The Unmentioned

Himmer’s argument that weblogs should be considered literature makes a lot of sense to me. When reading a traditional novel, especially in an academic setting, a lot of stress is put on students like myself to go “beyond the text” and do research, reflection, or discussion that supplements the reading. In that respect, weblogs are similar to those types of literature; they just facilitate it for us. Weblogs can contain a vast array of links that do everything from defining key terms to leading reader’s to an in-depth analysis of almost any sub-issue mentioned in their content. The comment system that many blogs incorporate encourages a classroom-style discussion, with everyone speaking freely and contributing to the critical study and interpretation of the reading at hand. In all honesty, I can understand why blogs are slowly becoming commonplace in the classroom; they allow for students and teachers to examine works of literature as a group and delve further into their understanding of the ideas presented.

I was especially pleased to see Himmer mention interactive fiction in his essay. I have done a great deal of work with interactive fiction for my individual project, and I noted several times in various reflections and responses how different it was from writing a conventional story with a pen and paper or even an open Word document. The fact that the player in an interactive fiction game can choose his or her own path and encounter a multitude of in-game experiences that may or may not differ from previous ones definitely sets this type of literature apart from novels. As Himmer points out, though, weblogs allow for even more freedom and unbound expansion; they know no limits, because even just one single link can lead a reader to an infinite number of possibilities that still relate to the original blog entry. Weblogs, like interactive fiction, give readers (equated with players) the ability to choose their own paths, in a way that no written textual book can. “Cybertext,” as Himmer calls it, enables writers to build upon their work indefinitely, and even gives readers the chance to contribute to the literature that they are reading.

One final point that I agree with Himmer on is his conclusion that weblogs offer a sort of “quest” to readers, a never-ending journey during which they learn more and more about the author’s personal and social personas. Each time that I visit a classmate’s weblog, I immediately get a distinct picture and sense of emotion in my mind which relates me to the author of that particular weblog. For instance, when I check out Evan’s weblog, I know right away what kind of writing I will be getting: precise, eloquent, and thought-provoking. On the other hand, when I visit Moira’s blog, I expect to laugh and smile at her literary antics. In other words, each weblog that I have visited on several occasions present me with a cyber “image” of its author, and instills me with some expectations of its writing’s style.

I have no problem admitting that I still know very little about weblogs right now, but I am proud to say that I am learning more everyday. They present so many challenges and fresh experiences that cannot really be found in any other mode of literature, and for that reason, I consider them a necessary component of my development as both a writer and a reader.