time for a lesson
June 29, 2005Okay people. We seem to be slowing down over here. That’s okay, but there’s two I need to expose you two so I don’t feel amiss as a your blogging host. They are both about blogging as public conversation.
First - making hyperlinks in your posts.
I noticed that few of you have put hyperlinks in your entries. That is a big part of what makes blogging a public conversation. You link to other people’s thoughts (both other bloggers and articles by “real” journalists) and ask your own questions or provide your own feedback.
For this tool (blogsome) the way to make a link to something is (when you’re writing your post) to highlight the word you want to make into a hyperlink, and then click on the button “link” which is right above the box you’re writing in. It will ask you for the url and you enter it and click “ok”. Simple as pie.
Second - commenting.
None of you comment. Well, there were one or two. Blogs are meant to be spaces for interaction. That doesn’t mean that every post gets 10 comments, but if you have a reaction to someone’s entry *please* share it. That’s why the person put it out there. If she didn’t care what you thought, then she wouldn’t be blogging it.
It’s relatively painless. I suggest you try it by clicking at the bottom of an entry on the words “No comments”. This link will change to “1 comment” as soon as someone gives it a go.
I’m commenting for the sake of commenting but it’s true, I didn’t want or mean for this blog to slow to an almost complete stop so soon.
I wish I had something insightful to blog about but am wrapped up in vacation-mode as I’m sure many others are.
I promise to put on my thinking cap and try to return to some of the issues that came up during the learning circle when I return on July 11th.
Comment by Julie — June 29, 2005 @ 7:13 pm
Hi Mike
I admit that in spite of my interest for everyone in the group, I have not been very intent on this blog, mostly because I don’t really understand how it works. Like the thing about hyperlinks you mention: what is a hyperlink? what’s it good for? same for URL… Maybe you are tearing your hair out, but these are some of my limitations. I think also that if everyone on the email list was automatically alerted when there is a new posting, there would be more interaction. Personally, I find I’m more likely to respond when something comes in my mailbox than if I have to go look for it. This being said, I have a bit of time now, so I’ll go and comment on a few other messages.
Marie-Pierre
Comment by Administrator — June 30, 2005 @ 1:51 am
Hi Marie-Pierre,
I’m really glad that you commented. You’re perfectly right that it’s a limited medium.
A hyperlink is something you can click on that brings you to another page. All the things in blue on this page are hyperlinks. A URL is the same thing as a hyperlink. It stands for “Universal Resource Locator” but we don’t really care about that ;-)
I’ll go and see if there is a way to get an email notification anytime someone writes a comment. Mailing lists are great for some kinds of discussion, but they aren’t really public because only the group has access to it. On the contrary, here anyone can listen in on what we’re saying, and all of our stuff will be archived.
Comment by Administrator — June 30, 2005 @ 2:09 am
and I think it’s too bad that no one is writing in french. We had a mostly billingual group which has turned into a unilingual blog.
:-(
Comment by Administrator — June 30, 2005 @ 2:10 am
Merci Mike (you’re really on top of this, man)
Je vais essayer de comprendre les trucs de base, de mettre du francais dans mes commentaires (mais sans accents c’est juste) et je suis sure que ça se developpe tranquillement.
Marie-Pieeeeerrrrre
Comment by Administrator — June 30, 2005 @ 2:56 am
C’est plutôt intéressant comme réflexion. Je me demande ce qui te choque dans le fait que nous nous sommes exprimer en anglais. Durant l’atelier de deux jours, très peu de personnes se sont exprimés systématiquement en français… L’oral étant plus accessible que l’écrit, il était plus important de me faire comprendre par le groupe sur ce blogue, que de me sentir en sécurité en m’exprimant dans ma langue maternelle.
J’ai reçu mon baptême du blog avec celui-ci. Alors je poursuis mon apprentissage et j’espère que d’autres personnes se joindront à nous.
Carole
Comment by Carole — June 30, 2005 @ 8:33 pm
Carole - I’m not shocked that people are writing in English. I know that it makes sense. It’s just that very often in makes sense to express ourselves in English - which is unfortunate. I’m still working on improving my french - and have been for the last 2 years so I wasn’t about to be the first. I guess I always think que c’est domage qu’un groupe bilangue devient un groupe qui s’exprime seulement en anglais. But it was just a small wish -not a criticism.
But I think for the case of this blog, having people blogging in both languages would have been exciting. Maybe there would have been people like myself that would have volunteered to translate? (or maybe not - I’m kinda lazy ;-)
I’m glad this is your blogging “baptism”. and don’t worry if people don’t come back. I’m sure that it will serve you well in the next couple of years. At least now you know what people are talking about when you see discussion of “blogging” in the newspaper.
mike
Comment by mike — June 30, 2005 @ 8:35 pm
Interacting is better when your writings will be in English. Personally, I would not want to talk or interact with people in where I cannot understand their language. That’s self explained i guess.
Comment by Cell Phone Batteries — July 11, 2008 @ 7:56 pm