Blog

Definition

A blog or weblog is a web-based application where authors write regularly some articles such as in a journal or diary. Entries are displayed in reverse chronological order.

Architecture of a typical blog

Generally a weblog is composed by different elements:

Articles

A weblog engine enables the possibility to enter a new article via a web form. User can write a title, an excerpt and the body of the article. He can also choose the categories in wich he will fill the new article. The user can always modify or edit the previous articles. The visitors can post comments to articles.

Each article (or post) is generally composed by different elements:

• date of writing
• author
• title
• content
• categorie(s)
• number of comments
• number of trackbacks
• permalink of the article

Main page

Articles

The main page displays the most recent articles sorted into a reverse chronological order. A variant or similar application are news engines where only the trailers of articles are displayed.

Sidemenu

Generally, depending on the layout choosen, we can find several navigational links:

• monthly archives
• category archives
• search form
• blogroll (a list of blogs that the author reads)
• Sometimes RSS feeds from other blogs (usually just the title)
• An "RSS" button that provides the URL of the blog's RSS export(s).
• A button that lists blogs that link to this blog (e.g. via Technorati search

How To / Installation

If you have a hosting, you can install a standalone plateform (we have dressed a small list of the most important Open Source blogging tools). You can also open a blog without any installation. You can find a lot of commercial solutions (Google is your friend).

Popular open source softwares

1. WordPress: based on PHP/MySQL is one of the best blog engines. The new version of WordPress integrates a small CMS
2. MU WordPress: based on WordPress this version enhance some functionalities. The administrators can create more blogs with one installation. WordPress permits to have only one blog at time
3. TextPattern: based on PHP/MySQL
4. DotClear: french blog engine
5. b2evolution: like MU WordPress
6. Nucleus: multi-blog-CMS like MU WordPress (PHP/MySQL)
7. Roller Weblogger: like MU WordPress but based on Java

Educational Usages

• A blog as a bloc notes
• A blog as a (class or project) management tool
• A blog as a collaborative tool
• A blog as a news tool
• A blog as a website

Articles and resources

Introductions etc

• Blogging? It's Elementary, My Dear Watson!

• Personal Webpublishing as a reflective conversational tool for self-organized learning (PDF document)

• Communication dynamics: Discussion boards, weblogs and the development of communities of inquiry in online learning environments (PDF document)

• Blogging as a Dynamic, Transformative Medium in an American Liberal Arts Classroom (Word document)

• Blogging as a Dynamic, Transformative Medium in an American Liberal Arts Classroom (PDF document)

• In the Classroom, Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards

• Educational blogging as a research tool

Academic and/or research

• Remediation, Genre, and Motivation: Key Concepts for Teaching with Weblogs

• Godwin-Jones, Bob (2003) Blogs and Wikis: Environments for On-line Collaboration, Language Learning & Technology, Vol. 7, No. 2, May 2003, pp. 12-16. (pdf) (html)