Comments on: Teaching others ’bout blogging http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/ ... the online home of a librarian in Perth, Western Australia Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:05:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Penny http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1482 Penny Wed, 23 Aug 2006 04:07:48 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1482 I'm still trying to educate my colleagues about blogging :-( Can't even imagine teaching students.<br /><br />It's funny how people struggle with RSS at first. I agree with sirexkat - it has to be used to be appreciated I think. People are so used to having stuff arrive in their in boxes or something. They don't necessarily grasp the idea that having an RSS feeder programme or a Bloglines equivalent is actually simpler and <i>more easliy controlled</i> than having multiple folders and rules for your email client to deal with. That's the way I used to do it, and I'd end up deleting whole folders of email because it seemed too much trouble to read it. With RSS I can schedule time into my day to deal with it. I’m still trying to educate my colleagues about blogging :-( Can’t even imagine teaching students.

It’s funny how people struggle with RSS at first. I agree with sirexkat - it has to be used to be appreciated I think. People are so used to having stuff arrive in their in boxes or something. They don’t necessarily grasp the idea that having an RSS feeder programme or a Bloglines equivalent is actually simpler and more easliy controlled than having multiple folders and rules for your email client to deal with. That’s the way I used to do it, and I’d end up deleting whole folders of email because it seemed too much trouble to read it. With RSS I can schedule time into my day to deal with it.

]]> By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1481 CW Tue, 22 Aug 2006 23:05:56 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1481 Oh, and as for Blogger Beta, I can understand not switching - but I debated with myself (for a good five minutes ;) ) whether I would or not and in the end curiosity won! :) So far so good... Oh, and as for Blogger Beta, I can understand not switching - but I debated with myself (for a good five minutes ;) ) whether I would or not and in the end curiosity won! :) So far so good…

]]> By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1480 CW Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:51:21 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1480 Simone, you go girl! There's no shame in being a geek, especially when your newfound skills are helping you achieve so much and have such fun! :)<br /><br />Angel, you're right, perhaps it was the <i>word</i> "blog" that they didn't get. As for RSS, I have noticed that many of those I work with (colleagues, students, lecturers), don't use an RSS reader either. As Sirexkat says its usefulness seems to be hard to convince people of - but those one or two who do try it out usually do find it useful... Simone, you go girl! There’s no shame in being a geek, especially when your newfound skills are helping you achieve so much and have such fun! :)

Angel, you’re right, perhaps it was the word “blog” that they didn’t get. As for RSS, I have noticed that many of those I work with (colleagues, students, lecturers), don’t use an RSS reader either. As Sirexkat says its usefulness seems to be hard to convince people of - but those one or two who do try it out usually do find it useful…

]]> By: Angel, librarian and educator http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1479 Angel, librarian and educator Tue, 22 Aug 2006 16:13:07 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1479 I am not surprised either about the students not knowing. In my setting, when I mention that I have a blog, I get a lot of blank looks. When one of them is brave enough to ask "is that like MySpace," then it clicks. A lot of them probably blog using the feature on MySpace, or Facebook (if it has one. I don't have an FB account), but they do not know it is blogging. They just know they can post about themselves and any notes they want online. As for RSS, I don't have the type of crowd that would be using a feed reader regularly. Could be wrong about it, but based on observation, they visit MS, FB, and a couple other social sites. Something like Bloglines is not in their radar. <br /><br />Still debating if I will switch my two Blogger blogs over to the beta. Best, and keep on blogging. I am not surprised either about the students not knowing. In my setting, when I mention that I have a blog, I get a lot of blank looks. When one of them is brave enough to ask “is that like MySpace,” then it clicks. A lot of them probably blog using the feature on MySpace, or Facebook (if it has one. I don’t have an FB account), but they do not know it is blogging. They just know they can post about themselves and any notes they want online. As for RSS, I don’t have the type of crowd that would be using a feed reader regularly. Could be wrong about it, but based on observation, they visit MS, FB, and a couple other social sites. Something like Bloglines is not in their radar.

Still debating if I will switch my two Blogger blogs over to the beta. Best, and keep on blogging.

]]> By: Simone http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1478 Simone Tue, 22 Aug 2006 13:25:53 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1478 Yes, I started with blogger, and so now with wordpress on own hosted domain. I now know how to get a domain name(with a bit of help from my husband), install wordpress on a site, use html a bit(I usually use the wysiwyg editor, but that often stuffs things up that I then have to fix), use plugins, use css a bit(husband the web designer helps a bit), use dreamweaver to upload to server, learn about seo (search engine optimization), use adsense etc etc. 6 MONTHS ago I didn't even know the meaning of most of these words, I'm turning into a total geek and loving it!<br />Oh, biggest news: Since Saturday I now have my own Macbook!! ha ha! Yes, I started with blogger, and so now with wordpress on own hosted domain. I now know how to get a domain name(with a bit of help from my husband), install wordpress on a site, use html a bit(I usually use the wysiwyg editor, but that often stuffs things up that I then have to fix), use plugins, use css a bit(husband the web designer helps a bit), use dreamweaver to upload to server, learn about seo (search engine optimization), use adsense etc etc. 6 MONTHS ago I didn’t even know the meaning of most of these words, I’m turning into a total geek and loving it!
Oh, biggest news: Since Saturday I now have my own Macbook!! ha ha!

]]> By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1477 CW Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:46:21 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1477 Hi Tom, sorry about that - it was time to go home and I had to log off. Yes my two sessions were requested by a couple of academic staff members who are investigating the use of blogging in their classes. They realised I could help them with training their students because they'd attended a session for academics and researchers I've presented here, on RSS and blogs. The aim is to provide them with an overview of these new technologies - and the response has been very good. We still run these and include information on RSS as part of our "Keeping Up to Date" session. People are very interested to learn about RSS and blogging so I reckon any class/seminar/workshop you present will receive a lot of interest. Hi Tom, sorry about that - it was time to go home and I had to log off. Yes my two sessions were requested by a couple of academic staff members who are investigating the use of blogging in their classes. They realised I could help them with training their students because they’d attended a session for academics and researchers I’ve presented here, on RSS and blogs. The aim is to provide them with an overview of these new technologies - and the response has been very good. We still run these and include information on RSS as part of our “Keeping Up to Date” session. People are very interested to learn about RSS and blogging so I reckon any class/seminar/workshop you present will receive a lot of interest.

]]> By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1476 CW Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:38:19 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1476 jl, evidently not! maybe it's the word <i>blog</i>? I dunno..<br /><br />Sirexkat, thanks for letting me know about the nonlink in my header. Not much I can do at this point, I don't think, because Blogger Beta isn't allowing users to tinker with the innards yet. And you're right about not being able to convince someone just by telling them about it. Like exercise, having to use a new techie "thing" is very daunting for many people...<br /><br />Simone, that's the thing that blew me away about it, too - how easy it is. And maintaining your own blog is a great way of learning more about HTML and the net as a whole...<br /><br />Thanks Mooiness. I think the problem for many non-RSS users is the idea of having to use another application (whether desktop-based or web-based) to use it. I have had many people say that they just arent used to it or forget to "switch it on". I guess we would have had the same problems back in the dawn of email... not that I can really remember life pre-email...<br /><br />Tom.. eek got to go (will respond to your comment soon) :) jl, evidently not! maybe it’s the word blog? I dunno..

Sirexkat, thanks for letting me know about the nonlink in my header. Not much I can do at this point, I don’t think, because Blogger Beta isn’t allowing users to tinker with the innards yet. And you’re right about not being able to convince someone just by telling them about it. Like exercise, having to use a new techie “thing” is very daunting for many people…

Simone, that’s the thing that blew me away about it, too - how easy it is. And maintaining your own blog is a great way of learning more about HTML and the net as a whole…

Thanks Mooiness. I think the problem for many non-RSS users is the idea of having to use another application (whether desktop-based or web-based) to use it. I have had many people say that they just arent used to it or forget to “switch it on”. I guess we would have had the same problems back in the dawn of email… not that I can really remember life pre-email…

Tom.. eek got to go (will respond to your comment soon) :)

]]> By: Tom Goodfellow http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1475 Tom Goodfellow Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:16:59 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1475 I ran a session for colleagues at MPOW and got a similar split between enthusiasm about blogging and bafflement about RSS. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to explain (except how role-playing games work, but that's a different story).<br /><br />It sounds like the session was initiated by a staff member. I was thinking about running something here on an ad hoc basis - any suggestions on a "hook" or other marketing sugeestions? I ran a session for colleagues at MPOW and got a similar split between enthusiasm about blogging and bafflement about RSS. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to explain (except how role-playing games work, but that’s a different story).

It sounds like the session was initiated by a staff member. I was thinking about running something here on an ad hoc basis - any suggestions on a “hook” or other marketing sugeestions?

]]> By: Marcus http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1474 Marcus Tue, 22 Aug 2006 03:24:24 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1474 Another way that I usually use to explain RSS is that it keeps track of blogs and sites for me so that I don't have to.<br /><br />I know instantly when a blog has been updated, as opposed to me having to visit each one of my regular reads. When you have more than a handful of sites to keep track of, that's when RSS shines. :) Another way that I usually use to explain RSS is that it keeps track of blogs and sites for me so that I don’t have to.

I know instantly when a blog has been updated, as opposed to me having to visit each one of my regular reads. When you have more than a handful of sites to keep track of, that’s when RSS shines. :)

]]> By: Simone http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1473 Simone Tue, 22 Aug 2006 03:00:25 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2006/08/21/teaching-others-bout-blogging/#comment-1473 That's all very interesting!<br />To be honest, this doesn't suprise me at all, only having discovered blogs last year myself, and having lots of friends(including ones at uni) and family and colleagues who didn't know about blogs till I started talking about it.<br /><br />The RSS thing doesn't suprise me either, if they don't read blogs they wouldn't really need it yet, even if they read the news online. Also, as sirexkat says, it needs be be needed and used before it becomes useful. And yeah, it is definetly hard to explain! I don't even really try to, to people who don't even know about blogging!<br /><br />The 'easiness' of blogging is what got me excited about it straight away, and I opened a blogger account. I am not a tech person at all, and it was so exciting that I could have my own website! Within a year I'd moved to Wordpress, with my own hosting, etc etc. It's all very exciting :D<br /><br />Right, enough rambling, back to work! That’s all very interesting!
To be honest, this doesn’t suprise me at all, only having discovered blogs last year myself, and having lots of friends(including ones at uni) and family and colleagues who didn’t know about blogs till I started talking about it.

The RSS thing doesn’t suprise me either, if they don’t read blogs they wouldn’t really need it yet, even if they read the news online. Also, as sirexkat says, it needs be be needed and used before it becomes useful. And yeah, it is definetly hard to explain! I don’t even really try to, to people who don’t even know about blogging!

The ‘easiness’ of blogging is what got me excited about it straight away, and I opened a blogger account. I am not a tech person at all, and it was so exciting that I could have my own website! Within a year I’d moved to Wordpress, with my own hosting, etc etc. It’s all very exciting :D

Right, enough rambling, back to work!

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