Blast-off (or how to enter the blogosphere)

It’s an exciting world out there. The conversation’s buzzing. And any topic you can think of, from dog training to car design, is being passionately discussed by enthusiasts. But if you’ve never really entered the blogosphere before, all this noise can seem confusing. Here are a few tips on where to start.

Getting in on the conversation
The key to the blogosphere is listening in. There are a huge amount of conversations going on out there – and if you want to join in, you need to know what’s being said. But with so much being written and commented on, entering the blogosphere can seem like a daunting prospect. The good news is that you can find blogs on anything that interests you.

Blog search engines
Use a blog search engine to get started. Not only do these monitor blogs, they also try to identify the most popular bloggers. Enter your topic, key word or company name into the search and see what comes up. There are lots of these blog search engines about, but www.technorati.com, www.blogpulse.com and www.icerocket.com are good ones to start with.

Keep track of new posts
Many of these blog search engines can also update you on what’s being said. Google has Google Alerts, Technorati calls them watchlists. Simply specify a term, and the search engine will notify you via RSS whenever that term comes up.

Use a Reader
When you’ve found a blog you like, enter the blog into a Reader and you’ll always know when a new post is added. Google Reader is one option – once you’ve set it up, you’ll have a list of all the new posts on each blog you’ve registered. Then simply click through to read the full post.

Check out websites you already know
Many traditional websites, from newspapers to software producers, already have blogs on their websites. Some, like us, have their blog as a separate entity that extends their site. Others, like the British newspaper The Guardian or the BBC, have integrated blogs. On these sites, blog posts are usually more personal in their opinions than standard articles and readers can leave a comment.

So, check out sites you like and start reading the comments. Many people who leave comments have their own blogs, and if you like what you read then click through and read some more. If you really like it, add it to your Reader.

Commenting (or putting yourself about)
Comments are the currency of the blogosphere – and are an important indicator of a blog’s popularity. But they are also the way to move from passive reader to active participant. So put yourself around and join the conversation.

Get to know the blogger
When you find a blog you like, read a few posts so you get to know the blogger a bit. Then when you find a post that interests you, leave a comment.

Don’t worry about your grammar
Blogs exist in almost any language. But the great majority are in English. English speakers are a forgiving lot – we know that most people in the world speak English as a second language and we’re just impressed that they can. So don’t worry about how good your English is: just make sure you can be understood.

Stick to the topic
Tempting as it may be to go off topic when you comment – don’t! Stick to the topic of what’s being said. Often comments read like a multi-voiced conversation, so read through all the comments first so you know what’s been said.

Once you get commenting, it’s great fun to check back and see if anyone’s responded to you. If you like, you can then add a new comment: and the conversation has begun.


BLOG ON!
Enter the Eye for Image blogosphere at www.eye-for-image.com/blog