I feel as though I should start out this post by saying I am not fully accepting of the blogging community and am more cynical regarding blogs than I would like to admit. I would like to think I am able to openly discuss most any topic presented to me and I thoroughly enjoy having intelligent conversations with anyone who is willing to talk to me, but I have yet to be convinced that this interaction taking place via blogging is worth the effort it would take for me to write as well as anyone else’s effort to read what I had just written.
Maybe I have the wrong perception of blogging because I have defined it to myself as a platform for people to throw their ideas and opinions into a pot that is already filled to the brim and spewing over the sides with unproductive, pointless chatter. I am willing to admit that I may be wrong about the actual purpose of blogs and that maybe there are other aspects to it that are worth mentioning. Tim Hitchcock hits on this point in his article when referring to one’s profession that “It is not about what you had for breakfast. It is about being on top of your field.” That point resonates with me and helps to separate where blogging (and possibly other various social media outlets) may actually be used for good compared to most of what is plastered on my computer and tv screens with click-bait articles, unbelievably stupid top 10 lists, and hateful/intentionally ignorant stories trying to sell some sort of agenda. Another positive aspect regarding blogging that was refreshing to read was brought up by Scott Rosenberg who stated “Reading is as much a part of blogging as writing; listening is as important as speaking.” When I read blogs I get the impression that it is more of a statement that someone is trying to make instead of it being a part of a conversation, but it is good to know that people out there who take blogging very seriously have this conversation mentality behind blogging and helps paint blogging in a better light to myself.
Another aspect about blogging that I had never considered was brought up in the youtube video with Seth Godin where he stated something along the lines of blogging showcasing one’s humility in taking the time to think critically and write a blog post. I know that my opinion on blogging is harsh, but I feel as though if I encountered more blogs that represented the metacognition that should go into writing your opinions then I would have a much more enjoyable time discussing ideas and having intelligent conversations via blogging.
I can tell that even as I am finishing writing this post I am warming up to the idea of blogging as a useful tool for myself to use in my future career, but there are still plenty of reservations that I know I will need to overcome first. Reading articles and watching videos that show the positive sides of blogging is a great start, but I also realize that some of the positive examples brought up in these stories are idealistic and are not fully representative of what blogging actually can become. Obviously as the semester goes on and more discussion regarding blogging takes place I am sure I will hear positive opinions and I will give my own (probably negative) opinions, but I am more than willing, and looking forward to having great discussion on the topic.