Guy's new blog entry entitled The First 100 Days: Observations of a Nouveau Blogger are a must read. Guy made it to the Technorati Top 100 in his first 100 days!
There are a several points which I love and I will quote from Guy.
Three Kinds of Bloggers: Human Newsbots, Ranters, Essayists
Point #3
There are three kinds of bloggers: human newsbots (is this an oxymoron?), ranters, and essayists. Each kind is an art form. The third category, the essayists, might be the most difficult kind of blogging, and unfortunately, the category I aspire to.
Me too, Guy. I aspire to be an essayist. An inspiration. A motivation.
A connection with other teachers of all kinds, ages, and walks to tell them that amidst their days of exhaustion and frustration they are producing a beautiful thing.
Like Michealangelo working on the Sistine Chapel — sometimes we are too close to see the beauty of the art that is being created in the lives of our students!
Good Bloggers Read, Reflect, Relate, and Relay
People who just regurgitate their bloglines readings aren't adding anything to the conversation but an echo. (Human newsbots)
Ranters are the bellyachers. I've got enough of that! I work with teenagers! They live the rant!
However, essayist is the true contributor. The excellent blogger.
It is when a blogger can read, reflect, relate, and relay that they join the conversation and become useful.
- Read – Good bloggers read others in their field.
- They learn who the experts are and watch for new guys who are going to make a difference.
- They read outside their field.
- They know about history and show a Rennaissance love for many disciplines!
- They read books too!
- They are, in short, educated.
- Reflect – Good bloggers do not usually post every other second, they reflect.
- They think.
- They contemplate what they have read and how it relates to their current knowledge base.
- Sometimes they take a break! You can not pour water out of an empty pitcher.
- Relate – Good bloggers relate what they know with the new information.
- They relate their blog posts to the other blogs by hyperlinking to and by commenting on the original posts.
- They join the conversation and don't just self promote.
- They relate to the other members of the blogosphere with humility.
- They view other bloggers as partners in the quest for knowledge, not as competition.
- Relay – Good bloggers relay their knowlege.
- They aren't stingy with their information.
- They know that when they create something of use that people will return.
- Although there are pirates out there, they won't be afraid to sail by posting valuable information that helps others live better lives.
- They relay the baton to others and allow the conversation to proliferate without being haughty or proprietary.
Blogging is easy
I wish everyone would read his #6 post:
6. Blogging technology is a piece of cake
It is easy. It is useful. It is important. This medium is changing the world.
Blog to change the world!
I also like his #10 post:
10. It's hard to make money blogging. The advertising revenues don't add up to much, but there are other significant rewards like helping people change the world..
Amen, brother Guy, preach it!
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