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Marilyn A. Dyrud and Rebecca B. Worley Business Communication Quarterly 2005 68: 66 DOI: 10.1177/1080569904273710 The online version of this article can be found at: http://bcq.sagepub.com/content/68/1/66

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FOCUS ON TEACHING
A column sponsored by the ABC Teaching Committee
Marilyn A. Dyrud, Coeditor
Oregon Institute of Technology

Rebecca B. Worley, Coeditor

University of Delaware

In this issue:

FOCUS ON TEACHING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / March 2005 10.1177/1080569904273710

BLOGS
BLOG: THE WORD conjures up several images. For the Web uninitiated, it sounds like some old-world Scandinavian folk dance. The relative newcomer, armed with a nodding acquaintance of Web lingo, may envision a bleary-eyed user, ensconced in front of the computer at 2 a.m., attired in bathrobe and jammies, whining about politics. But to diehard Webophiles, a blog is a form of communication unique to the Internet, somewhere between writing a column and talk radio (Siemens, 2002). Characterized as a disruptive technology (Siemens, 2002), blogs challenge hierarchical access to information and embody the once-idealistic notion of the Internet as a true democratic medium where everyone has equal voice. With 4 million blogs, short for Weblogs, running in 2003, and thousands more in the offing (Richardson, 2004), blogs are dramatically affecting methods of information exchange in such fields as education and journalism. Companies such as Macromedia, AOL, and Google now offer user-friendly, inexpensive blog-publishing tools (CNN, 2003; Manjoo, 2002) to fuel the current craze. And in business, corporations like Dr. Pepper/7-Up are using blogs to gather feedback on new products (CNN, 2003). Our three writers for this column offer differing perspectives on blogs. Benjamin Schultz, Indiana University, offers helpful advice for entering the blogosphere, including lists of Web resources. Zane Quible, Oklahoma State University, explains how he uses blogs in the classroom to examine student writing. And Marie Flatley, San Diego
Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 68, Number 1, March 2005 66-80 DOI: 10.1177/1080569904273710 2005 by the Association for Business Communication 66

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FOCUS ON TEACHING

67

State University, discusses blogging as a tool for enhancing the group project experience. Whether you are a clueless newbie or an experienced Webster, blogging is a rapidly growing form of information exchange, one that we, as business communication instructors, cannot afford to ignore. As Andrew Sullivan, creator of the well known blog Daily Dish, suggested, blogging harnesses the webs real geniusits ability to empower anyone to do what only a few in the past could previously pull off . . . [it] actually harnesses rather than merely exploits the true democratic nature of the web. Its a new medium finally finding a unique voice (Siemens, 2002).

REFERENCES
CNN. (2003, March 10). Blogging goes mainstream: Success of Web journals heralds an even bigger future. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.cnn.com/ 2003/TECH/internet/ 03/10/bloggers.ap/ Manjoo, F. (2002, May 9). Flash: Blogging goes corporate. Retrieved August 13, 2004, from http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,52380,00.html Richardson, W. (2004, January/February). Blogging and RSSThe whats it? and how to of powerful new Web tools for educators. InfoToday, 11(1). Retrieved March 9, 2004, from http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtml Siemens, G. (2002, December 1). The art of bloggingPart 1: Overview, definitions, uses, and implications. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from http://www.elearnspace. org/Articles/blogging_part_1.htm

BLOGS: GETTING STARTED

Benjamin Schultz
Indiana University

BLOGS ARE COMMUNICATION TOOLS. As such, they serve as vehicles to transmit messages. Before deciding to blog, devise a strategy on how this medium will fit in with your communication needs. This will also help later in deciding which features you will need to include in your blog.
Develop a Strategy

If you love to talk about politics, then with blogging you are simply opening up a dialogue with other similar-minded individuals. If your

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