Your fellow bloggers

Just to recap a few interesting posts on some of your blogs. Heather wrote up a nice one on her Style Stalker blog about the recent annual fashion show over at The Cambridge Artists' Cooperative Craft Gallery. She also loaded up some original pics, which is great. Shari, who is writing about reality TV, was able to rub shoulders with three reality TV personalities at the recent collegefest - with the photo to prove it. Jillian, who is blogging about health and fitness, writes about an upcoming PBS special on the Boston Marathon and includes a dramatic pic from her photo archives. Jewell writes about the Colorado State University college newspaper free speech issue with their F--- Bush headline on her higher education blog. And Matt. D. turned 21 and you can read all about here. Happy Birthday!

Chronic commenters

The New York Times had a piece today about how some people are making names for themselves just by commenting on other people's blogs - a few don't even have their own blogs, they just spout off on others (many, many times).

Blogs I read

Once in a while I'll write a post about a blog I check out on a regular or infrequent basis. Usually I'll try to cover one that is not one of the work/school related ones I check out. Today, it's Petite Anglaise. The last time I was in Paris was two New Year's Eve ago and I came back all enthused about all things Paris - dreams of moving there, planning another longer trip, ordering cafe au laits in my Dorchester coffee shop, etc. Needless to say the closest I'm getting to any of that is reading blogs of people who do live there - some are Americans and some are French. This blog is a British woman living in Paris and an example of a real personal blog - with photos, daily accounts. I like reading blog of people living other places - there are a ton of them out there and some give some real insight of daily life in places around the world.

Blogs are bad ... no they're not

The Globe ran an op-ed by local author Steve Almond about why blogs aren't right for newspaper Websites and for the news in general. I disagree with most of what he writes, although I do agree that many newspapers just added blogs to their Websites in a desperate "we can do this too" approach and many of them aren't that great. However, some reporters are writing great blogs that greatly expand their beats and establish a smart and intelligent rapport with their readers. One that I particularly like is Cathy Horn of the New York Times who covers fashion - her blog, On The Runway, gives a behind the scenes look at what she does, the business, the people - stuff that would never get in her printed pieces.

Welcome Fall 2007

So the Fall 2007 semester has kicked off and this year's online journalism students are setting up their blogs. I'm starting to add the links over to the right under Student Blogs. A few students from prior classes have still kept their blogs going in a one form or another and they are listed below in the former student category.