Class: December 7, 2010

For today's class, I would like you to refine your idea for your final project. First, I would like you to find a few samples of texts are similar to what you hope to produce for your final project. Then, I would like you to write in the comments a more detailed description of your project. Be specific about things like topic, length, audience, approach, etc.

For Thursday's shortened class (beginning at 4:45), please pick the best post from each of your classmate's blogs.

Class: December 2, 2010

Today your goal is to produce the best written post of your life. It's a lot of pressure. Hopefully, you brought a draft of a post in with you to work with, but if not, you can start from scratch. As you are writing, I would like you to consider the following things we have talked about over the semester:

• Paragraph organization
• Sentence structure
• Word choice
• Concise Writing
• Grammar

Good luck! Write a post that your mother would post on her refrigerator!

Class: November 30, 2010

Today we're talking about professional blogging in two senses. First, the ability of bloggers to make money off of their own blogs. Check out these two articles:

• Will I Grow Rich By Blogging?
• How Much Money Do Bloggers Make Blogging?
• Top Earning Blogs

The other sense of professional blogging is blogging done by corporations to reach consumers. Blogging has become a vital part of corporate marketing. I would like you to find a company with a blog and post a response in the comments to the following questions based on Chapter 6 of Say Everything:

1. The Cluetrain Manifesto argues that markets are conversations, and that human conversations sound human - that is "open, natural, and uncontrived" in a way that can't be faked (168). What is the voice of the corporate blog? Does it sound human?
2. Cluetrain Manifesto co-author Doc Searls draws a distinction between making money with a blog and making money because of your blog - that is, using the blog to build attention and reputation for a money making venture. How does the corporate blog you found generate money? How does it seem to fit into the overall profit scheme of the company?

Post your answers below, and then we'll discuss them.

Final Project

For the final project of the semester, I would like students to apply their writing/rhetorical skills beyond their blog. I am providing several options for potential projects, but I am also open to suggestions. Essentially, I would like this project to reach a wider audience than your blog and be published to an active community (Wikipedia, Salon, Youtube, etc). The project could tie in with your blog topic, but could also be about another topic entirely. I provide a few options for projects below, but I am also open to suggestions. I would like each student to send me an email by Friday, December 3 explaining what they would like to do for a final project. After I receive the email, I will negotiate with each student exactly what they will complete for the final project. I anticipate each final project being a significant effort and learning experience, but not necessarily a huge time commitment (considering that we only have about two weeks left).

Final Projects will be due by December 15. The length and form of submission will depend on the project and will be negotiated between the instructor and the student.

POTENTIAL PROJECTS:

Editing Wikipedia Entries: Choose a wikipedia entry for a subject you know well and make a substantial edit, or choose a legitimate topic that lacks a wikipedia page and create it.

Create a YouTube Video: Produce and publish a Youtube video about a subject of your choosing. The video should have good production value and be interesting for its intended audience.

Create a Remix Project: The digital age is characterized by compositions that make something new out of existing texts, such as Garfield Minus Garfield or this re-cut George Costanza trailer. Your final project could create a significant new composition out of existing published works.

Create a Podcast: Record and edit a podcast and publish it on iTunes. Podcasts should be focused, professional, and well-produced.

Post on OpenSalon: Post a few substantial blog posts on OpenSalon or a similar social networking blogging site.

Class: November 16, 2010

Today's class is all about usability and SEO. First, let's talk usability. Please check out the following links to determine if each website is User Friendly. If there are problems, try to reference vocabulary from Usability.gov in describing them:

1. JonesSchijoff
2. ZincBistro
3. MaisonMartinMagiela
4. Evolution and the Nature of Sciences Institute
5. CafeIntl
6. LA Eyeworks
7. DPGraph
8. 2Advanced

Then, we'll check out these SEO Tools:

• Google AdWords Keyword Suggest
  
• Spider Simulator
• Keyword Density Checker
• Keyword Suggestion Tool
• Keyword Analysis and Recent Keyword Activity on StatCounter
• Follow the instructions on this site to add meta tags to your blog
  

Class: November 9, 2010

Word! Today's class focused on Ross-Larson's advice about words. Let's start by doing a little writing about this prompt:

1. What's the best advice in Ross-Larson's word section?
2. What's the advice that you most needed personally or the rule that your blog breaks the most?
   
3. Find three examples on your blog of a place where you should have taken Ross-Larson's advice.
   

After we discuss your responses, I'm giving you a chance to write another post in class. This time, I want you to write trying to follow the advice on words as closely as possible. As you compose your post and after you finish the draft, check it carefully to ensure that all of your words are carefully and deliberately chosen.

UPDATE: Read Concise Writing on the Purdue OWL. Use this to edit the draft of your post online.

Class: November 9, 2010

Most of class today will be spent commenting on blogs to bump up your readership. But first, I wanted us to explore a recent event that is of relevance to blogging.

1. First, check out this blog post.
2. Next, check out the Cook's Source Facebook Page.
3. Then, read this statement by Cook's Source.
4. Then, check out this page about protecting your blog.
5. And then, look at Creative Commons. Let's all make Creative Commons licenses for our blogs!
6. Finally, check out the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Once we finish this, get to commenting!