Getting the most out of your academic weblog

Private vs. Public
• Anyone can read this: professors, classmates
• Don’t write about your love life or last weekend’s activities unless you want your professors (or the academic dean) to read about it
• Take caution when complaining about classes or classmates
  
• Also, watch what you write – don’t link to pictures of you doing anything illegal while at school. Someone will invariably turn you in.

Academic=Thought
• As with everything, try not to make hasty generalizations about issues, and don’t be offensive to people or groups!
• Don’t start out your homework assignments with the title: “Homework.” That is very boring. Few will actually read it.
• Add links and use them well. Don’t type out the address – make the words describing the link be the link.
• Don’t plagarize, and attribute what you “borrow.”

Foster Discussion

• Comment on other people’s blogs. It makes them feel loved and needed.
• Intellectual sparring is okay, but few people enjoy personal attacks
• If you write it, it will be misunderstood
• Use emoticons when you think you might be taken the wrong way (but don’t use them when blogging or commenting on a serious or professional issue)

The Upside
• Your own weblog not only gives you a handy personal publishing outlet, but it also is much better than jweb’s forums.
  
• You get to know your classmates better. Make friends through your blog.
• Future employers might read your blog, and might want to hire you because of it.
• Well-thought-out weblogs aren’t born every day – just look at the recently updated lists of Blogger.com and LiveJournal. You’ll stand out in a crowd.

Helpful hint: before you click “save,” highlight and copy it should MT foul-up. Also, thanks to all of you who provided examples for this educational purpose… ;) —Julie Young —Getting the most out of your academic weblog (Work in Progress)

A good overview, written by a former student who has since graduated.