After having spent a full semester blogging, my views on this type of new media writing has substantially changed. At first, I thought, "this is going to take forever to do this so often", "blogs are just for people who want to babble about their life", "I would rather write a few formal papers than write a few blog posts a week", and so on. However, things have now turned into "blogging is my favorite type of writing, it is quick, easy, and less stressful than writing a formal paper" and "I enjoy finding weekly topics to write about on my blog because I know it's a safe place where I can write about my opinions freely". See the difference?
I am so happy I had the opportunity to blog in this class, because otherwise I would have never given it a chance. Who knew that blogs could be academic, rather than just a place to just go on and on about nonsense? I know I didn't. Well, not before this experience at least.
Additionally, I know that my writing has significantly improved in the blogosphere from my first post to my more recent ones. Besides the fact that the first one took me about 3 hours to write versus the 20-30 minutes it takes me now, I also didn't use any of the resources available to me on the web. In contrast, if you look at my last few posts, you will see the addition of new media all over the place: pictures, links, jump breaks, videos, and more. Ultimately, the blogosphere is a great place for freedom of expression and has many opportunities to make a post your own. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to learn about blogging and I am sure I will continue to write the occasional blog post for years to come.
Photo from: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/2836828090_d44f5278bd.jpg
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you wrote about in your post. In the beginning of our blogging, it took me forever to write my posts, because I didn't understand how to write in this new language. However, after a few months under my belt I am so much more comfortable with this type of writing, and I also happen to enjoy it a lot. It's an easy way to let my mind wander for a bit and I know that its a forum that I can speak about whatever is in my head. Also, it has helped me to realize how effective using links, pictures and videos can be in persuading a reader to agree with whatever I am blogging about. Ultimately, I have become a far better writer since I have started to blog and have had some fun along the way too.
Blogging, like every process, takes time to adjust to. With that being said, consider how long it took you to tie your shoes at first, say the alphabet, or even remember your name; it takes time to get things down, but once you get them its easy and quick. Blogs allow the writer to post pictures and use videos, both of which are a great form of multimedia. Overall i love your post Sophie, and I hope we can blog together in the future.
ReplyDeleteSoph,
ReplyDeleteComing into this class and finding out we would be blogging so often, I had very similar preconceptions to yours. For example, I had no idea there were so many different blogs. There is literally a blog for probably anything you would ever want to read about. Although there still is a large portion of the blogosphere dedicated to people blabbing about their lives, it is really so much more than that. Like you, I made the transition from hesitance to appreciation and acceptance. I'm not sure if I will ever blog again in the future, but nonetheless I have a new appreciation for the blogosphere and all of the information that is passed back and forth over this great vast platform.