Before taking the Writing for the Internet course, I would have read this article and been baffled at the thought of using weblogs in the classroom. I thought blogs were strictly used for personal expression such as journals and short story writing. I now see how important academic weblogs are.
Firstly, I think it’s very important for the student to gain reaction not only from their professor but from their peers as well. I know I personally gain a lot of knowledge, confidence, and interesting feedback from all the SHU bloggers, as well as Dr. Jerz. When a professor or peer comments on my blog it makes me feel like my writing means something not only to myself, but to my readers as well.
Also, writing for an academic blog instead of writing strictly for my online diary has dramatically changed and improved my writing style in a short amount of time. I’m now able to express my idea without being bias, write more informative pieces, and I’ve learned to cut my writing down to the bare facts while still making the entries fun to read.
I strongly agree blogs should be incorporated not only in one’s personal life, but in the classroom as well. Blogs open up a wide spectrum of readers and the student is able to gain so much more because they’re receiving feedback from not only the teacher, but students and outside readers also.
Blogs, in a sense, teach a discipline too. I have learned to practice “netiquette” in every entry I write. The wave of the future is computers. Well, I suppose computers are the wave of the present also. So learning to write for the internet is a very important skill that should definitely be incorporated into not only the college classroom, but high school as well.
I somewhat agree with the article written by Meredith Badger. I agree that people "scan" the internet. Rarely do I read pages thoroughly when I'm doing a Google search. When I'm reading blogs, however, I do take the time to read very carefully. So instead of making the general assumption that everybody scans everything online, she should have been more specific. Maybe, in general, people do scan more often than not and I'm just ignorant to that fact since I've been a blogger for 5 years…I’ve trained myself to read more carefully while visiting certain sites. I do agree with this quote:
“Weblogs occupy a dichotomous position. They wish to stand out and present an individual voice, but they also want to fit into the genre of weblogs - to be instantly recognisable as being part of a community. Weblogs, as Torill Mortensen and Jill Walker observe, are forever hovering on the border between public and private. “
I have been a diarist of Free Open Diary for about 5 years now. Over time, I’ve come to accumulate favorite readers. Those being, people who have my diary in their list of favorites, visit often, and comment often. One diarist, whose nickname is Mindsetofajohn, keeps his identity completely secret. Nobody really knows who he is. He blogs about, to be blunt, his experiences with sex and prostitution. He writes in a way that is very informative and professional, so it’s not just some trashy diary. (The tangent about his diary stops here.)
Badger raises a point that I never really took much time to notice or think about. She says pictures on blogs give the readers insight to the author. I completely agree. I have two pictures on my diary of myself (that sometimes don’t show up…yay). I posted them there so my readers can get a feel for who they’re reading about. Granted, the content of the blog should not be based on what the author looks like. I’m sure if I posted some pictures of a hideously ugly old man on my front page there are some people who would be clicking their back button faster than you can say, “ew!”
Later on, Badger goes on to argue the validity of blogs. We have to come to realize the internet is far from a perfect place. I’ve begun to notice that more as I’m growing up. I used to trust the internet for all my research, until I realized just how scandalous the internet can be. Nothing in life is perfect, so why do people think the internet is? Perhaps because it’s displayed on some wonderful technologically advanced miracle machine; also known as the computer. Our lives are so centered around computers that I think we’ve all gained a false sense of security. Computers have viruses and Trojans and errors all the time. Just use some common sense here people. Not everything you read or see is true!
Reality TV. Yuck, right?
Perhaps so. I think so to some extent. I can't stand shows like Joe Millionaire, Battle of the Sexes, Survivor, etc. The types of reality shows based on competition....is that reality? No, but then again one can argue that nothing on TV is reality. I whole-heartedly believe that all of these so-called reality television shows are scripted and mapped out just as much as your every day, run of the mill sitcom.
I am going to have to admit, despit my hatred for these shows that offer millions of dollars to convince your parents you're marrying some fat slob, I am a Real World junkie. Oh yeah, and Newlyweds, and Laguna Beach.
Sickening, I know. I never thought I'd watch TV at all let alone "reality" television. That quickly changed when I moved into my dad's house and lived with cable television for the first time ever. Yes, kids, somebody can live 18 years with only 4 channels! *gasp*
I think the appeal to shows such as Real World and Newlyweds is the gossip factor, and the fact that we know what is happening in the lives of the high class, admired, rich celebs. I know my best frend and I sit around and say, "So how about what Jessica said to Nick last episode? Did you SEE THAT?" We talk about these celebrities like we know them personally, and it just gives us teenagers something to gossip about. Not to mention it gives the media something to buzz about. Yes, we all know of the Jessica Simpson Chicken or Tuna slip-up. Gossip, gossip, gossip. It's what draws the audience in, especially the teenagers. We live for drama...life just isn't the same without it. Sad.
Blogs. What do you think of when you hear that word? I certainly don't relate it to reality television in any way. Blogs are on a much higher level because they ACTUALLY deal with "REAL REALITY." I use that term because ever since "reality" television, our ideas of what reality is has been skewed. I'm sure there are people out there who think driving around in a stretch Hummer with 22 inch spinning rims is the only way to live. ER! WRONG.
Wih blogs, people are writing about real topics and occurances in their every day lives. Granted, I'm sure there are blogs out there in which the content is entirely based on fictional stories or something of that nature, but generally speaking blogs contain completely real, non-fictional content.
Blogs can be a form of entertainment, but I feel they are much more educational. They're also entertaining in the sense of commenting. People love to chat, debate, argue, raise points, and praise one another....it's just human nature. Blogs allow people to do this easily and, if desired, anonymously. Blogs are an ideal form of communication.
So there are very drastic differences between the two. I do feel the reason for watching reality TV and reading/writing blogs boils down to one thing:
WE ARE NEBBY BY NATURE! We want to know what's going on in other people's lives, simple as that. We want people to read what we write and comment on it.
Now don't get all offensive, I know many people write blogs to inform the world of various topics. But really, think about it....whose blogs do you read? People who you know right? Generally speaking, probably so. You want to know what's going on with people you know. Same with the Real World....we don't know those 7 people at first, but we come to know them by the show, and after a while we want to know what they're up to so we watch religiously.
Whew. I'm going to stop rambling. Comments welcome. =D