WFOM 01 - Overview
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Writing for Online Media Professor Nicholas Leshi
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Transcript of WFOM 01 - Overview
Writing for Online Media
Professor Nicholas Leshi
What is Writing for Online Media?
Definitions
Writing =
Definitions
Writing = (1) to trace or form characters, words, etc., with a pen, pencil, computer, or other instrument or means; (2) to express ideas or record concepts via inscribed characters, words, etc.; (3) to communicate by letter; (4) to compose as an author; to save into a secondary storage device or output medium.
Definitions
Online =
Definitions
Online = (1) with or through a computer, especially over a network; (2) of or relating to the Internet (a vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide)
Definitions
Media =
Definitions
Media = [plural of “medium”] (1) the means of communication that reach or influence people; (2) instruments of communication; (3) a means of transmission (such as print or electronic)
Oral Communication vs. Mass Communication
Person to Person(s) To Broader Reach of Message
Traditional Media vs. New Media
A shift from uni-directional mass media to participatory media, where viewers and readers become creators of media
What are Some Examples of Online Media?
Examples of Online MediaWeb Sites
Podcasts
Blogs
Social Networks
Message Boards
Online Forums
Chat Rooms
Image Galleries
Video Portals
Wikis
Definitions
Blog =
Blogger =
Blogosphere =
Definitions
Blog = short for “Web log;” online journal or diary, written by an individual, group, or corporation, made available to other people via the Internet; many allow readers to leave comments and link to other blogs and sites; also used as a verb, “to blog”
Blogger = someone who blogs; also the name of Google’s blogging platform
Blogosphere = the online community of blogs
Class Description
From Syllabus =
From Catalog =
Class Description
From Syllabus =
From Catalog = A study of the exploration of the theory and practice of electronic writing, nonlinear and multidimensional computer-based documents, and the linking and networking of text and other media.
Class Description
From Syllabus = From Web sites to Web logs, wikis to social media, the Internet continues to evolve and offer opportunities for communicators in various fields. Students will create their own blogs; learn about cyber-journalism; apply their writing skills toward business, politics, art, or personal expression; and explore how marketing, public relations, Web design, and other factors impact writing style in New Media.
From Catalog = A study of the exploration of the theory and practice of electronic writing, nonlinear and multidimensional computer-based documents, and the linking and networking of text and other media.
Class Objectives
Class Objectives
Explore the written word in the contemporary online media environment from practical, historical, theoretical, and critical/analytical perspectives.
Class Objectives
Explore the written word in the contemporary online media environment from practical, historical, theoretical, and critical/analytical perspectives.
Develop specific skills and techniques for online writing, and improve writing skills in general.
Class Objectives
Explore the written word in the contemporary online media environment from practical, historical, theoretical, and critical/analytical perspectives.
Develop specific skills and techniques for online writing, and improve writing skills in general.
Produce an individual blog that could be part of an online portfolio.
Required Text
Additional Required ReadingsAvailable on Class Wiki
http://writingforonlinemedia-classwiki.wikispaces.com/ReadingAssignmentLinks
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Suggested Reading List (Not Required)
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Create and maintain your own blog, posting a minimum of one entry per week.
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Additional writing, including submitting a mission statement for your blog, participating in the class wiki, adding comments on classmates’ blogs, etc.
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Mid-Term Paper, short reviews of your classmates’ blogs, due by February 26.
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Guest Post project, write a post for someone else’s blog or Web site before April 2.
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Attendance and participation
Class Requirements and Evaluation
Final Paper, about your experience as a blog writer
and your thoughts on the future of online writing, due on or before May 7.
Grading
Letter Grade Numerical Equivalent
A 4.00 – Excellent. Honors level work.A- 3.67 – Still excellent.B+ 3.33 – Very good. High level of performance.B 3.00 – Good, solid, above average performance.B- 2.67 – Good. Still above average.C+ 2.33 – Average level of performance.C 2.00 – Satisfactory. Acceptable performance.C- 1.67 – Minimally acceptable.D 1.00 – Passing, but unsatisfactory.F 0.00 – Failure. Inferior performance.
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Possible Topics for a Blog
Possible Topics for a Blog
As broad or narrow a topic as you wish
Possible Topics for a Blog
As broad or narrow a topic as you wish
Current EventsPoliticsSportsFood
EntertainmentTravel
FashionReligionHobbiesHumor
NarrativePersonal Diary
Anything!
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Choose a Catchy Title
Examples of Blog Titles from Previous Semesters
News and Brews
Frugal in the City
The Bahstun Sports Blog
Bronx Bliss
For Reels
Thought of the Di
Foot Fetish
FictionDiction
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
What is a Mission Statement?
What is a Mission Statement?
A short, written statement of purpose
A declaration of the overall goal
A brief summary, approximately one or two sentences
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Blogging Platforms
Blogger (Google’s Blogspot) – http://www.blogger.com
WordPress – http://wordpress.org/ OR http://wordpress.com
LiveJournal – http://www.livejournal.com/
MovableType (and TypePad) – http://www.movabletype.org/ OR http://www.typepad.com/
OpenDiary – http://www.opendiary.com/
ExpressionEngine (fee)
SquareSpace (fee)
Posterous (email-based)
Twitter (micro-blogging)
Tumblr
MySpace
Free and Open Source vs. Proprietary Software
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Good Blogging Platforms
A good, acceptable blogging platform should:
• be free• be easy to use to enter a title, body of text, images, etc. • provide a good selection of design templates• be customizable• have no limits on the length or brevity of posts• permit readers to leave comments • be viewable on all Web-browsers
Recommended Blogging Platforms
Blogger (Google’s Blogspot) – http://www.blogger.com
WordPress – http://wordpress.com
LiveJournal – http://www.livejournal.com/
Tumblr – http://www.tumblr.com
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
Micro-blogs
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
Photo-only or Video-only blogs
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
Pre-existing blogs
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
Collaborative blogs
For the purposes of this class…
…please avoid:
Micro-blogs
Photo-only or Video-only blogs
Pre-existing blogs
Collaborative blogs
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Starting a Blog
Pick a topic you love.
Choose a catchy but simple title.
Write a brief mission statement.
Select a blogging platform.
Create your blog.
Start blogging!
Examples of BlogsMoon in Gemini
http://debravega.wordpress.com
Examples of BlogsAh!merican Traveler
http://www.ahmericantraveler.com
Examples of BlogsDunkin’s Diabolical Dialogue
http://dunkin.tumblr.com
Examples of BlogsEveryman Actor
http://everymanactor.blogspot.com
Examples of BlogsThis Close to Crisis
http://thisclosetocrisis.wordpress.com/
Examples of BlogsThe Knot Has Been Tied, Now What?
http://knottiednowwhat.blogspot.com
Examples of BlogsFatherhood Matters
http://fatherhoodmatters.blogspot.com/
Examples of BlogsThe Lextopia
http://thelex-topia.blogspot.com/
Examples of BlogsLiving with ALShttp://edbartosik.com/
Examples of BlogsMust.Have.Wine
http://www.must-have-wine.com/
Examples of BlogsThe Mind of Gina Lockhart
http://ginalockhart.wordpress.com/
Examples of BlogsPaul Levinson’s Infinite Regress
http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/
Examples of BlogsBlog Time Passing
http://lancestrate.blogspot.com/
Examples of BlogsCity of Kik
http://nickleshi.blogspot.com
Popular BlogsNew York Times Blogs
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/blogs/directory.html
Popular BlogsThe Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Popular BlogsOpen Salon
http://www.open.salon.com
Popular BlogsEngadget
http://www.engadget.com
Popular BlogsGawker
http://www.gawker.com
Popular BlogsThe Daily Dish
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com
Popular BlogsHeat Vision
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision
Popular BlogsPolitical Ticker
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Blogging Tips
Blog Post Titles (Headlines) are important
Blogging is storytelling – make it interesting
Design is important – don’t make it difficult to read(Layout, Pictures, etc.)
Link, link, link
Engage in the Blogosphere (Read, Comment, and Respond)
Write on a regular basis
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Writing Tips
Write what you know
Research what you don’t know
Show, don’t tell
Use strong verbs and nouns
Check spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Writing is rewriting
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
Ways to Combat Writer’s Block
Stick to a regular writing schedule.
Write an ongoing “evergreen” list of ideas.
Keep a journal.
Never throw away anything that you’ve written.
Chat with a fellow writer.
Take a break and clear your head.
Read other blogs.
What is a Wiki?
What is a Wiki?
A wiki is a Web application that allows anyone visiting a Web site to edit content on it using a Web browser, either through a mark-up language (XML, HTML) or through a WYSYWYG editor (“what you see is what you get”).
“Wiki” means “quick” in Hawaiian.
Examples of Wikis
Wikipedia – http://www.wikipedia.org
wikiHow – http://www.wikihow.com
WetPaint – http://www.wetpaint.com
ProductWiki – http://www.productwiki.com
Wincyclopedia – http://www.wincyclopedia.com
(WikiLeaks started as a wiki but no longer accepts user edits.)
Examples of Wiki EnginesMediaWiki
TikiWiki
DokuWiki
JSPWiki
WikkaWiki
VQWiki
Xwiki
WackoWiki
PmWiki
The MoinMoin Wiki Engine
Our Class Wiki = Wikispaces
Step 1: Visit our shared class wiki –http://writingforonlinemedia-classwiki.wikispaces.com/
Step 2: Click the “Edit” tab
Step 3: Following the example:Add your blog’s titleLink your blog title to your blog’s URL Add your blog’s Mission Statement
Step 4: When you are happy with all your edits, click “Save.”
Assignments Due Next Class
Create a blog.
Post your blog link and mission statement on our Class Wiki.
Read the first chapter of the required text, Blogging by Jill Walker Rettberg.
Have fun.
