A talk given by Carole Riley at the Society of Australian Genealogists in 17 April 2010 about how useful blogs can be for family historians and how to start one.

1. Blogs for Family Historians Carole Riley Society of Australian Genealogists 17 April 2010

2. Blogs for Family Historians What is a blog Some good blogs How to find blogs How to keep up to date Why write a blog? How to create your own blog © Carole Riley 2010 2

3. What is a blog? A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog) © Carole Riley 2010 3

4. Advantages of blogs Communicate with others with the same interests Short and immediate Interaction from readers through comments Can cover a wide range of topics in one blog Can start one immediately No need for hosting or domain names © Carole Riley 2010 4

5. Types of blogs Personal blogs Diary or journal Share ideas, discoveries… Corporate or organisational blogs Companies such as Ancestry Organisations such as the National Library of Australia News, information, new developments… - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog) © Carole Riley 2010 5

6. Personal Blogs Travel diary Stay in touch with friends and family Share news, photos, family history discoveries Access can be restricted - you may have to be invited or request access People like to share what they know! © Carole Riley 2010 6

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18. Commercial and Organisational Blogs Trying to get you involved or sell you something Information on products, services, etc May give educational information, case studies, tips and tricks Many organisations have one, or will soon Google search © Carole Riley 2010 18

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27. Educational Blogs May have premium subscription content Often sponsored by commercial company © Carole Riley 2010 27

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31. How to Find Blogs Lists of blogs Genealogy Blog Finder Geneabloggers Libraries Interact Cyndi’s List Search for blogs Google Blogs Blogger - followers Bookmarking sites Delicious Technorati © Carole Riley 2010 Don’t forget general search engines such as Google 31

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41. How to keep up to date A blog reader collects all the new posts from your favourite blogs in one place Blog Readers – Web-based Google Reader Bloglines Blog Readers – Desktop FeedReader Outlook 2007 Some blogs publish via email, eg Dick Eastman’s © Carole Riley 2010 41

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43. How blog readers work Website create ‘feed’ when new content published Program that can pick up these feeds and display them © Carole Riley 2010 43

44. How blog readers work Website creates ‘feed’ when new content published Program that can pick up these feeds and display them © Carole Riley 2010 44

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47. Create Your Own Blog Why write a blog? Share information and stories Describe victories Find new family members Get family interested in the stories, especially younger members Practice writing skills Small-scale publishing – write that book one small piece at a time © Carole Riley 2010 47

48. Why write a blog? You can organise your thoughts in one place You can develop your writing skills You can get your voice heard You can meet new people You can get feedback on your ideas You can teach others You can open doorways You can make better use of your free time You can get into a routine (or not) You can find it to be very therapeutic Source: http://www.toptenblogtips.com/10-reasons-why-blogging-is-great © Carole Riley 2010 48

49. Create Your Own Blog How to start Find a host Create an account Name your blog Set security Write something about yourself in the profile Select template Start writing! © Carole Riley 2010 49

50. Find a host Free hosting Blogger – owned by Google Wordpress Tumblr Posterous there are many others Use your own domain name if you have one eg. caroleriley.id.au © Carole Riley 2010 50

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56. Security You decide What you publish Which other writers are allowed Who can read it Whether comments are allowed Whether comments must be approved © Carole Riley 2010 56

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59. Privacy A blog is published on the internet Don’t write about living people without permission, even if access is restricted Don’t include birthdates of living people Don’t use copyrighted text or images without permission and acknowledgement © Carole Riley 2010 59

60. Blogging Tips Create categories for different topics, families, etc No need to be formal, or too long Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want your mother or next-door-neighbour to read Allow comments without ‘signup’, but moderate them before they are published © Carole Riley 2010 60

61. Advanced blogging Change the design Add pictures or video to your posts Add static pages Create multiple blogs Automatically post to your Facebook or Twitter account Use your own domain name ...the possibilities are endless! © Carole Riley 2010 61

62. Now go out and do it! Flickr Photo courtesy of anyjazz65 © Carole Riley 2010 62