Help

Technologically challenged, like me?

Never heard of social media or blogs?  You are not alone!  When I started reading blogs, I wished for a help button, but I never saw one.  I remember what it’s like to be overwhelmed with unfamiliar terms, so I created this page for newbies.  Hope it helps! If you are still having trouble, ask someone under 30 to help you.  Chances are, he/she will have the answers to your questions. 

  1. Blog- Think of it as a new-and-improved website.  A blog is easy to create with a variety of no-cost tools (WordPress, Blogger, Typepad).  Adding new content is almost as easy as writing an email.  If the creator of the blog allows, readers can leave comments on the site, which is what makes a blog converational and therefore different from traditional websites.  People are using blogs to keep far-away family members up-to-date, or for more serious purposes like chronicaling their cancer journeys. This website is a blog. If you would like information on starting your own blog, click here.
  2. Post - A post reads a lot like a newspaper column and is written by one of the blog’s authors.  Some blogs feature single writers and some host multiple writers.  Posts appear on the home page of a blog with the most recent post appearing at the top and others following in reverse chronological order.  Posts are searchable and usually archived by date.  Most blogs allow readers to comment on individual posts, providing writers with instant feedback.
  3. Comments- Your comments are what turn a blog into a community.  At the end of a post, you will see the words comment or add comment.  Click there and you will be taken to a place where you can express your opinion about what you have just read.  The note will show up at the end of the post and will be available for the author and his/her readers to view.  You can comment anonymously or leave your name.  An email is required and helps prevent abuse, but your email address will not appear in your comments.  For the most part, bloggers want to hear your thoughts, but they can choose to disallow comments for the entire blog or just a particular post.
  4. Videoblog or vlog – This is just like a post, but instead of writing, the author speaks into a camera.  For an old media example, famous commentator Andy Rooney comes to mind.  Inexpensive and user-friendly vide cameras like Flip make it and easy for individuals to act as one man/woman tv hosts, and video blogs are cropping up everwhere on subjects from movies to wine.  Some of these self-producers, like wine critic Gary Vee, have actually become internet celebreties.  Videos can be embedded into a regular blog, using free services like YouTube and SharingHope.tv.  For more information on how to put yourself on camera, click here.    
  5. Social networks/On-line communities- Now you know what makes a blog interactive.  Instead of the traditional one-way author-to-reader relationship, readers can actually participate in a dialog with writers.  Blogs are a great starting point for those new to online communities because entering a comment on a post is so quick and easy. Click here if you want to try commenting on a Sharinghope.blog topic.  You probably have heard about sites like Facebook and Myspace, and newer networks like Twitter.  Some social sites have gotten gotten bad publicity in traditional media, but they offer convenient ways for people to stay connected with friends, meet new people, even play Scrabble.  The best way to learn about social networks is to join them.
  6. Social Media/New Media – These are umbrella terms referring to all interactive/social Internet sites like the ones I’ve mentioned above.  
  7. Old Media/Traditional Media - If you still read the newspaper or watch the evening news, you are participating in old media.  Even the oldies are jumping on the new media bandwangon though. Most all of the traditional outlets now have blogs, podcasts, and video incorporated into their websites.
  8. Tagging – Keywords bloggers use to help others find their work.  For a short, simple and entertaining video tutorial on tagging, click here. 
  9. Fishbowl – A word social media enthusiasts use to describe all those who participate in social media.  It is still a fairly small community, but it is rapidly growing.  Soon the fishbowl will become an ocean.  Consider yourself a guppy!

 

BUT WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH CANCER?