Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #440359 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From Library Journal
A weblog, or blog, is a frequently updated online personal journal. Boasting a foreword by Blood, a web consultant and creator of Rebecca's Pocket weblog, We've Got Blog is a collection of 34 essays that explore this rapidly growing trend. Contributors include such noted bloggers as Joe Clark, Cameron Barrett, and Giles Turnbull. The discussion covers the history and community of weblogs, contrasts weblogs and traditional journalism, and offers advice on starting a weblog. If you have been following weblogs for the past few years you've probably come across many of these articles online, but having them available in one collection gives them context. A glossary and good references round out this well-edited anthology. Blood's enthusiasm for the subject carries over to her own work, The Weblog Handbook, which is not the do-it-yourself technique book you might expect. Instead, Blood takes on the role of mentor; she's been there and done that and has much wisdom to share. She is eager to convert readers into bloggers and offers good advice on finding one's voice, observing etiquette, and living online. Unfortunately, a lengthy afterword that focuses on the culture of weblogs seems a better fit for We've Got Blog. Appendixes offer a brief glimpse of creating a test weblog and working with links, but this book is written for someone who has flirted with the idea of starting a weblog and feels comfortable jumping right into the format. These titles are unique, as the publishing world is just catching up to the subject of weblogs. (Look for similar publications in the near future.) Both books are suited for public and academic libraries, but smaller public libraries might want to hold off to see whether a more practical do-it-yourself guide on blogging emerges. Academic libraries are advised to add We've Got Blog. Colleen Cuddy, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine Lib.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Info
First book to explain how weblogs work. Explores their impact on the media landscape and explains how to chose among the available tools, even walking the beginner through the process of creating their first weblog. Softcover.

About the Author

Customer Reviews

The Why of Weblog
I also read "Blogging: Genius Strategies...". If I had to compare the two books I would state that the other was the how, and this book is the why.
Rebecca talks much of the edicate related to blogs and how they can help improve you as a person and as a writer.

Misleading title, Good for beginners
If you just heard or have never heard of blogging: *****

Blood's book is a book about ideas, not the nuts and bolts. Most people can gather what blood has outlined through experience and reading other blogs. She covers great material in a straightforward manner, but this book does not desearve rave reviews.

What Blood does great is introduces Weblogging to an audience who might not want to start a blog, but is curious about the culture. Her passion is evident, and for a beginner, absolute-just-heard-of-blogging-and-wants-to-know-more person, this is the perfect book. Conceptually, this book is a great help.

If you know or have any experience with bloging, you might try elsewhere, this read might be boring. She gives great examples, but they are difficult to understand because there are no real to life visuals.

Great, easy read, okay execution, but not for experienced bloggers.

A weblog book for adults
This book is a worthy attempt at a weblog book for adults. It's not in-your-face evangelism about how weblogs are going to change the world. It's not a hands-on guide to installing and using weblog publishing software. It doesn't have a lot to say about how weblog technology works behind the scenes.

What this book does cover (in a measured, thoughtful way), are the personal and social aspects of weblogging. How to think through whether weblogging is for you. The unexpected but practical benefits of running a weblog, like increased self-confidence and improving your writing skills. How to fit researching and maintaining a weblog into your life, and what to do when it turns from a pleasant hobby into a chore. How to deal with too many or too few readers. How to avoid revealing too much personal information, and how to retain the respect of your readers in the face of wildly differing opinions. Also covered is the author's personal view of the history and development of weblogging, and an attempt to classify weblogs into different types. These aspects, though are secondary to the main focus of the book.

The book handles more like a paperback novel than a typical computer book. It's small, relatively thin, and has no illustrations. The author has a comfortable, easy-reading style, but is occasionally repetitive. I guess that's the fallout from years of condensed and pithy weblog posts.