Wednesday, January 28, 2009

On the MOTE Blogroll...

I've linked a few sites on our blogroll, but I should give some introduction to them at this time...

ScienceBlogs (owned by SEED Media), Nature Blog Network (independent), and Nature Blogs (owned by Nature Publishing) are examples of blog networks. As mentioned in class, these are essentially organized blogrolls that have turned into a community portal. For example, ScienceBlog started about 3 years ago by seeking out the most popular and highest-quality science-related blogs. Now it serves as a one-stop source, organized by topics, for anyone interested in blogs on science. The network builds cred by assembling a high-caliber product that generates hits, and invited bloggers get a cut of the much-higher advertising revenue (and renown) they now enjoy.

Among ScienceBlogs are two noteworthy ones. 1) The Intersection is co-written by Sheril Kirshenbaum, a young professional now at the Nicholas School who has a great deal of science media experience. You can probably email her if you are interested in learning her past projects. 2) TetZoo is a favorite of mine, not only because I'm a dinosaur geek, but because it is an exceedingly well-written, well-researched blog. It's written by an academic mainly for an academic audience (or similarly literate enthusiasts), and the community is active in commenting on the blog. I admire Dr. Naish's posts because every little detail has citations, and the posts are always so full of personality. It's like reading a journal, but fun.

Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, and Sunsets is an example of a personal blog with no intention of professional exchange, yet discusses science from the viewpoint of a professional. This could be what your own personal blog might look like someday, if you start one for the fun of it. It should be noted that Mr. MacPherson works for a marine conservation NGO, but to prevent conflicts in company representation, he must keep full separation of his blogging hobby from his daytime job. This is a key issue that all you need to heed, should you ever choose to maintain a personal blog.

Finally, check out the Green Grok and the Nicholas Hawaii Blog. These are a good example of weaving a blog into a comprehensive media outreach program. The Grok serves as the trusted, official voice of the Dean to the rest of the world, while the Hawaii blog showcases student experiences and learned facts as part of a greater promotional campaign.

Got a favorite sci/env blog? Send it over and we'll add it to the blogroll!

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