This blog is meant to be a space for us to share our discussions about the politics of information with others. If you are a new blogger, these guidelines will help you write effective blog posts, regardless of which writing invitation you engage.
1. Come up with a creative title for each post. Generate a title that will pique interest in what you write and will generate attention. Use capital letters in the first word of your title and proper names.
2. Tag and categorize your post appropriately. When writing and after writing, be sure to use categories and tags according to the logic we’ve established in class. This is called ascribing metadata to your posts. Please adhere to them. However, tagging is also important, as it helps other people find the blog, and it is a conceptual map of what each post is about. You are free to use established tags or create new ones, if they make sense to you.
3. Use images and embed YouTube videos. Most blog posts should have at least one image somewhere, but preferably near the top of the post, “above the fold.” In order to upload images, use the “upload/insert” toolbar at the top of the writing panel. The best way to add an image is to download something from a website, save it to a folder on your hard drive, and then upload that file onto your blog post. From there, you can edit the size, add a caption, and even alt text. When appropriate, you are encouraged to add a caption that describes the picture or adds to the reading experience. Try to have the text of your article wrap around an image in a way that looks visually appealing when the post is published; you may have to fiddle with the dimensions of your image after you load it into the post.
YouTube videos are even easier to handle. Simply click the video icon on the aforementioned menu, copy the YouTube “share this” URL, and hit “insert.” Images and videos are a great way to synthesize multi-media content to the blog or just provide nice decoration.
4. Link to other sources, and embed links in your writing. Linking is a way of engaging with other ideas while writing online. In order to do this, simply highlight some text, and then click on the link button on the control panel. Copy and paste a URL. If the address is from another blog, or even a blog post by someone else from this blog, link to it as well. It will generate a pingback, which lets other bloggers know that you’ve interacted with their work.
5. Use the “More” tag. Since all of us in this class will be writing posts, we won’t want a single post to dominate the entire home page. In order to give each post approximately equal space on the page, use “more” tag, the fourth-from-left button on the top row of the control panel. Or just hit alt+shift+t. Try to have your image above the “more” tag.
6. Comment liberally. One of the features of blogging and online writing is instant response from other interested readers. The more you comment, more ideas will circulate. Think of commenting as a way of extending your participation in class.
7. Use the built-in features to share posts or “like” them on Facebook. With WordPress, you can express your reaction to a post with the click of a mouse; you hardly even have to register a coherent thought. Seriously, “liking” a post is important for a couple of reasons: first, it lets the people who write know that they are being read and are doing a good job (or a not good job) and second, it helps me know which writers are resonating with people.
8. Strive for excellence in design, appearance, and writing. This blog is a creative space that you can make your own. When we open it to a public audience, we want it to be something we can be proud of.