The English Department Blog is officially open for posting and visiting. This posting will provide a brief tour of some useful features in the Blog that will help you access and navigate the blog postings most relevant to you.

The Blog at a Glance:

Upon arrival, you’ll note that the blog is organized in a header and three columns: a wide one on the left-hand side and two narrower ones to its right.

  • The header with the Blog title is a link that will return you to the main blog page. There is also a link to the contact form, which will send an e-mail to the ETC staff who can post something for you. Feedback, suggestions, and so on are also welcome.
  • The wide column on the left margin contains the latest postings to the blog, organized from most recent to oldest.
  • The center column is the navigation column: it provides categories by which each posting is classified, and which will generate a blog page focused on that topic. For example, clicking on instructions, will provide blog entries classified as “instructions” (from most recent to oldest) and will leave out the other ones. Some postings may belong to more than one category. To return to the main blog page (in which all postings appear), just click on the blog title in the header. The center column also contains a brief title listing of the five latest postings, the five most recent comments (you can comment on any postings), blog archives organized by month, and a search engine for the blog.
  • The right hand column provides a welcoming message (with a link to information on posting), a listing of links relevant to the English Department, and a listing titled “Meta,” which allows you to login to make postings (once you’ve created an account), create a live bookmark or subscribe to the blog and/or its comments.

Accessing the Blog on a Regular Basis

A great option this blog offers is the ability to generate RSS feeds, that is generate files which become automatically updated whenever there is a new posting and/or comment. This means that you have several options to access the blog and its information in convenient ways:

  • You can create what is known as a live bookmark. It is a bookmark that when you click over it will list the titles of the latest 20 or 30 postings to the blog, and allow you to go directly to any posting. I recommend placing it in the favorites/bookmarks toolbar in your browser. Just click on Entries RSS and you’ll get the option to do this.
  • You can use a feed reader, such as Google Reader or Yahoo! Bloglines, to subscribe to the RSS feed for this and many other blogs (if you are so inclined). Just click on Entries RSS and you’ll get the option to do this.
  • You can use an e-mail program such as Outlook Express or Mail to subscribe to the feed, in which case you’ll receive an e-mail for each posting. This is especially good for people who like to just check their e-mail. Follow the instructions provided by your e-mail program.
  • You can always bookmark the blog and visit it regularly. This will organize the postings better and allow you to navigate the archives more effectively than any of the previous options. I recommend combining this option with one or more of the options mentioned above.

Posting to the Blog

If you need anything posted on the blog, use the Contact Us link on the top right corner of the header: it will take you to a form which will allow you to send a message directly to the ETC staff, who will cut and paste the content of your message to a new posting. Please provide a title and category for the posting; otherwise our Grad Assistants will come up with something relevant. You can also contact Gayle Griggs, Betsy Morales, or Leonardo Flores, who can post to the blog.

If you wish to be able to post directly to the blog follow these steps:

1. Create a WordPress account by going to http://blogs.uprm.edu/wp-signup.php

2. Check your e-mail for a response with your account password.

3. Contact Leonardo Flores with your WordPress username, so he can add you as a contributor to the blog.

Commenting on Postings

You do not need an account to post a comment to any of the postings in the blog. This can be a powerful tool for furthering dialogue, instantly correcting or adding information to a posting, RSVP for activities, or asking questions about the information posted. Feel free to comment! To read comments, click on the title of the posting, or on the items under “Recent Comments” in the center column. You can also subscribe to comments, in the same way as for the postings.

Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs

Our blog is able to subscribe to other blogs. This posting was written and posted in the ETC Blog, but it will show in the English Department Blog as soon as it’s posted. If you or your committee have a blog and wish to set this up, talk to Leonardo Flores, your friendly ETC Coodinator and Administrator of the English Department Blog.

That’s all for now. Any questions?

Original post by Leonardo Flores