A Refection on Blogging Experience

This is not my first blogging experience but must be the most meaningful one. I didn't have a habit of regularly updating my blog because I'm not that kind of person who are eager to express feelings or observations. The blogging experience brought by this course brings me to a new angle of viewing blogging.

Blogging is interacting
I used to think blogging is like building a website as a tool to share messages to the world. Now I learned that blogging is to respond and interact with other bloggers. This actually expands my views over an issue. In an earlier post I wrote about Youtube Space Lab, I'm eager to share with readers with the Youtube-NASA collaboration which I find interesting. The topic was then developed by replies from other bloggers. Christoph further developed on the collective knowledge projects by NASA, Ivan shared live broadcast examples by Youtube and Edith focused on the dramatic expansion and the consequent impacts of Google. I think this is the quality sharing of knowledge that we are talking about during class.

I also responded to the interesting blog posts from classmates:

• Critical issues in writing for new media
• Newspapers in new media - a new climate of journalist writing
• Digital Ads in Web 2.0
• Video Games

I hope my replies are beneficial to my classmates, just like what theirs do to me.

Blogging is a dish with good combination of ingredients
I guess most people won't oppose the idea of sharing knowledge. Through blogging, I feel that sharing knowledge becomes easier in terms of the range and coverage. Blogging is a worldwide accessible tool to share the collective views and knowledge of a topic. I also feel that blogging can make the sharing process more compelling.
Writing an attractive blog post is another important area I learned in this blogging experience. Hot topics and insightful analysis alone won't produce impressive blog posts. Multimodal elements are very helpful to spice the post a bit, just like seasoning of a dish of great ingredients. Let's hear the views from a problogger:

Darren Rowse is a professional blogger. In 5 minutes he explained the tip and trend of blogging. A successful blogger should be able to fulfill the readers needs. Blogger should also consider HOW to cover the contents in a nice way. Readers will naturally join the blog.
His website, Problogger.net, introduces useful guides to writing blogs and using new media.

After all, I will try to continue blogging to contribute what I think and what I know to people with similar interest.

Too young to join social network?

Global marketing research company Mintel has released a report about the use ofsocial network among youngsters in the UK. The results show that there are just below one million UK children aged from 7 to 12 use social network sites. However these young users are all below the social network’s minimum age limit.

To me, this age limit is no more than a fulfilment of legal requirement. It is not stopping children from using social network. There is nothing wrong for a child to use facebook. Don’t forget they are the “digital natives” who are born in the digital age. Children using facebook is a norm in this age. This is not much different from children sticking in front of TV in the past 80s and 90s.

The research also discovered the reasons why UK children use social network. 63% of these young users said they join the network because their friends do. I think this figure has pointed out one key of social networking – It is an online social circle in which members interact in different manners compared to interaction in the real world’s social circles. I think it is like learning to ride a bike. The earlier you touch it, the earlier you learned it. Starting social networking in childhood is not as bad.

I have about a dozen friends on my facebook aged below 12 who are usually relatives. Some of them are very active in updating status and showcasing photos. The focus of the case is always the appropriate use of social media – Think before posting anything. Children must learn what should be considered before posting.

The following video views this from a parenting angle.

As the lady has pointed out, the different interaction manner in online social networking is the magnifying effect – many others can see your interaction with your friends. I think the earlier children learn this, the better use this tool.