What Makes for a Good Blog?

The things that most people would think of, such as credibility, consistency, accuracy, timeliness, reason, and usefulness of content. Believability would rank high.

I think of deciding “good” for a blog as being the same as for most anything else. In effect, blogs must attract customers. "Good" would be based on the same kind of consumer reasoning that goes into repeat purchases of a commercial item or repeat visits to a business.

Referrals would be a good indicator as well. Word-of-mouth, or mentions in other places, whether on the Internet, in other media, or from people. Links on blogrolls would be another – a link is a vote of confidence.

Two Contrasting Purposes for a Blog

Two contrasting blogsites in terms of finding content that is a basis for public debate:

One is from Greenpeace http://weblog.greenpeace.org/. The site obviously exists to disseminate Greenpeace’s views on current events. Whatever Greenpeace’s views might be, the site is a jumping-off point for discussion of issues.

The other is from the World Bank’s InfoShop http://worldbankinfoshop.blogspot.com/, the public information outlet of the World Bank. While existing as a blog, the site is little more than one more outlet to advertise World Bank information products. It does not seem to serve the purpose of what a blog might be in terms of expressing views and creating a platform for comment and discussion.

A Blog that Stays, and a One-Shot Deal

In looking at international topics, a blog with a really interesting topic, and with follow-through, is My Heart’s in Accra http://ethanzuckerman.com/blog/. This is a site dealing with a range of ideas and issues, that has been maintained, in scope of content and in continuity, over time.

A disappointment is World Bank Watch: A Blogsite for Critical Research on International Financial Institutions http://worldbankwatch.blogspot.com/. This is a blog with a topic that is both relevant and intriguing. But it is a one-shot deal – one post and nothing since.

Information and Going to Jail

An significant moment for pause comes from the site Journalism and Mexican politics http://barrientes.wordpress.com/ -- the idea of journalists going to jail.

For a journalist in the United States, the threat of jail, at worst, would come from something like refusing to reveal a source.

In many other countries, the threat jail is an everyday part of the job. And it could be much worse. In many parts of the world, the threat of physical harm and death also are an everyday part of the job.

These should be some sobering thoughts, as we casually surf through the world’s press on the Internet, and take for granted how easily news and information comes.

Comments and Trackbacks

In looking at weblogs that relate to aspects of international development, there is an interesting contrast between blogs that generate comments and trackbacks, and those that do not.

In the list of blogs included on this site, it is worth noting that the site for CIVICUS http://civicus.civiblog.org/ generates a few comments, and a number of trackbacks.

This compares with the site for Center for Global Development http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/, which generates few comments, and virtually no trackbacks.

I’m not sure whether this is a reflection of a “better” blog. Or perhaps a reflection of blogs with different purposes – a site designed to facilitate dialogue or idea exchange, compared, for example, with a site designed to disseminate information.

Building a Blogroll

A basic aspect of developing a blogroll is the quality of the blogs that are linked.

Linking to a blog basically is an endorsement and vote of confidence in that blog. Its point of view and content, as well as its accuracy, timeliness, fairness and overall quality.

What I link to reflects on my blog – and me. It’s a reflection of my judgment.

The consideration that goes into developing a blogroll and putting it on a site perhaps is just as important as the main content of the site.

Blogs and The Editor

Connected with blogging and journalism, a topic from Blogging Into the Future http://bloggingintothefuture.wordpress.com/, an interesting idea was raised recently by Chris Matthews, from MSNBC, a former newspaper person, now a broadcaster.

The topic is The Editor. Matthews’ point was that in most of mainstream journalism, print, broadcast, whatever, there is an editor who checks a journalist’s work before it goes out. That includes not only spelling and grammar, but also facts and accuracy.

Maybe the absence of an editor is something to think about when reading topical blogs.

What Civil Society Sites Are About

Many important and valuable views exist within civil society, and many websites have been created to reflect the related positions and interests. Some sites exist as resource centers, some address topics and causes, some promote political orientations. Some are advocacy-oriented, some work toward coordination and cooperation. Some are created by civil society organizations, some by government agencies or international bodies, some by academic institutions.

Civil society is large and diverse, and the number of civil society websites that exist reflect civil society's scope and reach.

Internet technology allows any interested party to become a publisher and an advocate. Searching websites also involves figuring out what a site is about and its creator.

Listings of Civil Society Resources

A number of websites exist to serve as a resource for development of civil society through extensive listings of civil-society related information. A very good one is Directory of Development Organizations: A Resource Guide to Development Organizations and the Internet http://www.devdir.org/. The Directory lists more that 51,000 development organizations and works toward information sharing and cooperation among civil society organizations, research institutions, governments and the private sector.

The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status With the United Nations http://www.ngocongo.org/ is an extensive listing of civil society organizations and resources, but only those within the United Nations system -- a limited universe of organizations, working in a rigid system.

Nation Building and Communication

An important point from the site Write for Freedom http://africanfreepress.blogspot.com/ is the idea that for Americans, freedom of the press, and of other expression, is a given. A free press and other freedoms to communicate were central in establishing the American nation.

Many countries take as a part of life free and open media such as the Internet and the information reach it offers as a part of life; in some other countries, simply expressing a contrary opinion in public can be dangerous. A number of countries in Africa are struggling with nation-building, yet do not have basic freedoms to communicate and exchange ideas that lead to nation-building.

World Bank Private Sector Development and Blogging

An interesting blog I encountered is the World Bank’s Private Sector Development Blog http://psdblog.worldbank.org/. The Private Sector Development Blog (PSD Blog) gathers together news, resources and ideas about the role of private enterprise in fighting poverty. The blog is informal and represents the quirks and opinions of the bloggers, not the official views of the World Bank group.

Private sector development and fighting poverty does not seem to me to be a particularly fertile topic for blogging. I note that many of the posts have not generated comments.

Blogging technology makes for easy blog creation. The subject matter, and whether an active blog is created, is another matter.

International Development Agencies and Information and Communication for Development

In exploring issues of information and communication in international development from the perspective of international development agencies, the World Bank’s site for the infoDev initiative is a good place to start. infoDev was created as a partnership of international development agencies, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat housed at the World Bank, one of its key donors and founders. It acts as a neutral convener of dialogue, and as a coordinator of joint action among bilateral and multilateral donors —supporting global sharing of information on ICT for development (ICT4D), and helping to reduce duplication of efforts and investments. http://www.infodev.org/en/index.html

An international development agency not as useful is the Asian Development Bank. The ADB has not focused significantly on the relationship between information and communication and development, and has not recognized it as a priority area.
http://www.adb.org/