Blogging+-+Why+Do+Ministers+Blog?

Expected time to complete written assignments: 20 - 30 minutes Please note that there are two parts to this assignment.

After you have attended the webinar and read the blog pages about //Blogging: Sharing My Personal Faith Story//, your individual homework assignment this week is to identify one or two blogs that are interesting to you and to share why these ministers blog.

Part 1 : What is their passion?

Using the Catholic Blog Directory ([]), scan through the various titles. Pick three titles that interest you. Read about the author and pick one or two blog posts to read. What are __you__ noticing about the blogs you have scanned? In a paragraph or two, identify what you notice about the author and the mission of the blog. What is their passion?
 * Please remember to include the Name of the blog (and URL) with your comments. If possible, try to pick blogs that others are not commenting on. The main focus of this assignment is to identify WHY these authors are writing their blogs. What is their passion?
 * Name:
 * Blog title + URL
 * Why is this author writing their blog? What is their passion?

Example 1:
 * Name: Caroline Cerveny
 *  Catholic Web Solutions - []
 * Sr. Susan Wolf is a blogger who wants to help religious communities think strategically about integrating the Internet and Social Media into their mission; to develop a plan and then implement it. Using these new media we can enhance our member services, our membership recruitment and our outreach.

Example 2:

Deanna Bartalini La Dolce Vita - [] This blogger is a Catholic wife and mom. I like the title of her blog. She can be quite funny and slightly disparaging of herself and her sometimes crazy life with three sons. Her passions are her faith and her family, and probably being Italian! All of which I can totally relate to. She writes to share her life, and he faith.

Be Not Afraid - [] Nancy is the author of this blog. Again, the title caught my eye. She writes mainly about her family and the trials and tribulations of raising children. I think she is writing her blog as an on-line journal of her, to get support from others in her situation and connect with adults.

Post your comments in the space below, then continue on to Part 2, below.

Part 2 : Do you agree or disagree? **After listening to Scott Rosenberg's video, ****10 Myths About Blogs **// **, do you agree or disagree with what Scott states in the video? Why? Please post your name with your answer ** // **Example 1: **** Connie Egan ** After listening to the video, I find myself agreeing with Scott Rosenberg in most instances. What he considers a myth, however, has elements of truth. For example, #5 - bloggers can't be trusted. I might restate that by saying that what one reads in a blog needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Usually, there are no editors so the information presented is biased. But, quite truthfully, one finds that in the printed word as well - and that does have editors. **Example 2: Alison Smith**-After looking at the number of Catholic bloggers alone, I would have to totally agree that blogging isn't dead. I think like anything else you read whether it is in a newspaper, magazine or blog just because it is in print doesn't necessarily make it truth. Reader needs to do their own critical thinking and check other sources. I don't think bloggers are narcissists, I think they probably like to write and like to share their ideas and generate conversation in the comments. Most journalism today is of the self opinion variety and so in that respect I think blogging can be called journalism-however in the "good old days" it was reporting of facts.