Stack Exchange Community Blogs

Suresh Venkat

09:36

@RebeccaChernoff We've been discussing starting a community blog on cstheory - meta.cstheory.stackexchange.com/questions/1155/… - and there seems to be enough interest to go ahead. How should we proceed ?

Rebecca Chernoff

18:01

@SureshVenkat, there seems to be quite the focus on cross-posting. I see cross-posting on the blogs the same way I do cross-posting to SE sites.

Rebecca Chernoff

20:52

we're working on getting your blog instance up, the rest is up to y'all!

Hendrik Brummermann

21:05

:-(

We should have had something like area51 with people suggesting at least 10 topics for blog posts that are not copy&paste of answers.

Rebecca Chernoff

Is anything stopping you from starting a meta thread? (:

Hendrik Brummermann

Seems like it is too late already.

Rebecca Chernoff

err, we're setting up a blog for you, that doesn't mean all the blog posts are already written.

I'm not sure I understand your concern.

things are just in the middle of the natural progression of things

12

Q: Would we, as a security community, like a blog?

Stack Exchange is providing communities with blog functionality if there is demand and the enthusiasm to create and maintain a valuable blog. Discussion over here on Meta.SO Key points from @Rebecca: Here are some guidelines that I would expect to see from a community wanting a blog: Raise th...

"Would we, as a security community, like a blog?" << the answer to that seems to be "yes".

Rory Alsop

@HendrikBrummermann Never too late. Pop up a question on meta asking folks to respond with topics they either can write on or would like to read :-)

Hendrik Brummermann

3

A: Would we, as a security community, like a blog?

Sure a blog is cool. I am concerned that we don't find enough interesting topics so that we can do two postings a week for at least a month. Just copying existing questions and answers (perhaps rephrasing them) does not feel like an good approach to me.

Rebecca Chernoff

21:09

The implied next question would be "Will SE give us the resources for a community blog?" << the answer to this is "yes".

Rory Alsop

@HendrikBrummermann Oh - good question :-)

@RebeccaChernoff Excellent

Rebecca Chernoff

@HendrikBrummermann there were some other posts in there that mentioned scope

In this natural progression, move from the hypothetical to the concrete.

copying questions on the site is not the only thing proposed, and yes I fully agree that that by itself would not make for a great blog.

AviD

@RoryAlsop sorry, I missed what was @HendrikBrummermann's question? The concern about not having enough topics?

noone said it has to be twice a week, and since there should be several bloggers (+guests) it shouldnt work out to more than once a month, or maybe 3 every 2 months. Let them worry about it - unless you have suggestions.

Rebecca Chernoff

@KronoS, are you about?

KronoS

yep what's up? @RebeccaChernoff

AviD

21:15

my assumption is that even if the blog "fails", this would not have negative effects on this site. @RebeccaChernoff do you agree with that?

and, hello (:

Rebecca Chernoff

a couple sites are trying to move from the hypothetical "should we have a community blog" to the "ok, we're being set up, now what?" phase, and I was wondering if you might have any advice.

Talking to the security folk now

The DMZ

A serious place where infosec is discussed PS we don't do hard...

3

AviD

@RoryAlsop how was appseceu?

Rebecca Chernoff

(no worries if you're busy or don't have any advice, but figured I'd ask)

KronoS

lol I thought you meant blog security for a sec :P

No I'm fine with giving advice... my suggestions are this:

Rebecca Chernoff

yes, I'd like a blog post about security written, and I'd like it published 5 minutes ago, ok?

KronoS

21:18

1. There needs to be a consistant blogging setup... whether that's once a week, month or day doesn't matter (though every day really burns out writers)

@RebeccaChernoff yes mam! ;P

Thomas Pornin

@AviD I can contribute the occasional blog entry, if needed

Provided that I do not write the first one

Rebecca Chernoff

Stack Exchange Community Blogs

For anyone wanting to help or participate with the Stack Excha...

1

Thomas Pornin

I do not blog, generally; I find it much easier to answer an actual question

KronoS

2. There really needs to be someone in charge of the blog, a head of the blog. We were lucky to have two (me and @IvoFlipse) but if you don't have someone cracking that whip, then things won't get done

Rebecca Chernoff

KronoS, who has largely spear-headed the SU blog is in there giving some advice. (:

AviD

21:20

@ThomasPornin I get that. The blank page can be scary.

Thomas Pornin

Also, I will be on holiday in a few days, and holidays mean NO INTERNET WHATSOEVER

KronoS

3. As time goes on build up a hierarchy of sorts (Main editor--> Editors in Chief--> Writers)

4. Don't worry about views EVER! "If you blog it, they will come"

Ivo Flipse

@KronoS thank god things have improved slightly on Gaming, they published three posts last week without me having to crack any whips

AviD

@KronoS hmm not a bad idea ;)

Rebecca Chernoff

what about even earlier on in the process

KronoS

21:21

@IvoFlipse that's better than blog.SU... we took a huge turn for the worse while I was gone

Rebecca Chernoff

SU has defined categories of posts

Ivo Flipse

@ThomasPornin Funny, because a lot of question + answers with some more background information are just like blog posts

@RebeccaChernoff what do you mean by that?

Rebecca Chernoff

or alleviating worries that there isn't enough to write about

AviD

@IvoFlipse yeah, but the outline is already there. you're aiming for a specific target, not searching around hoping to arrive someplace...

KronoS

@RebeccaChernoff That's always great, but kinda difficult at first especially when you've only got a few writers at first. We just started out with a "Question of the Week" and then kinda built up from there (Podcast Tues, interview Wed, Productive Thurs, and WTFriday)

Ivo Flipse

21:24

@AviD that's exactly the point. on gaming and SU we blog about a question of the week, which basically does that. Take a great question, provide more context and mesh all the great answers together and you have a blog post that shows how great your site is

its like the SE hottest questions on steroids

Rebecca Chernoff

d'oh, are we having the same chat in 2 rooms now?

KronoS

Ultimately though it always needs to be fun. If you don't enjoy doing it, it will most certainly flop...

Rebecca Chernoff

A new blog, an empty blog, can be intimidating.

AviD

"If you don't know where you want to go, you're sure to wind up there eventiually"

or somethign like that

@IvoFlipse hmm @RebeccaChernoff was saying thats not such good idea.

unless maybe its a popular / controversial question....

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff Any site can do something like a QotW; users shouldn't forget that while they may read all the blogs, others don't and finally, if you can write a great answer or even spot one, you can use it to write a good blog post. You don't have to do everything on your own! Literally, draft something and ask others for feedback, discussing the contents of your post will generally give you a good idea what you should/shouldn't add

KronoS

21:26

@RebeccaChernoff yes, but once you get that first post out it just snow balls from there (most times)

Ivo Flipse

@AviD where did she say that? :P

AviD

14 mins ago, by Rebecca Chernoff

copying questions on the site is not the only thing proposed, and yes I fully agree that that by itself would not make for a great blog.

KronoS

@IvoFlipse Agreed... that's what I would suggest as a start off is a QoTW... we integrated that into the site very easily through asking on META for the communities opinion on what should be blogged about. This raised attention to the blog, and help writers in getting ideas:

meta.superuser.com/questions/tagged/question-of-the-week

Ivo Flipse

@AviD True, its more useful when the post is controversial or has the need of tying answers together

Rebecca Chernoff

by itself is the key there.

Ivo Flipse

21:28

but you shouldn't forget that you're not just writing these blog posts for each other, but rather for the other network users who might like your site but don't really know they do

KronoS

@AviD There's a difference between copying questions and blogging about questions

AviD

@RebeccaChernoff agreed. but, the first few posts will necessarily be "by themselves"....

Rebecca Chernoff

sure, I am thinking more in the long run there with that comment.

@KronoS this is an important distinction as well.

AviD

@KronoS ah. good point... but where is the line between blogging about a question, and just writing an answer yourself?

Ivo Flipse

@AviD no, she meant it like @KronoS puts it. Don't just summarize it, provide some additional context, something that makes it interesting for a larger audience

KronoS

21:29

our first post was a question blog:

Super User Blog: Portable USB Flash Drive Toolkit

Posted by KronoS on January 11th, 2011

This Super User question posed by Kronos:

Prompts us to consider the use of a Flash drive for as a bootable medium for PC repair. Whether you work for the IT department of a major corporation, repair PC’s on the side, or even just work on your own PC, having such a powerful tool can be one of the greatest investments you have. With a single USB flash drive, mulitple boot disks and OS’s can be operated from a single drive. To simplify the process, PenDriveLinux has put together a very useful program that can easily create a multi-boot USB drive. …

3

Q: How do I create a bootable USB Flash PcRepair Kit?

I do PC repair on the side and am looking to use a bootable flash drive as a PcRepair Kit. I'm also looking for anit-virus, anti-malware, Data-Recovery, Hardware testing. It would be great if it was embedded in an OS like XP or linux.

usb security flash-drive bootable-media system-repair-disc

@AviD opinions and longer answers (details)... there is a slight gray area, but as the blog develops it gets more and more refined

Ivo Flipse

actually I'd like a post about password security and how to prevent getting pwned by Lulzsec :P

AviD

@IvoFlipse heh, you saw that? :)

Ivo Flipse

@AviD I'm slightly worried someday they'll hack a service and retrieve my universal password, then I'm F-ed

AviD

problem is "password security" is a pretty broad range here, and its been done to death. dozens of questions here already.

Ivo Flipse

@AviD Its been done to death for you, but that's not the case for the people who use 123456 as a password

AviD

21:32

@IvoFlipse does this help?

KronoS

@AviD that's actually where the blog becomes really useful... it's a way to collect those questions and bring them togther...

AviD

9

Q: FOSS Enterprise Password Management Solution

Can anyone recommend a F/OSS enterprise password management solution on/around the same level as something like Cyber-Ark? Specifically, something along the lines of a standard password manager, (like KeePass), but with the ability to login with ldap credentials and get access to passwords for ...

password-management opensource

KronoS

it's like a continuation or build up of community-faq

Ivo Flipse

Super User Blog: Linux permissions demystified

Posted by Matt Jenkins on April 22nd, 2011

I have seen a large number of questions on Super User recently all around the same topic of Linux and Unix file permissions. For example:

… and …

In a world of Windows where file permissions can be granted on a per-user basis, Linux and Unix permissions seem to be very hokey and restricted.

Well, let me tell you, they’re not. For such a seemingly basic arrangement they are an incredibly powerful tool.

Most people forget that to do anything even remotely fancy with permissions in Linux you really have to couple them with groups. And you really can do some fancy things with them! …

@AviD I actually use LastPass, but that doesn't mean I'm going to use a special password for Steam or some generic site

AviD

@KronoS hmm. as I said, passwords are a big topic....

but then we can break it down to a series of posts. Interesting idea. @RoryAlsop thoughts?

KronoS

21:35

@AviD The thing with a blog is to realize is that it ISN'T at all like the Q/A format that the SE sites are. You don't have to worry about writing about broad.. it's ok. You can be refined later on. No one is going to 'vote to close' a post as 'too broad'

Ivo Flipse

@AviD You don't necessarily have to copy questions, but if you see a lot of questions about password security, write about what makes a really secure password or how to manage them

Basically the topics/tags of the questions are like a radar for what's hot within the community

AviD

@KronoS broad, I meant can write pages and pages. i.e. too long.

@KronoS I assume there are several bloggers on SU. does each one cover a different topic or area, or is there overlap?

e.g. do you have a "linux blogger", a "windows blogger", etc...

Ivo Flipse

@AviD Also important to note is that you should write about something you're passionate about. Because that's the topic you'll have an interest in to go an extra mile and make the post great

KronoS

@AviD There's definately overlap, but I have 'editors in chief' who are in charge of certain sections...

Ivo Flipse

@AviD we do try to get Mac and Linux users to write blog posts as well

KronoS

21:38

As far as actual topics go there's plenty of overlap

AviD

how many bloggers you have?

Ivo Flipse

@AviD And you may be afraid that others might not care about what you have to say, but that's why I point to answers. If you can write an upvoted answer, you can write an 'upvoted' blog post

we have around 20 different users that at one point have written a blog post

but it comes and goes

AviD

@IvoFlipse okay, but how many regulars "on staff"?

Rebecca Chernoff

but blog.su has been around much longer. you didn't start with 20 people.

KronoS

and about 6 dedicated ones that consistently post for us

@RebeccaChernoff ur right.. it was just me :)

Ivo Flipse

21:39

@RebeccaChernoff we started with Kronos and me pushing him to do stuff :P

AviD

@KronoS ah. thats good.

KronoS

then @IvoFlipse started doing interviews, and then we started to bloom from there

Ivo Flipse

then after talking to Jeff, I decided to use that as our main venue for promoting SU

KronoS

but it honestly took about like 2 months i think? (@IvoFlipse correct me if I'm wrong) before we really started getting consistant bloggers.

AviD

who is your target audience?
current SU users? potential users? interested users? SE users? complete strangers (to SE)?

Ivo Flipse

21:41

@AviD that depends on the post/topic really, some are pretty specific others are more general

We use a Google Docs to 'manage' the posts a bit

AviD

i see. so no real defined target?

Ivo Flipse

please note that this has undergone some serious editing, so don't be scared by how it looks right now :P

AviD

@IvoFlipse oo that looks interesting.

KronoS

@AviD not really... that may come to fruition at some point but honestly we're just a bunch of free lance writers... there's not going to be a main purpose

Ivo Flipse

Here's an outdated one we use over at Gaming

AviD

21:43

@RoryAlsop take a look at that link

Ivo Flipse

we just made a list of topics we wanted to blog about, a calendar to schedule posts/drafts, assign them to writers and to discuss ideas on what to write about in the future

Rebecca Chernoff

I think interviewing community members can be a great theme to have. Just who is this guy/gal that knows so much?

AviD

@RebeccaChernoff ah, that would be @ThomasPornin.

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff Yeah, when I started with that it was pretty generic, but when I started looking for interesting users, it turns out the community is full of interesting users :)

AviD

could be interesting... as its own series, or tag.

Rebecca Chernoff

21:46

anyone have a problem with me moving this to the SE community blog room?

AviD

(does the bo have tags?)

Rebecca Chernoff

then I can point GIS people at it. (:

Ivo Flipse

no @RebeccaChernoff :P

KronoS

@AviD @RebeccaChernoff @IvoFlipse and now we've even got our sights some outside SE individuals that have agreed to let us interview them... one from microsoft

AviD

@RebeccaChernoff no problem, I gotta cut out anyway.

KronoS

21:47

[status-migrated]

AviD

@KronoS @IvoFlipse one last question - do you gus have some review process before posting?
you mentioned editors, I assume that means they edit all posts before going live?

Rebecca Chernoff

← 110 messages moved from The DMZ

KronoS

@AviD yes we do have a review process... I echo @IvoFlipse's suggestion to have ONE person in charge and then from there assign new editors that are in charge (my editors-in-chief)

AviD

@KronoS how do you do that? offline, or does BO support private postings?

Ivo Flipse

@AviD its wordpress, so you simply use drafts and have editors read them

KronoS

21:51

We give new users 'contributor' status (or something like that) that only limits them to post a copy of their post for review, and can't be published publicy

AviD

@KronoS ah, nice.

KronoS

we also had for a time had users send @IvoFlipse an email with a proposed post

and then we decided whether to use it or not... (I believe we've used all of them)

brb

AviD

thanks a lot. helped a bunch, I'm sure.

will probably be bugging you again later on....

Ivo Flipse

@AviD Your welcome, you know where to find us :)

Rebecca Chernoff

I'm going to shamelessly steal from this convo for a blog post. (:

AviD

21:54

@RebeccaChernoff :)

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff if you need any help, you know where to find me :P

Rebecca Chernoff

q:

AviD

hey, shouldnt that be reversed? Editor-in-Chief -> Editors -> Writers.
Isnt that the point of the "-in-Chief"?

("Dont call me chief, Olson!"
"Yes, Chief!")

Ivo Flipse

@AviD Yes probably it should, though its more important a editor reads it

else Rebecca will bite your head off hides

KronoS

@AviD anytime... you can email me as well to the address on my profile page

Rebecca Chernoff

22:01

@IvoFlipse yeah yeah, whaaaaaa I whined about publishing a less-than-100%-polished post.

q:

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff It worked didn't it?

AviD

well, gnite all. Thanks again.

KronoS

l8rs @AviD

nealmcb

@IvoFlipse Sounds like a good case study - link? :)

Rebecca Chernoff

22:18

pffft, I hardly bit his head off (:

His gravatar is proof!

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff That's an old one!

user30

I approve of this direction.

user30

Once these exams are done I might even write a blog post for someone.

Ivo Flipse

22:34

@ThomasMcDonald Can you retrieve that one blog post by Barbi from Fitness?

user30

@IvoFlipse I'll have a look tomorrow, it should still be around.

Ivo Flipse

@ThomasMcDonald great

need to convince @RebeccaChernoff to let me have another blog :P

Rebecca Chernoff

you know what I want to see q:

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff heey there are several users who said they wanted to participate, one even already wrote a blog post (though she didn't post on the Meta post)

besides, one would think you'd cut me some slack :P

user30

@IvoFlipse You need to stop co-ordinating blogs and write some more paw-detection code.

Rebecca Chernoff

22:39

@IvoFlipse I may have already asked Jin to do a sketchy blog theme anyway whistles

Ivo Flipse

@ThomasMcDonald true that, but I'd rather have gaming be self-sufficient and let me write about fitness

because on Gaming I can't blog about questions, when I didn't play the game

with Fitness I actually studied for that stuff, I think I have enough sensible stuff to share ;)

Rebecca Chernoff

my main concern with fitness is that it will be your blog, not the fitness.se community blog. if that makes any sense.

but you can have your shot to convince me I'm wrong. (:

user30

http://blog.ivo.stackexchange.com

2

Ivo Flipse

@RebeccaChernoff Last I checked the site is mine as well :P

Rebecca Chernoff

>_<

Ivo Flipse

22:43

heck I even have fanatic there :P

user30

Anyway, I picked out 5 papers to read earlier, will finish those before I fall asleep. Expect an email sometime soon-ish @Ivo.

Ivo Flipse

@ThomasMcDonald great :)

Rebecca Chernoff

well go convince others to join in. tis in Jin's hands now. (:

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