We're working on re-editing some of the NML video material, in order to create some video clips that are very focused on certain aspects of participatory culture. "Reaching Your Audience" features comic book artists talking about how they distribute their work. Blogs allow them to share work in progress and get feedback that might then shape the creative process.
Blogging can also allow people to point their audience toward other websites of interest. Features like RSS feeds, trackbacks and blogrolls (listing links to related or favorite blogs) actually let us shape the flow of media across the internet. At NML we talk to media makers about how they use those kinds of circulations.
I sometimes think about setting up RSS feeds or creating a blogroll as little invisible traffic cops, directing traffic.
Mastering online publishing tools like blogs and podcasts allow you to direct people on certain paths, like...."read this, and then go there, and stop here, and jump to there". Recently, I started at Dean Haspiel's Live Journal blog , clicked on his link to his Dean Haspiel site, and from there I ended up discovering comic book artist Josh Neufeld. It was a nice little trip, thanks for directing my flow, Dean!
