A Friend's Blog

A friend of mine has been working on a couple of blogs and podcasts for some time. He is actually pretty good at the podcasting. He has all the necessary equipment and the knowledge to make it work. His challenge has been two fold. First, some of the relationships he has fostered for his podcasting and blogging have not born fruit. Second, frustration matched with restrictions on his time have made his endeavor very difficult.

I too attempted to start my own blog and podcast last year, but didn't have good relationships with anyone of note that could help and I too lacked the necessary free time. Actually, I lacked the enthusiasm. I had a plan though.

Of late I have offered that plan to him with the hopes those designs may aid him in his endeavors better than they did in my aborted attempts. They are by no means special or even that specific, but they are building blocks based on what I've seen of others and what may be the cornerstone of their success.

I may provide my friend with more substsintial assistance, if he asks; but even if I don't I know my plans will have seen some fruit. I also know that I have helped a friend. If I'm allowed to participate in the production then I'm sure I will enjoy doing so.

If I do, I will post the results here.

Teenage Blogs - Right or priviledge Schools Can Take Away

This is a very interesting Wall Street Journal article about how schools are dealing with the quickly increasing number of students that keep online "blogs" or personal web-sites. On these sites they may talk about fellow students, teachers, administrators or their school in general. As one might suspect some of the postings can have the harsh and possibly rash tone that young people are well known to possess at times. People most definitely mellow with age and experience and schools have since the beginning of education had to learn how to deal with young adults becoming increasingly vocal in their views.

At school there are no second guess that the students can't just say anything they like at anytime they want, the rules become less obvious once the student walks out of the hallowed halls of their educational institution. The question of the day for schools is simple Do they punish a student who posts to a public website via directing posting (as I do here) or through comments on another website, statements that are hurtful, vulgar, offensive or harmful about other students, teachers and so on?

This question is not just one for schools, parents and students but also for the courts. It's a legal question that seems to be dancing all over the legal landscape. Some courts are allowing schools to punish students for off-campus postings, while other courts are awarding damages to students that were punished. The level of vulgarity is less of an issue it seems in these decisions, and more of the rights of schools to protect their charges and staff compared to the rights of the individual, visa-a-vie the first amendment.

My step-daughter to be keeps a personal blog on Myspace as well as one I created for her, so this is a concern for me before I even get to the meat of the issue which is, does she use the site to blast fellow students or her teachers.

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has posted a FAQ for students on this very issue. The FAQ, which is interesting reading, is available at their website at:

http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-students.php