I have been talking with many of my clients and partners in the field about this here blog phenomenon (doo-DOO-doodoodoo-FEE-nom-eee-NON!--doo-doo-DEE-doo).
Most ask: [1] Why should I care about blogs? or [2] How the hell do they work?
I think most professionals should care because both the technology and the social networks formed online are redistributing power and decision-making in the fields of commerce and politics.
At Pop!Tech 8, a pre-election panel discussion on "Connected Politics". Panelists included Joe Trippi, former campaing manager for Howard Dean; Adrian Wooldridge, Washington correspondent for The Economist and Andrew Rasiej, founder and chairman of MOUSE.
They addressed tough questions about the future of US politics and the roll of the "blogosphere" in shaping discourse:
- What good does connected campaigning do if you don't have good candidates?
- If the Republicans have the big ideas and the big think tanks. Will that change?
- Why didn't Kerry [and the rest of the Dems] take advantage of the Dean machine?
- What rules could we change?
- Will more transparency make it harder for politicians to take tough positions?
- What about the power of the special interests?
- What are the features of communities where source flourishes.
To hear these speakers online, visit IT Conversations' podcast of Pop!Tech.
To understand how straight-forward business processes are being redefined, I would start off by listening to The Gilmor Gang discuss how this technology is driving business process and social dialog.
I've posted a list of resources that will be rudimentary for experienced bloggers but keys to the kindom for newbies (and, by all means, please add resources to the comments field!).
Look, learn, graze, cogitate, peruse, ideate and have fun!
Blog FAQs
What is an RSS feed?
RSS is a format used to syndicate news and other web content. This includes major news organizations such as The New York Times and Wired, but also covers blogs and other types of content. Sites that offer RSS-formatted content are accessible through a news aggregator such as NewsGator, which feeds and displays new items from each feed you track. MORE: http://www.newsgator.com/
What is a blog?
A blog is a journal, a running log of thoughts and or commentary that an author (or “blogger”) makes available for reading on a website. Blogging software allows bloggers to update their weblogs whenever they want. People reading the blog can respond to individual entries of the blogger, sometimes creating extended discussions.
MORE: http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g
Blog History
Visit: wikipedia's brief history.
My Blog Favs
Worldchanging.com, is by far my favorite blog. It has dozens of contributers from around the world submitting posts on technologies and processes that are truly changing the world. www.worldchanging.com
Other blogs I frequent:
- Thomas Barnett, author of "The Pentagon's New Map",
- Ethan Zuckerman, founder of Tripod and GeekCorps,
- near near future, which is exactly like it sounds.
- Josh Rubin's: Cool Hunting, where one kind find the latest in technology, video games, art, design, and orchids.
- Good Experience, Mark Hurst who specializes in on-line experiences and marketing,
- ID Fuel, collaborative of five product designers conducting on-line prototype contests,
- Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools, Kevin's site is a model of simplicity and elegance in weaving together his various interests. He also has put everything he has written on the web -- a sure fire way to ensure ultimate ownership and street credit for IP.
- Creative Commons, is redefining the levels of ownership and usage on the web. Most blogs subscribe to their guidelines.
- IT Conversations, Doug Kaye, a former radio producer, uses blogs for "podcasting" of interviews and conferences. I could totally see how a series of AWAW interviews with Mark Bryan could work streamed over the web! This weekend I listened to a wonderful panel on Emotion Life.
A master list of blogs and RSS search engines can be found through Fagan Finder.
Books
Joe Trippi The Revolution Will Not Be Televised : Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything
Description: When Joe Trippi signed on to manage Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, the long-shot candidate had 432 known supporters and $100,000 in the bank. Within a year, Trippi and his energetic but inexperienced team had transformed the most obscure horse in the field into a front-runner, creating a groundswell of 640,000 people and raising more money than any Democrat in history -- more than fifty million dollars -- mostly through donations of one hundred dollars or less.
Dan Gillmor's We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People
Gilmor's observation that the common man (with internet access) is now the media, able to conteract the mainstream, and take on networks and governments using social nets, cell phones, pages, SMS and blogs.
Best Blog Companies
Blogger
TypePad
News Aggregators
NewsGator
NewsNetWire
Bloglines
SEE MORE on a fantastic Yahoo List
Blogcasting Tech Specs
On Blogcasting