UsabilityMetadata Specialist BrianEganunlvedu WebMultimedia Designer University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries University Libraries Topics covered Introduction to Blogs and Blogging Components of Good Web Writing ID: 732217
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Get Started on Blogging
Michael.Yunkin@unlv.edu Usability/Metadata SpecialistBrian.Egan@unlv.edu Web/Multimedia DesignerUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries
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Topics covered
Introduction to Blogs and BloggingComponents of Good Web WritingExercise #1
Introduction to Movable Type
Create well formed blog entries with Moveable TypeExercise #2Q & A
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What is a blog?
“A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log.”*Blogs allow you to easily syndicate content via RSS feeds.
*
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/02/05/what-is-a-blog/
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web writing
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How do users read on the web?
They don’t! Reading from computer screens is 25% slower than from paper.Users scan on the web.Web content should have 50% of the word count of its paper equivalent
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Scannable Content
There is perhaps no greater indicator of the user-centeredness of a content provider than his or her demonstrated ability to provide proper clarity of text and brevity of thought when publishing web content. Users appreciate the unambiguousness involved in perusing properly produced resources that facilitate unfettered comprehension and collection of desired information. Fortunately, there are several techniques employable by web professionals that can vastly expedite the visual discernment of information parcels: First, the content provider should endeavor to segment the information into more easily digestible subdivisions by placing related content into concise fragments. This practice is generally referred to as information "chunking". Next, the careful web professional will preface said information with meaningful and eloquent summaries, rendering it in a pleasing but more forceful -- or "bold" -- typeface. These "headings" are vital to the users’ understanding of what subsequent and adjoining texts might encompass. And finally, prior to the presentation of each new concept, the web professional may choose to append a bullet, revealing to the user the introduction of a disparate but potentially concomitant idea. Upon inclusion of all these techniques, along with careful arrangement of information such that primary arguments precede all supporting and/or ancillary materials, one may rest assured that the web content produced and provided to the fortunate information searcher manifests a not inconsiderable ease of comprehension. That is, the work is now
scannable.
Make
your web pages more scannable
.
Divide
the content into short segments or "chunks"
Keep
sentences short and paragraphs to a minimum
Present
important information first (the "inverted pyramid technique")
Use
proper, informative headings
Use
bullet points
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Is our website scannable?
Yes, to a point……but not always!
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Tips for creating scannable content
Short sentences, short paragraphsUse lists where possible The inverted pyramid. Start with your most important material!
Break up content with headings
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The Inverted Pyramid
Most Newsworthy Info
Summary or article climax
Important Details
Other General & Background Info
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Use headings to create
well-formed documents!Well-formed document exampleIf
it's just as easy to bold some text or make it bigger, why is this important?
Easier to change styles.
It's
how search engines
and screen readers read
your page.
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Titles and headings
Should be short and descriptiveAvoid marketing-speak
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Further reading…
“Writing for the Web,” by Jakob Nielsen. http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ (a list of many useful web writing articles)“Web Production Tip: Edit for Scannability,” by Davin
Granroth
. http://envisionic.com/webtips/content/scannability.php (sample article used in training class)“A Well Formed Document Is A Beautiful Thing,” by Bud Kraus.
http://www.joyofcode.com/blog/well_formed.html
“Headings and Lists – are you using them correctly?” by
Nomensa
.
http://www.nomensa.com/blog/2006/headings-and-lists-are-you-using-them-correctly/
“Write Concise and Easily Scannable Web Copy,” by Brett
Kempf
.
http://juplex.com/blog/2009/01/12/writing-concise-and-easily-scannable-web-copy/
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Exercise #1
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Turn the sample into a well-formed document
Open the file: http://blogs.library.unlv.edu/webbin_rebels/2010/02/23/Exercise%231.docxSave a new copy of the document on your desktop, prefixed by your name (e.g. brian_sample.docx
)Reformat the article for online reading.
After you’re done, discuss with the person next to you.Keep the document open!
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Movable Type
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What is Movable Type?
Web-based Blogging SoftwareMakes creating, editing, and maintaining a blog easyHandles all the backend stuff – updating RSS feeds, spam filters
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Logging into Movable Type
http://blogs.library.unlv.edu/mt/mt.cgiUsername: XXXPassword: XXXPlease contact brian.egan@unlv.edu for the username
and password!
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Exercise #2
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Turn the sample into a blog post!
Create a new Entry titled: “Your Name – Exercise 2”Pull up your Word document from Exercise #1Copy and paste this document into the Moveable Type Editor
Format the document for the Web
Add your blog post to a new category (something goofy!)Add TagsPublish your entry!
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Q & A
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Thank you!
Michael.Yunkin@unlv.edu Usability/Metadata SpecialistBrian.Egan@unlv.edu Web/Multimedia DesignerUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries
University Libraries