Mid-Term Presentation:Weblogs

Presented by Teddy N ChimulwaTASO Uganda Limited

2011

Introduction to Emerging Technologies Course

What are weblogs?

• Weblogs (blogs) are regularly updated news, opinions or journaling often read by RSS feeds.

• They usually allow comments and are used to engage specific constituents.

• They can have one or multiple authors

• Examples of tools to create weblogs include the blogger, wordpress etc

Reasons for my choice of tool• It can be used for both personal and professional

learning- has broader affordances.

• It is interactive and makes it easy to share news

• Because it is easy to set up and use, it will be easier for my target group to use.

• It is cheap (some tools especially wordpress are free)

• Keeps records for reference

Pros of Weblogs• Very easy to set-up and use;

- Very intituitive interface with lots of templates available

- Easy to install

• Designed just for blogging;- Allows multiple authors and roles- Link management (RSS feeds)- Comment management/moderation

• A good ‘listening’ and ‘participation’ tool

Cons of blogs

• May be misused – posting unhelpful content

• Limited ability to provide on-spot feedback

• Requires external marketing to obtain participation- the blog should be appealing to the target audience.

Applicability of weblogs to my situation

• Creating a discussion forum for TASO Training Alumni to share their learning – emphasis on TASO internship program which links professionals from within Uganda and the rest of Africa.

• Linking alumni to other useful blog links

• Using the blog to communicate available capacity building opportunities at TASO

• Effectively monitor the content to identify what the public thinks about TASO services

Conclusion • Given the broad affordances of weblogs, I

think they are suitable for both my personal and professional networking.