This Blog Is About To Die
Posted by Sam at 5:48 PM

Just a quick heads-up to anyone who subscribes to this feed: sam bot dot com :: blogging is about to die. I will be continuing the blog related discussion on the main page of sam bot dot com. If you'd like to subscribe to the main feed, please do so with this address:
http://sambot.com/feed.xml

Blog on!

Sam

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What To Blog About
Posted by Sam at 3:27 PM

What probably should have been my first post... here is what I expect to be a very interesting series on starting a blog. This is part 1. Topic: What to blog about.

Seems like it should be valuable even to non-n00bs. I will post an update when part 2 is out.

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Fighting for Blogger's Rights
Posted by Sam at 5:25 PM

Every blogger should visit the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). But, more specifically, read about blogger's rights.

Join the EFF here.

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Cheating Via Blog?
Posted by Sam at 5:22 PM

If only Mike Seaver were alive today...

Read more?

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I told you!
Posted by Sam at 5:19 PM

Remember my diatribe on tagging? Well, guess who has jumped on the bandwagon? Amazon.com! See... tagging is the wave of the future.

Read more?

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For Those About to Blog...
Posted by Sam at 5:08 PM

What blog software to choose? Here's a fairly comprehensive article comparing the merits and pitfalls of these three blogging technologies: Movable Type, Wordpress, and Textpattern. I've never even heard of Textpattern. Anyway, yours truly is an avid fan of Blogger, which was not featured in this article. Nothing beats blogger for ease of use.

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Blogging: A Primer
Posted by Sam at 5:05 PM

Over at the blog Curtin Colloquy, there's a post that can be considered a Blogging Primer. Good for newbies. Worth a read. I'll show this to my mom.

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Senior Blogging (An Alternative to Bingo)
Posted by Sam at 5:00 PM

Good for them... Sure beats greeting at Walmart.

Read more

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Blogs Encouraging Riots
Posted by Sam at 4:56 PM

Two French bloggers have been nabbed for encouraging rioting in Paris. Scary...

Read the article.

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The First Video Blogging Network?
Posted by Sam at 4:48 PM

The first video blogging network: REELblogs. With the proliferation of video iPods, I'd expect to see many more of these. From their about page:

"ReelBlogs is the first video blog network on the Internet. It was launched on November 7, 2005. Reelblogs was created to meet the rapidly growing demand for good video content on the Internet. Bloggers and Internet dwellers now have a source of daily entertainment in the form of "Eps" - one to three minute video segments on each blog."

Of interest, the founders are located right here in New Haven (and NYC).

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Big business in favor of blogging? Well, sort of.
Posted by Sam at 4:42 PM

From news.com:

"Blogs are fast gaining popularity among technology companies and their workers. Many companies encourage employees to share new ideas in their blogs and get feedback from customers or users of their services. IBM plans to add blogging capabilities to the next version of its workplace collaboration software."

Read more?

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Alaskan Parents
Posted by Sam at 4:35 PM

This article covers Alaskan parents simply not understanding blogs and of course, overreacting too. Let's blame every outside influence on our children's behavior... and let's overlook our own parenting. Sounds good to me.

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Categories Are Dead, Long Live the Tag!
Posted by Sam at 9:54 PM

Tip: This entry references sam bot dot com, the parent blog of this one. To fully interact with this post, please consider reading the nearly identical version residing on sam bot dot com. Click here to go to it now. Thanks!

One of, if not the, biggest frustration for any hardcore Blogger user, is Blogger's refusal to offer categories within an otherwise kick-ass and criticism-free blogging service. (How's that for a summary, intro, sentence thingy?)

Categories, when deployed appropriately, are a very slick addition to any blogger's arsenal. In a nutshell, they allow a singular blog to house entries ranging in a variety of topics. The blog, of course, will contain a main page which acts as a dumping ground for all of the author's posts. Maybe "dumping ground" isn't the most accurate language to use here. The main page, more precisely, acts as an unfiltered stream of all the author's posts, aggregated into one source. The author can then assign a category to each post and, in addition to being featured on the main page, the entry will be found on that category's page. The blogging service is intelligent enough to handle the main stream as well as multiple categories comprised of posts found therein. Neato!

Let's take a look at sam bot dot com (the mommy blog of this one). There, I post about a wide variety of immensely rich and infinitely fascinating subject matter. Yes, infinitely fascinating. In any given month, I can be found to write about Opeth, coffee, Apple, coffee, technology, and coffee. Clearly, you as a devoted reader, are infinitely fascinated in everything that I write... but, for the sake of argument, let's say that you are simply interested in enjoying my thoughts about Apple Computers. Well, dear reader, you're in luck. It just so happens that in this imaginary scenario, I have established a category for all of my posts where the subject matter falls within the realm of Apple Computers. You can now ignore everything else that I post about and simply focus on Apple by reading only that category. And, if I'm a sophisticated blogger, which I am, I would have established an RSS feed just for that category... 'cause I'm just that kind of guy.

Some popular blogging services that offer a categories option are Wordpress, Movabletype, Typepad... Note the glaring omission of Blogger amongst that list. Grrr... Frustrating.

What's a devoted Blogger user to do? Well, this is where tags come in. Yet, this isn't simply the entrance of tags as an alternative to categories. No, it's more of an argument as to why tags are better suited for this particular application (quite possibly yours as well) and, maybe to a lesser but more dramatic degree, why tags are the wave of the future and the current state of excitement amongst information organizationophiles! (So I made up the word "organizationophile." It's not the first time, nor will it be the last.)

So, what are tags, why are they useful, and how do I use 'em? Slow down there, champ! Let's take this one step at a time.

Essentially, tags are one word labels designated by a human (this is important... more on this later) to describe an object. Imagine this all-too-comfy chair that I'm sitting in right now. If I were to apply tags to it, they might be: furniture, leather, comfy. It's up to me, really. You might sit in the same chair and tag it with: chair, brown, ugly. That's your prerogative.

What makes tags tremendously useful is their inherent organizational functionality. I can tag one post with as many tags as I deem relevant. Later on, when I (or a reader) would like to see what I've written concerning a certain topic, they need only click that tag, and voila! Up comes a comprehensive list of every post that I've tagged with that topic. What's more, is that I can cross-reference those bad boys! Yessiree! I can see what posts I have written containing any combination of tags. That's power. I'd like to see your wack-ass categories do that!

Tags are more than an organizationophile's dream come true. They are a rock solid connection to the rest of the blogosphere and yes, the internet as well. With services like del.icio.us (social, taggable, bookmarking... patience, more info to follow), your tags combine with the 30 thousand (as of December 3, 2004) other del.icio.us users out there to generate a huge cloud of tags. So, if this chair that I'm sitting in was a webpage, and I truly did tag it with furniture, leather, and comfy, I could then click the tag comfy and I would enjoy a barrage of links to other objects (in this case webpages) that del.icio.us users have also tagged as comfy. Cross reference a few tags and, theoretically, I should be left with a comprehensive listing of user tagged webpages that are completely relevant to my query.

Let's jump back for a moment. Remember our frustration with Blogger and their refusal to include categories within their service? Well, this whole tag thing solves provides a viable, and in many ways, more appropriate solution to the lack of categories provided by Blogger. This post, tagged (on the mommy blog) with blogging, technology, and sambot, is now linked (via del.icio.us) to every other post that I have written tagged with any of those tags! So, clicking on blogging brings up all of my posts concerning blogging. Add technology to that query, and you'll find all of the posts that I have tagged with both blogging and technology. But wait, there's more! Remove from that query, the stipulation that all tags must have been entered by me, and you'll get every webpage that has ever been tagged by any del.icio.us user with the tags blogging and technology. My posts will be within that vast list. I am now a functioning part of what the web considers blogging and technology. I'm connected. I am a recognized, categorized, and active component of this amorphous information container known as the web. That's immense. That's raw. That's unfiltered and unrestrained super mega-awesomeness!

As a practical example of a tag integrated blog, please consider sam bot dot com. Notice that in the upper right corner of every page, there can be found a list of tags that I am apt to apply to any given post. Of course, I can apply as many and whatever tags that I want. However, those tags represent the most frequently reoccurring topics. That list may grow, and hopefully it will. (One thing to note at this point: I installed the tag feature on this blog just about a week ago. I did go back and tag the last few posts. Obviously, all future posts will be tagged. Past posts... well, maybe I'll tag some of the more noteworthy entries. We'll see...)

When you click a tag, you are automagically transported to the del.icio.us page that houses all of my posts (along with any other items) sporting that tag. From there, you can click a link from the list and zap back to sambot and enjoy the post you clicked on! However, that's not all you can do. When visiting a specific tag's del.icio.us page, you can choose to subscribe to that tag's RSS feed... just like those elitist, rat bastards... er... what I mean is, those swell bloggers who employ categories within their blogs. Um... moving on.

There are a fistful of ways to start tagging your blog. As stated, sam bot dot com is using del.icio.us... it's simple, clean, widely-used, and free (another similar option might be to use Technorati... not what I am looking for, but good luck to you!). I am using a bookmarklet (which can be found here) that automatically inserts the necessary code into my blogger entry as I'm posting. After I post, I simply tag my post's page with the appropriate tags in del.icio.us. That's all there is to it. Well, that's all there is to my half-assed version anyway. Hey, it gets the job done.

Clearly, I am a proponent of the tag system. However, the most intriguing, and quite possibly the most backwards bit about the tag revolution, is the necessary level of human involvement found therein. In an online culture such as this, which we exuberantly inhabit, the human touch is oft disregarded as an antiquated ideal... especially concerning new technologies. Conversely, tagging's success is wholly dependent on that level of human involvement. Back to the chair example: If a computer were to attempt to tag this chair, it might be able to hit "furniture" and "leather." But what about "comfy?" No way. A computer has no concept of comfort. It is this necessary human ingredient that enables tags to break the boundaries of the technology of which it is so highly integrated. The potential power of tags as an organizational method is fully dependent on this human component.

Tagging. It's the wave of the future. Ride that wave, baby! Ride it all the way to shore! Or something... I don't know. I've never surfed a day in my life.

Would you like to know more?
del.icio.us - Learn more about del.icio.us' awesomeness
flickr - taggable, online photo management and sharing application
FreshBlog - 3 ways to use del.icio.us for categories in blogger
beelerspace - Us.ef.ul, A beginner's guide to The Next Big Thing
Quick Online Tips - Absolutely Del.icio.us - Complete Tool Collection
Lorelle on WordPress - Categories versus Tags - What's the Difference and Which One?
Wikepedia - Learn about tags (see also: taxonomy)

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Mothers Opposed to Blogging (MOB)
Posted by Sam at 10:47 PM

Ok... so, the first time that I read through this article, my jaw dropped to the floor and I thought to myself, "I can't believe that there are people this ignorant in the world!" As I was about to launch into a scathing criticism of the alleged group, Mothers Opposed to Blogging (MOB), it occurred to me that... well... I've been duped. Anyway, give it a read. It's sure to make you chuckle.

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This Could Happen To You!
Posted by Sam at 10:34 PM

In a seemingly all too real scenario, Dilbert's coworker gets the axe for blogging about the company. Where is it that Dilbert works exactly?

Read

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On a Steady Rise
Posted by Sam at 10:29 PM

More news supporting the proliferation of blogs and blogging... of course.

Read

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The Freedom That Makes This Medium Great
Posted by Sam at 10:25 PM

Whoa... I don't know how I missed this one:

"Make no mistake: there can be no effective political regulation of the blogosphere without destroying the freedom that makes this medium great"

Read

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A Glimpse Into the Future
Posted by Sam at 10:47 AM

Is bloggership among teens growing? Perhaps this is a glimpse into what the future holds.

According to this study (pdf) done by Pew/Internet, teens are blogging like they've never blogged before! These are the content creators of the future.

Blog on, younglings. Blog on.

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$6,774.48
Posted by Sam at 2:00 PM

sam bot dot com, the daddy blog to the blog you're reading right now, is worth $6,774.48. That is, according to this handy little applet that makes use of Technorati data. How much is your blog worth?

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Suspended For Blogging
Posted by Sam at 1:19 PM

Ok, this one makes a little more sense. Two high school students in Oregon were suspended for posting malicious comments and threats about fellow classmates. Of course there's the whole "freedom of speech" thing, and technically these students were not breaking any laws... I guess it's more of gray area type thingy.

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Under Attack!
Posted by Sam at 12:42 PM

Forbes attacks the blogosphere (free registration required)! Geez... the man is always keeping us down.

Big business, why are you afraid of the voice of the people? Do you have something to hide?

UPDATE Boing Boing has a great write up to found here.

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So Dumb
Posted by Sam at 12:15 PM

Students at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, New Jersey have been asked told to quit their sinful blogging or face suspension! Wha!? I was unaware that high schools have the authority to dictate which perfectly legal, freedom of speech protected, healthy, activities students can and cannot participate in at home.

This is wrong on so many levels.

Read more

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Who's Afraid of a Little Revolution?
Posted by Sam at 5:52 PM

I'm really not surprised at all, but it seems that certain large corporations are blocking blogs from their employees' internet access. Wow... that's some crazy-whack paranoia. Why are blogs on the blacklist? What is it about blogs that cause a such a stir in corporate America? Are they afraid of sambot? Is corporate America afraid of revolution? Are they afraid of sambot leading the revolution? Yes, I think corporate America is absolutely afraid of a sambot lead revolution. Rise up! Blog on! Smash the state! Punk rock!

Oh... right. The article is running over at Wired. Enjoy.

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Usability Shmusability
Posted by Sam at 1:33 PM

Here is an article concerning the "The Top Ten Design Mistakes" that bloggers and blogs commit (interestingly enough, I've already committed two "Mistakes" in this very post... can you spot them?). While I don't agree with everything that the author is advocating, he does bring up some valuable topics to at least consider... and then dismiss as antiquated ideals from a pre-blog web existence.

Slightly off topic, but let's vent for a moment, shall we?

<vent>
Design standards. I loathe design standards and believe them to be a ridiculous thing to promote and enforce. Standards in design (not development) limit innovation and creativity, forcing a designer to stay within predefined boundaries. Granted, there is a time and a place for standards, but enforcing them during the design process is nothing less than an impediment on progress. A successful interface takes many shapes and forms. Imagine if the usability of the classic Mac OS (OS 9) was considered the end-all be-all for interface design... we would never have the slick, intuitive Mac OS X that exists today.

Standards are for those who are done thinking.
</vent>

Phew... That's all. And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog.

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Blogging From Work
Posted by Sam at 4:00 PM

Blogging from work, about work is always a bit dangerous... and more than a little stupid too. I'm completely guilty of it though... so don't feel bad. Sometimes it's just so therapeutic to vent right after an incident.

There's an article running over at The Angel Blog concerning blogging at work, and the damage that it might do to the reputation of the company (among other things). The interesting thing about the companies and individuals surveyed is that many feel that blogging, when done properly, can be a valuable communication tool within the business environment.

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Google Reader... Who Knew?
Posted by Sam at 4:49 PM

Google is really going hog-wild with releases these days. Google Talk, Google Earth, Blog Search... and the list goes on. Today, being no exception to the trend, Google announced Google Reader.

Google Reader is an online RSS based news aggregator. Do we need another? I don't know... I'm a pretty happy Bloglines user. But as with anything Google does, there is a ton of media attention surrounding their every step. And so naturally, being the online technology news whore that I am, I'm Interested. And I'm definitely going to check it out.

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I Didn't Write That... You Can't Prove Anything
Posted by Sam at 3:52 PM

Blogging about your crummy job? Blogging about your moron of a boss? Blogging about your moron of a boss while at your crummy job? Hmmm... maybe you ought to give Reporters Without Borders' Handbook For Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents a read (the handbook covers anonymous blogging... see how I tied that all together in the end there? You're welcome).

From the site, "Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest."

The handbook is free, available in a downloadable PDF format, and should prove to be an interesting read.

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Self Medicating With Blogs
Posted by Sam at 11:59 PM

eMarketer points us to an article concerning bloggers (really!?), and some noteworthy blogging statistics. Among the most fascinating, is the notion that bloggers are using their blogs (whether intentionally or not) as a form of self-therapy. And sambot says, "Why the hell not?" In fact, sambot's personal blog, cleverly titled "sam bot dot com," is really just a glorified repository for his self-therapy sessions... which clearly, are very needed seeing as he refers to himself in the third person.

Honestly though, psychologists have been highlighting the benefits of keeping a journal for decades. The component that makes this form of journaling significant however, is simply the public aspect.

I'm not a psychologist (again: really!?), so I cannot say this for certain. However, I can see psychological merit in blogging to the public. From a therapeutical standpoint, it can be a truly cathartic experience to shout something into the blogosphere... even if one shouts anonymously.

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Blog Search
Posted by Sam at 2:37 PM

Google is a phenomenal search engine. This, for the most part, is an undeniable fact. I don't know how they do it... well, I guess that I do... but when I search for something obscure and google presents me with 15,000,000 relevant links in 0.04 seconds, I think to myself "there is a god." (perhaps even a gooooooooood... haha, get it? goooooooooogle!).

Today, google let loose Blog Search (it's still in beta, but no less functional than their widely used web search engine). With the proliferation of blogging in general, Blog Search is the next logical step for any search engine company to take... especially one that owns the massively popular blogging service, blogger... of which yours truly is a happy member.

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The Jocks of The Blogosphere
Posted by Sam at 1:05 PM

There is an interesting article running over there at the Blog Herald, about the "The demise of the geek bloggers." It's definitely worth giving a read, but in an effort to feed the commentary here on sambot::blogging allow me to offer up (my interpretation of) the gist of the article:

Back in the day, when blogging was new to the scene, the technology had just recently been developed and not yet streamlined into the mass commodity that we see in mainstream culture today. The only bloggers that could effectively use the medium were the ones who understood the technology; the geeks. So logically, geeks were the ones who were blogging and of course, they were blogging about geek things. Now, with services like Blogger, and Live Journal, and the ten zillion others, blogging has hit a critical momentum point. The ease of use allows the non-geek to blog along side the best of 'em. And now that the non-geek is blogging, the blogs tend to have non-geek related themes.

Clearly, when mainstream culture absorbs anything, every aspect of it becomes mainstream and, by definition, becomes less unique. Blogs, once reveled as a niche thing, are now a mass commodity. And their topics that once dominated the culture have fallen to niche level. Really, it's an odd paradox.

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The Blog About Blogging
Posted by Sam at 9:01 PM

For those who know me, and follow sambot.com, you'll already know that blogging and blog culture is an important part of my digital lifestyle. Not only am I an avid fan and an addicted reader of blogs in general, but I myself am a blogger.

This blog however, serves a dual purpose. Unlike sambot--where I blog about life's absurdity, coffee, Apple computers, or whatever else happens to float through my consciousness--this blog will focus exclusively on the act of blogging itself... including the technology behind the medium, the subculture that develops, and the unexpected (yet nonetheless impressive) ways that other bloggers find use for this continuously evolving mechanism.

The aforementioned duality refers to another driving force in my life; the constant quest for new knowledge. Specifically, I am speaking of my current enrollment in Graduate School. I am about to embark on a course of study where blogging can be considered a byproduct of its engaging field. The Masters program is entitled, Interactive Communications, and it is just that; the understanding and deployment of interactive content through various mediums of communication.

I can think of no better means of illustrating the significance of the growing subject of Interactive Communications than by an example of blogging itself.

...and thus, this subset of sambot.com is born. Welcome.

A final note before I conclude this pivotal first post: You might ask yourself, "Can one consider themselves a blogger simply by keeping a blog?" Yes. It does not matter what you write about. It matters that you write is of value to yourself.

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