Guidelines for Informal Blog Posts

Both sections of class came up with a list of qualities of strong informal blog posts, like the one you wrote about danah boyd’s piece for September 2. The following is my edited version of the list, combining ideas from both classes into a set of guidelines. If you have questions or issues with anything on the list, comment below and we can have a discussion about how to make it better!

• What to say?
  • Don’t summarize readings! We all read them, so you don’t need to tell us what the author wrote. Instead, add something new.
  • To add something new, try phrases like “This reminds me of…” and “One thing the author left out is…” and “The author’s point connects to my life because….”
  • Think of yourself: what would you want to read? Like, actually want to read? Try to write that way–perhaps using humor or other rhetorical strategies to make your post especially interesting.
• How to say it?
  • Don’t try to impress us with fancy language, but don’t be afraid of useful terminology when it helps you explain an idea. (Especially useful: using terms from class, which helps us see how they work in real life.)
  • Try for a style that is informal/conversational/friendly/laid-back. But don’t go so informal or sloppy that we don’t know what you mean.
  • Expressing uncertainty is good! It’s ok to think through complicated ideas “out loud.” Like this: “I don’t know if I believe this myself yet, but when I read this chapter, part of me wondered….”
  • A somewhat rambly organization is fine–these can be first drafts. But we always appreciate sentences that tell us how things fit together, like this: “I know the last few sentences seem off-topic, but here’s why I think they fit:….”
• Technical things:
  • Use a title that lets classmates know what the post is about. Funny is ok!
  • Lean toward many short paragraphs.
  • Think of your classmates as your audience.
  • Linking to outside articles/definitions/websites/tweets/ideas is always appreciated! It says, “Hey reader, I want to help you out with this small gift.”
  • Lean toward longer, but not if you’re repeating yourself. Instead, push yourself to think, “Have I considered this from every angle?”
  • When you refer to a specific part of a reading, use a page number if you can. We might want to look it up and see if we agree with you!