What is your personal opinion of blogs and blogging?
Blogs are turning into my new black hole, giving me my daily techie fix. I am sucked in every morning with all the new entries and am held there for far too long. If I do manage to get my daily blogs read, I go in search of more to add to the ever growing list! While the start up seems rather rocky, taking lots of time to find worthwhile blogs and readjusting my iGoogle page to have them show up there, I am glad I'm delving into blogs. Already my delicious bookmarks are overflowing from the new sites I've found there and, while the side trip to create an avatar was time consuming, it was fun. It really does feel like professionally I am keeping far more abreast of cutting edge technologies, something I am feeling much more humble about over the last year. Instead of intending to get around to trying that out, I jump online and download SecondLife, look at Ustream, or get an account on VoiceThread.
So, my opinion as a blog reader would be that they are worth the time invested. I gain valuable knowledge or new perspective on a variety of topics I might not otherwise be aware of. I’m learning and growing because of them.
Now, looking at myself as a blog poster is a different matter, far more personal. I am shy about posting my opinions in such a fixed, semi-permanent way to an unknown audience. Knowing how e-mail can be misinterpreted makes me gun-shy. Not knowing who my audience will be makes writing far more intimidating. Being so new in my Media Specialist role at my school, and not totally trained at that, makes me wary of not coming across too strong, something I fear a blog has the potential portray. I hope that after reading other blog postings for awhile, I’ll get over the self-consciousness and get on with it! Research shows how reflection is vital to growth, and blog demands this. I know I would love this new way to collaborate.
Blogs are turning into my new black hole, giving me my daily techie fix. I am sucked in every morning with all the new entries and am held there for far too long. If I do manage to get my daily blogs read, I go in search of more to add to the ever growing list! While the start up seems rather rocky, taking lots of time to find worthwhile blogs and readjusting my iGoogle page to have them show up there, I am glad I'm delving into blogs. Already my delicious bookmarks are overflowing from the new sites I've found there and, while the side trip to create an avatar was time consuming, it was fun. It really does feel like professionally I am keeping far more abreast of cutting edge technologies, something I am feeling much more humble about over the last year. Instead of intending to get around to trying that out, I jump online and download SecondLife, look at Ustream, or get an account on VoiceThread.
So, my opinion as a blog reader would be that they are worth the time invested. I gain valuable knowledge or new perspective on a variety of topics I might not otherwise be aware of. I’m learning and growing because of them.
Now, looking at myself as a blog poster is a different matter, far more personal. I am shy about posting my opinions in such a fixed, semi-permanent way to an unknown audience. Knowing how e-mail can be misinterpreted makes me gun-shy. Not knowing who my audience will be makes writing far more intimidating. Being so new in my Media Specialist role at my school, and not totally trained at that, makes me wary of not coming across too strong, something I fear a blog has the potential portray. I hope that after reading other blog postings for awhile, I’ll get over the self-consciousness and get on with it! Research shows how reflection is vital to growth, and blog demands this. I know I would love this new way to collaborate.
image from Flickr:Creative Commons
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9 comments:
I was really struck by your comment of finding "worthwhile blogs." I so agree! There is a deluge of bloviation out there; once again we need the lifelong skill of discernment.
Having said that, my challenge is time. As much as I believe blogging to be overall a worthwhile path, wading through the muck is time-consuming: I actively pursue balance already!
Perhaps I am too old to simply enjoy the tidal wave! Perhaps my own life experiences in learning discernment cause me to be wary. Perhaps I am just parentally overly cautious.
Either way, I smile as I realize that I am at this moment contributing to the very thing I wonder about...!
You are spot on about spending too much time reading blogs. Did you participate in 23 things? One of the most useful things I got from that was the RSS feed-deal. It really cuts down on my "wandering" and gives me the updates only so I am not continually going from blog to blog to see if anything new has been written.
Good luck this semester.
Thanks for your comments, Gina and Brad! I didn't participate in the 23 Things, though I saw SLJ is running another session of it.
I do use an RSS feed reader, but am currently following 23 blogs. Luckily they don't all post at the same time, but I'd say I'm averaging about 20 posts a day in my reader. I just have such a hard time weeding! I have deleted a few along the way, but seem to add new ones to replace them faster. There are just so many interesting and innovative people to hear from!
I did read some great advice from Sarah Houghton-Jan about information overload (found at http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue56/houghton-jan/ ). She suggested going through your reader like a newspaper, not feeling guilty about skipping some or all, depending on your time/interest.
Thanks again and I look forward to reading your blogs!
Following in this line of conversion of finding worthwhile blogs, as well as interesting posts on those blogs, I was wondering does anyone know of any good sites, or blogs, that track blogs and offer recommendation lists based on topic?
I do appreciate the list you have started on your page Linda. Its nice to have a place to start browsing.
Thanks for your post, Justin! There are several blog search tools out there, though I usually am finding my blogs through cross posting - I'm pretty sure that is what it is called when one blogger refers to another's blog.
There is a good wiki out there at http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Blogs+(Weblogs) that gives several search tools, links to suggested blog lists, and a "five to try" list of starter Media blogs. The top of the wiki talks about blogs in general, so you can skip over that and go to about the "Reading Blogs" section to start.
I'd love to see what everyone else in class is reading!
I do agree that blogs are successful in entrancing you and can be time consuming. However, I also agree with you that they are a great way to learn new information and developments to help us keep up with technology by introducing new ways to incorporate technology into learning.
I agree with you that blog reader would be that they are worth the time invested.
It sounds like you have spent the time looking for the great sites. And I think blogs are a great way to learn new things like that to do to make the library a better place.
But I struggle with time management, time spent with friends, family, at work, exercising, reading, time on the computer doing other things than blogging, and going to school. It just seems so overwhelming at times. I just wish I had more time:)
Great thread everyone!
I started 23 things as well, but was not able to find the time to complete it. Sounds like a common theme.
I like the mention of the guilt factor. There is so much good out there, but wading through the muck is time consuming and deleting things without even looking at them because you have too much in your inbox does feel wasteful. I feel that way about listservs, too.
I guess it does come down to prioritization, balance, discernment. All good points. At least we now have some idea of the potential out there for us with regard to blogs.
It sounds like you are experience in blogging. I like how you list different blogs for your readers. You raise a good point about the public being aware of the students writing. Being that writing is personal, it can create a problem with some students.
Thanks again for the links!
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