Stepphy: A brand New Day...

Reflection

2007-06-07T13:57:00.000+08:00

The process of creating this blog was simple because I have a blog myself. I am used to the function provided by Blogger.com which made things easier to work around. I choose to use Blogger. Com because I find it user friendly and the functions is easy to play around. I have used a simple layout because I think it is pleasing to the eye.

The skills I have encountered in the process of creating this blog are I learnt how to be more sensitive in writing for serious weblogs like publishing for the Web.

The requirements of a blogger are:

• A blogger must be sensitive when critiquing, looking at the aspects of culture and knowledge of the readers.

• A blogger must be ethical when writing. This is to avoid readers to get offended when reading

• A blogger must have a purpose when writing a post. The topic should be an rising issue to ponder upon and not just bragging about their personal lifes.

Lastly, I learnt a lot from the time I created this blog till the end. I realized there are few aspects we must be aware when we design the layout. They should be:
• Simple background and color
• Standard typeface & fonts and sizes
• Images to be more attractive

Copyright Issues...

2007-06-06T13:50:00.000+08:00

Copyright Issues

Copyright is a serious issue to ponder upon when we write for the web or print for that matter. Plagiarism is not allowed in the rules for publishing a material. It is against the rule to steal someone’s idea and it is your own. Refer to Copyright Issues: Publishing on the Web. You will have to site clearly where you have got the ideas, quotes and information from. The same rules are applied for visuals on the web. You cannot take anyone's image unless you have their permission, for example the press photographers. Refer to Copyright Issues: Publishing on the Web

Personally I agree to this rule because it is easy to copy and paste information from the web, plagiarism is easy. As such, as bloggers we must ensure that we practice the fundamentals of intellectual properties.
They are:

Copyright- Any original work is automatically copyrighted
Trademarks- how products are uniquely identified in the market
Trade Secrets- are information protected by contractual agreements
Licensing Agreements- Software in general cannot be copyrighted, so it is usually protected by licensing agreements

Artists Foundation, Copyright Issues: Publishing on the Web, [Online, Accessed 6 June 2007] URL:
http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/resources/resources_arts_copyright.htm

Types of Intellectual Property, [Online, Accessed 6 June 2007] URL:
http://www.washington.edu/computing/training/505/copyright.html

Blogging: The new Journalism?

2007-06-05T11:29:00.000+08:00

Yes I agree! It is true that blogging is a new form of journalism because I feel that they are both, opinionated, ranting, often jumbled and biased most of the time with little regard for truth or stability. They are addictive and intimidating which creates a new branding image for journalism”
Refer to Blogging: the new journalism?

Blogging is addictive because when we post something, we must have a follow-up posting so that we don’t disappoint the readers. In journalism it is the same situation whereby, there must be a follow-up story to satisfy the readers. For example, people are eager to find out more updates about the war in Iraq despite having the newspaper and broadcast news. People want to know more about it, and they start streaming through weblogs for doubtful analysis, critical commentary, and substitute perspectives rarely seen in the mainstream media. Personally I feel that weblogs have latest update, faster and more efficient compared to the press.

However, not all the information can be trusted because they could be made up. Below is an example of a journalistic blog:

Jody Raynsford, Blogging: the new journalism?, 2003, [Online, Accessed 5 June 2007] URL:http://www.journalism.co.uk/features/story604.shtml

Social Media...

2007-06-05T09:57:00.000+08:00

Social Media

Social media has taken control in our life’s today especially teenagers and college –goers. The term social media refers to a new set of internet tools that enable shared community experiences, both online and in person. Refer to a definition of social media. They form an online community, social networking places, and social sharing tools. A community of people who come together with the same interest to learn, play, work, organize and socialize.

Social media lets us practice basic computer skills by using publishing tools such as blogs, videologs, photosharing, podcasting. They are audio stories broadcast from the web or downloaded to a computer. Wikipedias are social media whereby it can be edited. Examples of social media are Friendster, You Tube, Blogs, Myspace, Wikipedia and many others. Refer to a definition of social media

Personally, I feel that college should start implementing social media as a tool to interact with the students. I feel that by using the social media, students will spend more time making use of it because it is interactive and addictive in a way. As a student myself, I am a user of Friendster. I feel that it is very interactive to keep in touch with others in the community. Thus, I feel lecturers in colleges should be trained to implement the usage of social media to keep their students interacted compared to starring to a text book and not understanding anything. For example discussion boards whereby students can come in to give their views and critiques on a certain issues. In short, I think social media is a good way to interact with people.

Reference
Technology in Translation, 2007, A definition of Social Media, [Online, Accessed 5 June 2007] URL: http://walksquawk.blogs.com/technologyintranslation/2007/04/a_social_media_.html

Easy way of making money...

2007-06-04T08:58:00.000+08:00

Pay per post: Easy way of making money

Wanna get paid for blogging? Visit Seopher.com

Recently the service given to “bloggers” and other webmasters varies. One of it is to get paid for the pay per-post basis. This is an easy way for bloggers to make money.

How it works

You sign up - providing sufficient information (name, address, email etc).
Then you're able to submit your blog to the ReviewMe system - where it uses an algorithm based on your Alexa traffic rankings to check whether your site is worth including.
And if it doesn’t, don't be offended because no advertiser will pay for reviews that no one is going to read.

Refer to Seopher.com

On the other hand, many marketing companies are using this method to conduct surveys online. Whereby, people get paid for answering their surveys. This way, the process is faster and efficient in order to obtain feedback from their consumers; rather than to open booth by the streets or personal interviews. Refer to How to Get Paid for Taking a Survey

How it works

First sign up with an online survey site
Once you are approved, you receive the first internet paid survey to complete.
Try your best to fill up as many of the membership profile questions
Indicate your interest e.g. favorite pastimes, etc.
Be honest; don’t lie just to get paid for taking a survey.
You can join more than one survey research company to get paid more internet paid surveys. You get paid depending on how much time you are willing to spend to do surveys.

Davion Wong, 2007, How to Get Paid for Taking a Survey, [Online, Accessed 4 June 2007] URL: http://www.moxie-drive.com/articles/article.php/30-05-2007How-To-Get-Paid-for-Taking-A-Survey.htm

ReviewMe -Getting paid for blogging?, 2006 [Online, Accessed 4 June 2007] URL: http://www.seopher.com/articles/reviewme_getting_paid_for_blogging

Purpose of Steffy's: A Brand New Day...

2007-06-02T22:41:00.000+08:00

Purpose of my blog

The purpose of my blog is to educate people on the new media and publishing issues around the world today. There are many different new media which some people are aware off and some don’t. Thus, I feel that by creating Steffy’s: A Brand New Day, I hope the public will get more insights and knowledge about the latest happenings in the media and publication world.

Target Audience

This blog is targeted to the general public, people working in the media field and other bloggers who have interest in knowing about the new media, issues relating to the media and publishing media.

Introduction...

2007-06-01T10:34:00.000+08:00

Purpose

Blog

The word blog comes from Web log. A blog is an online journal whereby it comprises of links to other websites and blog postings so that readers are allowed to give their comment and critiques on the original post. It is a form of discussion(Meg Hourihan, 2003)

Why blog?

purpose of blogging is something we should think about these days. Different people may see blogging in different ways. Some may find it a waste of time and some may feel it is as the perfect way to communicate to others on the current happening issues.

Personally I feel that blogging is an interactive way to keep in touch and learn about the latest happening issues around the world today. Different blogger think in different ways. As such they have different comments and critiques. Where else on the other hand there are some bloggers who talks about their personal life and their feelings, which I feel is a waste of time. I find them rather an “attention seeker”.

Classifications

There are different types of blogs:

The serious blog

Fashion blogs

Business blogs

Video blogs

For example of a fashion blog is College Fashion In this blog, they target students to read and get their insights about the latest fashion trends and the retail world.
An example of a food blog is Cooking with Amy. She shares new recipes, her favorite food in varies countries and places to shop. This is an interactive way which attracts reader’s who have passion for cooking and food to participate and share their views.Below are the examples of a fashion blog and a food blog:

Fashion Blog

Food Blog

The phenomenon

Blogging has become a phenomenon lately. If we look back in time, nobody knew about blogging but it is a trend now that everyone wants to own a blog. People have developed interest in blogging. Blogger was introduced in 1999 by San Francisco -based Pyra Labs, and today over 150,000 registered users. Refer to James M. Branum, 2001

Personally to me blogging is addictive. Because of the trend, we start creating blogs, and when we start to blog, we tend to get addicted whereby we must have a follow up posting. It’s like a viral way of spreading information. People start talking about all the issues and latest gossip just to keep up with trend. Or else, they’re left out.

Blogging Community

Blogs by itself have many different communities. For example, Xanga, Blogspot, Wordpress and Expat blog. Xanga is a community of online diaries and journals. Where else, Expat blog is catered to share expat experience to the worldwide through the online expatriate community.

When people of the same interest come together, they form a community. Through blogging, there is a community formed when the authors of the same interest discuss on the same interest. Just like the example above, Cooking with Amy, other cooks and people who love food come in through links to share their thoughts as a community. A good blogging community is ITtoolbox Blogs.

Print VS Online

Writing for the print and the web has its own different advantages and disadvantages. Personally I would prefer to write online than the print because firstly, there can be regular updates of posting. There is no limit in writing and you can write all you want. No one can stop you! Besides, wring for the web is better because it is easy to access and there is more readership. People spend almost a day working on their computers. Writing for the web is rather complete because the bibliographies are attached for further references. Readers can do multiple searches online by using the web links provided. People pay more attention online because it is more interactive rather than starring into a magazine or newspaper where they just glance through Refer to Print vs. Online

References:

Cooking With Amy: A Food Blog, 2007 [Online, Accessed 1 June
2007] URL: http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/

James M. Branum, 2001, The Blogging Phenomenon, [Online, Accessed 1 June 2007] URL: http://www.ajy.net/jmb/blogphenomenon.htm

Meg Hourihan, 2003 What is a Blog? [Online, Accessed 1 June 2007] URL: http://www.blogscanada.ca/BlogDefinition.html

Print Vs Online, [Online, Accessed 1 June 2007] URL: http://news.cn.edu/kocour/NewGroves/sld003.htm

A big 'Hello' to all..

2007-05-30T11:30:00.000+08:00

Greetings to all readers of this weblog! Welcome to Steffy's: A Brand New Day. This weblog is created for an assignment purpose by Document Design & Publishing. So, stay tuned for lastest publishing blogging issues around the world today. Good day!