to handle the logistics.
What’s on Your Mind?
A subject needs to be chosen and in the case of the blog currently under construction the subject was assigned. But if I had not been assigned a blog I would be writing one on Permaculture. Ijust purchased a house on a half an acre and will be growing my own obscure fruits from seeds. The cost to buy the seedlings I need could run $20,000 or so and the cost of seeds and material will be less than $500. I will lose about a year in progress but I cannot spend that amount of money to save a year. The purpose of that blog would let others in the area follow my progress and as I am producing the plants I need I would have excess to sell or trade.
Know who Will Read This.
Another important bit of information is to know the audience. If the blog was aimed at the Expat
community in the Dominican Republic there are certain grammer errors that would be appropriate and give credibility. As an example the word Planta means generator and that is substituted in conversation. When conversation with the expats revolve around Luz (Lights), Inversores (Power Invertors) and so forth the Spanish words are substituted for the proper English. For this Blog, the
audience is my instructor and the way in which I write needs to be different than writing for a group of expats in the Dominican Republic. Knowing the audience can mean the difference in being taken seriously and being misunderstood.
Check Your Information.
The use of credible sources is another important item for a credible blog. Do not depend on Wiki as
it is user built with no true requirement for accuracy. My personal experience with Wiki is to get the basic information and use the terms listed as my search criteria for further study. Usually I can find a source from a University Site and back track through the references to the original source or at least to the point that it is common knowledge.
it is user built with no true requirement for accuracy. My personal experience with Wiki is to get the basic information and use the terms listed as my search criteria for further study. Usually I can find a source from a University Site and back track through the references to the original source or at least to the point that it is common knowledge.
Don’t Rock the Boat.
When working on research for the workplace it is important to have continuity with the company’s policies or products. If it is an internal memo that is advocating a change in direction it is best to keep the tone positive and not attack previous policies. Technical documents can always be used in court later and it is best to keep the tone and context in a form that leaves no way to assume that there is negligence on the part of the company unless that was the intent of the paper.
Common Knowledge is not Always Common.A common knowledge criterion is hard to define from my experience. I prefer to say is this something that most of my audience would know. In the United States the discussion of American Football is common knowledge but in Europe it is not.
Give Credit.
Quoting is something I personally do not like to do. I with synthesize or paraphrase but for my own personal feelings I am better off converting the facts into text or speech that flows well with my own personality. To quote directly does not show that I personally understand the material. To paraphrase demonstrates I have some knowledge on the subject. I prefer to write a paragraph of the most pertinent information and then have a link directly to the work included. Before
attending Ashford I had no experience with APA and citing information however I now will be using APA in the future for any websites I work with.
attending Ashford I had no experience with APA and citing information however I now will be using APA in the future for any websites I work with.
Keep it Simple.
I have worked in Africa with people of limited English comprehension as well as 3 ½ years in Afghanistan. I have had to teach people how to do things with hand signals, physical demonstrations or using a dictionary and drawing pictures. I have found that most issues can be reducedto simple parts easily explain able. The parts will logically work out. I spent four years in the Dominican Republic learning Spanish by immersion with a dictionary and a lot of frustration. I picked up a thought process to explain important information with as few words as possible and how to explain things using a limited vocabulary. Simple always works better than complex.
Prepare for Return Fire.
Many blogs allow the readers to respond.(Jones 2011) With the abilty to get feedback the audience becomes part of the blog. (Paragraph2)Whatever tone the author sets will usually set the tone for replies. The author will lose credibility if they are deleting hateful replies if the tone of the blogis hateful.
Keep a Schedule.
Jones, Steve. 2011 "Blog." World Book Advanced.World Book, 2011.
Smith-Worthington, D., & Jefferson, S. (2011). Technical
writing for success. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
writing for success. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
