Blog or Blah-g: Part 2

Well, it's been almost a month since anyone posted to this blog. That underscores one of the reasons why I have troubles understanding why blogs, especially group blogs, are so popular. It is "pull" technology and you have to be highly motivated to keep coming back and checking, especially if there is no new content for long periods of time.

I prefer "push" technology, where the material is pushed to you, such as in e-mail. But even then, it is hard to maintain a line of discussion if no one posts. Fewer than half of the people who were at the summit and were invited to join this blog responded and even fewer have contributed.

Why are blogs so popular in journalism today?

By the way, things we have done at Cerritos College since the summit to introduce new technology into the curriculum include:

1. I've taken a lesson from Mark and included blogging in my beginning newswriting class. Students are now required weekly to post items about stories in the news and comment on why the items ARE news. They're getting into it real slowly, though. Some have not even accepted the invite to join the blog. We're working on it.
   
2. My adjunct, Amara Aguilar, who was at the summit, has contacted Apple Computers and they are sending out a speaker (free of charge) to conduct a hands-on workshop on podcasting in our newswriting lab this Friday. I opened it up to my students and to students and teachers from nearby community colleges and CSUs. We've got 20 students and faculty (about 50-50) from a half dozen schools coming in for the three-hour workshop. One of the Cerritos College art instructors is currently podcasting his lectures and he's coming in to speak, too.

Sure would like to hear if anyone else was inspired from the summit and is doing something.