Blog Behavior

WHEN WRITING A POST

Please, follow these guidelines when writing a post:

1.  Keep it positive

Yes, things go wrong and we want to talk about it with someone.  Find a good friend in real life (IRL) and share with them.  Troubles are temporary, but what we put on the internet is permanent.

2.  Share personal thoughts, not personal information

Use first names only.  Never, ever, ever give your password, phone number, mailing address, social security number, banking information, or ATM PINs to the Internet.  Same is true of your IRL friends and family.  Don’t tell the world their information.

3.  Remember your audience

Would you want to read a 1,000 word blog post about someone’s dog?  No.  You have better things to do.  Keep your posts between 100-300 words or you may lose your audience.

4.  Leave your audience with a question

We want to engage the world in a real conversation about things you care about.  Ask a question or give them something to think about or to respond to.

5.  Proofread your post

Maybe even consider having a classmate proofread your post before you send it.  We want to leave polished work out there for the whole world to see.

WHEN MAKING A COMMENT

Follow these guidelines when leaving a comment on a post:

1. Keep it positive

The Internet has plenty of negative comments, don’t you think?

2. Make the connection

Let the blogger know how you connected with the post.

3. Disagree agreeably

Being positive doesn’t mean always agreeing.  It’s okay to disagree with a blogger.  Share why you disagree without being ugly.

4. Get clarification

You may not understand a blogger’s point of view, or you might need more information.  Keep the conversation going by asking questions.

5. Keep it simple but thorough

Give solid feedback.  Short responses (e.g., “I loved your post”, “I agree”, “Awesome job!”) do not create conversation.  You do not have to write a novel, but give enough feedback to make reading your comment worthwhile.

6. Proofread your comment

Your comment will lose value to the reader if it is peppered with typos and errors in grammar.  Take the extra effort to revise and edit your comments.