DITA module 01

Web logs and Introduction,

DITA by definitions,

Digital - This is data in a numeric form which can then be processed by a computer.

Information - 'Knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction etc.' is how information is defined in dictionary.com. (ref: dictionary)

Technology - This is defined well in the Oxford English Dictionary as 'the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes'. (ref: oxford)

Architecture - This is the space which allows for the use of technology to pass on information, whether in the real world ie the university building or a blog on the web.

This introductory module primarily shows us there is more than one way to skin a cat. Different options will work best in different situations and on different platforms.

Choice of Weblog,

The following were my initial reactions to three versions of web logs;
Blogger - This appeared to have the most professional looking web page and is well known. The instructions for setup being clear and the setup page not being over complicated, not trying to sell itself.
Live journal - This also looked professional, but the initial page not as clearly arranged as blogger.
Dairyland - This looked more like a work in progress. The welcome page, as well as giving you the chance to set up an account, was also trying to sell the site with references to very specific groups you could belong to. This made it look messy.

Setup and user experience with Blogger.com

The setup was easy, but when it came to altering the layout, I managed to keep an unsaved version open, which resulted in me having to remove the cookies and history.
I went for a layout with a white background, easier for printing. I checked whether Microsoft Clipart was copyrighted, decided it was and hence mentioned it below the picture. (ref: microsoft) All posting are given the same label DITA-2009.
I found that editing and adding new blogs was easy.
The blog site allows the recording of data in real time and sharing of the information with others. It also allows for the easy removing of unwanted postings.