Media Exercise 2

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RSS and Social Bookmarking   (Due: Jan. 22)

Task

  • Use an RSS reader and reflect on your experience using RSS.
  • Use a social bookmarking service to tag and share web-based resources with the class.


Steps

Part A: Using RSS Readers

  • The first part of this week's media exercise is about using an RSS reader (or aggregator) as a way to keep up with new content from blogs and other websites. If you are new to RSS, I recommend you read this short article from the NY Times on the topic, "Fine-Tuning Your Filter for Online Information".
  • Early in the week, set up an RSS reader. There are several good (free) options to choose from, such as Bloglines and NewsGator. If you already use an RSS reader, feel free to skip ahead. Some web browsers (e.g. Firefox) also allow you to subscribe to RSS feeds in your bookmarks, which can also be a convenient way to aggregate your RSS subscriptions.
  • Follow the instructions provided by the RSS reader you've chosen to subscribe to RSS feeds. Then subscribe to a few websites and blogs of personal interest. Practice identifying RSS feeds on websites and subscribing to them, and practice using the RSS reader as a way to view the web-based content.
  • Once you have some experience using your RSS reader, respond to Dr. Tripp's blog post, Reflecting on RSS Readers, with a short comment (100 words) in which you describe and reflect on some aspect of your experience using an RSS reader. You might address, for example: In what ways is RSS useful? What is a potential application of RSS in an education and/or information setting? Or, How does using RSS differ from other ways of viewing and organizing web-based content?
  • At the end of your comment, please share a link to an RSS feed that you think might interest others in the class. Note that you might find it useful to review the Blog Tutorial on "How to Create Hyperlinks" (scroll down to "Creating a Hyperlink in a Blog Comment").


Part B: Social Bookmarking

  • The second part of this week's media exercise involves social bookmarking and tagging. The goal is for everyone to gain basic familiarity with using social bookmarking to manage and share web-based resources. If you are new to social bookmarking and tagging, I suggest reviewing the following short Wikipedia articles: Social Bookmarking and Tags.
  • Early in the week, set up an account with del.icio.us, a popular social bookmarking website. If possible, select a username that others in the class will be able to recognize easily. Practice bookmarking and tagging several websites of interest.
  • Next, find a blog that you think might interest others in this class (and that is broadly related to the themes of this class). Tag the website "lis5313" and "blog" (without the quotes). Make sure to edit your bookmark information so the "Name" field is correct, and so that the "Notes" field provides a short description of the blog and why you think it is interesting or useful.
  • The websites that have been tagged accurately should be aggregated here. It will typically take a few minutes for a website you've bookmarked to appear on this list, and there are some cases in which it might not appear. If the site you tagged doesn't appear on the list, feel free to tag a second site if you like... but please don't worry if for whatever reason your site doesn't appear on the list. This is an experiment in collaborative social bookmarking, and you won't lose points if your effort doesn't work perfectly.
  • Once you have completed these steps, please respond to Dr. Tripp's blog post, Sharing Social Bookmarks, in which you provide your del.icio.us username and a link to your public bookmarks. (This way you will be able to find and share bookmarks with others in the class if you like.) For example, my deli.cio.us username is lisatripp and the url for my public bookmarks is http://del.icio.us/lisatripp.


Submission Instructions

  • When you have completed Steps A & B, please submit the assignment in Blackboard > Assignments > Media Exercise 2. Click "View/Complete Assignment." In the "Comments" box, provide the URL for the RSS feed that you shared (in Part A), and the del.icio.us username that you shared (in Part B). Click submit.
  • The Exercise is due at midnight EST on the due date (Jan. 22).
  • Note: You will only get credit for your work if you complete the assignment submission process in Blackboard.
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