Finally back at it. I’ve started studying my Bachelor of Arts (Internet Studies) and made a little progress reading the piles of stuff. The way forward is not only in books, but also on screen. It’s Back to School Power Tools for the Savvy Student. Thought I’d have more time for catching up with friends, making travel plans for our honeymoon to Italy, my home videos (Spielberg is going to eat dirt when he sees what I’ve got!)

Ha! Who am I kidding? Free time just went out the window. I’m paying for this?? 4 x 10-hour subjects (that’s double the full-time load) and the other 3 days (4 contact hours + 4 hours preparation and marking = 24 hours) to work at my income.

Top five tips for new bloggers

• Preview, proof-read and edit (check spelling, punctuation, etc.) before posting. When possible, do this with fresh eyes. If it’s a touchy issue, try to ask a friend/colleague to check over your post. You should moderate it yourself though.
• Try to include a piece of media to stimulate interest, at least a picture. If you have a flickr account, link your flickr account to your blog for easy posting from any photo. WordPress users may prefer the wp-flickr plugin.
• KISS – Keep It Short ‘n’ Simple.
• Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. *
• Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context. *

* Those last 2 points are from A Bloggers’ Code of Ethics. There are also 22 steps you must do after setting up a blog and then 16 tips you must check before publishing an article.