من هم هؤلاء البلوغون الجدد؟؟؟

Learning Blogger
By Biz Stone
Did you know that cellulose nitrate was the first type of film used to record motion pictures, but due to its flammability was eventually replaced by safer formats? Well it was—and now we can all safely watch holiday blockbusters like The Incredibles and National Treasure. Sitting in the dark and devouring Hollywood eye-candy is good times, no doubt about it—but learning is where it's really at. Right kids? And if you're going to learn something, what's better than Learning Blogger?
Learning Bloggerwith: Molly E. Holzschlagrunning time: 3.5 hours
Well my friends, it just so happens that Learning Blogger is the brand-spanking-new CD-ROM collection of short movies by web auteur Molly E. Holzschlag. The timing of Molly's newest offering couldn't be better what with the holidays fast approaching and all. Do you have relatives who just don't get blogging? Friends? Someone who could use some Blogger lessons? Smack them upside the head with some serious learning. Sit back and watch as Molly shows-and-tells every aspect of the Blogger application and even explains what blogging is all about along the way. Recently, I contacted Molly and asked her about this first-ever video-based Blogger how-to extravaganza.
BIZ: Molly, thanks for taking some time with me. MOLLY: Biz, it's always fabulous to chat with you. Though the relationships shift and change, the fact that we're still here and still passionate about the Web means a lot to me on a personal level. In so many ways, blogging has reignited that passion.
BIZ: Already with the passion? I see how this is going to be. Let me ask you this: Why make an educational movie about Blogger? MOLLY: For the inspiration. Biz, you know how it is. Sometimes we creative types have to look for something a little out of our regular style of work. This helps shake us up a bit, and inspires fresh ideas and new approaches to old problems. Creating a movie of this nature is something I'd never done.
BIZ: But why Blogger? MOLLY: The audiences that flock to Lynda.Com typically are newcomers to topics, so I thought Blogger made the most sense for that audience. The fact that Blogger is free makes it very appealing to folks who are just getting their toes wet and might not take to blogging as naturally as others, so we settled on the Learning Blogger title.
BIZ: What was it like working with Blogger? I hear things. MOLLY: Blogger is incredible. I love the simplicity of it, and of course with my background as a Web standards evangelist, it tickles me to no end that Blogger has spent so much focus on developing to standards.
BIZ: First passion, now tickling. This interview is going well.MOLLY: One interesting thing that happened during the making of the movie was that it was the week Blogger launched the new WYSIWYG editor—so I had to go back and add information on that. I was blown away by the fact that here was a WYSIWYG web-based editor that spit out standards-oriented markup! Perfect? No, but just the mere fact that Blogger has gotten that close tickles me pink.
BIZ: Again with the tickling. I love it. However, this "not perfect but close" talk is going to give Mr. WYSIWYG a complex so let's change the subject. Tell me more about the actual making of the movies. How did you prepare?MOLLY: I had to do several voice tests to see if my voice worked well—I've had vocal training since I was a child and have been a professional singer, and in college took acting classes. More recently, I spent a year with a private vocal coach because so much of my work involves public speaking, so I was pretty confident I'd be able to manage that part of the challenge. I also had to do a sample segment where I used both my voice and Camtasia Studio to record my screen movements. Once this was evaluated and given the "go" the good folks at Lynda.Com set me up for a week's stay in Ojai, where I'd come in each day and work on the segments. When I arrived, I found that they'd set me up in one of the most charming places I've ever stayed—The Emerald Iguana Inn.
BIZ: The Emerald Iguana. I spent a week there one night. What was a typical day like?MOLLY: The first half of the first day was spent setting recording levels and managing logistics, but after that I worked independently in the booth, coming out for technical advice and social camaraderie at the studio.
BIZ: And the love scenes? Uncomfortable?MOLLY: Not in the least, considering it was all done solo. I've never had any trouble being comfortable by myself.
BIZ: Okay, let's not get fresh. Tell me about your personal blogging style. Are you a method blogger?MOLLY: Not in the least. I'm more of the improvisational type. I'm all over the emotional map. Sometimes I write formal essays about Web standards issues, other times I drop fiction and poetry in, I've often used my blog as a means of cathartic processing of personal emotions. Somehow, people seem to identify with my approach. I've run a bunch of polls to see what my readers would prefer, and it always comes back to just keep being me.
BIZ: Yes! I love it. That's perfect. You're the quintessential blogger and we're so glad you chose Blogger. The CD-ROM is great, I've been wanting someone to do something like this for years and we couldn't have hoped for anyone better than *the* Molly E. Holzschlag. I picked out a clip near the beginning of Learning Blogger. Set it up for us, talk-show style. MOLLY: This clip sets the foundation for the Learning Blogger approach by showing people what a blog is and the many ways a blog can be used. I show off a number of blogs, some of them Blogger-based, others not. I wanted folks to get a full sense of not only what blogs are but how people are putting them to work not only as personal forums, but so much more: Community-oriented, business-centric, and as we saw in the recent election, political blogging.
See: What's A Blog, Really?
BIZ: This disc is great people. You should check it out. Thanks Molly.MOLLY: Biz, you and Blogger are exceptionally supportive and I want to thank you for the great work you and your colleagues have done and continue to do as the years pass.
BIZ: Thank you Molly!
Molly E. Holzschlag is an author, instructor, and Web designer deemed one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women on the Web
Biz Stone works at Google on Blogger and writes books about blogging.
Published: Monday, December 06, 2004, 10:21