Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Figuring out No. 4

HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — In this week’s assignment, I'm asking that you create a widget “with a list of at least three Web site links that relate to your topic that readers would find useful.”

So, today my plan is to build that link list for this site (See Must See Links on right).

Why is this important? There are two reasons. One, readers always appreciate an stable place of useful links, so I plan to include links to the AP stylebook, Yourdictionary.com and a free stock photo Web site (always useful to those of us seeking art — see notebook right). Second, you might have a favorite Web site that you plan on aggregating (collecting) news about your site and readers appreciate links to those places.

But here's where it gets a little complicated. Now, my topic is online journalism and we know I already visit Poynter’s E-Media Tidbits. But is that a Web site or a blog? Does it matter? Yes, it does. In the blog widget (which I'll be requiring people to create later), it includes an option for an update feed, which readers and you as a blog publisher might find useful. 

Because E-Media Tidbits is actually a blog, I'll wait for the blog roll for that one (I get e-mail updates already, anyway).

So, what do you think of my list? Any suggestions to add or subtract? Remember, you could earn EC points.

(Photo above right courtesy of SXC)