All The World's A Stage

Penguicon 2005: The Blog and It's Uses

Panelists: Howard Tayler, John Scalzi, (and again ), and David K who lj'd from Iraq earlier in the war. [MIA were Peter and CmdrTaco]

The Blog and It's Uses John Scalzi; Peter Salus; CmdrTaco; Howard Tayler Why blog? For that matter, what the heck is a blog? Find out in this exciting panel with some top talents in the blogosphere! This is an ALL LEVEL panel.

Blogging out of Iraq over the computer stations were 'operational standards' informing the soldiers what they were not to talk/blog about for their own safety. David didn't write letters, he used his blog as his letters home. His friend Matt actually posted pictures from Iraq - David told funny stories and didn't talk a lot about.

"Never forget the equipment your Military uses is manufactured by the lowest bidder." - Howard Tayler
"In this case, Gateway." - David

John serialized his book on his blog, and when he was through, Patrick Nielsen Hayden contacted him about buying the book. Other book deals also grew out of things he posted on his site. He also had advanced copies of one of his books sent to instapundit and other popular online reviewers, including promoting on fark. He's only got 5-10K readers a day, but people are sending him books now with the hopes he'll review them.

Some talk about site overload when someone with manymanymany readers links you, and how it can lay you flat - some ways to prepare for that.

The world of professional journalism in blogs: Howard thinks over time we'll see the death of the newspaper as we know it today. They'll change (they know they must) - even little papers are online.

What about blogs where only a few people are reading - how do we keep people blogging? LJ is great with the friends list, and the friends of friends list. John, on AOL's blogging thingie, helps with links to other blogs. But should we be doing this?

Howard says, "If you aren't passionate enough about what you're writing to write it whether people are reading or not, then you shouldn't be blogging." (Paraphrasing this) I've got to agree with him headon on this one.

John says, "Your primary audience is yourself."

"If you're going to go out there to smear someone, please think twice about it." - Howard
"Karma will get you." - John.