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

Web

Chris Spannos's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/chrisspannos
Bio: Chris Spannos has had over a decade of experience in self-managed media collectives and also as an activist, organizer, and anti-capitalist. From 1998-2006 he participated in the Redeye collective,... (More)

All Spannos Blogs

ZNet's Great Leap Forward

By Chris Spannos at Dec 24, 2007


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Eight years into the 21st Century, with so much happening, you either thought Z's web operations should catch up, or, maybe you didn't even notice arrested technological development setting in. Regardless, the politics have always kept us coming back. And now, you're no doubt surprised by Z's new face. The old ZNet served a time honored roll holding a special place in the alternative media landscape. Not only due to its radical politics and advocacy of emancipatory societal transformation, but also because it was one of the first Left web operations in what became known as the "World Wide Web." 

The earliest incarnation of ZNet, I think late 80s or early 90s, was called Left Bulletin Board System (LBBS), providing email service as well as information and analysis. After various attempts at providing comprehensive IT services to Left groups across the nation, with potential, ultimately unrealized, to become an early rival of AOL, Z's web operations became "Left Online." Eventually the site settled into the one we are now transitioning from – a complex web of interactive, but not very integrated, facilities, articles, mailing lists, ZMag online, forums, blogs, pen pals, and a few other ambitions, but short lived, offerings. Most of these facilities were developed by volunteers -- notably by the innovative and industrious Brian Dominick, a still very close Z friend and contributor. However, the old system became hard to maintain with many facilities and multiple databases withering away due to their technological demands and understaffing of ZNet. The site received a brief injection of tidiness and innovation when Daniel Morduchowicz came aboard – joining ZNet staff of one Michael Albert. Daniel left, and over a year later, I joined in September 2006.
When I first joined Z, to work primarily on ZNet, I did not have a background in computer programming (and still don't). I was first and foremost an activist and organizer, doing social services as my paid work. So when Michael asked me, only one week into the new job, if I thought we should overhaul our web operations, I literally had no idea what we were getting into. However, it didn't take any foresight to see that our current web operations were in need of serious surgery, if not complete overhaul, otherwise our web based infrastructure would be doomed. We immediately started consulting friends, activist programmers, and small, medium, and large scale programming firms. We decided to move from the Cold Fusion programming language to PHP, and to completely rebuild the thing from the bottom up. In October of 2006 we signed a contract with a small firm, and the whole project was supposed to take 6-8 weeks...  
Fast forward from December 2006 to December 2007. After lots of uncertainty about project completion, and a huge final push to get the thing operational, we are now beta testing the site with clear expectations to publicly release in early January 2008. The site is now comprised of user driven facilities, with emphasis on interactivity enabling users and writers to better relate to one another and each other’s work and politics. As I poke around the new site checking out user profiles, blogs, sustainer and writer audio, video, and article uploads, I am already amazed at the insights, backgrounds, and diversity of the people who are contributing to this online community. There are still lots of bugs to fix, and still more features to come, but the potential is clear. Our main worry now is whether or not people will use the site, as sustainers, to help support all ZCommunications projects and the kind of user driven facilities we are now offering, and which we hope can grow.
The beta testing period has been hard, especially over the holidays, as everyone else takes off, and, at least here in N. America, slows down. But we remain hopeful about the New Year as we get ready to slide into Z's 20th year anniversary. Wish us luck!
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Jens Gramnes

By Gramnes, Jens at Jan 01, 2008 01:58 AM

Hmm. Thought my name would be automatically registered as I am logged on to the system. Well, those were my comments below. /Jens.

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609227

Re: ZNet's Great Leap Forward

By Gramnes, Jens at Jan 01, 2008 01:55 AM

I concur with the previous comments, and I think you will be very pleased to know that Michael Alberts long Q&A and a look at the site finally won me over to the "sustainers\' side". It\'s not that I didn\'t think I should have been one sooner, in fact, way back when, I was about to become one but was put off by having to leave out my cc number (this was before I\'d ever bought a single thing online), and later a a poor financial situation and various excuses about possibly concentrating on things closer to home and leaving Z financing to Americans, made me put if off again and again. However, agreeing with everything Michael wrote, I was finally shamed into (ehr, inspired to, I mean...) support this brilliant and inspiring effort. I congratulate you on the good work and hope many more of your on-and-off users do what I did and sign up so that you can finance the planned and hoped for expansion. Happy new year!

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Person

Re: ZNet's Great Leap Forward

By Block, Simon at Dec 28, 2007 10:02 AM

From what I\'ve seen, the new site looks fantastic and operates beautifully. I haven\'t tested out everything yet, but what I have looked at so far takes certainly Z online into the 21st century without gimmicry.

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Web

Re: ZNet's Great Leap Forward

By Spannos, Chris at Dec 25, 2007 08:40 AM

Thanks Nate. The site and the mag was certainly a catalyst for me, so I\'m glad to have been able to contribute to this overhaul. We could do many other things too, and plan to, which will help folks relate to the politics and "participatory modalities." Should be lots more to come in the new year....

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589657

By Jones, Nathan at Dec 24, 2007 18:52 PM

Thanks for all the hard work and dedication.  This website has been the catalyst in a lot of radicalization for many a person who would otherwise have had no clue about the theories, praxis, tactics, and wonder of various left and participatory modalities and struggles.

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