Creative Team-Blogging in College: The Gender & Pop Culture Blog Experiment

Picassa...Already posted by Jessie

2007-03-21T16:57:00.001-05:00

A bit about picassa from google...
There is a download (see below -- there's a link) that will allow you to edit your photos on your computer (sort of an easy photoshop that's free, that you can post to your blog directly from, and it includes a "collage" option). This download, although it's connected to blogger and picassa web albums, is separate from the web album service that google offers.
Picassa- the download can be used with or without the web album; likewise, the web album can be used with or without Picassa (only the download will enable editing of photos and the post directly to album/blog features, but the web album offers free photo storage space and does not require a download to use the service)
Here's a random example using something I already had online (edited with picassa's software download, and also shown on the picassa site)

Logan the Ducky Diva
Click above and you'll see the webalbum for the photo (google calls it the "cover photo") shown. About the collage, Using the software I downloaded (Picassa--that lets you edit and make bloggable -- collages and other fun things), I created this collage:

From Logan the Duc...
Here too, it's hosted by web albums. To see the full size image (a collage is saved as a new, single image file) you click, just like for the album, and be taken directly to the collage (where it's located inside the same album as the first example) online. To see how to make a collage, click the collage and read its caption, b/c that's where I put the basics for creating one (really, it took me about 20 seconds to create- it took longer to write the caption than to make a collage out of the photos!).

Music Player

2007-03-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

To add a music player on to your blog is fairly easy.
The best and easiest one i found was (www.tornadostream.com)

Im going to take you on a step by step process for getting tornadostream music player on your blog.
1. when you get onto the website you have to signup for the serivce. It is free of charge all you have to give is your name, email, username, and password thats all you have to give them.
2. Once you sign in you will enter another screen, with tabs on the top. The first tab is , "Create/Edit Stations" You start on that tab. Its going to ask you to create a station. This means to add the kind of music you want played on your blog. They have numerous amounts of songs avaiable. From Pop, to Country, Hip Hop and Rock. It is fairly easy, you can have just one song or many songs whatever is your flavor.
3. When you finish selecting the songs you want on your station and save it, you will have a station avaiable to you. You have the choice of making numerous stations if you want to but for this purpose we'll just make one. When you finish go to tab number 3 which reads "Add Radio to your website or Blog". Once you get to this tab you have the choice of wether you prefer a horiztional player or a vertical player. They give you the java script for both.
4. You copy that script and then open your blog settings. Open the template option of the settings in your blog. Go to add page element and then click on the HTML/JavaScript option. Paste your Javascript code of your music player into the content box and save.

When you view your blog for the next time you will see and hear you music player with the music you selected on your blog. It is that simple. If you have any questions please feel free to email me personally at Mojica4@tcnj.edu

Adding Graphics

2007-03-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

To add a graphic from the internet you have to first select the graphic you want and find its URL.

To find the URL you have to right-click on the graphic and click on properties.

Then you look for the "Address (URL)" and copy the link that appears.

To upload the image on your blog post click on the picture icon (named "Add Image") on the compose toolbar under "posting".

Then paste the link under the space that says "Add an image from the web".
Then click on "Upload Image".

Adding Videos to your blog

2007-03-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

Adding a video to your blog

If you want to add a video from YouTube, you copy the code from the "Embed" box which is displayed to the right of the video that you are currently playing.

To add a video from Yahoo Video the code is next to the "add to site" box displayed below the current video you are playing.

To add a video from Google Video click on the blue "Email Blog Post to My Space" bar to the right of the video. Then click on the "Embed HTML" link and copy the code.

After that open up your blog layout page and click add new element.

Click on HTML/Javascript

Add a title that will be displayed above the video on your blog and then paste the code you copied from the video in the content box.

Save the changes and you have a video on your blog!

Adding your own video's to your blog

There are many sites out there that let you video blog but most of them cost money. If you want to add a custom video to your blog the easiest way would be to post one on one of the video sites and follow the instructions above.

Some of the sites for video blogging are

http://www.seriousmagic.com/products/vlogit/

http://videoaddon.com/

http://www.openvlog.com/

Audio-Blogging

2007-03-18T21:56:00.001-05:00

Audio Blogging websites:

www.audioblog.com

www.audioblogger.com

Audio Blog - Hipcast

Three methods to record audio:

Record by telephone
-Users receive a phone number
-When the user calls this number they can record their blog
-Whatever they say into the phone is recorded and posted where in an already existing blog
-This seems like the easiest way to audio-blog, and it's pretty cool cause you can do it from anywhere that you can use your cell-phone
Record through a web browser (you probably need a microphone to do this)
Upload audio files (like songs and other audio you have downloaded on your computer)

It does cost money to use Hipcast, the standard package being $9.95
Once you have an account, you will be given your own phone number to call.
There is a 7-day trial period, but you have to remember to cancel the account before the 7 days are up if you decide not to use it, cause otherwise you are going to get charged (you must put in credit card information to sign up)

Hipcast also makes it possible to do video blogging.

If anyone is interested in either of these two, Hipcast promises that it is very easy to do.

When you create an audio or video file, it is automatically uploaded onto your existing blog (our google blogs).

*Our group did not create an account with Hipcast, because none of us have the money to spend on it. Most video and audio blogging websites require a subscription fee. I'm sure there are some out there that do not, but most likely they are not very reliable. *

From the Hipcast Website:

Already have a blog?

Awesome! You're halfway there! Simply add your weblog(s) to your Hipcast.com account, and everything you've recorded or uploaded can be published in a snazzy, customizable player that virtually every web browser and computer user on the planet can view. At Hipcast.com, we support most major weblog software and services, including MovableType, Blogware, Typepad, WordPress, Blogger, pMachine, LiveJournal, and many others.

An article that talks about using Hipcast with Google Blogger

http://hipcast.wordpress.com/2007/01/29/using-hipcast-to-the-new-blogger-by-google/

Adding pictures to your blog

2007-03-18T21:49:00.001-05:00

Posting Pictures on Your Blog

How do I post pictures?

You can now upload photos using Blogger Images — the image icon in the post editor's toolbar lets you upload images to your blog(s):

When you click this icon, you'll get a window that allows you to select an image or multiple images from your computer. Just click the "Browse" button to locate the ones you want. Alternatively, you can enter the URL of an image that is already online and have it inserted into your post.

If you click on the link for choosing a layout, you can customize the way your images will appear in your post:

The left, center and right options will determine how the text of your post flows around the pictures. This size option lets you scale the pictures to different sizes within this posting area. Note that the picture will still be uploaded in its full size; this option just determines how it is scaled within the content of your post.

POSTING PICS FROM CELL

When you send text or photos from your mobile device to go@blogger.com they're automatically posted to your new blog page.

But if you already have a blog and think it would be cool to occasionally send a post from your mobile phone in addition to posting normally. Once you make that switch, both existing and future posts will be sent to the blog of your choosing instead of the blog that was automatically set up for you when you sent that first message to go@blogger.com.

*There were images on this post, but they won't show up in the email. I sent the whole document along with it, so hopefully Jessie will somehow be able to put them up.*

Class Logo

2007-03-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

Since the logo is already on this page, there's no need to post it again. Anthony did a great job. We hope everybody likes it!

Creative Team Proposal #1:

2007-03-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Creative Team Proposal #1:

Focus:
Finding non-written ways to blog or contribute to the blog project in formats such as audio/video/photo/graphic and any other creative things that can be added to the blogs.

Tasks/Timeline:
2/28/07 - Get feedback from class on anything they want to know how to do.
3/2/07 - Find websites that allow us to complete tasks/figure out how to create logo for the class and find any other “creative” things that can be added to the blogs
3/5/07 - Evaluate which websites are the best choices
3/7/07 - Make demo of how to use these websites
3/17/07 - Have typed up instructions for class

Leader - Alex
· Graphic
Speaker - Kristin
· Photo
Liaison - Pat
· Video
Writer - Nicole
· Audio
Innovator - Anthony
· Logo and Blog templates

(Each group member is responsible for being knowledgeable in the assigned area by completing each task for that area.)