Please review each numbered item carefully. If what I describe matches (a) problem area(-s) in your portfolio, please take whatever steps are necessary to fix your portfolio immediately. Then explain in comments on this post what you've done to fix the problems, and give item numbers for reference (I'll do number 0. - 1. as examples).
From now till exam time, return frequently to this post to see whether I've listed additional faults, or your classmates have made new suggestions for fixing those faults in comments on this post.
Portfolio Faults to Fix ASAP
0. Of absolute importance!
0.1. Portfolios are invisible to visitors, or
0.2. Comments become invisible to visitors.
(see: Comments for fixes).
- Clippings from the portfolio template (Writing Studio Blog, Writing IIIc: Portfolio; July 6, 2007) include too much, namely: comment and label links from the foot of my blog post:
- If you have included that part of my template post in your portfolio, those links may lead reviewers and visitors away from your blog.
- Portfolio posts for this (1st) semester lack titles, are not separate entries from proto-portfolios, or are incorrectly entitled, for example, "Proto-portfolio (2)."
- These collections of your work aren't (or shouldn't be) "proto-" any more.
- Sections 1. (Essays), 2. (Comments), and 4. (Book Reviews) include URLs for blog posts, instead of reader-friendly links.
- Long URLs don't fit in table cells, or stretch table cells so far that the tables themselves don't fit in blog layouts.
- Clippings from the portfolio template [2] (Writing Studio Blog, Writing IIIc: Portfolio; July 6, 2007) include too little from the beginning of the template; they don't include a your four digit ID numbers in the upper right corner:
- Titles of blog posts in portfolio sections 1., 2. and 4., if copied (Ctrl+C) and pasted (Ctrl+V) from original posts, reproduce spelling and punctuation faults in the original titles; or if retyped, rather than copied and pasted, introduce new spelling and punctuation faults to the titles.
- Blog archives are not at the top of blog sidebars, are not organized by week, do not show week ending dates, or do not show the titles of blog posts.
- Once reviewers or visitors arrive at your blog (via links in your portfolio), a blog archive with titles displayed is one of the most powerful navigation tools that you can make available.
- For instructors and yourselves, weekly displays show patterns of blogging activity that you can focus on in sections six and seven of your portfolio.
- Labels displayed in blog sidebars do not include "essays" (plural), the label "essays" is misspelled or you've labeled other kinds of shorter, less developed posts as "essays."
- Precise labels, like blog archives, are among the most powerful navigation tools that you can make available to blog reviewers and visitors.
- Labels are not single words, and comprehensive of many similar posts, for example, "books," "music," "portfolios" & "reviews."
- Book review titles, numbers & subtitles are inaccurate or incomplete on blog entries, or not shortened for portfolio listings (§ 4.1.).
- Typing Speed Trials (§ 3.3.) missing average speeds or (up-)dates for three latest trials.
- ...
0. To make portfolios visible to visitors, use the PUBLISH POST button, instead of saving your portfolio as a draft.
ReplyDelete1. To prevent visitors from getting side-tracked to Writing Studio Blog labels and comments, trim the end of your copy of the portfolio template back to section seven:
ReplyDelete... [continuation from §§ 1. - 6.]
7.0. Suggestions for your peers and successors:
* ... [end of clipping]
Your portfolio should conclude with your suggestions for peers and successors, immediately followed by label and comment links for your blog.
To follow up on a serious blog fault manifested recently, I've just expanded section 0. of this post (Of abolute importance!) to include two (2) subsections:
ReplyDelete1) The first comment above: 0. To make portfolios visible (July 19, 04:06:00 PM), now applies specifically to item 0.1. of the Common Faults post (was: 0. Portfolios are invisible).
2) The remainder of this comment rants about a fault pointed out time and time again. That is, comment moderation set to ON. Turn it OFF, please! Read on for details:
"Since comment moderation is again/still set to ON on your blog, comments that your peers and I post on your blog become invisible to all of us (unless or until you approve them). However, we don't have time to wait around for comment approval.
So please turn comment moderation on your blog OFF immediately! This May 23, 2007 post shows where to find the settings to do so: Comment Moderation (off, please)."
(personal correspondence, July 23, 2007).
With comment moderation on, it will be virtually impossible to take part in step one of the 1st semester exam.