Updated 3/4/24
Blogging is an important part of today’s world
- It is good to know how it works
- It is a good platform for a course!
Teaching
Handing in assignments
Various blogging sites exist
- There are major ones and minor ones
- Major site
- Full function
- Thus, more complicated
- WordPress.org is related but different
- Confusing
- You are looking at wordpress.com now!
- Specifically, ifsc2200ethics.wordpress.com
- Doesn’t like to give a new account if you have one already
-
- …making it hard for me to show you how to open an account
- Too many negatives, so what about…
- Bought by Google years ago
- Now inextricably one part of a larger google account
- So to sign up you need a google account
- That’s not a problem because …
- … we all have google accounts
- UALR email is run by google
- If you have a @ualr.edu email you have a google acct.
- UALR email is run by google
- So your blogger.com blogs are part of your google identity
- Maybe you don’t want the world to see your course HWs
- Suggestion: make your blog non-personally identifiable
- URL, title, profile all should not identify you
- Suggestion: make your blog non-personally identifiable
- Maybe you don’t want the world to see your course HWs
- You can configure a “limited” blogger.com profile
- Then blog pseudonymously
- This can work but has too many branches and details
- So instead, try…
Blog.com, blog.net, blog.org, blog.us, blog.edu, blog.gov, …
- blog.com once seemed good during signup until the captcha function
- Required interacting with an advertisement
- Who wants to do that?!
- On 1/27/20, 1/21/21, 8/25/21 it was not usable. 1/18/24 it autorefreshed to a non-blogging site
- blog.org was someone’s actual blog. 1/18/24 it took a long time to load but turned out to still be someone’s blog
- Has a blogging function
- Has almost everything, in fact!
- But everything is non-user friendly
- Would make a great example for a software engineering or user interface design course … on what NOT to do!
- But everything is non-user friendly
- Has almost everything, in fact!
- It is less valuable to learn than –
- general use, special purpose systems
- systems that anyone can use
- that you will see again after you graduate
- So try…
- Simple, basic, easy to use
- Aimed especially at writers with followings
- But your account is named from your google or facebook account
- You can’t separate them or have a pseudonymous account
- (unless associated with a pseudonymous google or facebook acct.)
- Sorry Medium.com, but goodbye
- Signup process has too many steps
- Might still be personally identifiable
- It’s a possibility for future use
- Modern, popular blog site
- During signup, have to jump through a hoop or two
- Usually quick and easy if you try to speed through it
- If your blog name is “thisismyblog” your blog will be at thisismyblog.tumblr.com
- NOTE: make sure your blog name and title are not personally identifiable!
(Don’t name it with your actual name, for example)
- Problem: allowing people to post comments on your posts
- Requires extra configuration and a 2-week delay
- (let me know if they change that policy)
- Not an issue for in-class students – use it if you want
- Online students who wish to configure it can use it
- We won’t use it as the default system, however
- Requires extra configuration and a 2-week delay
- 1/18/24: an article informed me that it now has about 20% adult content
LiveJournal.com
- Easy to make your account
- Simpler to use than most others
- That’s good!
- Basic in functionality – but it’s all we need
- In fact, it is exactly what we need
- Alas, we have repeated problems with account suspension
- Imagine seeing that when you log in to post an assignment …
- They unsuspend accounts upon request
- But it can easily take 2 or 3 weeks
-
- Too bad, so sad . . .
- Another problem: here is part of the user agreement:
- Соглашение является публичной офертой в соответствии со статьей 437 Гражданского кодекса Российской Федерации.
- They helpfully provide an unofficial translation:
- This Agreement constitutes a public offer in accordance with Article 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
- Until 2022 this was ok, but now, not so much
- (Also, the site is getting unreliable)
- This Agreement constitutes a public offer in accordance with Article 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
- Easy to use
- Yes, you can include images in your postings if you want. Student HH writes: “If anyone else asks, let them know to upload an image they have to use the Dreamwidth Hosting function, https://www.dreamwidth.org/file/new. There you can upload photos and then copy the http link it provides.”
- Has similar UX to livejournal
- Both are based on the same open source blog software, supposedly
- Hopefully (?) won’t have any of livejournal’s problems
- Make your account now…
- Then click the verification email
- Post a test posting
- Raise your hand and I’ll make a note of your blog URL!
Anyone know of another blog platform that could be added to the list?
Finally
- Create a dreamwidth.org account
- Make a test posting to make sure it works
- Raise hand to tell instructor
- Students in the 991 or 999 section (asynchronous online):
- email me your blog address
- Students in the 991 or 999 section (asynchronous online):
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IFSC 2200 Ethics in the Profession 