How do users read online?

Kathie's Politech has a link to a book that is quite relevant to our class experience of blogging as a community: Derek M. Powazek's Design for Community: The Art of Connecting Real People in Virtual Places (2001).

I looked at an essay from the book and found some food for thought. For instance, Powazek insists that it's a myth that people don't read online. He's absolutely right.

He also rants against Neilsen and others who advise you to keep paragraphs and sentences short for online reading, saying it "infantilizes" web users to make "blanket judgements about the way all users read, based on the dimmest bulbs in the pack."

In this instance, I think he's missing the point. It's not about stupidity. It's about optics. For most people, it is simply more tiring to read text onscreen and on a printed page.

Equally important, readers typically find it more difficult to visually track text online (follow a particular line of text with their eyes, stop at the end, and then resume reading at the beginning of the next line without losing their place).

That doesn't mean people won't read online, but it means we should adapt the formatting of online text to make it visually accessible. That is entirely different from dumbing down the content.

In other words, it's a matter of common sense to break up big blocks of text into more easily scannable and trackable short paragraphs. Note that Powazek himself follows this practice, writing mostly very short paragraphs — one, two or three short sentences.

Now, to give Powazek his due, Neilsen and others DO claim that most web users, in addition to preferring shorter paragraphs (for reasons of optics) also prefer less text when reading online. In other words, Neilsen insists that text written for the web should be about 50% shorter than the same communication written for print.

Here I would say that both Powazek and Neilsen are right. It's a matter of audience. As Powazek himself rightly observes, "Why not just talk about each site's particular audience?"

If your goal is to publish an influential blog for an audience of thoughtful, well-informed political insiders, intellectuals, and activists, the length of your posts is not as important as their quality.

If, however, you are producing a website for a political candidate, and you fail to provide a short, no-frills summary of the candidate's positions (in addition to detailed information), you are hurting both your candidate and the voters.

Powazek argues in favor of "writing that might even require your readers to think for more than a passing moment". While some users may welcome being "required to think" when they visit a website, not all do.

In particular, if you are writing for the general public, make your online writing accessible to the many people who want information, but do not happen to be avid readers. After all, according to a U.S. Dept. of Education survey, 48% of the U.S. population has low literacy. Consider also that many intelligent, intellectually curious, and even highly educated people are dyslexic or have some other difficulty reading large, unbroken blocks of text.

For all these reasons, writing plainly and concisely does not infantilize your audience. On the contrary, it is a mark of respect.

That said, I found much worth reading in the various essays posted on Powazek's site, such as this one on "Breaking the Fourth Wall." Thanks to Kathie for the link.

Blogging Technique Suggestions

[Note: This is an excerpt from Biz Stone's lengthy article, "Promoting Your Blog." The article did not provide a way to link directly to that section, so I am providing the excerpt here.]

This part of the traffic-grabbing techniques is a little more persnickety and not as readily activated. The basic gist of this section of methods is "If you build it well they will come." You'll need to incorporate the other aspects of self-promotion, but it's true that writing a great blog goes a long way towards repeat visitors and word of mouth blog.

Write quality content and do it well. Jen Garrett demands that you use proper punctuation, capitalize letters when appropriate, and don't overuse the ellipsis. She's being a bit of a grammar bitch, but she has a point. If your "style" is bad writing, worse grammar, no punctuation, and an ugly design, that might be okay for a niche crowd. But the idea here is to get a big crowd so fix yourself up a bit, pull it together man, have some respect for your readers, and discover a style that shines brightly through good blogging.

Publish regular updates. Danah Boyd once told me that she intentionally wanted to lower the traffic to her blog and she found the easiest way to do it was to stop posting so frequently. (Danah is an odd one, that's why we love her.) The reverse of her experiment is also true: the more you blog, the more traffic you will get. You've got to think about it like watering a plant—do it every day and the plant will grow. Hopefully your blog is not like the plant in The Little Shop of Horrors. That would be bad.

Think of your audience. A good way to build an audience is to cultivate one. When you keep your audience in mind, you are focusing your writing. This helps you develop a stronger voice and is instrumental in creating the brand that is you as put forth through your blog. Again, this is more of an overarching, long-term technique for building traffic and won't have immediate results. Nevertheless, focus goes a long way toward repeat visitors.

Keep search engines in mind. Note that sometimes your "audience" is whoever stumbles into your site from a web search. Search is a great way to bring in new visitors and there are a few things you can do to make your blog more search engine friendly. Use post titles and blog page title tags along with your post page archiving. This will automatically give each of your post pages an intelligent name based on the title of your post. Also, try to be descriptive when you blog. A well crafted post about something very specific can end up very near the top results of a search. For example, a Google search for "Book Cover Design" features this blog post by the illustrious Jason Kottke complete with reader comments.

Keep your posts and paragraphs short. Note the brevity of the aforementioned Kottke post. People will come back daily to read your fresh new work but spare them the one thousand word diatribes. Strive for succinct posts that pump pertinent new information into the blogosphere and move on. Keep it short and sweet so visitors can pop in, read up, and click on. Think of you blog as a cumulative effect. This doesn't mean you should never practice some long form writing now and then, it's just something to keep in mind.

Link to PDF of Burdman chapter for next class

On the Course Syllabus page, I have posted a PDF of Chapter 1 from Jessica Burdman's Collaborative Web Development: Strategies and Best Practices for Web Teams.

This reading gives you an overview of the thought process you will follow to produce your strategic plan for an Internet campaign. We'll discuss specifics in class on Tuesday.

Twenty-six blogs have been launched as of midnight on Sunday, May 29. You are doing really well. I notice that you are already commenting on each other's blogs. Things are starting to take off. Great work!

The Internet is stupid, and why that's good

"The telephone system, which is not the Internet (at least not yet), is damn smart. It knows who's calling whom, where they're located, whether it's a voice or data call, how far the call reaches, how much the call costs, etc. . . The Internet, on the other hand, is stupid. On purpose. Its designers made sure the biggest, most inclusive network of them all was dumb as a box of rocks." (Doc Searls and David Weinberger, World of Ends)

The Internet is so many things that it's easy to think of it only in terms of its complexity. But in this little gem of a rant, Searls and Weinberger succinctly explain why simplicity is at the heart of its value.

New research on cross-ideological conversations

This weekend in New York, Eszther Hargittai is presenting preliminary findings from a project on cross-ideological conversations among bloggers. In response to her announcement, some commenters immediately questioned aspects of her methodology — such as dividing blogs into neat categories of liberal and conservative, for example. Hargittai maintains, however, that her data does show evidence of "substantive cross-linking," contrary to Sunstein's claims regarding the insularity of Internet discourse.

If you're in the mood for some irony, have a look at this transcript of Sunstein responding to his critics in a live message forum sponsored by Princeton University Press soon after the 2001 publication of his book, Republic.com. Sunstein, whose premise is that the Internet allows individuals to filter out views that do not agree with their own, ends up remarking in his online forum that "It's very nice, at least, to find that even angry readers are willing to engage in discussion with people who disagree!"

Ask Emi: New non-official tech blog launched today

I launched Ask Emi today as a place where we can share tech information.

Because PMGT 218 is not a technical course, I won't be teaching technical skills in the course and students won't be expected to learn any at all. Feel feel to completely ignore the Ask Emi blog if you aren't interested in the technical details.

However, some students may find it helpful to have a separate forum where they can discuss technical issues. The Ask Emi blog is the place for that. It is strictly for fun, and is not part of the PGMT 218 course curriculum. (Any writing posted on the Ask Emi blog will not count toward your grade.)

Students are welcome to not merely "ask Emi" but to share their own knowledge, as well. Thanks to Peter C and KLegg for informing us all about SharpReader.

Tip: SharpReader puts all blogs on one screen

Now I can scan all the class blogs as easily as checking my email. I can see immediately when someone has added a new entry that I haven't read yet. For me, SharpReader was painless to install and set up, but I already had the .Net framework installed.

If you don't want to bother installing the .Net framework, you can simply take Peter C's advice and automatically add RSS feeds into your Firefox browser. (If you already use another browser, such as Explorer, it's OK to install the Firefox browser, as well. I have several browsers installed. They each have advantages and drawbacks.)

Tip: writing text for web audiences

When you write online, make your paragraphs shorter than you would for a print publication. You will see that the online editions of major newspapers use short paragraphs.

Here's an example from the Washington Post.

Because of the optics of reading print on computer monitors, people generally find it more difficult and tiring to read onscreen. Visual markers such as paragraph breaks help readers to scan the text. So keep your paragraphs short.

See also my related post, "How do users read online?" and "Writing for the Web," by usability guru Jakob Neilsen.

According to your emails, it's easy as . . .

Half the blogs are up
In only two days, half the class members have already launched their blogs. Congratulations to all of you.

OK to start posting
You don't have to wait until Tuesday to start posting to your blogs. Go ahead and get started. Anything you post before then can be considered extra credit.

None of the emails I received mentioned problems setting up the blogs (let me know if I am mistaken). Here are the comments I have received so far on the setup experience:

"I set up my blog for class last night with no problems."

"have established my blog . . . It's been set up at blogspot.com. You were right — it wasn't all that difficult! I plan to post my first blog today — can't wait!"

"It was pretty easy to set up and I plan on adding some more links throughout the day today."

"Thanks for all the detailed info on registering/joining the blogs . . . I had no problem."

"Just wanted to let you know I've got my blog set up . . . As a side note, you're absolutely right about blogger being the easiest site to use. I've had blogs at other sites that came on the scene earlier than blogger, but apparently stopped innovating their interface about three years ago. Blogger just keeps getting better."

"Yeah, no trouble at all. This should be fun."

"I set up my blog without problems."

"Holy #$%!  I'm a Blogger . . . [the severely] technologically impaired has succeeded in creating a blog."

For those students who have not set up their blogs, please post a comment here or send me an email by Friday, May 26, letting me know how you are doing.

Grading: A blog entry will never hurt your grade

About grading: your blog writing can only help your grade, never hurt it.

Good analysis and good writing are hard work. The pressure on you is increased even more when you know that your writing will be posted on the Internet for all to see. That's enough pressure. I certainly don't want to you to worry that each sentence you write could help or hurt your academic grade. With that much pressure, a normal human being could get tied up in knots.

So remember, when it comes to grades, a blog entry will never hurt you. In other words, if you write a blog entry, the worst thing that can happen is I'll ask you to improve it in this way or that way. I don't expect that will happen often. But if it does, you can simply edit your blog entry and I'll change your grade. You will never lose points for what you write, so long as you are willing to go back and edit your blog entry to correct the problem. This is not an exam. It's an interactive learning experience.

Phil and I are both writers by trade, and we each have developed our own personal ways of getting the engine started when a project seems thorny. If any of you are having trouble getting started, contact me. Just about every writer has been there.

It's your blog: no need for iambic pentameter

Basic Ground Rules:

Each of your daily blog entries must contain at least one paragraph that relates to class reading or discussion.

Your blog entry must be your own writing, not a cut-and-paste of text found elsewhere. Briefs quotes are fine, but the entry must reflect your own thoughts and writing.

Remember, you want to get academic credit for each post. That means I need to be able to assign a grade. Obviously, I can't give you academic credit for random snapshots of yourself, odd news items completely unrelated to the class, or musings about your cat.

In a previous post I suggested that you think of your posts as short class presentations. Since then, I have been thinking about the issue of "staying on-topic." If I insist that you always stay precisely on-topic, I may well end up inhibiting your best creative energies, and turn potentially dynamic, exciting blogs into ho-hum book-report blogs. What a shame that would be.

I remember what it was like to be assigned to write a poem in iambic pentameter. "The discipline will be good for you," I was told. Maybe — but I was never tempted to write another one. Rigid limitations can either stimulate or crush creativity, depending on the author's inclinations.

So how about this: try to stay on-topic as much as you can, but don't hesitate to include comments that you believe fit into the flow of your blog entry. After you compose your blog entry, read it over and ask three questions:

(1) It is good?
Is it thoughtful, creative, insightful, stimulating, original, worth reading?

(2) Will my classmates think it's worth reading
as part of their course work, and that it relates (even indirectly) to the course topics?

(3) Can my prof assign a grade to this?
Or is it not really an example of "informed discussion and analysis" specifically relating to the academic focus of the class?

If the answer is YES to (1) and (2) but NO to (3), simply write another short blog piece — even one short paragraph — that is "gradable." That way, you'll have the editorial control you need and deserve, but I will still have a basis for fairly and objectively assigning grades.

Are you stressed out about setting up your blog?

Don't be.

You won't believe how easy it is until you try it. I was a bit nervous myself, but I soon realized it really is a snap to set up.

To see for yourself, just look at these short online videos under the section titled "How to set up your blog."

If you need more help, just send me an email.

 

Exactly what should I write about in my blog?

Several students have asked this. It's a reasonable question, because none of us in this class (myself included) has had previous experience blogging for academic credit. So it's important that we all have a shared understanding of what's expected.

Stay on-topic: Each blog entry is a short class presentation
Make sure that the subjects you write about on your own blog and your classmate's blogs are directly relevant to the class. Keep in mind that your course grades will be based, in large measure, on your blog writing, not on writing done for exams or papers. So when you write a blog entry, ask yourself:

"If I were given three minutes in class to make a short presentation, would I say this, or would it be considered off-topic?"

Similarly, you might ask, "Can I imagine myself writing this as a short essay answer for an exam?"

Naturally I don't expect the TONE of your blog writing to match that of a term paper of short essay answer. God forbid! But make sure that any reasonable observer would readily recognize your blog entries as strong academic work. That's what's important.

(By the way, if you want to write about certain topics unrelated to class, by all means start a second blog specifically for that purpose. That personal blog would not be evaluated for your grade in this course and you could write about any topic that suits you. Please note it should not be part of your class blog — it should be an entirely separate blog at a separate web address (URL). You can link to it from your class blog, if you like.)

Show us your best work: informed opinion and anaylsis
The thinking and writing you do on the blogs should be just as academically rigorous as what you would do in a paper or for an exam. I realize that's a higher standard than what is customary on most blogs. But if I am to fairly assign academic grades to blog writing, the blogs must exhibit informed discussion and analysis of class topics.

During this course, I expect you all to learn a lot about how the Internet operates, and how you can use it effectively. I am very curious about what kind of discussion we'll see among the students, and whether communicating daily through blogs will enhance the class experience for everyone. I strongly suspect it will.

I'm counting on all of you to help make the class blogs a success. Make them good! Make them amazing!

What if I miss a day or two of blogging?

A student wrote:

I have been thinking about the daily blogs and I am very stressed about it. I was wondering if it is possible to have one or two "oops" days. I am understand that we have to write everyday but there might be one day or two when we forget, things get busy at work, get sick etc. [For instance] ... if one day at 11:59 pm I have forgotten to write in the blog before 12 am. If we have two "oops" days we still have to write the same amount of blogs we can just write two the next day without having our grade penalized. Just a thought to help us with the project.

My response:

First, don't be stressed ... Look, I've done blogs before, but not with this particular software. I'm a little nervous, too. What if I run into a snag? But that's how new technology is. You have to take a deep breath, jump in, and start learning by doing.

Although daily consistency is important, and will be definitely considered in determining your overall grade, keep in mind you can still get an "A" in the class even if you make a mistake or two. You do that by doing an overall excellent job. If you get a 97% on an exam, you can still get an A, even if you miss few questions.

But people who blog EVERY day will have an advantage when grades are determined. Here's why: if you are responsible for managing a campaign website or a blog, and you miss a few days here and there, you are hurting your candidate or cause, no doubt about it. I fully realize that it is hard to do something every day, but if you learn how to "deliver the goods" reliably online, you will be a very valuable member of any campaign team. You'll be the go-to person who runs a tight ship and gets results. That's why I'm setting it up that way. My goal is to ensure that at the end of 10 weeks, you will be able to use the Internet very effectively.

How about this: I will hold myself to the same standard. I will have a blog, too, and post to it every day. If I miss one or two days, I will allow students to miss the same number of days with no penalty. But, if I can do it — while preparing my weekly lectures, answering emails from 35 students, and managing websites and email operations for numerous clients — then I will expect students to do it, too.

Above all, don't stress. This should be fun and exciting. If you are worried about forgetting to post, why not post at the same time every day — for instance, right after breakfast.

Remember that in the blogosphere, if you forget to blog for "a day or two," you are probably going to lose audience members who simply will not come back. What would you think if you went to a favorite restaurant and they told you, "Sorry, the chef forgot to show up. I'm afraid we won't be serving meals tonight." Would you go back to that place?

You are indeed giving up something of yourself when you commit to providing news or analysis every day. But in return, you gain an audience. Try it. You may like it.

Remember, you can take time off by arranging for guest bloggers.

Let's Get Started

Welcome to the Politics and New Media Class.

I will be posting to this blog daily.

From now on, please post your questions on this blog (instead of sending me emails). That way, everyone in the class can benefit from the exhange. If you have a private question, of course, feel free to send it to my email address.