Blog Facility?

elliot · #1 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 08:44 AM

Hi
I am a new user joined today in fact, site looks good I am a member of birdforum.net and enjoy forums. One thing I would like to see is a blog section where members could just add notes?

Helen · #2 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 09:32 AM

Hello Elliot and welcome to the forum. You will find this one a very friendly place to be

elliot · #3 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 09:45 AM

Thanks for your welcome message Helen, i will try to post a picture of an osprey i took in france on my hols last week.

Fourwings · #4 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 10:58 AM

Welcome aboard Elliot, look forward to seeing your photos.

StuartDH · #5 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 12:54 PM

Hi Elliot,

We've been toying with the idea of using a blog for some time, but the general opinion seems to be that they tend to go largely unread, as they usually turn into very long rambling pages, covering lots of different subjects and most visitors don't scroll through them. However, if you've any ideas on how we can structure a blog facility to avoid this, then we're all ears.

Essentially, we'd like to use part of the 'Reference' area to add more structured diary-type pages that can be easily grouped into sections. As such, we'd be more than happy for authors to put together regular journals about their local nature reserve, weekly experiences in building a conservation area, a birdwatching diary for a nearby estuary or daily/weekly/monthly observations in a local forest etc, would all be welcome additions to the site.

Let me know what sort of thing you'd be interested in putting together and we'll see what we can do.

Cheers

Stuart

Pat · #6 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 08:50 PM

What's a blog?

Boddie · #7 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 08:59 PM

Blogs are personal Internet journals that have taken the Internet by storm. Frequently updated and written in a personal tone, a blog is a diary or journal where the writer or “blogger” will write his or her observations on the world or provide links to useful websites. Different bloggers write about different themes, sort of like a newspaper columnist but with no specialized training necessary.

The first blog is said also to have been the first website in 1992. Blogs didn’t really start to take off until the late nineties, however, and they gained in popularity after 2000.

There are specialised blogging sites, whereby you can talk about life in general but as Stuart says they tend to turn into a ramble.

For me far better is to start a new forum post if you have something interesting to say about wildlife. Blogs have a tendancy to go off on tangents.

Pat · #8 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 09:18 PM

Thankyou Boddie

StuartDH · #9 (**permalink**) 21-09-2005, 10:04 PM

Essentially, blogs allow users to add their own content to a site, rather than just read what others have written. So in some ways they are like a basic forum that is built for one-way conversations. Forums obviously allow for two-way, three-way, four-way conversations etc.

To take it a step further, our reference section is based on a Content Management System, which enables authors to add their own content, edit pages on the site and even collaborate with other authors/editors to produce entire sections of content.

nightshade · #10 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 08:06 AM

Blog does not even sound nice, they seem to me to be egotistical ramblings ,if any one wants one let them construct their own which i understand is easy
why join a forum then want to blog?

elliot · #11 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 08:14 AM

Hi
I just thought it would give other contributers a look at a day or two in the life of, i understand they can turn ito rambling gibberish but it was only meant as a quick view of what i had seen today, tomorrow, etc . No matter and thanks.

nightshade · #12 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliot

Hi
I just thought it would give other contributers a look at a day or two in the life of, i understand they can turn ito rambling gibberish but it was only meant as a quick view of what i had seen today, tomorrow, etc . No matter and thanks.

hi elliot ,please do not be put off the site ,do as i do and ramble anyway,read some of the longer threads to see what i mean nice to have you onboard

StuartDH · #13 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 08:32 AM

Hi nightshade,

It entirely depends on how the blog is used. Many blogs are just used to promote a website or advertise events - the blogger will start a new blog, advertise their site/events and then disappear. Other blogs are just a personal scrapbook of ramblings that are usually never by anyone.

However, if they're done properly then they can be a very useful addition to a site. As long as the topic has a clearly definied structure and regular updates, we'd more than welcome them. Weekly diaries of a park ranger, wildlife photographer, diver, walking/climbing enthusiast, potholer, conservationist etc would all be good additions to the site and probably get many regular readers. Even some of the seemingly mundane events, like keeping a diary of things that you find in your local woods, can make interesting reading to some of our international visitors who'd like to know more about the British wildlife that we can tend to take for granted.

So in short, yep we're more than happy to run blogs on the site, as long as they're well maintained and focused. The best bit about a blog is that it enables users to help build a site by adding their own content. As the blogs grow and the content builds, the site starts to become more of a community-driven project where everyone has the opportunity can get involved, and we're certainly keen on that at Wild About Britain

nightshade · #14 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 08:36 AM

while im having a grumble can we ban jiggling avtars?(tongue in cheek)

Boddie · #15 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 09:35 AM

I think you are jealous that you avatar doesn't jiggle. By the way, he is dancing.

Elliot,

To be fair, if you read some of my threads they are like blogs - just putting down what I did today and many of them are quite popular judging by the amount of views. I'd be more than happy to hear what you are up to but I do see Stuarts point. They also pose a risk to security and unwanted attention - not yours I may add - but with a precedent set, it is a risk. I know because I have party to them - on a cycling website no less.

Jo Pedder · #16 (**permalink**) 22-09-2005, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boddie

I think you are jealous that you avatar doesn't jiggle. By the way, he is dancing.

Elliot,

To be fair, if you read some of my threads they are like blogs - just putting down what I did today and many of them are quite popular judging by the amount of views. I'd be more than happy to hear what you are up to but I do see Stuarts point. They also pose the risk of being a risk to security and unwanted attention - not yours I may add - but with a precedent set it is a risk. I know because I have party to them - on a cycling website no less.

I for one am jealsous of you wookie!