What is a Blog A Brief History Background

What is a Blog? A Brief History, Background and Examples Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Ed D School of Media and Communication, EDT 600 A Originally created by M. Ribble College of Education, Kansas State University Office of Mediated Education

What are Blogs Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a blog as a “website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. Wikipedia goes on to talk about the range of blogs from “individual diaries to arms of political campaigns, media programs, and corporations”.

http: //davidwarlick. com/2 cents

Where Did It Begin? Term “weblog” coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger then shortened to “blog” by Peter Merholz in 1999. Its precursors were AP Wire, Ham radio “glogs”, Usenet, e-mail lists and bulletin boards. Source - Wikipedia. com, accessed: 8/26/2005

http: //www. httoday. blogspot. com/

How Did It Become So Popular? Political Influence - 2001 -2002, fall of Trent Lott, rise of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark 2003, Iraq War - “Baghdad Blogger” 2004, “Rathergate” - bloggers exposed documents as forgeries Source: Wikipedia. com, Accessed 8/26/2005

http: //www. weblogg-ed. com

Blogs Today 27% of American Internet Users visited a blog in 2005, up 58% from 2004 Blog readers tend to be young, male, welleducated, internet veterans 12% of American internet users have posted comments on others blogs up from 4% in 2003. See additional research in PDF in course resources. Source: pewinternet. org, The State of Blogging Report (January 2005)

http: //powerlineblog. com

http: //powerlineblog. com/

So How Can They Be Used In Education? Instructors - posting content related information, networking or knowledge sharing, instructional tips, announcements, annotated links Students - reflective journals, assignment submission, dialog for groups, share resources

Issues/Problems in Blogging Students/people can write just about anything - and sometimes do Things written today may be held against you in the future Where is the boundary between freedom of speech and my rights?