Category Archives: Blogging

GSU Blogs

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GSU Blogs

sites-gsu

ABOUT:

GSU blogs are a space you already have assigned to you as a GSU student. They are designed to be used for any purpose you might use a blog. You can keep a blog about anything, school related or not. You could use it to present for classes, or you could build a simple website. It all depends on the template you choose.

Supported

Mac, PC

Pros

  • Multi-Use tool
  • Easy to use and maintain once you get the hang of it
  • You can change the whole look of your site just by changing the template

Cons

  • It takes a long time to design your blog or website, and this can be a difficult experience for new users.
  • Some template themes will allow certain actions, while others will not – or will ask for them to be performed differently. This can be confusing and frustrating.

EXAMPLES

Below are some GSU blogs run by students belonging to the Student Innovation Fellowship – the program that supports this wiki. Click on the picture to visit the full site.

Dylans_blog

This is a blog roll of several blogs. From here you can explore over 20 blogs.

Dylans_blo-2

This blog belongs to a graduate student working for the SIF program.

 

 

This blog belongs to an undergraduate SIF student

This blog belongs to an undergraduate SIF student

Uses

 

Blogs can be used for any number of projects. A blog can be built to look like a website, or to keep a log of content like the example above.

You may be asked to keep a blog for a class, or you may elect to use the blog application to showcase a project, or keep your own personal record of your learning. The blog is only as limited as your imagination.

Strikingly

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Strikingly

strikingly logo

ABOUT:

Strikingly is a web building application that relies on scrolling as its main draw. That is – strikingly does not allow you to build your website as more than one page, though you can link out to other items easily and as often as you like. Strikingly is a drag and drop platform that is easy if you can’t code, but can be frustrating if you rely on coding to allow you to manipulate templates.

Supported

PC, Mac

Pros

  • Very easy drag-and-drop/WYSIWYG platform that requires no coding
  • Provides a clean, copyright friendly backdrop that is in trend
  • Looks great across devices

Cons

  • You are stuck with the template. If you want to code to manipulate it, you must upgrade.
  • If you want more than one long page, you can’t have it. This is your only option.

EXAMPLES:

Below are two kinds of strikingly websites. Click on the picture to go to the full site.

This first one is a very simple sports photography portfolio:

strikingly-example-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next one is a professional digital portfolio that is clean, yet thorough:

strikingly-example-2

Uses:

You could use strikingly in a variety of ways. You could use it in an art class to showcase visual work, or build a website that presents a complex concept. Or like George Clark III, you could use it to host a portfolio for your major requirements. Anything that you could use a website for – strikingly will likely be a good fit.

Blogger

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Blogger

ABOUT:

Blogger is one of the most popular platforms of blogging on the Internet. Blogger is owned by Google and therefore integrates many of Google’s tools like Adsense and Google+. Microsoft Word documents can be directly added into Blogger posts, making it easy to format posts and share them through a Blogger account. Customized templates as well as CSS integration are available as well.

 

Supported

Mac, PC, mobile, tablet

 

Pros

  • Can gather lots of followers with a wide community
  • Easy integration with many of Google’s other services
  • For use on mobile devices

Cons

  • Very specific limitations (No html markup, 500 characters max…)
  • Limits on picture sizes and resolutions
  • New post editor is somewhat unreliable

Examples

Below is an example of a blog hosted on blogger for nerds who want to get into shape. Notice the design choices this blogger has made. He targets a specific audience, uses a fitting font and template, and matches his pictures to the content. Click on the image below to visit the site.

from http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/

 

Uses

You can use a blogger blog in any class. You might use it to respond to reading, to organize thoughts, or to just let the world know how your course is going. Alternatively, your instructor may assign you to run a blog, and blogger is a fine place to start when choosing a place for the blog you want to create.

 

tumblr

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tumblr

taken from http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/tumblr/ffa2fb4f-61b2-4075-ac7b-488846998b72

ABOUT:

tumblr is a social media that can be used in a variety of ways. It not only has blogging capabilities, but can be made to look a lot like an instagram feed, or on the opposite spectrum, a text-heavy informational feed. tumblr allows you to embed video, and images of all types. It also allows you to favorite posts, comment, and reblog other posts you want to share with others.

Supported

Mac, PC, phones and tablets

Pros

  • widely shareable
  • intuitive, easy to create platforms
  • variety of uses

Cons

  • social media aspect can be distracting
  • some themes can be too busy and can become distracting from a design aspect

EXAMPLES

In the example below, you can see how the authors used their tumblr page to both present and archive information that could be useful both in a presentation, or for people to visit like they would an informational website. Click the image to visit the full site:

Taken from http://america-underwater.tumblr.com

Uses

tumblr can be used as a presentation tool, an archival tool, a blogging tool, or in many other ways. One of the beauties of tumblr is its versatility.

Weebly

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Weebly

WeeblyScreenShot

ABOUT:

Weebly is a surprisingly easy way to create a unique website, blog or online store. It is a drag-and-drop system that allows you to chose from many templates, and plugins that will help you create your page. You can import images, video, and text to help you create your project and capture your audience. It’s so easy, you can even do it on your phone.

Supported

PC, Mac, Mobile

Pros

  • The drag and drop dashboard is so easy, even a first time web builder can do it, with no tutorial
  • The templates are versatile enough to create lots of types of sites
  • No coding needed. Ever.

Cons

  • Because of the ease of Weebly, it has less of a professional feel than many other site builders.
  • Because there is no coding involved, you are stuck with the offerings on Weebly

EXAMPLES

There are several examples of Weebly website online. Click on the image below to see a page where you can click on a bunch of different student examples:

taken from http://wefed.weebly.com/student-sites.html

Uses

You can use Weebly to complete several kinds of projects. It is a great place to keep a class blog, or to create a website for a presentation, or a digital portfolio.

WordPress

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WordPress

Taken from: http://www.sixsix8.com/2011/02/hi-resolution-social-media-logos/

ABOUT:

Many people use WordPress as either a blogging site, or a website. This is because WordPress is versatile and has many features to chose from, both free, and for a charge. First, the user must chose a ‘theme’ which makes up the look and feel of the blog site. The user must then clear the WordPress settings, like the “Hello World!” post that comes with each new site. Once you have chosen a theme and written the first post, there are a number of options you have, each specific to the theme you have chosen, including but not limited to – video streaming, media hosting, static pages, menus, and a variety of widget and plugins to enhance your site.

Supported

Mac, PC, Mobile, Tablet

Pros

  • Multi-Use tool
  • Easy to use and maintain once you get the hang of it
  • One user may host over 10 blogs using the same login

Cons

  • It takes a long time to design your blog or website, and this can be a difficult experience for new users.
  • Some themes will allow certain actions, while others will not – or will ask for them to be performed differently. This can be confusing and frustrating.

EXAMPLES

This blog won an award in 2012 for best student blog. Consider the layout, color choice and content arrangement as you look through the example. Click on the image below to be taken to the full site:

WordPress-2

 

Uses

Blogs can be used for any number of projects. A blog can be built to look like a website, or to keep a log of content like the example above.

You may be asked to keep a blog for a class, or you may elect to use the blog application to showcase a project, or keep your own personal record of your learning. The blog is only as limited as your imagination.