What does a blog participant do?
A participant in an online blog has a seemingly simple task: to log in to the AfterBlog in the two weeks following the professional development event and join the discussion.
As a participant in an AfterBlog you will be engaging with your fellow professionals to extend your learning. In this context, it’s important to note the age-old truism that “you get out what you put in” – that is, the more fully you participate in a blog, the more you will learn from it. If you’re new to blogging – or even just new to blogging in a professional context – this can be a bit daunting. In this guide, we’ll provide you some tips on how to be an effective blog participant.
How to participate effectively
The rule of thumb for effective participation in an AfterBlog is to carefully consider what the presenter is asking of you. Having attended (or viewed) the original session on which the blog is based, you should have a basic understanding of the topic area. Now it’s time to consider the implications or nuances of the content by reading the presenter’s post and responding.
Don’t feel as though you have to write a dissertation on the subject straight away: if you’re new to blogging, you may wish to “lurk” on the blog for a little while (or on a few occasions over a week or so) to see how the discussion begins to evolve.
Once you’re comfortable with how the blog works, you can begin contributing to the discussion. Try to keep your comments:
Clear and concise - blogs are excellent tools for discussion; they are not intended as a forum for long-winded or overly-referenced material. As in any interpersonal discussions, consider your comments to be one side of a conversation that others will then respond to. Focus on being clear and easy to understand.
| Example of a clear and concise comment: The effect of increased costs on the public is of concern to me. There are already low and middle-income earners that are struggling with increased costs of living. By placing the burden of paying more for the healthcare system on their already tight budget, how will Johnny and Jill Regular cope? This needs to be thought out carefully, and care should be taken to ensure that individuals will not be left significantly out-of-pocket by any reforms that are implemented. |
Relevant to the subject matter - keep your comments on topic to ensure the discussion can continue to flow smoothly. Be especially careful to keep your focus on the learning, rather than any form of self-promotion or other tangent.
| Example of a comment that is relevant to the subject matter: “Big Brother is watching you.” Privacy laws are a valid consideration, in my opinion. If we put aside the financial implications for a moment, we have a nation where people are already concerned about the amount of information held on them by the government. Current privacy laws may prevent government held information being shared with private corporations, but with an integrated system, this would have to change. It would make for easier sharing of relevant and necessary information between the public and private sector, but it could also make citizens uneasy. It is one thing to trust the government with your private information, but when this information is shared with the private sector, potentially without your consent or knowledge, then, measures need to be put in place to address this before it becomes a problem. |
Professional in tone - while it’s true that blogs are often more casual than other forms of writing, these AfterBlogs still exist within our Actuaries Institute professional community and should be treated as such. It is never appropriate to criticise other participants or the presenter personally, or use language you would not otherwise employ in a professional context.
Example of a comment that uses professional tones: I think that John Smith makes a valid point about privacy laws and we should be careful about the sharing of information with the private sector. Further to this, I would like to provide a discussion point. That is, if we have to be careful about sharing information with the private sector, what alternatives can be used to verify the use of the information? I would like to suggest that we could use digital signatures that track every moment of the information. |
Supportive of other participants - you are not only participating in an AfterBlog for your own development but for that of our professional community as a whole. Be helpful to other participants and encourage them to continue the discussion by engaging thoughtfully with their point of view.
Example of a comment that is supportive of other participants: I agree with Joe Bloggs – we already have initiatives in place to make power, housing, childcare, and the general cost of raising a family more affordable just to name a few. Many people currently do not hold private health insurance because it’s unaffordable for them, and these are the people whose pockets will be affected as we move to integrate the private and public health sectors. The reaction of the American public to “Obamacare” should also serve as a warning to us – any reforms will not be universally supported, and care needs to be taken with how it will affect the public. |
Earning CPD points
CPD points are earned for participation in an AfterBlog at the same rate as they are for attending the original event. However, the key here is participation: simply “lurking” or reading an AfterBlog is not sufficient to earn CPD points – you must actively participate and contribute to the discussion.
Need help?
Please contact us at comms@actuaries.asn.au or +61 (0) 2 9233 3466 for AfterBlog support.