Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198093
Blogging.2:3 8/22/08 7:01 PM Page 20 Check the sidebars for tips on Blogs will never replace the nuts and bolts about my Vietnam-era experigetting started and why you of traditional organizing, but they can be a ences with the draft. Making the list was a thrill—a taste of fame I should blog. But maybe the best way to multiply and extend our power. keep trying to repeat, but haven't reason of all is not on the list: the excitement of getting positive feedback from others and knowing people yet. The challenge is part of what keeps me going back for more. I care about what you have to say. Most of the big blogs keep a list of "recommended" diaries—posts that have been singled out by readers for David Welch is a cardiac rehabilitation RN at Enloe Medical Center who their quality. The first time I made that list on Dailykos was with a diary often blogs under the screen name "Chico David RN." Top 10 reasons for you to be blogging [1] It's interesting and fun. [2] It exposes you to new ideas. [3] It lets other people hear your thoughts. [4] Healthcare is a huge issue in this country, and who knows more about it than nurses? [5] It sharpens your writing skills. [6] It thickens your skin a bit. Some people will disagree with you and criticize your thoughts—and you learn that's okay. [7] You can help promote your union and strengthen our cause without getting sore feet on a picket line or a hoarse voice chanting slogans. [8] You can do it from home—no gas costs. [9] You get to share ideas with people all over the world. Everyone with a computer is as close as your keyboard. [10] You may discover hidden talents. Main sites to visit www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/blog Our very own site, all devoted to the fight for real health security for all Americans. It's still young so traffic is not that heavy yet, so all the better opportunity to get noticed. Its format and features are similar to the bigger and better-known blogs, so it's an easy place to test the waters. Register, get yourself a user name, and go to it. www.allnurses.com This one is really a bulletin board, though it shares some features with blogs. It includes discussions of every kind of nursing topic and issue you could think of, from clinical questions to ethical and political debates. Be sure to read the terms of service. They have fairly tight rules and you 20 REGISTERED NURSE don't want to get banned. I spend most of my time in the forums, especially those on collective bargaining and healthcare activism. www.dailykos.com Big and busy political blog written from a very liberal perspective and with a pretty brash tone. So much good writing gets posted here. It's mostly about electoral politics, but there are enthusiastic posters on science topics, healthcare, labor, and other subjects. The comment threads can get very interesting and very intense. www.pnhp.org/blog Physicians for a National Health Program have been longtime fighters for a better healthcare system for all Americans. Its blog is heavy on studies and policy, but also includes some lively discussion. The parent site also has some great info. How to get started So you want to dive in. I'll assume you have a computer, have been to a website or two, and send e-mail now and then. If you are more techie than that, some of this might be redundant for you. Let's use CNA/NNOC's healthcare blog as an example. Go to the website www.guaranteed healthcare.org. You can also go to the main CNA/NNOC website at calnurses.org and click on the Guaranteed Healthcare button. You should see a main page with a "blog" tab in the top center. Click it. It's your first time here, so before you can post content, you need to register. Click on the word "register" in the right-most column. Pick a screen name and a password. You can use your real name as a screen name or some other nickname if you wish. Pick a password you won't forget. When you've filled it all in, click on "create new account." That's it! Now you too can post on the blog. Go back to the blog page. In the middle section, you'll see a series of stories or "posts." W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G Find and read a post that intrigues you. You can either click on the headline or "read more" to see the full post. Feel like you want to respond to the post? Read something you want to argue with? Or maybe you're just impressed and want to compliment the writer on the piece. At the bottom of each post, you'll find you can "add new comment." Click it. Now you'll see the original story again, but below it is a box headed "reply." In the box you'll see a comment window and a smaller field above it labeled "subject." What you type in the subject line will serve as a headline for your comment. Next, type your comment in the box. Once you're done, click the button below the box that says "preview." Click it and you'll see how your comment will look in finished form. I always proof mine at this stage; it seems easier to spot the typos in this form. Once you've made all the changes you want to make, you can hit preview again for one last look, and then hit "post comment," and you're done. Sometimes you'll want to respond to someone else's comment. In that case, just click on "reply" at the end of the comment and go through the same process. Now comes the fun part. Visit the site later to see if others have responded to your comment. This can lead to dialogue that can be fun and entertaining. Soon you may get really hooked and want to start posting your own original diaries. Just click "create content" in the right-most column of the main blog page and follow the prompts. It's not very different from posting comments. By the time you've posted a few comments and gotten your feet wet, it'll all come naturally. Blog away and have fun. I warn you though—it can get addictive. —d.w. J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 0 8