Staying Connected with Blogs, Wikis

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Staying Connected with Blogs, Wikis RSS Feeds

• David Hook
• May 2006

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Overview

• Background
• Introduction
• Blogs
• RSS feeds
• Wikis

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Background - MDA

• MDA Space Missions
• Formerly the space robotics division of Spar
  Aerospace
• Builders of space-based and advanced robotics
• Best-known products are robotic arm on the Space
  Shuttle and International Space Station
• Also build specialized robotics for medical,
  mining and other terrestrial applications

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Background My Role

• My Role - Manage
• Library
• Intranet
• Configuration Management
• Records Management

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Introduction

• Looking at
• Blogs, RSS feeds and Wikis
• Slant towards how to use them to stay connected
• What they are
• How to use them
• Why you should be using them
• How to keep from getting overloaded

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Blogs
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Blogs What Are They?

• Blogs What are they?
• Short for Web log
• In its simplest form, an online diary
• Web pages designed for frequent updates
• Chronologically organized website
• Can have text, images, links
• .some examples

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Blog Features

• Blog Features
• Posts organized chronologically
• Each post has its own URL
• Posts are dated
• Can have comments
• Searchable archive
• Some have trackback features
• Syndicated via RSS feeds

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Whats The Big Deal?

• So, whats the big deal?
• Easy, easy easy
• Few barriers to having a web presence
• More lively than other web pages
• Can be collaborative
• More permanent and accessible than email
• Fast, easy method of publishing

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Why Read Blogs?

• Why you should be reading them
• Keep up on current trends
• Stay connected
• Easier to connect with other individuals outside
  your professional association
• Get to know someone before meeting them
• Find out what is going on at conferences without
  actually attending

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Why Read Blogs?

• Why you should be reading them (continued)
• Communicate with others in different parts of the
  world
• Cross-profession exchange

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Blogs for staying current

• Some blogs for staying current
• LisNews.org (http//www.lisnews.org)
• LibraryStuff (http//www.librarystuff.net)
• ResourceShelf (http//www.resourceshelf.com)

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Resources For Finding Blogs

• Resources for searching/finding blogs
• Libdex (http//www.libdex.com/weblogs.html)
• LISFeeds (http//www.lisfeeds.com)
• Technorati (http//www.technorati.com)
• Bloglines (http//www.bloglines.com)
• Feedster (http//www.feedster.com)
• Google (http//blogsearch.google.com/)
• Icerocket (http//www.icerocket.com)

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Resources For Finding Blogs

• Resources for searching/finding blogs
• Blogpulse (http//www.blogpulse.com)
• Blogshares (http//www.blogshares.com)

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Why Blog?

• Why YOU should be blogging
• Its easy to doand costs nothing
• Meet colleagues with similar interests
• A great way to get recognition
• Promote yourself your skills
• Develop your writing skills
• Express and develop your ideas
• Get feedback on your thoughts ideas

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Why Blog?

• Why YOU should be blogging (continued)
• Get solutions for problems
• Forces you to keep up
• Forces you to stay connected
• Allows you to develop a web presence
• Share your expertise with the rest of the
  profession
• Special treatment at conferences

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Why Blog?

• Why YOU should be blogging (continued)
• To start discussions
• To keep a log of your progress / discoveries
• To make notes you can later refer back to
• To be part of a community

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Blog Uses

• Blog uses
• Library blogs
• Personal blogs
• Professional blogs
• Special interests
• Personal knowledge management tool
• Calendars / events
• Photoblogs

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Blog Uses

• Blog uses (continued)
• Library association blogs
• Conference blogs

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Blog Uses

• Library Blog Uses
• Library News
• New acquisitions
• Book clubs / Book reviews
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Promoting library services
• Catalog as a blog
• Special interest groups

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Blog Uses

• Blog uses Internal blogs
• Lessons Learned/Best Practices
• Centralized staff communications
• Project-based blogs
• Meeting minutes

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Creating A Blog

• So you want to start a blog
• Two of the most popular sites that are online and
  free are
• Bloglines (http//www.bloglines.com)
• LiveJournal (http//www.livejournal.com)
• Blog software comparison chart -
  http//www.ojr.org/ojr/images/blog_software_compar
  ison.cfm

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Blogging Tips

• Blogging Tips
• Choose a purpose for your blog
• Stay focused
• Create value
• Build community
• Promote your blog
• Post on a regular schedule

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Blogs Workplace Considerations

• Personal blogs workplace considerations
• Check your companys policies
• Good idea to let your company know
• Dont assume that no one will find your blog
• Should you put it on your resume?
• Be careful of what you post

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Blog Carnivals

• What is a blog carnival?
• Weekly post that rotates from blog to blog
• Focuses on a particular subject
• Highlights some of the best blog posts from the
  previous week
• Carnival of the InfoSciences
• http//infosciences.pbwiki.com

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Building Publicity

• How to get your blog noticed
• Post comments on other blogs with a link back to
  your blog
• Add your blog url to your email signature
• Submit a posting to a blog carnival
• Volunteer to host a blog carnival
• Blog a conference

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RSS Feeds
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Blogs

• Following blogs web pages
• By visiting individual web pages
• Requires periodic checking for updates
• Using software or websites such as watch this
  page or Bullseye
• Too many inaccurate results
• Using an RSS feed reader
• All updates in one place

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RSS Feeds

• RSS stands for
• a) Rich Site Summary
• b) Really Simple Syndication
• c) RDF Site Summary
• d) Real-time Simple Syndication
• e) All of the above

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How RSS works

• How RSS works
• Website / information provider creates RSS file
• Users subscribe to RSS Feeds via an aggregator
• When new content is added, user is notified
• User can view content on his/her own schedule
• There are different types of RSS, but most
  aggregators can read them all

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RSS Aggregators

• RSS Aggregators
• Automatically check for updates for all feeds you
  have subscribed to
• Notifies you of new information
• Allows you to organize your feeds
• Presents the feeds in a readable manner
• List of available aggregators at
  http//www.lights.com/weblogs/rss.html

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RSS Feed Aggregators

• Types of Aggregators Online
• Bloglines (http//www.bloglines.com)
• Net News Wire (http//www.netnewswire.com)
• Newzcrawler (http//www.newzcrawler.com)
• Newsgator (http//www.newsgator.com)
• My Yahoo (http//my.yahoo.com)

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RSS Feed Aggregators

• Types of Aggregators Stand-Alone
• Feeddemon (http//www.feeddemon.com)
• Feedreader (http//www.feedreader.com)
• RSSBandit (http//www.rssbandit.org)

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RSS Feed Aggregators

• Types of Aggregators Integrated
• Extentions to Internet Explorer, MS Outlook,
  Mozilla Firefox
• Pluck (http//www.pluck.com)

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RSS Feeds Advantages

• Advantages of RSS feeds
• No spam
• Easy to organize
• Receive everything in one place
• Instant notification

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Keeping Current

• RSS feeds for keeping current
• LISNews.org (http//www.lisnews.org)
• Current Cites (http//sunsite.berkely.edu/currentc
  ites)
• LLRX.com (http//www.llrx.com)
• ResearchBuzz (http//www.researchbuzz.com)
• Search Engine Watch (http//www.searchenginewatch.
  com)
• Search Engine Showdown (http//www.searchenginesho
  wdown)

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LIS Related Feeds

• LIS Related Feeds
• ALA
• Library Journal
• Information Today
• E-Lis
• Proquest
• Econtent Magazine

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RSS Feeds

• Other uses for RSS feeds beyond blogs
• News feeds
• Search feeds
• Journals Magazines
• Commercial databases
• SEDAR / EDGAR filings
• Patents

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Podcasting

• What is podcasting?
• Using RSS feeds to syndicate audio content
• Usually mp3 format
• Ipod not necessary

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Podcast Sources

• Resources for finding podcasts
• PodcastAlley (http//www.podcastalley.com)
• Podcast.net (http//www.podcast.net)
• Podzinger (http//www.podzinger.com)

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Keeping it all under control

• Keeping it all under control
• Use a RSS feed aggregator
• Weed your subscription list periodically
• Have a probation folder for new feeds
• Subscribe to feeds that aggregate postings blog
  carnivals, TWILB

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Wikis
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Wikis

• Wikis
• Original Wiki created in 1995
• wiki wiki is a Hawaiian term for quick
• Best known use is the Wikipedia
  (http//en.wikipedia.org)
• Series of related, hyperlinked pages
• Collaborative space
• Anyone has ability to edit page content

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Wikis

• Wikis
• Easy to use can be similar to blogs for editing
• Expandable
• Tracks page history can revert back to previous
  editions
• Searchable
• Articles always in flux and editable

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Wikis at MPOW

• The Problem
• Knowledge-based organization therefore need for
  a high-quality Intranet
• Intranet management is a part-time role for me
• Already documentation management systems in place
  for formally controlled documents

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The Problem

• Therefore.
• Need to have the Intranet as quick, easy and
  simple to maintain as possible

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The Problem

• Problems with current set-up
• Too many barriers for posting
• Updates too slow
• Reliance on students to update pages -
  Inconsistent designs
• Updates irregular or do not happen

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Why a Wiki?

• Reasons why a Wiki is a good solution
• Web-based solution
• Easy-to use
• Low barriers to participation
• Low-cost alternative to a CMS
• Low-risk implementation

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Why a Wiki (contd)

• Reasons why a Wiki is a good solution
• Expandable
• Can evolve with the organization
• Gives users a chance to participate in Intranet
  development
• Allows for a wider content base
• Allows for easy communication across organization
  top-down, bottom-up and horizontal

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Why a Wiki (contd)

• Reasons why a Wiki is a good solution
• Still able to maintain some elements of control
• Easier to structure, organize than email or
  discussion forums
• Documents/Pages are always works-in-progress and
  evolving
• Traceability

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Why a Wiki (contd)

• Reasons why a Wiki is a good solution
• Faster updates than with one-person Intranet, or
  waiting for student availability
• Provides its own quality control system
• Supports hyperlinks, sound, video and a variety
  of document formats
• Support for RSS feeds

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Wiki Downsides

• Some concerns
• Sometimes, dont want pages to be editable by
  everyone
• Some systems can be difficult to implement
• Some wikis employ a complicated syntax for
  editing
• Potential for abuse / inappropriate postings

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Wiki Downsides (cont)

• Some concerns
• Duplication / overlap of information
• Dependant on others for its success

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Potential Wiki Uses

• Potential Uses
• Another access point for Intranet information
• Capturing best practices
• Project collaboration
• Document sharing
• Collaborating on process development

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Potential Wiki Uses

• Potential Uses
• Posting of library / intranet policies
• QA / FAQs
• Discussion forums
• Links to common resources, tools, pages
• New employee orientation
• Supplier usage feedback

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Implementation - Choosing a Wiki

• Features considered
• Cost
• DIY Wiki vs Hosted Wiki
• Windows support
• Installation ease
• Easy to use interface
• Security permissions

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Implementation - Choosing a Wiki

• Features considered (contd)
• Version control / edit tracking
• Page look, and ability to change look
• Support for RSS feeds

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Implementation

• Strategy
• Start off small expand with success
• Install basic Wiki package PMWiki
• Introduce to a small group of early adopters
• Introduce to my own department
• Install more complex Wiki MediaWiki

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Implementation

• Strategy (cont)
• Migrate some content from Intranet
• Get buy-in, open up to more departments
• Develop posting guidelines style guides
• Provide Training
• Market, encourage use

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Recommendations

• Choose appropriate wiki software for your
  organization
• Develop style guide, posting rules guidelines
• Consider role of Wiki vs rest of Intranet
• Appoint an administrator
• Appoint individuals responsible for certain
  sections
• Market!

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Resources

• Choosing a Wiki
• Wikimatrix - http//www.wikimatrix.org/
• Making the Case For a Wiki - http//www.ariadne.ac
  .uk/issue42/tonkin/
• Which Open Source Wiki Works For You -
  http//www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2004/11/04/whic
  h_wiki.html

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Resources

• DIY Wikis
• MediaWiki (www.mediawiki.org)
• PHP WIki (phpwiki.sourceforge.net)
• PM Wiki (www.pmwiki.org)
• X Wiki (www.xwiki.org)
• MoinMoin (moinmoin.wikiwikiweb.de)

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Resources

• Hosted Wikis
• PB Wiki (www.pbwiki.com)
• Schtuff (www.schtuff.com)
• SeedWiki (www.seedwiki.com)
• WikiSpaces (www.wikispaces.com)

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Contact Info

• david.hook_at_mdacorporation.com
• http//davehook.blogspot.com