Blog tips

I've been looking at the blogs done by Southern Maryland participants in "23 Things." It is amazing the variety in styles, content and quality. Some blogs are excellent and reflect a lot of work; others, not so much.

Here are some tips that will help make your blog better:

*Name each post appropriate to the "Thing" you are blogging about, i.e., "Thing 5: Flickr".

*Short is not sweet. Don't write single line entries. Write about your learning experience. So, don't just write, "I tried Flickr today. The End." Write about what you thought about the "thing" (likes and dislikes), how you might use the product or knowledge in your personal and/or professional life. Think about how each product can be used in the library setting.

*The best blogs include tidbits of the personal among the professional discussions.

*Use pictures and graphics to spice up your blog. You don't have to use pictures of yourself or family members. You can pull graphics from the web to jazz up the topic.

*Spell check.

*Don't forget that you can always edit your post after it has been published.

*Have fun!

Some good Southern Maryland "23 Things" blogs:

http://23librarian.blogspot.com/

http://brianreal.blogspot.com/

http://mwhoolery.blogspot.com/

http://grabbag37600.blogspot.com/

Things 3-4: Setting up your blog

Tip and tricks for newbies creating blogs using Blogger.com

Use Internet Explorer--it seems to work best with the blog website;

Have a blog name already picked out. Make it snappy and fun!

Use your blog name as part of your blog address--it makes it easier for both you and other people to remember!

Click onto Continue at the bottom to go to the next step;

After selecting your template and hitting continue, your blog is ready for its first post! I recommend at this point, clicking on the Settings tab (at the top) and then clicking onto all the options on the tool bar. This will give you a good idea of the different options you will have.

When writing you post, notice that you have the option to include different fonts and text that is italic, bold, and in color. You can also insert images:

To actually create the post, use "Publish Post" not save.

One last thing to remember: Spellcheck is our friend!