Session TwoBlogging and Microblogging, Tagging,

Syndication and Aggregation

Andy Coverdale & LeRoy Hill

B14 Jubilee Graduate Centre5 February 2010

Session Two: Schedule

• Blogging• Microblogging (Twitter)• Activity: Discussion• Tagging• Syndication and Aggregation

1pm Lunch: Further Discussion and Questions

http://www.wordle.net

Blogging: Anatomy of a Blog

Posts (reverse chronological)

Comments

About Page (Identity Profile)

Blogroll

RSS (Posts & Comments)

Archives / Calendar

Categories ORTags (List/Cloud)

Search

Author, Date

Blogging

TypesBlogs, Tumblogs and Microblogs

TechnologiesIncreasingly multi-media – links, tags, RSS feeds, images and videoNew forms: video blogging, phone blogging

Hosting• Developer-hosted• Self-hosted

Blogging: Blog WritingCultural IdentityBiography, activism and citizen journalismIndividual activity – personal, subjective and expressive

Writing Skills• Regularity – writing discipline• Informality – opportunities to experiment with different writing forms / styles• Generality – writing to a wider audience

ContextsRisk-free – shape ideas, formulate thoughts, and conceptsWork in progress – raw content for thesis, journal article or conference paperEmphasis on personal perspective, opinion or experience

Blogging: Peer Review

The ‘Blogosphere’Blogging Community – reading, linking to, and commenting on other blogsComments and Pingbacks – feedback and review

Traditional Forms of Peer ReviewFormal support and feedback structures from experts and peers - limited in scope and frequency

Blogging – Informal, Distributed and FrequentEstablish sustainable channels of discussion, feedback and peer supportExtend beyond immediate research community – Geographically and DisciplinaryBlogs as ‘Boundary Objects’ (Efimova, 2009)

Efimova, L. (2009). Passion at work: blogging practices of knowledge workers. Enschede, Netherlands: Novay.

Blogging: Process and Reflection

NarrativeJournal style entry provides narrative structure (e.g. doctoral experience)‘Following’ blogs

ReflectiveDemonstration and documentation of process

NavigationSearchable tool - chronological (time-based) vs. conceptual (ideas-based)Chronological – by date, month, yearConceptual – by category or tags

Microblogging

TwitterMicrocontent – ‘tweets’ (maximum 140 characters)Following and followersRetweeting, direct messaging, replies, Lists, groups and hashtags

Twitter TechnologiesTwitter clients and services – Interfaces, content support, tracking and visualisation etc. Interconnectivity with other social media – e.g. Delicious (social bookmarking)

Microblogging: Academic Practice

• Knowledge / resource sharing – posting, accessing and ‘retweeting’ links• Notification – new blog posts, publications and bookmarks, events, call for

papers, announcements and cancellations etc.• Self-promotion• ‘Crowdsourcing’ – asking questions, making enquiries• Real-time social networking and interaction• Real-time search engine• Events and conferences – the ‘backchannel’ and remote conferencing

Twitter: Social Media in Microcosm

• Social interaction made visible• Following and ‘Unfollowing’• Reciprocity• (Academic) Hierarchies• Personal vs. Professional• Information Overload – the ‘Fire Hose’• Widespread institutional adoption (e.g. University of Nottingham)• Retweeting – Bottom-up / Top-down Design• Migration of activities / practices to Twitter

Activity: Discussion on…

In your table groups we would like you to discuss and reflect with each other on:

- 4 academic experiences or approaches you would like to share (blog) - 4 academic experiences or approaches you would not want to share (blog) List these in two categories Share/Not Share on the paper provided.

Tagging

Increase in volume and diversity of academic Web resourcesSocial media – emphasis on sharing and collaboration

Bookmarking• Personal Bookmarking• Social Bookmarking• Collaborative Bookmarking

Tagging also prevalent in blogging, and content sharing sites (e.g. Flickr, YouTube, Slideshare etc.)

Dedicated academic sites and services

Tagging: Theory and Context

Folksonomy (Vander Wal, 2004)

‘Folk’ + ‘Taxonomy’Knowledge resource created through the process of tagging

Taxonomy / Ontology FolksonomyTop-down Bottom-upVertical / Hierarchical Horizontal / Non-hierarchicalCreated by ‘Experts’ Created by many Each ‘thing’ exists in one place Things exist in more than one place

Tagging: Theory and Context

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/GFO_taxonomy_tree.png http://phdblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/calibrate.jpg

Tagging: Theory and Context

Social / democratic productionInterconnectivity of social mediaIncreased information flow – tools and strategies

Everything is Miscellaneous (Weinberger, 2007)

Information R/EvolutionMichael WeschDigital Ethnography, Kansas State University

Tagging: Bookmarking

Personal BookmarkingPersonal organisation / management of BookmarksSearchable – Tag List / CloudFurther Organisation Tools – Bundle Tags / Multiple Sites

Group / Collaborative Bookmarking Participatory and democratic knowledge base Social BookmarkingUse as search engine – keyword / userSearch other users bookmarksSubscriptions, networks etc.

Tagging (in)consistency – Intra-personal and inter-personal

Syndication and Aggregation

The navigation and management of digital environments through the syndication and aggregation of multiple sites, tools and services. RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Subscribe to blogs, websites, podcasts etc.

Types of RSS / Feed Readers

• Desktop-based• Browser-based • Web-based

http://www.gadgetsetecnologia.com/wp-content/themes/techozoic-fluid/images/rss_logo.jpg

http://www.rssreader.com/images/rssreaderscreenshot.gif

Syndication and Aggregation

Web PortalsMethods of integration between applications (iGoogle, Pageflakes, Netvibes etc.) Personal Learning Environment (PLE) or Network (PLN)Concept developed from e-learning / learning technologistsSeen as an alternative to VLE (e.g. WebCT) VLE – Institutional, centrally managed, curriculum-basedPLE – Personal, learner managed, self-directed

Professional Development ToolsE-Portfolios

http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams

Lunch: Further Discussion and Questions

Graduate School Feedback FormsPlease spend a few moments to fill in the feedback forms provided. Thanks.

Our last session is on Wednesday 17 February:Social Networking and Collaboration

Online Resourcehttp://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jubileegraduatecentre/training-and-events/events-resources.phtmlOR: http://tiny.cc/ruSBF

Contactjubilee-graduate-centre@nottingham.ac.uk

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