Criteria

Response

• Text -  I utilized this one simply as a text intro to the site due to the layout of the them. It presents a quick welcome message. I also used a 2nd Text Widget to link to my personal web site.
• Tag Cloud - I love the tag cloud, It provides a quick link to the various posts that can include a particular tag that has been assigned to various posts.
• Archives - I always find it useful when reviewing blogs to review archived topics. Always great references to older information that may still be of use.
• Links (Blogroll) - I selected this one entirely from an SEO perspective. This is one of the many SEO tools to increase page rankings on such search engines as Google & Technorati. 

Thoughts/Reactions

about using a moderated

Blog versus an Invited Reader

Blog. (After Week 7)

In reaction to moderated vs. invited users, it is difficult to contrast the too they don't completely oppose one another. To moderate a blog is to simply determine whethere people are allowed to comment, and post their comments immediately, whereas an invited blog seems to me to be nothing more than allowing folks to submit content.

I like the ability to maintain control over my own work. If someone is posting something negative on your site, and the site is a revenue generator, then obviously moderation becomes key. However, there are a number of positive incentives to posting discord from various others. It could result in a very educational debate upon a specific topic, or even possibly educate the blogger about some new information that has been recently released about a specific topic. This, in turn, could result in a changed opinion from one of many leaders of a specific topic. The invited blog just doesn't seem to provide anything to the blog other than to possibly give others the ability to possible post argumentative articles on the site, which may in actuality be its purpose, "to view opposing sides."

With the moderated blog, however, there is the propensity for someone to interject nothing more than vicious dissent towards a blogger in an attempt to nullify his or her credentials, simply out of spite. This is where the moderated blog shines. Any person who values healthy debate should be able to distinguish between these types of comments, and maintain a healthy blog by posting a majority of the comments.

I believe it really comes down to context, personal choice, and possibly legalities. A blog dedicated to an extremely controversial topic such as teen abortion is a good candidate for moderation and possibly even invited guests to provide their alternating views on the topic/s at hand, however, a blog dedicated simply someone who blogs about things that happen in his or her own life, is probably less likely to receive and defamatory content and really isn't in any position to need moderation. The latter type of site could also be construed as a choice as well. A small business site for a local fisherman might be a good choice as a moderated blog due to the possibility of someone trying to bad-mouth the fisherman because he uses live bait rather than artificial. Finally, we must realize that there will be some situations that may call for moderation due to legal obligations to a company or the public.

Lastly the issue of spam is no longer limited to e-mails only. Spam has now emerged in the blogging realm. My only question now is, "What triggers it?" I have two blogs right now that I admin, first is the optimize.Me blog for this course, and the second is one for Captain Dusty Powers. I started both blogs around the same time. I've received spam comments on Dusty's blog, but not on my class blog. I have not had the opportunity to determine what exactly triggered the spam posts. In either case, I am glad to have moderation set on both. This will reduce the opportunity for posts that are unrelated to the content.