Reflections ...

So here we are at the end of the semester ... finally only 3 weeks left until holidays!! Here's my reflection of using a blog over the past semester. I guess I should also take this opportunity to say that the subject has definitely been interesting, contrary to what I thought at the start of the semester.

To be honest: I’m not used to keeping a blog. I wouldn’t think many procrastinating, stressed-out university students would have enough time to post regularly. Seems I was wrong. Being as nosy as I am (and I’m sure many other student’s are also), I looked over everyone’s blog. A lot of really good opinions. A few people, like Chris, have kept a regularly updated blog for a few years. But seeing as I wasn’t used to keeping a blog, I found it difficult to keep remembering to write a couple of posts every few days. It sort of felt the same way as doing a subject with heaps of little assignments throughout the term ... frustrating at times!

But, at the end of it all I could see the relevance: a form of new media that ties in with the subject content, and that allows you to give your opinions on the subject content. Not too many subjects let you freely shell out your ideas. However, it was difficult because you had to lay off on all the academic jargon used in an essay, which, being a university student I'm not used to!

Blogs exist in a virtual space, where paper journals are .... well pretty self explanatary. Virtual spaces can be viewed by bazillions of people around the world … who can comment … and link it to their homepages! If I wanted to, I could be famous … !! But to bring out my critical side: blogs do not have a lot of the intimate thoughts and reflections that paper journals have. Well you could, but would you want strangers to know about your intimate life? Blogs are public, and paper journals are private.

Additionally, a weblog is completely useless for public discussion if no one reads it and posts comments. There are millions of blogs on the internet, what makes mine so special? I think for it to be worthwhile for me to follow a blog, the author has to have some established credibility. Like an industry professional of some sort, otherwise I wouldn't want to waste my time. Some of my friend's have blogs, but all they do is talk about their day out shopping, or having dinner with their parents. How invigorating.

But should a weblog have an audience, it is great as a communication medium to discuss various issues. Nobody posted comments on my blog so clearly it wasn't a very good communications medium. Although I did get one comment: an advertiser. A very annoying difference between paper journals and weblogs is that bloggers get advertiser's who try to sell you things. But some other students, like the author of arbitrary culture, had real comments posted on their blog which exemplifies how it can be used for public debate.

So to start summing it up ... a paper journal is personal; a blog is public whilst still allowing for personal expresion. A paper journal slow to write; whilst a blog is relatively fast depending on how well you type. Blogs also enable more creative uses than paper journals, which are more suited to personal thoughts and feelings about life. Cyber-journalism, political ranting and online activism are only a few of many uses.

The use of the journal online makes it easier to link your opinion/argument to specific examples online – something that a paper journal doesn’t provide. If you don’t want to define a concept, you just make the word a link to a page that provides a definition of the concept. Paper journals … you have to define it in writing. Blogs have search tools built in to find previous posts: paper journals rely on the reader to flick back through past entries.

I think the differences between paper journals are pretty obvious now huh? I think each to his own, but weblogs are an established, ideal communications medium for anyone on the positive side of the digital divide, especially if you like ranting and raving. Keeping a weblog this semester has been fun now that I look back on it. Even if I did get frustrated at having to do work on it every week. Maybe I'll continue this blog?? I think so :). Bye for now!

This is my dog Zoe by the way, she's reading about copyright laws and digital sampling! Haha how cute is she?!?!?!? Have a good one guys!