Blogs and Forums and Twitter (Oh, My)
Tuesday, 9. December 2008, 02:19:25
Blog
ForumA blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.
IMAn Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site. It is the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board, and a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin board system. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content.
People participating in an Internet forum can build bonds with each other and interest groups will easily form around a topic's discussion, subjects dealt within or around sections in the forum.
SyndicationInstant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed via devices connected over a network such as the Internet.
Those are some of the basics up until more recently. More recently there are a few more things to throw into the mix.A web feed (or news feed) is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content. Content distributors syndicate a web feed, thereby allowing users to subscribe to it. Making a collection of web feeds accessible in one spot is known as aggregation, which is performed by an Internet aggregator. A web feed is also sometimes referred to as a syndicated feed.
In the typical scenario of using web feeds, a content provider publishes a feed link on their site which end users can register with an aggregator program (also called a feed reader or a news reader) running on their own machines; doing this is usually as simple as dragging the link from the web browser to the aggregator. When instructed, the aggregator asks all the servers in its feed list if they have new content; if so, the aggregator either makes a note of the new content or downloads it. Aggregators can be scheduled to check for new content periodically. Web feeds are an example of pull technology, although they may appear to push content to the user.
Microblog
Micro-blogging is a form of multimedia blogging that allows users to send brief text updates (say, 140 characters or fewer) or micromedia such as photos or audio clips and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, email, MP3 or the web.
The content of a micro-blog differs from a traditional blog due in that it is typically more topical, smaller in aggregate file size (e.g. text, audio or video) but is the same in that people utilize it for both business and individual reasons. Many micro-blogs provide this short commentary on a person-to-person level, or share news about a company's products and services.
Now -- how do all these fit together?Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as Tweetie, TwitterFon, Twitterrific, Feedalizr or Facebook. For SMS, four gateway numbers are currently available: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, as well as a United Kingdom-based number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email. Twitter had by one measure over 3 million accounts[1] and by another, well over 5 million visitors in September 2008 which was a fivefold increase in a month.
I don't have the answer, but I will offer my answer, which is
- A blog is where a person intends to have a one-way presentation of opinion.
- A forum is a place where more drawn-out (in both length and time) discussions of particular topics of interest
- Instant messaging is used for fairly rapid back-and-forth.
- Feeds are used to bunch together various sources of information you choose.
- Microblogging is a human-supervised feed of sorts.
- Twitter is used as IM or microblogging or both. Unlike some IMs, the Twitter "chat" is "logged online". That is, the message history is preserved publicly.
Let's say you've got a blog where you post your profound thoughts on some subject matter. Commenters will offer critiques of the particular post, but it is not really a discussion (although there may be rare examples of the contrary.
Let's say you've established a point of view and an audience, perhaps you discuss the finer points on a forum -- either one specific to your blog or a general forum. You may reference particular points you have elaborated on by linking with some of your blog posts.
Feeds are where others of similar interest subscribe to your blog and/or forum to get the "latest" updates.
Instant messaging is where some rapid-fire, back-and-forth discussions (I'd prefer to say friendly arguments when it comes to political topics). I might choose this means when I don't intend to be "on record" as a blog or a forum would generally be. This is pretty much a free-flow area.
Microblogging is where I share my favorite items from the feeds I subscribe to. Some of the articles may be linked in blog and/or forum posts to bolster my case.
And now we have Twitter. I tend to use it for microblogging. It is "on record" and offers a number of nifty statistical thingies and gadgets that keep my interest.
Now, what you do with all this is all up to you. It may or may not resemble what I mentioned -- but I hope this may work as a starting introduction.
Comment below or IM me here.
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 17. December 2008, 09:47
The High Plains Blogger is a symphony to my hypothalamus in an otherwise “worldwide cacophony” of feeble writing. Your use of the English language is inspiring and a rare pleasure to me. I detest split infinitives. dangling participles, sentences ending in prepositions, and minivans blocking the thoroughfare on high-speed motorways. This makes me, of course, both a lingual snob and a curmudgeon. I admire parallel construction, inventive syntax, correctly-used semi-colons, and lucid language. I admire slow drivers in the right lane.
My great, great, great Grandfather, Joel Barlow, was quite well-known in literary circles of the early 19th century for his writing of “The Columbiad” (which you can find on the internet by Googling “The Columbiad” ) Given enough patience, you can read the 400-some page patriotic poem he wrote to international acclaim, resulting in his service to both the Washington and Adams Administrations as Ambassador to both France and to the Bey of Tripoli. His grandchildren all were involved in writing and my maternal Grandfather was an Editor of the New York Sun.
My Grandfather palled around with Ernest Hemingway in Key West, and they were renowned for “being in their cups.” Nonetheless, my Grand-pa-pa imparted to me what he thought was the single most important advice that Hemmingway, in sobriety, expressed to him when he wrote him upon his appointment as Editor, “There is no reason to use big words when small words will do. Small words are not “little words,” little words are vacant of meaning; but small words are the foundation of great thoughts because they express meaning without complication.”
I sense that you know this. I am starting my own blog. My pent emotions require it.
Thank you for your contribution of fascinating connections and coy use of words.