Philatelic Blogging

Allen Bohart, Compulatelist

Blogging is a phenomenon that has taken the Internet by storm in the last couple of years. Blogs have had an effect on traditional news media, the business world, and even governmental organizations. Now, we stamp collectors have an opportunity to affect the world of philately through this new medium called the blog.

What is a blog, you may wonder? The word blog is short for web log, and basically describes an online journal. The person who maintains the journal is a blogger and when he is adding to the journal he is blogging.

Philatelic blogging, therefore, would be maintaining an online journal about philately or philatelic activities. As some of you may already know, and the rest of you are about to find out, I maintain a philatelic blog at www.philatelictidbits.com.

Author’s Philatelic Tidbits blog.

Usually, I submit new material to the blog every weekday and sometimes on the weekend if the mood strikes me. The focus of my blog is philatelic news in the mainstream media and new issues stories. Occasionally, I will voice an opinion or two about some hot topic in the philatelic world as well.

That is the beauty of a blog: The blogger has the ultimate control of what content to put on the site. There are several philatelic blogs around the Internet and each has a slightly different approach in it’s content. Some blogs are focused on the blogger’s personal philatelic endeavors, some are focused on a particular specialty, and some just report news. In all instances, however, a blog is a creative outlet for the person who maintains it, and is usually a labor of love.

The primary purpose of this article is to explain how one goes about setting up a blog, if one so wishes. There are a couple of approaches to creating a blog, and the choice is largely dependent on the individual’s technical skills and level of desire to control the content and feel of the blog. Another consideration is the amount of money one wishes to dedicate to this blogging endeavor.

The first approach to building a blog is to use one of the free sites available out there on the Internet. Some examples of these sites are blogspot.com, blogger.com, and blogwise.com.

All of these sites offer template-based site builder’s that can literally get you set up and running in a matter of minutes. These sites require no web design skills whatsoever, and allows the user to concentrate on putting out content without worrying about the technical details.

There are limitations, however, to the cookie-cutter (as I call them) blog sites. One major limitation is the URL you are forced to use when utilizing one of these sites. A prime example of this type of blog can be found at parkinlot.blogspot.com. This is a site set up and maintained by Bob Parkin. Now wouldn’t it be much easier to locate and remember if it had a URL like www.parkinlot.com?

Another limitation to these types of blogs is that the user is forced to use the color schemes and layouts offered by the blogging site. There is usually some customization allowed, but it is very limited, and, in my opinion, very limiting.

I originally set up Philatelic Tidbits on blogspot.com. Adding text to your blog is easy as creating an e-mail but within a couple of days I became very frustrated with it and moved on to bigger and better things.

Anyone who wishes to set up a blog and would like some assistance or advice should feel free to contact me at allen.bohart@gmail.com

Structure and Content

Fran Adams

Structure is good, but without logically aranged content, it’s nothing.

Level 1 – ‘Splash’ (Title) Page

The ‘splash’ page of the study is at the apex of the pyramid, the main entry point for the study. A ‘splash’ page is exactly that – you want to make a memorable first impression. A good first impression utilizes a clean design where the subject is immediately recognizable. You do not have to incorporate the latest technological innovations to make it a good experience.

The judicious use of graphics, a prominent title, perhaps a subtitle as well as the purpose and objective of the study is what we’re aiming for. At the bottom of the page, include a footer area with a copyright notice and a version number or revision date. More information could be added, but the goal is to keep it simple and attractive. The viewer should look at the ‘splash’ page and be intrigued enough to want to see what follows.

Level 2 – Introduction and Table of Contents

A more complete introduction than is found on the ‘splash’ page is an important item on my personal list. This is the answer to the title page teaser and should make viewers hungry for the remaining pages by giving them the complete storyline in short-form. That’s not to say your entire story should appear on this page, but a detailed overview of the study is appropriate.

Some exhibitors may not agree with this view, but keep in mind that this is not a philatelic exhibit. It’s a digital study and therefore needs more depth than can be afforded in the exhibit frame simply because it presents depth in the subject and is not restricted by physical boundaries.

A table of contents or index is important somewhere in the study and you may have both. I personally like both as it increases the viewer’s ability to find information quickly. A table of contents consisting of bullet points and a few words describing each bullet point is informative and short. It can be constructed by selecting several of the ordered ideas from your notebook exercise. Produce the bullet points by synthesizing each main idea into a word or two, essentially section headings. An index can be included in Level 4.

Level 3 – Philatelic Content

The main philatelic content should follow the introduction and table of contents. Go directly to the substance of the study and give the viewer what they came to see.

What, besides stamps, should you include in your study?

It depends on the type of study, but in general, these are philatelic items you own or aspire to. You can scan your materials and ask if owners of other materials might also provide you with scans. Everyone enjoys having their efforts recognized, so ensuring that owners are recognized as study contributors is key to obtaining cooperation. DO NOT renege on your part of the deal! If anything, give them more credit than they’re due…

My digital reference includes all types of philatelic materials, exhibit pages, checklists, maps, illustrations, descriptive texts, historical documents, postal regulations, etc. Anything you deem appropriate can be used as this is your dream, just remain aware of copyright restrictions.

Be comprehensive by including materials directly associated with the subject. It’s a good practice as it strengthens the study. Correctly and logically arrange the material and allow the focus pieces on a page to shine by not overcrowding them.

A catalog type study is a reasonable place to start and it may actually help you in the beginning. As you develop however, keep your focus! Don’t allow ‘scope creep’ to expand your initial idea beyond your goal, diluting your project so it’s only a “Jumble of Stuff on the Subject of…” When in doubt, leave it out (or consider including it in level 4 as appropriate).

Level 4 – Supporting Information

Below the main philatelic material content is the supporting information section. Support information consists of items such as philatelic articles on the subject, historical and social background information, book and magazine references, a glossary of terms used, short biographies of important people or information on institutions associated with the subject, a bibliography, author credits, contact information, awards won, internet links, administrative information including ‘legal beagle’ notices and a ‘help’ page explaining how to use the study. The list goes on and on depending on your study’s intended purpose.

You’ve read references watched slide shows and listened to experts and collectors present their knowledge during seminars at meetings and shows. You’ve formed a library of books, magazine and newspaper clippings, photocopies and notes. How much time did you spend digging out those references? How difficult was it to find them once you knew they existed? How long does it take to find that little nugget of information you need right NOW in that library?

Including references in your digital study provides solid bedrock for it. Future specialists in your field will appreciate your efforts even if they don’t know you. After all, we’re only caretakers of this material and improving the state of the art is a duty as well as a joy in our hobby.

Structure and Organization

Fran Adams

After a successful week of note taking, let’s organize your dream. You do not have to, nor should you, immediately execute every minute detail you’ve written down.

The Main Ideas

Review your notes and pick out perhaps four or five main ideas and list them in an outline fashion. You should end up with a list of ideas that describe your chosen study in general terms which seem to flow from beginning to end. That’s your storyline.

Build this outline at a high level as it covers the entire study. A valuable tool in evaluating which general ideas should be included is to ask “Why?” Why is this idea so important it should be one of the four? Can it be combined with another into a more general category?

Occasionally, you might wish to include a particularly good idea, but it just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. Put it aside. Over time, the place for that idea will become evident, and it can be worked into the fabric of the study with less effort. This is a work in progress.

What We Have

This initial planning exercise has resulted in a draft outline of your storyline. The remaining notes concerning colors, style, etc. will be used in our next steps, so keep them handy. We now build a four-level pyramid that incorporates your outline, materials, knowledge, labor and perspective. You may construct a pyramid with fewer or more levels – this exercise will use four.

Pyramid structure with four levels.

A four-level pyramid is the basic digital study structure and should remain flexible enough to accommodate the addition of items at each level. As you add content or points of interest, you’ll find your overall storyline WILL change, so don’t lock yourself into a specific concept.

Watch for opportunities to expand each level with new points of interest, material and knowledge (remember those ideas that didn’t fit before?) This is a dynamic process and it will become more refined as it is implemented.

What comes next?

Digging into the pyramid structure, the subject of our next article.