You are about to enter a new culture--the blogging culture--and if we're not careful, we may commit a few social blunders. We might offend people without meaning to, or we might misunderstand what others say and take offense when it's not intended. What we have to keep in mind is that blogging is not texting--it's also not facebook. Yes, we are still interacting and communicating, but there's a difference between social blogging and educational blogging.
First, I would like you to visit a couple of blogs--read the comments for some posts and notice what good bloggers do.
Sophomorescholars (Honors English 2009)
Advanced Lit. Survey
St. Louis Post Dispatch (Discussion blogs)
Second, I want to hear from you--after visiting the sites, what do intelligent bloggers do? And what should we not do as bloggers?
After analyzing the given links, here are some conclusions about proper "netiquette" that I have drawn:
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, one should not post random innapropriate comments that have nothing to do with the topic (for example, the guy on the St. Louis Post dispatch that was talking about his neighbour's breast implants. Nobody cares, and NOBODY WANTS TO KNOW!!! Or the other guy with the nasty zit analogy. That was so gross!). One should speak intellectually and avoid swearing, gossiping,or LOLing. Good grammar/punctuation/spelling helps. Good bloggers encourage and expand upon the ideas of others, make references to what they were talking about(the text or lecture or whatever) and share links which will increase understanding of the topic.
Nixi, that was awesome!! I agree, we need to be circumspect (QUACK!!!) about what we post online. All kinds of people can read this, and we don't want to hurt or offend anybody. This is designed to help benefit us in our discussions and help expand our knowledge outside the classroom. We also need to be sure we are clear, leave the texting world out of this, and re-read what we are posting, becuase mass confusion never helps anyone at 6am in the morning when you are trying to quickly finish last night's assignment;D
ReplyDeleteNixi and Alexa's opinons are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteGreat job girls.
Something I've noticed about 'netiquette' is most posts and comments have a good length to them, so if you don't have much to say then its better to just keep it to yourself..until you've formed a complete thought. Unfortunantly smiley faces are limited.
I admit that I have a couple of things to work on before I get the hang of this.
Good blogging takes time and requires thought. I have defintately noticed how rude some people can be when commenting. As responsible bloggers, we should be sure to uphold respectful moral guidlines. On the Post Dispatch website, I saw way too many negative personal attacks. It is fine to state you opinion and it is fine to diagree with someone, but intelligent bloggers should be able to see the fine line between debate and full blown online argument.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Nikki. Bloggers and audiences should not be leaving random comments or posting blogs that are either too personal (like with the person's neighbor getting a boob job), or about something that people wouldn't find to be serious. Of course not all blogs must be serious like discussions on politics in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, but you want to blog abouting something that would be of interest to others as well as yourself. It is also very bad to ramble on about when people have already gotten the point you were trying to make. I know from experience, for I write journals on my Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteGood, intelligent bloggers will stay on topic and use words that catch the audience's attention. They should also speak fluently and not try to cram their information into one long, non breathing sentence. Once again, I know from experience... That's what comments and editing are for! Lastly, be sure to leave links if you can give more support about your blog (if something is highlighted, people want to click it)!
I agree, we need to stay on topic and be wary of our words. Don't just write 'one-liners', actually contribute to the discussions. There were some commentors on the STL Post Dispatch link who had stated a trivial, feeble statement that no one wanted to read( just like what Nixi said). Good bloggers are respectful and considerate of other people's opinions. Good punctuation never hurts either.
ReplyDeleteNixi, I agree with you to some extent, but the man on the St. Louis Post Dispach was just stating the facts. Though, i thought it was immature for the other viewer to ask how much they costed. Blogging was designed to help us share and grow off each other.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I've come to notice, particularly in blogs not intended for educational purposes, is people needing to learn to spell and use proper grammar/punctuation when commenting ... or even blogging, in extreme cases. Let's not have reading a blog turn into an adventure that includes decoding jibberish and the exploding of heads due to the complexity.
ReplyDeleteReferring to Nixi's point regarding staying on topic (and Alexa agreeing), I totally agree. Posting irrelvant comments that have absolutely nothing to do with the parent blog is stupid and unnecessary. Most people that comment on a political blog do not care that you got a kitten or you bombed that geometry test you took first hour.
We should leave the swearing and obsceneties out, especially in an academic blog. There are times and places for course language, but in classroom assignments is not the place.
As bloggers, we should do the opposite of what was mentioned above, in my comment, the previous, and the proceeding. Just be respectful and mind other's beliefs. If you disagree, do so kindly. (I have more... I think. Pardon errors; class is over).
I think there were some really good points made. We need to stay on task and on topic but also if you do have a story related to the topic, keep it short and to the point. I was reading one of the posts from students last year and this girl was relating what they were discussing to the show Glee. She had a good point at the end but she gave so many unnecessary details that it dragged on. Also, we should ask questions and answer other's questions because the point of this blog is to further understand the book. Plus, we should use good grammar and spelling so when people try to read your post, they can actually understand what you are getting at. Finally, make sure you have read the text before you comment beacuse if you guess at what the book is about, it will probably confuse people more.
ReplyDeleteI agree that these posts need to be as simple and non-confusing as possible. This way we will be able to easily find answers to each others questions and add on to ideas, AND EVERYONE SHOULD CAPITALIZE THE FIRST LETTER OF THEIR SENTENCES! Texting lingo, like omg lols! No......gotta go. Let us sound educated and mature. By doing so we will be able to converse in an orderly manner, learn and understand more, and achieve accomplishments that we set upon ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAlexa and Nixi, bravo. I also think that having random topics that do not even relate to the one being discussed is inappropriate. As much as I love saying, 'LOLOL' I will refrain from doing so and posting it as I blog on this site. Things should be kept on topic, and people judge on what you do type--sometimes they make fun of you for it. So, be smart and don't make a topic saying something along the lines of: "DID YOU SEE WHAT BILLYJOE AND SUSIE WERE DOING AT THE PARTY LAST NIGHT?" and then explain the post by saying: "Susie's aunt is jewish." Not cool. Don't do it. oh, and by the way charlotte. i forgot to capatilize. I hope this blog can come to gether nicely without problems and hopefully help us all with our understanding with both our minds and other internet resources! :] (I approve of smiley faces.)
ReplyDeleteI think that we all need to focus on leaving the Facebook and the drama behind once we hit this site. We need to understand that this is a place where we should get work done in a homely, technological way, not in the classroom. i think this is a marvelous idea, being able to communicate without having to deal with all the lingo and the drama.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that this should not be a place that we make inside jokes and gossip about each other. I also don't think this a place that should make people angry at each other or question other people’s judgment or intelligence. Thanks(:
I must say I disagree with Nixi's original post saying that the comment on St. Louis Post Dispatch's website about the man and his neighbor's breast implants was "random" and "innapropriate". I believe the man was stating a valid point about the ignorance that people of today possess, espeically when it comes to financial issues.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I do agree with Jessie's comment that obscene language is unecessary, and if you would like to disagree with someone (as I just did), do it in a respectful way...everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
Also, intelligent bloggers should create posts that are relevant to the original website. This way, the followers and contributers are ultimately intrigued. If you make a blogging website about sports, do not create a post about your stuck-up classmate. Which brings me to my final point, do not use a blog to bully, harass, or gossip about other people. Let's keep everything on a professional level, and if there is a story you'd like to share, omit names if necessary.
I'm looking forward to blogging this year and gaining insight from my peers!
As intelligent bloggers we need to not only give good and well-thought feedback, but also be respectful and kind when doing so. We should all have our own thoughts and opinions, but if we disagree with someone else we should simply state our point, not say or imply that the other person was wrong or stupid. We should build off of other's comments, and like Nixi and others have said, even though you're sharing your views, it doesn't mean that you should share your (or your neighbor's...) life story. ESPECIALLY if we're gossiping about the way they spend their money. Overall, I really just think this should be a place for us to be able to question and answer, so we can all better understand.
ReplyDeleteWow! Great commenting guys! You practically hit every single itty bitty detail.Thanks for leaving me with nothing to post. However, I'm sure I'll manage. You guys are absolutely right! Staying focused and on topic is very important so is respecting others thoughts and comments. I'm really looking forward to reading everyones blogs. We each have our own unique style that will contribute well to our online and classroom discussions. Keeping things short, sweet, and simple, let's all work hard and do our best together as a whole, so we can expand our knowledge and hopefully have some FUN!
ReplyDeleteSigned: QU££N B : keeping it real ;) ps. I think I screwed something up in the start of this paragraph typing on my iPod... oops.
While I was reading the STL Post Dispatch thread I noticed way too many personal attacks. I think that as an intelligent blogger one should understand the concept of attacking the issue, not the person. I also believe that a good blogger sticks to the point of the topic and holds off on the vulgar language. As a blogger we should not share other people's personal stories unless we know that they are perfectly comfortable with everyone knowing. I think that by combining what everyone has said will make us all great bloggers!(:
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ReplyDeleteagree with nearly everything everyone said. Bloggers need to keep the comments relavant to the topic as well as short and sweet. Cursing is unacceptable and proofreading is a MUST!
ReplyDeleteAs Emily said, every one is intitled to their own opinion, and that should be respected amongst bloggers and commenters alike.
Further more, if you are going to contribute to the conversation, you should at least attempt at an intelligent comment. The STL post dispatch was/is teeming with with...let's say unintelligent comments.
Tying to what carrie said, if we follow our own advice we will have many insightful posts and comments.
(By the way, i removed the previous post because i found an error, and frankly it was embarassing, as it was soon after my "proofreading" sentance...anyway, the post is the same exepting the error ^.^sorry for this run-on "sentance")
Clearly, everyone has identified the most key things a good "blogger" would do. Definitely agreeing with Nixi, random and unnecessary things such as some boob jobs and purposeless analogies, aren't needed in our environment. Text talk, such as "lol", "jk", "OMG", and others, are not wanted in a sophisticated discussion. Also, check for grammatic errors. Though they are hilarious to others, they can also be hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I noticed was how a lot of the people contributing gave their own opinion. Some, like Carrie explained, felt the need to take their aggressions from the issue or article out on the person. I understand we all have our takes on things, but let's give everyone an equal chance to express how they feel about the topic, instead of directly harrassing them about how they feel.
Many of the people on this particular "blog" know how much I like to write. And believe me, I like to write! Going off of what Aleaya said, lengths of our comments and posts are a great way to get some clarity in our discussions. But, try not to take too far and ramble...(as I *cough* tend to do). As Jessica said, staying on topic and on task is the best way to draw some attention to what you're saying. Short, sweet and to the point is a good way to go. (I know I'm contradicting myself)
I'm really excited to know that education has FINALLY caught up with technology. Thanks Mrs. Holloway for allowing us to have this whole thing just so we can expand on our intellectual abilities. As Melissa noted, let's forget about the crap at school and drama and have a genuine conference on here. Great job to everyone who commented. They're outstanding (:
Sorry for my longness...
ReplyDeleteWell, it's clear, you definitely need to watch what you say when you're blogging. Of course this doesn't mean you aren't able to express your own opinions on the topic. As an intelligent blogger, we need to express our thoughts in a mature fashion. Also remember that you're having an open conversation, so don't be offended when someone disagrees with something that you've said; everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Even though, like Sara mentioned, you should do that in a sense of maturity. They have a reason for writing what they did, just respect it.
ReplyDeleteAnother important thing to remember is to stay on topic. Nothing is more annoying than someone who just goes on about some story completely irrelevant to the subject. However, it is important to make connections pertaining to the topic.
Well, i'm looking forward to blogging with yall :)
Everyone has done a great job at highlighting the things that a good blogger should do. Obviously one must disagree in a polite way, comment on the appropriate subject, and use the proper grammar. Make sure to keep all comments respectful to the blogger and the commenter. Everyone has shown their understanding that they must respect others comments, but remember we are commenting on someone's writing.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of blogging for our Honors classes is a wonderful concept. Great job on the comments.
Basically what I've gained from this whole thing is that you need to stay academic and open-minded in your speech. There were a lot of personal attacks on the STL Post Dispatch one, as Carrie said earlier. The posters who had an attitude that what they said was completely true and that was that looked dumb. Also the ones who became irate came off as ignorant and no one even wanted to hear what they had to say.
ReplyDeleteIf we follow the example of last year's students, I think this blog will be an excellent way to enlighten ourselves with the help of a bigger community outside of the classroom.
After looking over all the links over blogs, I as well have to agree wih what has been mentioned. When blogging one must infuse their voice(Such as the man talking about pimples on the stl. Post dispatch). He kept us entertained while reading.
ReplyDeleteWe also need to be nice when we disagree and not shoot down ones thoughts on a certain opinion, or subject.
Savannah also made an excelent point, NO TEXT TALK! Be approiate when online with what you say; we dont want anyone getting upset.
I think this is going to be AWESOME!
After reading some very interesting blogs(and classmate's comments) I have come to my conclusion on what i think is acceptable "netiquette". A good blog flows smoothly with the ones before it, it is appropriate, stays on subject, and gets the point across. I think it is important to present your ideas intelligently so that other people will understand you. Some things not to do would be what the pimple guy from the Post Dispatch did. Make sure to stay on topic, and use less disgusting analogies!! if you disagree with something make sure to phrase it in a tactful way. Lastly don't type like a typical teenager because it is super hard to de-code. Do u c wat i mean?? Sorry if there are any typo's, but i think this blog group is going to be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteAfter browsing some comments on these sites I've taken away that is necessary to voice your own opinion or persepective while keeping an open mind respectfully with what others have to say about a certain topic. I think for someone to understand and have intellectual success on a certain blog you may have to comment more than once (not be a one and done because I have to). If someone is intrigued by someone else's view point they should ask questions for more explanation. So basically what I'm getting at is just being active in the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI think there should be flexibility on the writing aspect of the blog, I'm not stating that you should "text talk" because I don't think that's totally appropriate. But mistakes/typos happen and for this to feel more like comfortable enviroment to discuss I do not believe that is a must to have perfect grammar. As long as its understandable and the point is clear I think we shouldnt be so strict on that because although it is for an English class this is for us to grow, discuss, and learn we shouldn't worry to much about every comma, period, capitalization, or apostrophe.
Staying on topic is important but going along with Ashleigh it makes sense to infuse your own voice and make it interesting to get more people interested in what you have to say so more people look for your comments on every blog. Because lets face it theres like 40 of us and thats 40 comments if everyone only posts one thing, & i dont know about you guys but I'm not gonna sit here and read 40+ comments. I don't have that time or patience for all that.
Comments should be respectful, appropriate, interesting, expressive, and well thought.
Excited to discuss and expand my critical thinking through this, this year.
The conclusions I've drawn from reading some of the blogs and comments is that acceptable "netiquette" is this:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, we need to sort of censor our comments so that we don't say anything offensive, even if it is somewhat relevant, like that guy talking about breast implants. He could have easily found a different way to relate those same ideas in a more appropriate and easy to understand way.
Also, we should build off of each other's thoughts, not just each start a brand new thing without at least tying it in to something else. It will help make things less confusing and overwhelming. And besides, the purpose of this is to EXPAND on ideas, not just state our own and ignore everyone else's.
I also agree with what Carrie and Taylor said about the personal attacks. If you don't agree with what someone has said, then politely state you're opinion and thoughts on theirs, there is no need to flat out say that someone is wrong. Especially because there probably won't be a "right" opinion on a lot of the stuff we talk about on here.
So I guess what I'm basically saying is a lot like Gomez's second-to-last sentence. We need to be respectful of each other, keep our comments relevant and appropriate, and try our best to create meaningful and intelligent discussions.
I'm really looking forward to having this blog as a great resource for talking to everyone.
All of you have made good points, and I agree with Thien Nga that no one should make "one liners"; everyone should contribute to the conversation and not say something like "yeah, the book has symbolism." Also, I think staying on topic is an important quality of commenting. I agree with Sara that this should be a place where we are trying to better understand the topics we learn in class. Overall, I think we need to be respectful of each other and elaborate on each other's contributions.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all of the blogs and links, I've already started to broaden my thoughts... and that's what this is about. To be an intelligent blogger, you should, like everyone else has said, make relevant and respectful comments. If you don't agree with someone, state your opinion but don't trash anyone else's. Just because you disagree, doesn't mean they are incorrect. It's important to sound intelligent; not make random comments that ramble on. That will not get us anywhere as a group.
ReplyDeleteNext, I'd like to say that I agree with Gomez. I think she made an important statement when she mentioned that although "text talk" isn't proper, mistakes happen. As long as we can understand the blog... that's all that matters. To make your blog interesting, remember to add voice, otherwise it's going to start to sound like we are repeating eachother.
Just remember to keep an open mind when it comes to others opinions and make sure what you say is meaningful. Let's make this an enjoyable experience so we can start to deepen our understanding :)
Great comments by everyone :) I think bits and pieces of everyone's comments tie into what I think is the correct "netiquette." Really, when blogging we should act as if we are having a discussion with one or multiple people face to face. while speaking to them you wouldn't break out in random text lingo, they would most likely stare at you like your crazy. Also, no one would publicly criticize or speak badly about a person while they are standing there staring at you, so why should you do it online?? YOU DON'T!! while viewing the links we were given I saw some contradicting things occuring. Bloggers do not take into consideration how another could be upset about a comment and yet are defensive when their comment is questioned. It's understandable to think we can all respect everyone's opinion and thought along with keeping our own comments respectable towards all veiwers. As new bloggers we should act like the respectable and kind students we are :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nixi. I saw the same thing she did on STL Post Dispatch and we should definitely avoid saying innapropriate things. Also, I agree with Nila because most of what I saw on the Post Dispatch was rude bickering. We need to disagree politely and without being offensive to others. Also, we need to be using complete thoughts and stay away from texting lingo such as "lol! OMG!" That has no place in an intelligent discussion. Lastly, we should stay on topic and not start to discuss our personal lives. This isn't facebook! I think we are doing a great job so far!
ReplyDeleteI agree with MOST of the things said here; such as "keep it polite", "stay on topic"...yada yada. I think the "no text speak" has a valid point too...the occasional "lol" or smilie might be appropriate in perhaps an attempt to lighten a mood...but generally, I would keep either of those icons scarce.
ReplyDeleteSpelling and grammar also...yes, a lot of us are not the best at either of those, but we must try. It's best not to look illiterate when possible. (I know I have some spelling/gramatical errors in here somewhere, of which I apologize for but my point stayes strong.)
One thing I do think needs to be pointed out, if it has not already been (I might have missed it earlier on), is making sure that while you keep things mature on this blog, make sure you still have voice. No one's going to want to read a post that is as vapid as roadkill. No matter how many the gory details, it's just not going to be that exciting.
...So. keep a) clean, b) original, c) texting out of this, d)...and other.
When looking over the comments left by ohter blogers I realized a few things. Keep every thing short and sweet. Don't try to sound super smart because you can/will confuse someone. Do not use sarcasm it may come across a different way then you intended, and don't go on rants about random things.
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