A little while back, the university launched the Stanford Blog Directory at http://blog.stanford.edu (big thanks to the TUSB team for working so hard to evangelize blogging at Stanford and for their help in getting the Blog Directory up!). As far as I know, this is the first attempt by a university to pull together blogs from its broader community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni -- including blogs hosted on third-party sites like Wordpress, Blogger, and LiveJournal.
Anyone with a SUNet or Stanford Alumni Association login is welcome to submit a blog for inclusion in the Blog Directory. I know that there are a bunch of other blogs that aren't yet listed on the Blog Directory, so please add your blog if it isn't already there. The goal of the Blog Directory is to highlight authentic voices and interesting stories from the broader university community. I'm hopeful that TUSB and the Blog Directory can help spark a culture of online discovery and debate that's as vibrant, engaging, and fun as what we experience "offline" at Stanford.
I've enjoyed exploring some of the lesser-known blogs from around campus. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
- Leland Stanford Jr. University Marching Band Blog: This blog is still quite new, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the Band's blog develops. Hop over to their blog and give them a shout.
- TrippingOnWords: Chronicles two recent alums who have started a non-profit to help AIDS orphans in Africa. They also started a blog that's written by the orphans themselves. Highly inspirational.
- Philosophy Talk: The Blog: Prof. Ken Taylor and John Perry's companion blog to the Philosophy Talk radio show.
- Smart Energy Show: Prof. Margot Gerritsen runs around Stanford interviewing faculty and students on energy issues. Great to see our faculty getting into video podcasting.
PS. If you need any help with the Blog Directory at any time, feel free to send an email to blogdirectory [at] stanford [dot] edu. We also welcome your feedback and thoughts on how to make it better. Thanks!