Blog Assignment for Week 2

**These should appear as two separate blog entries.**  

Blog Post #1 (5 points)

Read Chapter 54 of Brogan’s Social Media 101 (pp. 206-211) and visit www.chrisbrogan.com. In your first post from last week, you should have listed some goals that you have for this quarter. Repost those in this post. Now, think about the goals you have for this blog. (Yes, I realize that you are blogging because it’s a part of your grade, but get beyond that…) Answer Brogan’s question: What’s the goal of your blog?

Check the Gadgets the Google has to offer and add at least two of these to your blog. These can be in the sidebar or at the top or bottom, but make sure your placement of the additional gadget makes sense. Remember to keep everything functional. Tell me what Gadgets you’ve chosen and why. How does this addition affect the design and usability of your blog?

Photo Cred: Google

Font and color are fun to play with, but make sure your readers can actually read your posts. You can have a creative flair if you want, but do it appropriately. (You don’t have to write anything about this in your entry, just take it into consideration.)

In addition to reflecting on the above in your actual blog post, visit your “About Me” section (you can edit this under the “design” function) and write something there, and perhaps post a picture of yourself. (In other words, I’m going to be checking to see if you’ve written anything about yourself in the “about” page, because as Brogan suggests, it matters!) You MIGHT want to mention your goals in this section too, briefly.

Blog Post #2 (5 points)

Choose two social networking sites (one that you use frequently and one that you have stopped using or use less frequently).

For the one that you use the most: 

1. Why do you use it? 
2. What makes it functional for your use? 
3. What would you add to make it better? 
4. Is there anything that you don’t like about it? 
5. How is it collaborative? (Think about lecture on Monday, April 2.)

For the one that you don’t use anymore or use less frequently: 

1. Why did you stop using it/why do you use this site less frequently than the other? 
2. What makes it different? 
3. What could be changed about this site in order to make it better? 
4. Would you consider going back and using it again ever or are you done-zo?

Include at least one screencap (if you want to blur personal information, feel free) of the site that you still use/use most frequently and highlight the features that you think are its best attributes. You can use Paint, Photoshop, or iPhoto to manipulate your image in whatever way you see fit. Include at least one other picture or image in the post, perhaps highlighting reasons you don’t use the other site.

Photo Cred: MySpace

The voice of your post should be critical, but not inflammatory. In other words, don’t go bashing MySpace. It has enough of a bad rep already. Be thoughtful and insightful!

Note: Make sure you proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes! Points will be deducted for poor grammar and/or spelling.

Due: Thursday April 5 by 5PM