Week One Assignment: Blog Bests
May 10, 2008 – 1:22 amIn the first week of Blogging for Fun, Fame and Fortune, we spend a lot of time looking at different blogs. We look at little blogs, big blogs, indie blogs, corporate blogs and everything in between. Part of the reason is to get a scope of blog diversity. Another reason is to initiate students into blogging communities. The third reason that I have students look at so many blogs is to help them get a sense of what works and what doesn’t work for them with blogs. This can encompass topic, style, perspective and more.
For part of this week’s assignment, I am asking that students comment on this post. The comment should state your personal favorite blog that you reviewed this week and a couple of sentences of why it was your favorite. The comments on this blog are moderated. The first time you post on this blog, I must approve the comment before it will appear. So don’t fear if you don’t see your comment go live right away.
27 Responses to “Week One Assignment: Blog Bests”
My favorite was the Dave Barry Blog.
http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/
He may just be the funniest man alive today.
By PeggyT on May 10, 2008
My favorite was:
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
I just love everything about the site … the concept, the images, the deeply moving confessions, etc.
Sandy
By Sandy on May 10, 2008
OMG
fear I am going to fail lesson one.
Choose a favorite,I cant!
I went to the linked ones in the lesson and from there to another and another, all over the place till I had no idea how I got there. My eyes were really opened to blogging which LOL! I thought was a bunch of lazy people in front of the PC saying ” watch doin?” ,”aww nuthin’ much”,”how about you?” “awwnuthin’ much”.
I was informed amazed, amused and bought to tears .
What an exciting new world! I read about Aushwitz,met a sloth called Chloe,learned about recycled fashion, met pretty little girls, I met (thru their blogs) amazing women who write fascinating and funny stuff just from everyday life and look after 4 kids and look beautiful and most certainly know their way around a computers as well and have time to help others buy recycled fahions and cook fantastic pesto as well.People who have lost their loved ones and pets and people who raise goats. I am hooked! Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter this world when I only really joined the class to learn how to upload html codes
so I could get my pics where I want them LOL!
Some links,only a couple of the many I visited(you never know where you will end up).
Mackenzie Grace Herring( cant remeber the addy it was one of the examples I think)
http://www.mrsfussypants.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight
http://blog365.ning.com( a place to leave a blog everyday)
By Lee on May 11, 2008
I’m beginning to believe, despite scientific principle, one actually can reach infinity — as it applies to the Internet, that is. I’ve all but worn out a mouse and a keyboard. Thank goodness for spares!
The intent here is to describe the most enjoyable blog. Not to be contrary, but to stay in character [wink], I found one I thought was the epitome of atrocious and had to share it.
In my travels, I found a couple of blogs that I would categorize as “unfavorable” both as a [future] blogger and as a web site coder. In particular, http://tmghosthunters.com/blog.html ranked high on the list for a couple of reasons.
First, the color scheme is a poor choice. I’ve seen more than my share of black backgrounds with white and red text, particularly when the author is attempting to develop a “mysterious aura”. It’s just difficult to read for any length of time. If I’m really interested in the content, I’ll go to Print mode in my browser, which I have set to display black text on a white background. Usually, though, I’m not that interested.
Second, the blog is outdated with the last entry January of 2006. But it’s not Matt’s fault! Apparently, Thea just couldn’t be bothered with her
[?] end of the updating process. Grow up, Matt, call the woman [?] and make nice or learn how to do it yourself and get back on track. Either way, let it go. :>
By Deb on May 11, 2008
Of the blogs I visited while exploring, my favorite one was http://lifehacker.com/
I found the other technical blogs listed in the lesson to be impossibly geeky (and I’m considered by those who know me to be somewhat of a geek). However, lifehacker talks about and reviews things that I not only understand, but which are pertinent to my life right now, such as digital cameras, the latest update to AVG Free and the Beta for Open Office 3. Since I’m involved in one way or another with all three of these things, I found the information interesting and useful. I’ve decided to bookmark this blog and plan to visit it often.
The sheer number of blogs, and links leading to blogs is mind boggling! I found many of them to be filled with personal opinions, that I not only don’t agree with, but fail to understand why anyone in his or her right mind would want to publish them, but then, it does take all kinds.
By Elaina on May 11, 2008
There is a no shortage of REALLY terrible blogs out there, it is true. Sometimes it is like “you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince”. Lee I am glad that you found this week’s lesson of introducing you to a broad spectrum of blogs helpful
By Bean on May 11, 2008
My favourite of all the blogs linked to in the lesson was the Leaky Cauldron. It’s all art blogs or book blogs for me. My other favourite blogs are art blogs & they’re the ones I’ve commented on & I’m about to list on the message board.
By Wendy on May 12, 2008
My favorite blog is the only one I’ve consistantly read for years: http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/
I like reading about true crime. Sometimes I’m not sure why, most of it is horrendous stuff. Steve Huff is an amazing writer though and his personality shines through in his articles.
By Anita on May 12, 2008
My favorite blog in response to week 1 assignment is
http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/32110/Greek-Island-Hopping-Rhodes-1
I selected this site looking for examples of travel journals. Since I visited
the Greek Islands in the 90’s I found the description refreshing.
The blogger’s account describing Greek Island Hopping is presented in such a style of writing that I would like to emulate.
Examples of travel journals may help in my efforts to create travel logs in a journal style format.
By samtex on May 12, 2008
I am not sure that I would classify this as my favorite blog, but the title and picture on the page captured my attention immediately. It is simply hilarious! That is all I am going to say. Maybe I have aroused your curiosity enough for you to check it out for yourself.
http://craftgossip.com/blog/tampon-craft-projects/2007/06/30/
Sherry
By Sherry on May 12, 2008
Wow, I have been at this since Saturday and finally just had to tear myself away. I’ve cried, laughed, shaken my head, vowed never to return and everything in between. I stayed away from sports altogether as that holds no interest other than to play actively with my grandkids when I’m able;O) I must say though it was tough to stick with just one, but I’m going to say Genealogue was my fav. It shed a marvelously humorous touch to everything genealogy, which can be rather tedious.
http://www.genealogue.com/ is where you’ll find it and prepare to cruise a while;O)
By Susie on May 12, 2008
Of the blogs I visited this week, my favorite is: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
I’m fascinated with the mystery and beautiful post cards.
I tried to find a blog different than one already posted (by Sandy), but I find this one the most interesting. I could really get sucked into that world for hours … good thing I have the baby alarm or I’d do just that.
Jane
By Jane on May 12, 2008
Saw lots of good ones, some that angered me, some were boring…I could read a newspaper.
I did like Take the 7 Train http://mvn.com/mlb-mets/ only because they were of the same sentiment as I. i’ve been a NY Mets fan since day 1 in 1962 (ok…so I’m dating myself) I wanted to be the first girl to play for the Mets…but not in my generation.
Last year, they broke my heart….they’re doing it again this year…they’re just doing it earlier than they did last year.
By Donna on May 12, 2008
I think I like the http://www.createfilmscores.net/ site the best. It brings the latest technology for creating film scores to the public in a blog format, yet incorporates it into a web site organized by date, category, and topic. Since I write music for film, this site really appeals to me.
David
By David on May 13, 2008
I loved this blog, not just for the art work — collage is one of my favorite art forms — but for the sharing of unique ideas and techniques. I got this link from one of Wendy’s links in her own blog post. (Thanks, Wendy – I’m bookmarking this one!)
http://ko-ok.blogspot.com/search/label/alcohol%20ink
A great first week’s assignment, Bean! Time consuming, but worth every bleary-eyed minute. Thank you.
Barb
By Barb on May 13, 2008
So many blogs, so few of any interest to me. Actually, I found our classmate Deb’s blog to be the funniest out there, hands down, and this was after searching for and viewing supposed humor blogs from Technorati, Blogger and Word Press - so don’t close it down, Deb, it’s a rare gem! http://www.snertgurfle.com/wordpress/?cat=7
Of the links referenced in the lesson, I did enjoy Perez Hilton because I am a sucker for celebrity gossip and Bean’s “Healthy Chester” which was very touching.
By Jan Hogan on May 14, 2008
For this week I chose http://blog.cafepress.com/
CafePress because it is also a fairly new Blog and is where I am selling my own designs. I was fascinated by the synchronicity of the fact that their most recent posts mentioned the business of licensing. I just took a 4-hour workshop on the subject of licensing art and, like getting a book published I don’ think it is an easy thing to do. My comment that I left was regarding asking them to tell us more about the subject. I received an email response back which was a bonus.
By Adele Aldridge on May 14, 2008
Over the course of a week heavily punctuated by ISP-based connection problems I managed to look at more than one hundred blogs, and concluded (not for the first time nor, I’m certain, for the last) that writing is best left to professionals. Most of what I found was so ill conceived and atrociously written as to justify the swift execution of its perpetrators.
I’ve never understood why an unskilled, untrained, inexperienced Joe who is strained to his limits by the task of writing a shopping list feels capable of penning anything deserving to be read. That same individual wouldn’t dream of just deciding one afternoon to pick up a scalpel and head into an operating room, serve as lead defense counsel in a murder trial, or engineer a skyscraper; writing, it seems, is something that anyone can do. Ask any of the bloggers who are doing it so badly.
Choosing a “favorite” is an impossible task; a “least objectionable” would be the more accurate description and, among the few legitimate contenders, I’d probably opt for Orangette ; although capably written, even this would best be described as a time-wasting, navel-staring, exercise in self indulgence.
It was an eye-opening week, as I’ve never before bothered to study a series of blogs, and I found the experience not just depressing, but headache-inducing. Among the many millions of blogs now being published, there must exist somewhere among them a very small, very select number that serve to justify the genre; I fear, however, that finding them would be a task equivalent to that of locating a few fine diamonds scattered in the sands of an endless and ever-changing beach.
By Shoshanna on May 15, 2008
Yikesssssssssss……..I had an absolutately brilliant commentary all written out. I hit submit…….but forgot my email and the entire thing just disappeared!!!! ;o/ Soooooo Its going to be up to your imagination to think of the witty things I had to say. ;o)))
By joane on May 16, 2008
Hi,Bean! It was hard to pick a fave,as there were a lot to choose from.Probably the Blogging Cat,and definitely Dave Barry.I’ve been a fan of his for ages,as he doesn’t rely on profanity for a laugh.I tried to find blogs on some of my favourite humourists,but I guess I go back too far for P.G.Wodehouse and Stephen Leacock.
I did find one on Wodehouse,but it’s 3 years old:
http://grumpyoldbookman.blogspot.com/2005/04/pg-wodehouse-mr-mulliner-speaking.html
And Leacock:
http://russellmcneil.blogspot.com/2007/09/stephen-leacock-1869-1944.html
Again a bit old,but I highly recommend him for pure silliness.
By Alice on May 16, 2008
A blog I’ve been following for some time now, and quite regularly, is Mac Slocum’s Lost Blog:
http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/
Mac always has great episode summaries/analyses, and his humor is wonderful. Now that Mac’s a dad, he doesn’t have as much time for the blog as he once did, but guest bloggers sometimes fill in for him when time is at a premium.
If you’re a Lost fan, you should check this one out.
By Lori on May 17, 2008
My favorite blog has to be Wil Wheaton’s blog at:
http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/
He’s very entertaining and a good writer.
By Debbie C on May 19, 2008
My favorite blog is by Miss Doxie. Unfortunately, the last post is dated Dec. 2007. She is witty, funny and intelligent. Her blog is pure entertainment. And she shares my love for pets.
http://www.missdoxie.com/
By Anna Schwartz on May 20, 2008
My favorite blog out of all the blogs I visited this week is http://www.kathysmith.com/blog/. Kathy’s blog is full of useful, practical tips on weight loss and fitness using a common sense approach. She uses real-life stories and situations which I found makes her posts interesting to read.
By Viki N on May 23, 2008
I ended looking at lots of blogs. But I would say my favorite one was http://www.linesandcolors.com/category/vector-art/
I liked the way the blog was set up. It also has lot of blogs listed on the blog roll with information protaining drawing with Vectors.
Tammie
By Tammie on May 24, 2008
Blogging in finally.
Blog Best: Found it by accident - aren’t they all that way ?! It is http://weblog.infoworld.com I came across it when I signed petition to have Microsoft extend support for XP.
Not that much of a techie but find it all interesting and you never know what you may need to know.
By Sandi on May 26, 2008
I like this site http://classicalcritic.blogspot.com/
It gives a review on classical cd’s. The portion that I did read was fascinating, and included a lot about the artists and how, in the writer’s opinion, they performed. It is quite large, and I look forward to reading it all.
By Brian on May 26, 2008