Talking Blogs n' Wikis at the VPL

A forum about blogs and wikis is going down at the VPL this Thursday (January 26, 2006).

So you compulsively read Beyond Robson each day and often a) marvel at the staggering talent of all the writers, and b) are in awe of the technologies that work behind the scenes to keep the weblog working, running and sexy 24/7. I've been blogging for a few years now but Beyond Robson counts as my first experience collaborating with other writers on a single blog...

As amazing as it is, there ARE other blogs out there besides Beyond Robson. Ever since weblogs replaced crappy, blinking GeoCities websites as the self-publishing medium of choice, the Internet has exploded with blogs ranging in quality from angst-ridden teen diaries to high-traffic independent news zines. Thanks in no small part to companies like Blogger, which provide near idiot-proof publishing tools to the masses, anyone can have a voice. Sure the odds of someone hearing your voice among the several million other voices (blogs) out there are next to nil, the fact remains you can do it and it takes about 4 minutes to create a basic, vanilla blog.

So what's next for the "blogosphere"? Is the profession of journalism going the way of the platypus? Will advances in software engineering further democratize the creation and distribution of content over the World Wide Web? Well don't let me insert open-ended questions into your head. Explore these important blogological issues and more this
Thursday at the Vancouver Public Library's forum, The Changing World of Information series: Blogs and Wikis.

The discussion, held in the Alice Mackay Room (lower level), is being co-hosted by Brian Lam, Project Coordinator with the Office of Learning Technology at UBC and Mark Schneider, a veteran journalist with a Gemini and 25 years of experience under his belt. Schneider is also one of the earliest reporters to embrace the convergence of digital technology and journalism. I fully expect this dynamic duo to give forum attendees a potent 1-2 punch and a glimpse into the future of blogs and wikis (collaborative writing on the Web).

This event is sponsored by eBusiness Applications and is free of charge.

What:
The Changing World of Information series: Blogs and Wikis
Thursday, January 26, 2006, 7:00 PM

Where:
Vancouver Public Library (VPL), Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level
350 West Georgia Street
Vancouver , BC V6Z 1A1
604-331-3738