Zcom_simple

Hello,

Blogs are a familiar feature on the internet - where users post content in an accumulating manner, with comments, and search options, etc. They facilitate expression and exploration, and via attached comments, also debate and synthesis.


Reading and
Navigating Blogs

Our blogs are quite powerful. Each writer can post, as is typically the case. Sustainers who have the option can also post, however. All Blogs appear in the blog system, and sometimes also in content boxes the top page of ZNet - and always via the left menu of the top page - and can be found via searches, etc.

Commenting on blogs follows the blogs, attached at the bottom, and blog comments, like all others, are also visible in many places that show comments including in the forum system. In addition, the entire blog system gathers content for everyone - but one can look at the accumulating content in many ways.

  • For example one can look at one writer's efforts - so one is seeing what is effectively a blog system for that one writer, or Sustainer.
  • One can also look at the content by topic, seeing blogs that are tagged as being about a certain topic - or place, as well. Thus, when doing that, it is a blog system about a topic, or a place, with many contributors.
  • One can look at only writer blogs, or only sustainer blogs, as well.
  • One can look at blogs for particular Groups, too.

All this is easily done using the left menu. Searches allow even more variables and refinements.


Creating Blog Posts

If you are a Sustainer with permission, and are logged in, you will see a link in the left menu for you to post a blog - and you can use that to post one, and then tag it various ways (such as with a topic or place, or a group tag), and once you do, it is in the system with you as the author.

You can also use the console button to the left to post a blog - anytime and from anywhere in the site, as long as you are logged in.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blogs - and, by the way, if you are a Free Member or a Sustainer with a ZSpace page, of course you can put one or more content boxes on it, pulling blog links of any sort you may want to filter for, for example, by you or by your friends or by others - and by topic, about places, for groups, etc.

Blogs

585027

Jonathan Schindler's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/jonathanschindler
Bio: I am from Saint Louis, MO.  My left interests mainly include addressing economic injustice, although I think all spheres need to be addressed in the long run.  I am an advocate of Parecon... (More)

All Schindler Blogs

Building Community: Response to Michael's call for participation

By Jonathan Schindler at Feb 17, 2009


Change Text Size a- | A+

I just read the new appeal for more participation and I've been putting a lot of thought into how we can bring about more participation.  Perhaps we're going about it from the wrong direction?  In other words, maybe the reason participation online is so low, is because users don't want to build online community, but instead want to get out and do something, even if that something is just meeting with other users to learn about how to use zspace.  So, here's an idea.

We could make an appeal to the 700 participating members to help organize a meetup of sorts.  They could register as the point person for a certain location.  We could then encouarage z users to come out and participate on a certain date, learn how to use the new site features in a community setting.  It would also be a great way for Z users to meet and interact with each other.  I would be happy to be the contact person for Missouri. 

As partisan as moveon is, one thing they do very well is to move things from the online to the offline.  They have parties, events, and meetings that encourage people to get out and meet each other.  They know that they can't all be serious all the time.  Yet, they do manage to accomplish things (even if I don't think they are left enough).  I think that building this kind of offline community is an essential part of getting people to relax and participate.  Once people participate and start feeling comfortable around each other, we can get as serious as we need to.  Does than sound like an interesting idea to anyone else?

Jon

Loading_border