Blogging 101

Shmoop learning guides
The Basics of Social Media Activity: Communicating with One to One Million People: Blogs and Instant Messaging

What’s Going On Today

All the e-world’s a stage, from Facebook and Twitter to instant messaging and blogs. And your audience can be anyone from your best friend to millions of strangers. Today you’ll start in the shallow end of the pool by brushing up on your instant messaging skills. After that, go big with a blog. All the while, keep in mind who will be reading your information online and what you do and don’t want to reveal about yourself.

Instructions

When your instructor asks you to go to the websites below, open them in your browser.

Abbreviations.com. Create your own abbreves dictionary, then discuss these questions:

  1. How many of these abbreviations do you think your parents know? Your teachers? 
  2. Would you ever use these kinds of abbreviations to communicate with adults? Why or why not?
  3. What does it mean to you to have another language to use with your peers?

Sample Blogs. Scan through the blogs, then discuss the questions found below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is a blog? Why do you think people make them? 
  2. Why do you think people read blogs? 
  3. How do you feel about the content posted in the sample blogs you just checked out? Would you share what’s on your mind this way? Why or not?
  4. Are there any blogs that you like to read?
  5. Have you ever considered writing a blog? Why or why not?

How to Set Up a Blog Using Blogger. 

Create Your Own Blog. Make a blog on blogger.com or in a word processor. Be sure to answer the following questions:

  1. What is the topic of your blog? 
  2. What’s the name and URL for it?
  3. Who is your intended audience? The whole world? Family? Friends? How much do you think you can control who sees your blog? 
  4. How will you invite people to your blog? How many people would you like to invite? 
  5. How frequently do you think that you’ll post? 
  6. Will you invite anyone else to participate in posting? 
  7. Will you allow readers to comment on the blog entries?

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