Here's an update on how things are going with the Friday Internet PR Chat Series I've been running through the IAOC, the Patron Saint Productions site, and my Internet PR class at Tulane University. The chat program is live and free every Friday from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time.

We began the series using Skype software as our conferencing interface and have since switched to using FreeConferenceCall.com. The phone number is +1-712-451-6100 Access Code: 596632#. The first half of each hour I lead a lesson (see schedule); the second half is open brainstorming. We still use Skype to pass URLs and documents during the call, so send your Skype name if you want to join that way. We might soon switch from Skype to a different Instant Messenger or Chat software -- I'll post a message here if we do.

The class is an intense experiment in new communications technology. We are test-driving all these different communications interfaces and half of the learning experience is how to fuss with teleconferencing tools to make them work properly and, sometimes, magically.

The schedule was shuffled a bit and this Friday we are covering Blog PR, certainly one of the most important sessions of the class. We'll be looking at building blogs, posting on blogs, commenting on blogs, sucking up to blogmasters, blog touring -- all in a half hour! So don't miss it.

In the meantime, I have asked the students in my Internet PR class to each find an article about Blog Touring and summarize it here as comments on this post. I hope to speak with some of you on Friday. I'll be posting my own article on blogging here sometime after Friday's chat session.

STEVE O'KEEFE