If you like blogging...

Next semester, the UPG Insider will be adding an aggregate news blog to its site. The Insider is UPG's student-run online new source (www.upginsider.com). If you'd like to add your blogosphere expertise, or if you'd like to continue the blog you began this semester and let The Insider link to it, the Insider folks would be glad to have you. E-mail Insider advisor Brian Estadt at brianestadt@gmail.com for more information.

There's also still time to sign up to take The Insider for writing credits, too. You can join the staff and receive three credits your first semester. The course is repeatable for two credits after that. The course offers hands-on, practical experience in journalism and online publishing -- two must-haves if you're planning a career in journalism, public relations, advertising, new media and more.

Last Class!

You've made it this far! Congrats, blogger nation.

Tonight we have three presentations: Liz Russell (Crooks and Liars), David King, and
Adam Graham (Freakonomics).

Before the presentations, I'll review the material that will be covered in your final quiz. The final quiz will be next Tuesday, December 15 at 7 p.m. (our usual class meeting). The quiz will be worth 30 points.

Reminder: When calculating your final grade, I'll drop the lowest of your three quiz grades.

Your final papers -- based on the research you've done for your presentations -- are due next week. The papers should be 8-10 pages. You may turn in your paper on Tuesday before the quiz, or you can have up until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17 to drop it off at my office. My office is 208 FOB. There will be a drop box outside my office door.

If you have any questions before finals week, please be sure to e-mail me at lljakiela@gmail.com.

Tonight's Presentations

Tonight for your blogging pleasure we have four brilliant presentations:

Elizabeth Foster (Lifehacker)
Brian DeRiggi (BoingBoing)
Matt Reilly (Deadspin)
Natalya Wharton (Confessions of a Pioneer Woman)

Assignment for next week: Read Blogging Heroes interviews with Chris Anderson (The Long Tail), p. 13; Victor Agreda, Jr. (DIY Life), p. 257; Deidre Woollard (Luxist), p. 227; and Chris Grant (Joystiq), p. 179.

Next week, December 8, we'll conclude with our in-class presentations and I'll do a quick review of general blogging concepts.

During our final class December 15, we'll have your third and final quiz. The quiz will cover general concepts, the remaining chapters from Huffington (as covered in our in-class PowerPoint presentations), the readings from Blogging Heroes, and concepts from the in-class presentations. Your final papers will be due in class that day as well.

In the meantime, be sure to update your blogs and revise your earlier blog posts. It's never too late to craft a good blog. Revise, edit, revise.

Pre-Thanksgiving Conferences

Next Tuesday, we won't meet at our regular class time. Instead, I'll be available throughout the day to meet with you in conference. The conferences are optional. We can use the time to talk about the quality of your blogs, to go over any grammatical issues you may have, to discuss any successes or difficulties you're having, and so on. I also have a few spots available for conferences this Thursday.

If you're interested in scheduling a conference, please e-mail me at lljakiela@gmail.com.

If you schedule a conference, please be sure not to miss it. If you miss a scheduled conference, it counts as a class absence.

Assignments for Next Week

One blog post -- topic of your choice.
Comment on other blogs. Be good citizens!
Read in BLOGGING HEROES -- The Introduction, the interview with Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing on p. 91 and the interview with Gina Trapani of Lifehacker on p. 25. Be prepared to discuss the readings.

Number-Crunching

Because you asked...

The total number of blogs you should have by the end of the semester: 25
The total number of comments you should have made on others' blogs by the end of the semester: 35
The reward for having done a good job all term: Priceless.

In order to receive an A, both you and your blog should have been active all term. That means:
a) You've attended class
b) You've thoughtfully, intellectually participated in class
c) Your blog's been kept reasonably up-to-date.

Although you can't time-machine yourself back to classes you missed (if you can, please let me know immediately), and you can't completely correct a blog that's been flabby for months, you can add extra posts to try to balance things a bit. This would show verve and commitment and will likely help your grade.

Note that word "likely." There are no guarantees, but common sense rules here.

Remember, of course, that quality counts. A lot. So you want to always balance your desire for the correct number of posts with the importance of having quality posts. Simply having 25 posts won't guarantee you a sweet grade. Those posts have to show effort. They have to reveal the attributes of good blogging per our text.

You have a few weeks to kick it up a notch. So as Emeril would put it, Bam! Let's see what you've got.

Tonight's Presentations -- Tuesday, Nov. 17

Tonight we have three sparkling presentations:

Greg Garland on Zen Habits
Rin Little on Generacion Y
Jesse Milliner on Bad Astronomy

Be sure to pay attention, ask questions, take notes, and do other assorted good-scout things. Questions about the presentations may show up on your final quiz. Just saying.

Blog Assignment: Pay Attention

The poet Antonio Machado said the only advice young writers needed was this: "Pay attention." Think about your day. What caught your attention? What did you notice today? How alert were you to your world?

Make a list of five things/people you noticed. Be vivid. Use specific details and description to show rather than tell readers what you saw/experienced.

After you've made your list, go back over it. Can you see any connections between the things you've listed? Is there a theme to your day and, if so, what is it?

Write about this.

Final Grades -- A Checklist

Your final grade this term will be based on the following:

• Quality and consistency of your blog – 30 percent of your grade

o Is it well-written?
o Has it been active all semester? (3 posts per week up until Nov. 10, then one post per week until the end of the term)
o Have you been active in your blog community?
o Have you responded to comments/feedback?
o Do you seem to care about your work and about the feedback you receive on your blog?
o Have you shown evidence of revision?
o Have you been able to apply what you’ve learned from The Huffington guide?
o Have you been creative and professional in your approach?
o Have you shown the ability to work independently?
o Have you followed Huffington’s golden rule of blogging?

• Quizzes (3 of these) – 20 percent of your grade

• Attendance and Participation – 20 percent of your grade


• In-Class Presentation – 15 percent

• Final Paper (based on in-class presentation) – 15 percent

Extra Credit: Attendance at Oresick reading = 2 blog posts

Tonight in Blogging

We have five fabulous presentations tonight:
Laura Kopa on Mashable; Katie Braun on the People of Walmart; Jamie Pope on DetentionSlip; Matt Wilson on Metafilter; and Tashaine Campbell on The Huffington Post.

Assignment Details:
From this point, we'll cut back on the individual posts you'll do each week. Instead of three posts, you'll be required to do one post based on an assignment I'll give you in class (and post here, of course). You can do more than this, of course, so don't feel restrained.

You should now go back and look at the work you've done this term. If you're missing posts, now is a good time to catch up a bit. Edit old posts as needed. Polish things up and prepare for the end of the term, when I'll take a close look at your blog for your final grade.

Need extra credit?

If you've fallen behind a blog post or two, come to poet Peter Oresick's reading on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Powers Hall 120. I'll have a sign-up sheet available. Attending the reading will earn you extra credit. The extra credit will count for two blog posts. (Also, there will be brownies.)

Tonight in Blogging

We'll be discussing cyberpolarization and extremism in the blogosphere. Three of you -- Caitlin, Tashaine, and Jason -- will give your presentations tonight.

Assignments: Handout on texting. Write a blog post based on the handout (this will count as one of your required posts for the week). Read in Huffington -- Chapters 6 and 7.

Pendulum Submissions

Pendulum, UPG's student-run literary magazine, is accepting submissions for the fall issue. Editors are hunting quality poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography and art work. If you've written a terrific blog post and would like to share it in print, send it as a creative-nonfiction submission. The deadline is November 13. Send submissions to upgpendulum@gmail.com. For more information, see Prof. Vollmer or Prof. Jakiela, the magazine's advisers.

Guidelines for Presentations

Use Chapter Six in Huffington as a guide. Chapter Six offers a history and analysis of the Huffington Post. We’ll be covering this chapter next week.

Your presentation (and, at the end of the term, your paper) should include AT LEAST the following:
• A multi-media component, preferably a Powerpoint presentation. Use samples from the blog you’re studying, audio and/or video clips if necessary. Whatever works best for your subject. (25 points)

• Evidence of research. You should be an expert on the blog you’re presenting. Please be thorough in your understanding of its history, its demographics, its impact, its context. (25 points)

• Some reference to relevant blog community/communities. Reference like-minded blogs. See which blogs your assigned blog links to and discover why. (10 points)

• An analysis of the readership/audience for the blog. Who’s reading the blog and why? How can you tell? How do the owners/authors of the blog maintain their blog community? Where do you find evidence for this? (10 points)

• An analysis of the quality of the writing and information you find on the blog. (10 points)


• An analysis of the blogs strengths and weaknesses, including what you like and don’t like about the blog. Your opinion should be an educated, informed one, of course. (10 points)

• A statement about what you can learn from this blog. What does this blog teach you about good blogging? What techniques can you apply to your own blog? (10 points)

Be prepared to answer questions following your presentation.
Check the presentation schedule on the class website (see below).
Presentations will not be rescheduled unless you have a medical excuse. If you fail to do your presentation or miss class on the day your presentation is due, you will receive a 0 for the assignment.
The presentation will be worth one exam grade. You can think of the presentation as an exam worth 100 points. The presentation is heavily weighted in your class participation grade for the course.

Blog Presentations

Here's the schedule for your in-class presentations:

November 3
Jason Henry (fivethirtyeight.com)
Tashaine Campbell (The Huffington Post)
Caitlin Thomson (Got2BeGreen)

November 10
Laura Kopa (Mashable)
Katie Braun (People of Walmart)
Matt Wilson (Metafilter)
Jaime Pope (DetentionSlip.org)

November 17
Greg Garland (Zen Habits)
Rin Little (Generacion Y)
Dave Yungwirth (Seth Godin's Blog)
Jesse Milliner (Bad Astronomy)

December 1
Elizabeth Foster (Lifehacker)
Brian DeRiggi (BoingBoing)
Matt Reilly (Deadspin)
Natalya Wharton (Confessions of a Pioneer Woman)

December 9
Liz Russell (Crooks and Liars)
Adam Graham (Freakonomics)
David King (needs to sign up for a blog)

Presentations should be at least 15 minutes long. You should research the blog and become a mini-expert on the blog. Your presentation will introduce your colleagues to the blog and cover the following things:

* History of the blog and critical analysis (based on research) of what makes this blog so vital per Time Magazine
* Background on the bloggers
* Demographic
* Subject range of the blog
* Community developed through the blog -- who reads the blog, which blogs are linked to here, what other blogs are regularly referenced, etc.
* Most extraordinary posts you found on the blog
* An analysis of the quality of writing and information you found on the blog

Be thorough in your research. You will use the information from your presentations to craft an 8-10 page paper at the end of the term. You'll receive two grades -- one for the presentation and one for the paper.

Home Fires Blog

Great blog tip: Visit the New York Times site for the Home Fires Blog (http://homefires.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/greetings-from-the-sunshine-state/). This wonderful blog recounts the experiences of American veterans on the post-war life.

Like Writing? Need to Get Out More? Try These Classes Next Term

"Travel Writing" and "Poetry of Place" -- two writing courses offered through the UPG Creative Writing Program this Spring -- promise to reconnect you to the world after a semester of cyber-living. The Travel Writing course is offered on alternate Saturdays and includes trips to local landmarks like The Strip District, museums, Falling Water, and more. The "Poetry of Place" class is a readings-based course that will challenge student writers to write their worlds. For more information about either class, call 724-836-7481, e-mail Prof. Jakiela or Prof. Vollmer, or see your adviser. And don't forget -- if you like blogging, you'll love being a member of The UPG Insider newspaper staff. The class is available for a three-credit or one-credit option. For more information about The Insider, contact Brian Estadt, the Insider adviser, at brianestadt@gmail.com.

Tonight in Blogging: You know what's good with bacon? Bacon!

Tonight's guest speaker is Jason Mosley, founder/blogger of mrbaconpants.com and The Pittsburgh Observer. Have your questions -- bacon-related or not -- ready.

Group 2 was up for sharking this week. I circled. I sharked. I visited all the active blogs in the group. If I didn't visit your blog and leave at least one comment, please check with me to be sure your blog is active and that I and your group members have the correct site address.

This week I'll be visiting Group 3. Everyone -- Group 3 or not -- should be sure to keep the blogs active. That means three posts and five comments each.

You'll also sign up for the blog you'll be researching for your final project/short in-class presentation. You can choose from a list of Time Magazine's 25 Top Blogs of 2009. (I'll pass the list in class.)

The next quiz won't be until Tuesday, Oct. 20. See below for details about next week's class. The following week, Oct. 13, is Fall Break. So we won't be back in McKenna 137 until Tuesday, Oct. 20. Confused? Don't be. Breathe. Breathe. Check calendar. Breathe.

Classy D.C. Blogger Replaces Class Next Week

Next week, we won't have class on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Instead, please do your best to attend a guest lecture on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. in the Coffeehouse. Nikki Schwab, a blogger/reporter for The Washington Examiner's Yeas & Nays column, will be here. (That's Nikki, left, with her fellow columnist Tara Palmieri, right, in the picture.)

Schwab, a Ligonier native, came to The Washington Examiner Yeas & Nays column (www.washingtonexaminer.com) from U.S. News & World Report, where she'd been a reporter for the widely-read Washington Whispers column. She also produced the Washington Whispers section on u.s.news.com, updating its content throughout the day. She previously served internships at WashingtonPost.com, Newsweek Interactive, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Gateway Newspapers. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh and received a master 's degree in communication from American University.

Schwab's talk is free and open to the public. For more info, call 724-836-7481.

To Do: Last Reminder

Please check and make sure your blog is listed on the blogroll (look left). If it's not, please correct this right away by sending me your blog title and blog address. Send to: lljakiela@gmail.com. Also, the link to the Five Least Favorite Things blog is not working. Could you please send me the correct address for the blog? If your blog isn't listed on the blogroll, it doesn't exist as far as class credit is concerned. Another friendly reminder from your sponsor.

A Reminder to All Good Citizens of this Class

To Everyone: Be sure you're keeping up with your blogs and that you're being a good citizen by commenting on the other blogs in your group. Even if your group isn't up for review this week. Even if you're feeling uninspired and cyberly anti-social. At the end of the term, your grade will depend on this. It's not like you have to build your own log cabin or save a nation or anything. So get to it.

Tonight in Blogging...

We'll enjoy a delicious Powerpoint Presentation on the wonders of voice and the eight rules of good blogging. We'll discuss what you love about language and writing. We'll discuss the voice of blogger/author Julie Powell. And we'll workshop some Group 1 blogs.

During the blog workshop, we'll follow basic writing-workshop protocol. This means the blog's author will be quiet during our discussion of his/her blog. There will be a chance for a response afterward. Our discussion of each blog should focus on these things:

* Voice
* Focus
* Technique (proofreading and accuracy)
* Reader interest
* Sense of beat reporting (owning the topic)

We'll also review your questions for Jason Mosley, Mr. Baconpants himself.

At home:
* Read Chapter 5 in Huffington.
* Maintain blogs.
* Group 2 is up for the next workshop.
* Jason Mosley visits next week! Be ready for bacon!(Now that's delicious!)

Weekly Reqs

Here are the weekly requirements for the class. These are in addition to other pesky things like reading assignments and assigned research. Here goes:
* You are responsible for maintaining your blog.
You must ensure that your address is correct and active, and that everyone in your group has this information. Make sure the information on the We Blog site is correct, too. If it's not, you're responsible for correcting this. Make sure your blog roll includes everyone in your group. (If you have questions about who's in your group, see the comments section on last week's assignment.)
* You must keep your blog active.
This means at least three posts per week.
* Your posts should exhibit your writerly skills.
They should be thoughtful and in some cases include research. You should pay close attention to grammar and technique. Refer to Strunk & White if you have technical concerns. (We'll also be workshopping blogs each week. During workshop, we'll focus primarily on content, but we'll briefly cover some technical/grammatical issues.)
* You must be an active member of your blog group.
This means posting at least one comment on each person's blog each week.

Blog G20 News

Visit Cyberpunk Apocalypse for a personal take on the coming G20. http://www.cyberpunkapocalypse.blogspot.com/

Check the Blog Roll

Check it! Then be sure to add the blogs from your group to your own blogroll, too. (If you gave me your blog address in class yesterday, your blog should be listed. If I missed something, or if you didn't have your address ready yesterday, please send an e-mail or carrier pigeon. Thanks!)

This Week in Blogging: Time's Running Out -- Get Yr Blogs Up

Tonight we have a tasty quiz, followed by a quick preview of the importance of voice in writing, as well as an introduction to your blogs. Your homework assignments include:
* Read Chapter 4 in Huffington
* Read the handout from Julie Powell's book Julie & Julia and be prepared to discuss the role of voice in both Powell's book and her blog (check it -- http://juliepowell.blogspot.com.
* Get your blogs up and running. Three entries by next Tuesday. Be sure to exchange blog titles and addresses with the members of your group. Be sure to comment actively on the blogs in your group, too. (By active, at least five comments per week -- and spread the love. Don't just comment on the same blog every week. Comment on all the blogs in your group.)

Get to work. And don't Dali! (Get it? Dali?)

Also, breaking news... Mr. Baconpants, a.k.a. Jason Mosley, will be visiting on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Please make a short list of questions you'd like to ask Jason and give that list to me next week. I'll pass your questions to Jason. (And don't forget to visit http://www.mrbaconpants.com for the latest in bacon-mania.)

First Blog Assignments

The following good folks completed their assignment from last week and have their blogs ready to go. Please add these blogs to your blog roll. Remember, you'll be responsible for commenting on the blogs in your group each week. Starting this week. (You're also responsible for doing your homework. On time. Every week. It's a grade thing. If a shark ate your homework, please let me know. I'll need to see teeth marks.)

From Group 1
Tailgate Nation by Katie Braun (kbrauntailgatenation.blogspot.com)
Miller High Life Lovers by Brian DeRiggi (highlifelove.blogspot.com)

From Group 2
Fact or Science Fiction? by Elizabeth Foster (canuck117.blogspot.com)
Steel City Metal by Shane Hoolahan (pghmetal.blogspot.com)
Get Off My Lawn! by David King (waagebaage.blogspot.com)

From Group 3
Charting Lost: The Search for the Essence Behind The Prime-time Hit by Matt Reilly (chartinglost.blogspot.com)

From Group 4
These Are a Few of My Least Favorite Things by Caitlin Thomson (ckthom2.blogspot.com)

Not Quite Ready for Take Off (Yet!)

We're slowing things down a bit. Please don't move on to your full blogs just yet. Instead, do the following:

* Send me the title of your blog. Remember to come up with something that doesn't suffer from the "Huh" factor. (If you're saying "huh?", see your textbook for more information.)
* Send me the web address for your blog.
* Send me your name along with these things so I can match you to your blog. (I know you know this, but, well, you know.)
* Polish the template for your blog and add all your little bits. (Bio note, photos, subhead, that first post you did if it's relevant, another sample first post if you'd prefer, that sort of thing.)
* Be sure you're happy with your template and it's ready to go. It's a commitment thing.
* Be ready to launch your blogs starting next week.

Please complete the above by 2 p.m. on Sunday and send the info to: lljakiela@gmail.com. I'll make a list of all the blogs and addresses and send it to you via e-mail.

Once you get the list, add the people in your group to your blogroll. You each should have between four to six blogs (depending on the size of your group) in your blogroll by Tuesday.

Oh, and don't forget to read Chapter 3 in Huffington. The quiz will cover Chapters 1-3.

Happy blog-birthing!

Welcome to Week Two! Assignments for You

Tonight's lecture will cover the Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2 in The Huffington Post Guide to Blogging. We'll take a look at The Huffington Post and use a blog as an example of everything that's good and right in the blogosphere. Then we'll move on to... Your Blogs.

You'll be working in small groups for the second half of class. For now, the groups are as follows (I'll adjust to accomodate any reasonable requests):

Group #1 -- Berkebile, Braun, Campbell, DeRiggi, Foster

Group #2 -- Garland, Graham, Henry, Hoolahan, King

Group #3 -- Kopa, Little, Milliner, Reilly, Russell

Group #4 -- Thomson, Yungwirth, Williams, Wilson, Wharton

Once you're in your group, you'll share your proposed Blog Names and Blog Topics with your group, and then with the whole class. Before we leave, you'll exchange blog addresses with members of your group and add all members to your blogroll.

At Home: E-mail me your blog addresses (lljakiela@gmail.com). I'll add all blog address to the Weblogublog blogroll.

Then -- Start blogging. You'll need to do at least three entries per week. And check in and comment regularly on all the blogs in your group.

Oh, and read Chapters 3 and 4 in Huffington. We'll have a short quiz next week.

Happy blogging!

Time Permitting:

Workshop some sample blog posts

Trib Magazines Seeking Interns

Writing majors or folks with journalism experience: The Tribune-Review's magazines division is looking for writing/editing interns. Interested? See Professor Jakiela for more information.

First Week's Assignments

You know summer's really over when you get your first Blogging assignment. Here goes:
* Be sure you've set up a blog site on Blogspot.
* For your first post, complete the assignment that appears on this blog.
* For your second post, make a list of five things you'd like to blog about. Make sure these are things you're passionate about. If you have ideas for titles for blogs, include these in your list.
* Be prepared to pull up your blog and your first two posts in class on Tuesday. Be ready to read them and discuss them in class.
* Read Chapters 1 & 2 in Huffington. There will be a short quiz on these readings on Tuesday.
* Sign up for The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com).
* Have fun!

New 'Zine Needs Writers

When Mr. Baconpants isn't frying bacon, he's busy launching The Pittsburgh Observer. The new 'zine covers Pittsburgh culture and events, and features the work of UPG alumni writers. The editors are seeking new voices, too. Click the Want to Write for Us? link on the site for more information.

Everything's Better With Bacon (Even This Class)

Visit www.mrbaconpants.com for a peek at a successful blog driven by porcine passion. Jason Mosley, Mr. Baconpants himself, will visit our class this semester to share the insights he's gained from more than seven years in the blogosphere. And to share bacon, of course.

Who else is blogging in the 'Burgh?

Check it: http://www.pghbloggers.org. Thorough site listing new Pittsburgh-centered blogs.

All About You

Here's your first writing prompt: Write about one thing you love. This should be something you're absolutely passionate about. Something you're a bit of an expert on. Nothing is too small or off limits. If you love coffee, great! If you have a sock collection, fantastic! If your pug is the love of your life, well, o.k.! Whatever it is, as long as you're passionate about it, it's good material for this prompt. Now, tell the story -- when did you first discover you loved __________. Where were you? How old were you? Who introduced you to ______? Describe your first encounter with _______ using vivid, specific details. Show, don't tell. Be vivid. Avoid cliches. And try to do a timeline. Follow your love of __________ from that first experience up until right now. What are the important moments/milestones in your passion for __________? How does _______ fit in your life today?