Transcript Slide 1

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Get Started on Blogging
[email protected] Usability/Metadata Specialist
[email protected] Web/Multimedia Designer
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries
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Topics covered
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Introduction to Blogs and Blogging
Components of Good Web Writing
Exercise #1
Introduction to Movable Type
Create well formed blog entries with
Moveable Type
• Exercise #2
• Q&A
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What is a blog?
• “A blog is a website in which items are posted on
a regular basis and displayed in reverse
chronological order. The term blog is a shortened
form of weblog or web log.”*
• Blogs allow you to easily syndicate content via
RSS feeds.
*http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/02/05/what-is-a-blog/
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WEB WRITING
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How do users read on the web?
• They don’t!
– Reading from computer screens is 25% slower
than from paper.
• Users scan on the web.
– Web content should have 50% of the word count
of its paper equivalent
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Scannable Content
There is perhaps no greater indicator of the usercenteredness of a content provider than his or her
demonstrated ability to provide proper clarity of text and
brevity of thought when publishing web content. Users
appreciate the unambiguousness involved in perusing
properly produced resources that facilitate unfettered
comprehension and collection of desired information.
Fortunately, there are several techniques employable by web
professionals that can vastly expedite the visual discernment
of information parcels: First, the content provider should
endeavor to segment the information into more easily
digestible subdivisions by placing related content into concise
fragments. This practice is generally referred to as
information "chunking". Next, the careful web professional
will preface said information with meaningful and eloquent
summaries, rendering it in a pleasing but more forceful -- or
"bold" -- typeface. These "headings" are vital to the users’
understanding of what subsequent and adjoining texts might
encompass. And finally, prior to the presentation of each new
concept, the web professional may choose to append a
bullet, revealing to the user the introduction of a disparate
but potentially concomitant idea. Upon inclusion of all these
techniques, along with careful arrangement of information
such that primary arguments precede all supporting and/or
ancillary materials, one may rest assured that the web
content produced and provided to the fortunate information
searcher manifests a not inconsiderable ease of
comprehension. That is, the work is now scannable.
Make your web pages more scannable.
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Divide the content into short
segments or "chunks"
Keep sentences short and paragraphs
to a minimum
Present important information first
(the "inverted pyramid technique")
Use proper, informative headings
Use bullet points
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Is our website scannable?
• Yes, to a point…
• …but not always!
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Tips for creating scannable content
1. Short sentences, short paragraphs
2. Use lists where possible
3. The inverted pyramid. Start with your most
important material!
4. Break up content with headings
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The Inverted Pyramid
Most Newsworthy Info
Summary or article climax
Important Details
Other General
& Background
Info
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Use headings to create
well-formed documents!
• Well-formed document example
• If it's just as easy to bold some text or make it
bigger, why is this important?
1. Easier to change styles.
2. It's how search engines and screen readers read
your page.
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Titles and headings
• Should be short and descriptive
• Avoid marketing-speak
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Further reading…
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“Writing for the Web,” by Jakob Nielsen. http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ (a
list of many useful web writing articles)
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“Web Production Tip: Edit for Scannability,” by Davin Granroth.
http://envisionic.com/webtips/content/scannability.php (sample article used in training
class)
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“A Well Formed Document Is A Beautiful Thing,” by Bud Kraus.
http://www.joyofcode.com/blog/well_formed.html
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“Headings and Lists – are you using them correctly?” by Nomensa.
http://www.nomensa.com/blog/2006/headings-and-lists-are-you-using-themcorrectly/
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“Write Concise and Easily Scannable Web Copy,” by Brett Kempf.
http://juplex.com/blog/2009/01/12/writing-concise-and-easily-scannable-web-copy/
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EXERCISE #1
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Turn the sample into a well-formed
document
1. Open the file:
http://blogs.library.unlv.edu/webbin_rebels/2010
/02/23/Exercise%231.docx
2. Save a new copy of the document on your desktop,
prefixed by your name (e.g. brian_sample.docx)
3. Reformat the article for online reading.
4. After you’re done, discuss with the person next to
you.
5. Keep the document open!
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MOVABLE TYPE
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What is Movable Type?
• Web-based Blogging Software
• Makes creating, editing, and maintaining a
blog easy
• Handles all the backend stuff – updating RSS
feeds, spam filters
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Logging into Movable Type
• http://blogs.library.unlv.edu/mt/mt.cgi
• Username: XXX
• Password: XXX
• Please contact [email protected] for the
username and password!
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EXERCISE #2
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Turn the sample into a blog post!
1. Create a new Entry titled: “Your Name – Exercise 2”
2. Pull up your Word document from Exercise #1
3. Copy and paste this document into the Moveable
Type Editor
4. Format the document for the Web
5. Add your blog post to a new category (something
goofy!)
6. Add Tags
7. Publish your entry!
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Q&A
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Thank you!
[email protected] Usability/Metadata Specialist
[email protected] Web/Multimedia Designer
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries