Blogging Portfolio: A new, interactive perspective on the web

This segment of EL236 Writing for the Internet at Seton Hill University has been all about learning web conventions, web design and information exchange through experience.  But your typical web experiences.  Yes, here on my blog I've chronicled what I've been learning, but many of my activities centered on playing Interactive Fiction games (yikes! something I never knew existed) and editing/creating material for Wikipedia.  In between these two activities, I also read about web usability, web accessibility, and usability testing in Steve Krug’s book, Don't Make me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.  The subject matter of the text not only talked about interaction, but fostered interaction as my class designed and administered our own mini-usability tests.  In a nutshell, this portion of EL236 taught me how fundamental interactivity is to the web; as a web user (or designer, even) I am never just simply absorbing information as it comes to me, I am also contributing to the process - and this process can take a multitude of forms. 

Below, take a look at my blog entries (categorized by different class requirements) to see the details of what and how I learned.

Coverage - blogs with quoting, sources, and trackbacks

IF kicked my butt - Learning - the hard way - that interactive fiction isn't as simple as it seems.

Common Sense - The first in a line of entries on Steve Krug's book

Kill the Happy - My commentary to Krug's principles of web user psychology and web design basics

Joe the Web User - Another Krug.  Here we question, Is there a web user?  If so, what does he or she look like?

The Boss - Krug & I tackle the authority-figure issues of web design

Usability, Likability, Accessibility - A Krug blog that discusses usability testing and some fringe-subjects of usability.

Wikipedia 2 - The second installment in a line of blogs about a Wikipedia Workshop.  This one details my encounter with Wikipedia administration.

Wikipedia 3 - An examination of Wiki editing policies in practice, using the Steelers wiki page as an example.

Wikipedia 4 - A comparison between the wiki entries for Seton Hill University and St. Vincent College

Timeliness - blogs submitted on time; that is, 24 hours before the next class meeting

Common Sense

Kill the Happy

Interaction -

Referencing others

Wikipedia 1 - The first Wikipedia blog.  Here, I weigh the pros-and-cons of the free, online encyclopedia.

Wikipedia 2

Wikipedia 3

Krug's Review - My personal review of Krug's book

Comment generating

Usability, Likability, Accessibility 

Good and Bad - My reactions to playing the IF game Slouching Towards Bedlam

Depth - Lengthier and more complex blogs

Good and Bad

Wikipedia 2

Wikipedia 5 - My experiences in editing some Wikipedia articles

Common Sense

Kill the Happy

Usability, Likability, Accessibility

Joe the Web User

Krug's Review

Discussion - comments I made to others

Chelsea's Blog - Finding an example in GriffinGate

another Chelsea - I elaborate and offer some ideas

Anne's Blog - Reaffirming ideas

another Anne - She points out some revelations in her Wikipedia experiences I never noticed

Maddie's Blog  - Summarizing big ideas

Danni's Blog - I try to help her fight through some IF fiction

Christina's Blog - Expanding on thoughts