Thing 1: Set up your own blog and add your first post

To blog or not to blog...why even start? Blogging is a useful online tool for people to write their thoughts about a particular subject. Communities of interest develop around bloggers because they share an interest in the subject and like their style of writing. People can choose to either lurk or watch and/or contribute to ideas posted. Following are some examples of blogs:

• Professional development blog - example of how staff at ACL keep up to date with best practise.
• Kintalk for family history - example of a blog on the ACL website
• Rare thoughts - special collections - another example of a blog on the ACL website
• List of blogs from Stuff.co.nz
• Kiwiology - New Zealand's blogosphere
• Time Magazine best blogs 2009

Discovery Exercise:

1. Create a Blogger account using an anonymous blog name that is unique to you. Remember to write down or bookmark the URL address of your blog (URL is the address at the top of the screen, and looks kinda like this http://www.nameofblog.blogspot.com/) A useful tip when signing in is to use your computer login and password because it is easy for you to remember.
   
   
2. Play around with your blog and customise it. Click on any of the folders or try changing the template, perhaps the font or colours and get familiar with the different features on Blogger. And....if you have time, write your first post...tell us what you did, was it easy or hard?
   
   
3. Post a comment below and reflect on what you did....what worked for you....what didn't....what surprised you...and if you think this tool is useful. Also post a comment on this blog about what you did.