Traits+of+Quality+Blogs

(Note: This rubric is aimed at students on the secondary/high school/college level. Feel free to adapt it for younger years. It would be great if we could assemble a continuum of rubrics for the younger years that vertically align with this one!

Please suggest improvements on this page's discussion tab. Started by [|Clay Burell] on 22 Oct 2007.)

Since blogging is not just writing, but is //connective self-publishing//, there's more to it than just writing well.

Here are some traits to consider when you look at your own, and others', blogs:

__Authority__ || No authority (if new, this is okay) || Only authority is in blogrolls, not posts || A few reactions discuss the ideas of the blog || Most reactions discuss the ideas of the blog || and __Conversations__ || No comments || Few comments, and/or comments are unanswered (no living conversation in the comments about ideas in the post) || Some posts have multiple commenters, comments have substance, blogger carries conversation further || Many posts have multiple comments with substance, quickly moderated and replied to by the blogger. || __Frequency__ || Posts less than once a week || Posts once or twice a week || Posts 3 or 4 times a week || Posts 5 or more times a week: this person is a writer! || __Whole Blog__: (theme, color, header, and layout) || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Blog Posts:__ image size and placement, originality and ideas, text formatting, font size, link visibility) || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Identity__: Blog Title, Tagline, Blogroll, and About page give identity, attractiveness, and “brand” to blog (hint: embed your Bloglines public subscriptions in a text sidebar widget) || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Writing__: Post ideas are interesting, have style, economy, maturity, voice, individuality, polish: we learn as we enjoy || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Connectedness__: Posts link to, judiciously quote, and extend (challenge, qualify, or extend) ideas of other online writers || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Invitational__: Posts invite readers into conversations with questions and other openings || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || __Organization__: Posts are tagged with categories, categories are in sidebar, Technorati tags are in posts also || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: || Critique: ||
 * || Low Quality || Average || Above Average || Masterful ||
 * Technorati
 * Comments
 * Writing
 * Visual Design 1:
 * Visual Design 2:
 * Content 1:
 * Content 2:
 * Content 3:
 * Content 4:
 * Content 5: