Wordpress-for-Scholarship Demo at DMAC

Wordpress as a tool for scholarly textual production.

Ryan TraumanDigital Media and Composition

Institute, 2011

What is Wordpress?

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform• Evolved into a content management system

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform• Evolved into a content management system• Other content management systems

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform• Evolved into a content management system• Other content management systems– Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal)

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform• Evolved into a content management system• Other content management systems– Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal)– Course management (Blackboard, Angel)

What is Wordpress?

• Originally designed as a blogging platform• Evolved into a content management system• Other content management systems– Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal)– Course management (Blackboard, Angel)– General (Drupal, Moodle)

What’s under the hood?

What’s under the hood?

What’s under the hood?

Content (posts, media,

etc)

What’s under the hood?

Content (posts, media,

etc)

Theme (layout, fonts)

What’s under the hood?

Content (posts, media,

etc)

Theme (layout, fonts)

Plugins/Widgets

What’s under the hood?

Content (posts,

media, etc)

Theme (layout, fonts)

Wordpress Platform

Plugins/Widgets

But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

• Yes and No

But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

• Yes and No– peer-review

But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

• Yes and No– peer-review– durability

But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

• Yes and No– peer-review– durability– formality

So, what’s a blog?

So, what’s a blog?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice

So, what’s a blog?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice– Regular updates

So, what’s a blog?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice– Regular updates– Informal, conversational tone

So, what’s a blog?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice– Regular updates– Informal, conversational tone– Comments, discussion

So, how is Wordpress scholarly?

So, how is Wordpress scholarly?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice• “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a

textual conventions and editing processes

So, how is Wordpress scholarly?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice• “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a

textual conventions and editing processes– Regular updates– Durable, no updates

So, how is Wordpress scholarly?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice• “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a

textual conventions and editing processes– Regular updates– Durable, no updates– Informal, conversational tone– Formal, academic tone

So, how is Wordpress scholarly?

• “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice• “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a

textual conventions and editing processes– Regular updates– Durable, no updates– Informal, conversational tone– Formal, academic tone– Comments, discussion– Response happens outside the text

Types of Content

• Alphabetic text• Pictures• Video• Audio• PDFs• PowerPoint or slides• (or Combinations)

How far you wanna take this?

Wordpress.com• “Apple model” - limited• Free• Quick to start• No coding necessary• Templates• Modular• Large, generous community• Range of tutorial modes

Self-hosted WP Installation• Highly customizable• Free, but…• One-click installs• More themes• More plugins/widgets• “Gateway” code

– CSS (HTML)– PHP– Javascript

So let’s make a blog!

(Actually, you’re going to watch me make one.)

Here’s the plan…

• Gather, organize content elements• Sign up for a Wordpress.com account & blog• Working Title• Create alphabetic-texts, links, pages• Choose a theme• Organize some widgets• Embed: Pictures, Videos, Quotations

Come on, gang! Let’s go to Wordpress.com!

(read: tongue-in-cheek)