For some of you, this is your first foray into blog writing and generating an online ethos/persona. Try to take your cues from the hive. Don't be especially keen to stand out, but do jump in (this matter of ethos is always so tricky). To more generally help you get started, here are a few ideas to begin posting at your blog. How to be a blogger who posts interesting, problematic, and significant entries, the kinds of online writing that entices readers to keep coming back.
To begin, some basics:
- The tone should be approachable, a real human being writing for real human beings.
- Elevate the tone, according to your sense of your readers. Revise for human beingness. Yes. At first, this may feel a wee bit schizophrenic. Don't worry. We'll help you.
- Include links to relevant sites, documents, and related materials that help to situate and contextualize your post.
- Images. Images. Images ... but rhetorically strategic images (link to or cite sources if these are not self-generated).
- Possibly post a conceptually (rhetorically) relevant video. Use the "embed" feature under "share" at YouTube, Vimeo, or other video sharing site; select and copy the code. Post as an entry by selecting "HTML" rather than "Compose"; paste the copied code into the HTML page space. Once posted, check to see if you need to adjust width -- just change the HTML code from width="560" to width="460", as in our example. Some for Height (though width is the feature most often in need of attention).
- The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Tips
- Dummies
- How many college professors think about and assess student blogs
- Various successful bloggers share tips
- Short & direct tips via Daily Blog Tips
- more soon ...
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