Thoughts on ease, interface, and blogging (posted to techrhet

Something that I rattled off on Techrhet....

I agree with Nick that ease is a huge thing (even though it may be a small part of it) I think that in terms of the interface/set up/design/capabilities we have to consider the fact that bloggers can easily post from email, web interfaces, blogger applications, cell phones, etc. They can blog whenever and whatever they please and they can do it all without having to know one stitch of html.

For me, blogs offer more in terms of public discourse than static/stagnant web pages because they allow dialogue between bloggers in a community blog, via linking (which can be done more difficulty with static pages), and through the commenting function which allows conversations to go on between bloggers and anyone else who happens by. Comments are more interesting to me than guest books and email because they are public and because they are attached directly to the post.

Email doesn't allow me to see everything on one page, I have to click through a series of emails while blog posts are all in one spot. With my bloggers I see that they actually write more and rethink things and write again as they engage in discussion with other bloggers and with those who happen by. File swapping is just too closed for my taste. Things like WebCT, Blackboard, et al feel too much like knowledge being created and maintained in a vacuum. I like the idea of being able to put ideas out for all to see. I think it really gives students the chance to see rhetoric in action. They are called to task for their words, they learn from it, grow from, and (I think) become better writers because of it.

I think that touches upon ease and interface for me :-)