How to blog

Several of you have asked how to find material on which to blog.   Let me tell you how I find my “content.”   First, I browse through my twitter feed.  I follow lots of social media folks and they often post links to articles that are provocative.  I also read the NY Times Tech section, Huffington Post and (and dare I admit it) the N.Y. Post.  They often have articles about social media legal issues.  For instance, today there is an article on the Huffington Post Tech site entitled, Blurred Lines and the Right to Privacy.

Another way to find a blog topic is by searching other social media blogs.  Bloomberg Social Media Law Blog is a good one.  http://www.bna.com/social-media-law-blog/  Today there is an article about state law makers deciding whether to pass social media privacy legislation.  So is Shear on Social Media Law. http://www.shearsocialmedia.com/  Google “Social Media Law Blogs”  and you will come up with many.   There are also a few blogs posted the right hand side of our blog.

You can also take an old blog post on our site and critique it.   Finally, you can also use google alerts.  Set an alert using the words social media and law, or privacy or athletes or judges, or whatever you like and you will get stories.

Once you find an article that interests you, it is time to draft the post.   To me, a good post has two parts.  First, a summary of the issue or article on which you are blogging.  (make sure you reference any article you discuss)  Then an analysis of the issue or article.  Question its content or ideas .  What is positive about the issue, or what is negative.  Why or why not.  Alternatively you could predict what will happen next.  E.g. if focusing on legislation, is the state likely to pass the law?  Should it not?

So, let’s say I wanted to blog on the article that appeared today in the Tech section of the Huffington Post.  I would read it and then I would draft two paragraphs.  The first paragraph would summarize the article; the second paragraph would question the article.   Do I agree with the author’s conclusions? Do I disagree?  Why or why not.   BTW, the article is available (here) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debbie-hines/blurred-lines-and-the-rig_b_4738964.html?utm_hp_ref=technology&ir=Technology  (first come first served!)

The key is to have fun, experiment. Find a voice that you like.  There are no wrong answers here.  If you want to do it anonymously, feel free to post it under my name (though PLEASE make sure it is grammatically correct with no typos!)  Just let me know so that I can note that you completed the assignment.  You can also blog about you’re the paper on which you are working.  A blog post will force you to consider the issue on a micro level, helping you to further develop your paper.

Think of it this way.  Posting your first blog is a lot like first year oral arguments.  Lots of angst before the fact, great feelings of accomplishment afterwards!

Finally, a few technical notes.  When blogging, if you would like to add a link, hightlight the words you want to link to a site, then click the link button. When you click the button then past the URL of the site you are linking.  Note that http:// automatically appears on our blog, and you don’t want to repeat it, as doing so will prevent the link from working.   Next, add tags.  Include topics you are discussing such as Twitter, Judges, Injunction, etc.  Tags go in the box to the bottom right, seperated by commas.  Finally, Once your link is set (and note there is not spellcheck on our blog site so spell check, spell check)  press publish on the top right.  Note that you can always edit after you publish.

This assignment is meant to be fun.  Enjoy, relax.  It is all opinion so there are no wrong answers!

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