while it is true that just about anyone can engage in blogging. Can a blog ever be considered trustworthy based on the credibility of the author?
Yes.
What do you think?
Ms.Sue why do you think that the answer is yes.
I have a friend, an experienced English teacher, who blogs about her experiences in the classroom and comments on new ideas in education. Many blogs are written by knowledgable people.
I know lots of people who keep blogs, too, including myself!
My daughter blogs on a website that takes the nearby city's (awful) newspaper to task about their crazy editorials and sometimes biased reporting.
Lots and lots of people blog about their pets -- and in doing so, they form friendships --
http://www.blog.catblogosphere.com/
Many blogs are political, but many more are not. I've seen blogs from inside Israel and Iraq, among many, many other countries.
And, yes, I absolutely love the English teacher's blog referred to above by Ms. Sue -- fun reading and useful information to use with my grandchildren and neighbor's children when I'm working with them on their assignments.
The blogosphere is VERY DIVERSE!!
Here's an article I wrote for a local newsletter -- in case you're interested in exploring the wide variety of blogs out there.
---------------------------
Do you blog? What is a blog, anyway? The word is short for "web log" (journal or diary or log kept on the Internet). I had no idea about all this (and didn’t really care!) until a couple of years ago when my daughter began contributing to a couple of blogs that comment on cities, newspapers, events, people, etc. (She’s down to one these days!) Now I see blogs everywhere, and for many different purposes: politics, family life, education, pets, weather, and just about anything else that people have interests in.
Can you blog? Certainly! Just make an account for yourself at one of these places, and dive right in. There are blog programs and hosts that are free (www.blogger.com and www.wordpress.com) and those that aren’t ( www.typepad.com and www.squarespace.com) , so if any of this interests you, go for it. You can make your blog private, for family only, or for the public.
Here are a few of the more interesting blogs I’ve found so far:
• Northampton Neighbor online: http://www.nhneighbor.blogspot.com
• Weather: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html
• Pets: http://nodeepthoughts.blogspot.com and http://www.blog.catblogosphere.com/ and http://www.dogster.com
• Teaching: http://whatitslikeontheinside.com/index.html and http://thetrenches.blogspot.com
• Political: http://www.slate.com/id/2153082/?nav=fix and http://www.powerlineblog.com/
• Archaeology: http://archaeoblog.blogspot.com
• Albuquerque: http://www.dukecityfix.com
• New Mexico: http://newmexiken.com
• Houston stuff: http://www.bloghouston.net and http://www.lonestartimes.com
• Science: http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/ (One that even we non-science-oriented people can understand most of the time!)
• Technology and business: http://blogs.chron.com/techblog and http://www.moconews.net and http://www.paidcontent.org
• Airline travel: http://www.flyertalk.com
• And an amazing one from inside Iraq: http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com . This one has really changed and become more sophisticated in the past couple of years. It also has a very interesting and extensive "blogroll" (lists of blogs in categories) down the right side (below the ads and news).
Many reporters and others connected with various media sources have blogs – some good, some awful, most in between. The Houston Chronicle’s website has a myriad of blogs, both those by staffers (two are in the list above) and those by people in the general public who have a particular focus. Just go to http://www.chron.com and click on the Blogs link. You’ll find a wealth of information, interesting viewpoints, and sometimes just plain fun!
There are thousands of blogs out there in cyberspace! An informative series of webpages listed in the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org) is very comprehensive: (Broken Link Removed) And just about any blog worth its salt has a blogroll, sometimes categorized to help you find more, if you're so inclined!
If this whole phenomenon sounds good for exploring, there are some interesting books out now:
• The Everything Blogging Book by Aliza Sherman Risdahl
• No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Margaret Mason
• The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining your Blog by Rebecca Blood
• Blog by Hugh Hewitt
So jump right in. It's always interesting to see what others are doing and thinking. That's the lure of blogs – our unending curiosity about other people!
[Ah-hah! I was right -- problems with copying and pasting can be laid at the feet of bulletted or numbered lists!]
-------------------------------------
* Weather: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html
* Pets: http://nodeepthoughts.blogspot.com and http://www.blog.catblogosphere.com/ and http://www.dogster.com
* Teaching: http://whatitslikeontheinside.com/index.html and http://thetrenches.blogspot.com
* Political: www.slate.com/id/2153082/?nav=fix and www.powerlineblog.com/
* Archaeology: http://archaeoblog.blogspot.com
* Albuquerque: http://www.dukecityfix.com
* New Mexico: http://newmexiken.com
* Houston stuff: http://www.bloghouston.net and http://www.lonestartimes.com
* Science: http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/ (One that even we non-science-oriented people can understand most of the time!)
* Technology and business: http://blogs.chron.com/techblog and http://www.moconews.net and http://www.paidcontent.org
* Airline travel: http://www.flyertalk.com
* And an amazing one from inside Iraq: http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com . This one has really changed and become more sophisticated in the past couple of years. It also has a very interesting and extensive “blogroll” (lists of blogs in categories) down the right side (below the ads and news).
Many reporters and others connected with various media sources have blogs – some good, some awful, most in between. The Houston Chronicle’s website has a myriad of blogs, both those by staffers (two are in the list above) and those by people in the general public who have a particular focus. Just go to http://www.chron.com and click on the Blogs link. You’ll find a wealth of information, interesting viewpoints, and sometimes just plain fun!
There are thousands and thousands of blogs out there in cyberspace! An informative series of webpages listed in the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org) is very comprehensive: (Broken Link Removed) And just about any blog worth its salt has a blogroll, sometimes categorized to help you find more, if you’re so inclined!
If this whole phenomenon sounds good for exploring, there are some interesting books out now:
* The Everything Blogging Book by Aliza Sherman Risdahl
* No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Margaret Mason
* The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining your Blog by Rebecca Blood
* Blog by Hugh Hewitt
So jump right in – and if you have a blog you’d like to share with the rest of us, or if you start one you’d like others to know about, be sure to let us know. It’s always interesting to see what others are doing and thinking. That’s the lure of blogs – our unending curiosity about other people!
Yes, the credibility of the author plays a significant role in assessing the trustworthiness of a blog. While blogging allows anyone to share their thoughts and opinions, it is important to consider the expertise, qualifications, and reputation of the author to determine the credibility of the information presented. Here's how you can evaluate the credibility of a blog author:
1. Author's expertise: Look for information about the author's background, qualifications, and experience in the topic they are writing about. Check if they have relevant education, professional experience, or any other credentials that establish their expertise on the subject.
2. Author's reputation: Conduct a quick search on the author's name to see if they have a track record of reliable and trustworthy content. Look for reviews, recommendations, or feedback from their readers or other reputable sources to gauge their reliability.
3. Sources and references: Determine whether the author cites credible sources to support their claims and arguments. A trustworthy blog author should provide references, links, or citations from reliable sources, such as academic studies, scientific research, reputable news outlets, or authoritative websites.
4. Consistency and quality: Assess the overall quality and consistency of the author's content. A trustworthy blog author maintains a high standard of writing, demonstrates logical reasoning, and presents information in a structured and coherent manner. They usually invest time and effort into producing well-researched and detailed articles.
5. Transparency and objectivity: Consider whether the author is transparent about their biases, affiliations, or conflicts of interest. A trustworthy blog author acknowledges their own perspective but strives for objectivity and fairness in presenting information. They typically provide balanced viewpoints and welcome diverse opinions.
6. Social validation: Look for engagement and interaction on the blog. A credible author often receives positive feedback, comments, or shares from readers, indicating that their content is valued and trusted by the audience.
Remember, while assessing the credibility of an author is important, it is also necessary to critically evaluate the content itself. Verify the information by cross-referencing with other reliable sources, fact-checking, and considering multiple perspectives.