Tech Directions - November 2008 - (Page 15)

wise reign in discussion with too heavy a hand. Many web sites have discussion groups associated with them, and this can be a good way to talk about the speciﬁc issues the site is involved with. The main advantage to most web-based discussion groups is the ease with which photos can be shared. Instead of having to upload them to a separate web space and then link to them, you can include photos within the message you post to the group. Another advantage is that, unlike with e-mail or Usenet groups, you can typically edit your posts after you post them, correcting mistakes both silly and serious. to rather than dialoging medium. They’re often a way for people to hold forth. Unlike other types of online communication, the ethic is more akin to “Come to me and hear me speak” rather than “Let’s hash this out together.” Blogging also exacerbates the problem of splintering, or Balkanization, of online com- blogs giving them another outlet for reaching voters and constituents, as are journalists, with blogs providing them a way to offer readers more indepth punditry. Discussion groups, in many ways, are still the best way to tap into the minds of others . . . . munication about any given topic. Blogger, at www.blogger.com, provides an easy way to build your own blog, but it’s also home to millions of them. Owned by Google since 2003, it lets you create a blog in more than 30 different languages. Among the most notable examples of blogging have been the numerous blogs set up by soldiers serving in the Iraq war. Politicians are also now blogging in greater number, with Blogs burst on the scene in 2001, although these web logs, or online diaries, had earlier origins. The main advantage of a blog is that it provides a microphone for the person setting it up, offering control over the subject matter and the degree of interactivity if any. This is also the main disadvantage. Blogs are primarily a talking- Social networks, which are web sites where those with similar interests can communicate by discussing, instant messaging, blogging, and other means, are the newest way to talk online. Social networking reached critical mass in 2005 with the popularity of MySpace, at www. myspace.com, a service that describes itself as a way to meet your friends’ friends. Other popular general-interest social networks are Bebo, at www.bebo.com, and Facebook, at www.facebook.com. Business social networks have also sprouted online, ranging from those for chiropractors to real estate agents. Participants share not only ideas but referrals. These, like all social networks, share with all types of online discussion media the key beneﬁt of easy group communication over distance. www.techdirections.com MASTERING COMPUTERS 15 http://www.myspace.com http://www.myspace.com http://www.blogger.com http://www.bebo.com http://www.facebook.com http://www.testequipmentdepot.com http://www.testequipmentdepot.com http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - November 2008

Tech Directions - November 2008 Technically Speaking Contents Direct fromWashington The Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers Exploring Engineering—Pros Can Help Make It Real Challenge Students to Design an Energy-Efficient Home CTE Teacher Succession—Insuring a Smooth Transition Reservoir High’s TE Site Wins Web Site of the Month ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo— Racing Toward Charlotte Hands-On Activities More than Fun

Tech Directions - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.