Summary: 

Graham Lampa starts his article, “Into the Blogosphere,” by stating the information derived from a survey called, “The Blogging Iceberg.” This study, done by Perseus Development Company, found that two-thirds of weblogs are considered “abandoned.” The study also confirmed that 1.09 million blogs were “one-post-wonders.” With this base of information, Lampa reveals his topic for the article, which is describing and distinguishing the “Blogosphere.” This blogosphere is an imagined community of blogs, where humans have a web of connections and communications. Lampa claims that the majority of weblogs are just used as public diaries, and there are only a small minority of bloggers that use blogging as a form of amateur journalism. The author mentions how these minority bloggers bring forth better, more trusted stories due to the lack of editorial board or motivation of profit. Although the bloggers’ freedom to post is not restricted, access to blogs is still unavailable for many individuals. The author suggests that the lack of internet access for many people across the globe may be one reason why blogs are not growing as fast as he would expect. Overall, Lampa expects the blogosphere to adapt and grow, and states that any type of blogging should not be overlooked, especially diarist bloggers.

Key Terms and Main Ideas:

• Journalist Blogs Have the Upper Hand on Print/Broadcast Journalism:
  • Journalist bloggers are not influenced by profit and the concerns of centralized authority. Due to this lack of control, bloggers can uncover stories further than traditional press, have greater commentary freedom, and usually discussed news that the community is intrigued in.
• Blogosphere:
  • The community of weblogs that consist of a majority of diarist bloggers and the core minority of journalist/public bloggers.
• Blogging has Barriers, Yet is Barrier-Free:
  • Blogging tools allow unlimited access to creating a blog, they have no entry fee or publishing restrictions, yet many people across the globe are locked out due to lack of internet access. Not only does internet access act as a barrier, but a language barrier also exists because the vast majority of blogs are in English.
• Filters:
  • “Promote stories and posts that represent the more common interest of the larger community” (Lampa). The blogosphere puts forward blog posts that other bloggers would more likely be interested in.
• Mass Ceremony:
  • the collection of individuals with a community receiving information that is relevant to their lives
  • Example: reading the morning paper

Commentary: ” These results indicate that the perception of blogging as a rapid-fire back-and-forth exchange actually only describes a very small minority of the blogosphere, which itself only comprises about 2-7% of the entire Internet population” (Lampa).

One of Lampa’s main topic points for his article discuss the lack of active bloggers, but what really defines “blogging?” If you were to look up the definition of blogging, you’d find that blogging is defined as, “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.” If this is the true definition of blogging, don’t social media pages fit the qualifications? Of course, the idea that Lampa is trying to get across is that, blogging (WordPress-type blogging, not Facebook blogging) only represents a small population of internet users. Yet, Lampa does not recognize that the 2-7% does not include the social media bloggers. It’s not that blogging is just disappearing, but blogging is transitioning from long, journalist paragraphs to diarist bloggers. Now, those diarist bloggers are turning into social media bloggers. I believe this type of blogging is increasing due to the millennials lack of attention spans and growing infatuation to be constantly connected. Social media allows individuals to create multiple short posts that viewers can quickly read then move on to the next blogger. If I were to actually look up the statistics, I believe that they would show that as social media rises, blog activities decrease. No type of blogging should be overlooked, but I do agree with Lampa that journalist blogging is very important, and I’d like to see it grow.

In Jill Walker Rettburg’s book, Seeing Ourselves Through Technology: How We Use Selfies Blogs and Wearable Devices to See and Shape Ourselves, she describes visual, written, and quantitive ways of self representation. From the title, I expected the book to focus more on the why and how humans use technology, yet I was disappointed. In the first few pages of the book, I was wanted to know why humans were so drawn to see themselves through technology in the first place. I was intrigued by the fact that the first diaries began for a religious purpose, but I did not see how it applied to the main idea of the book. There is one area of the book that I wished Rettburg dung into more, and that was her segment on the use of the camera.  In today’s world, people are starting to stand up again stereotypes and “norms” from taking fitness pictures flexed and relaxed with the caption, “this is me and so is this” to just taking selfies without makeup on. These “stand up” posts are just starting to emerge because for years people have been creating profiles and taking pictures that hide their flaws. So, when Rettburg mentions Warwick’s idea of an outstretched arm indicating embracement, I couldn’t help but agree in the sense that people are forcing others to embrace the “filtered” version of themselves. With technology, humans can figuratively copy and paste themselves onto a profile, then delete the parts of them that they hope to hide from viewers. With technology, humans can open up their Instagram and see their filtered faces and perfected lives with images that they put onto the internet for viewers to see. Unfortunately, this may sometimes backfire on individuals, and these selfies are mocked.

Rettburg’s next topic in chapter one of her book describes the era of selfie hate emerging, and who’s selfies are praised while others are mocked. Rettburg’s ideas were more focused on why celebrities actions online are appreciated and the average individuals are criticized, and I don’t necessarily agree. As a 21st century teenager, I live in the generation of the first selfie-takers. From my perspective, the selfie itself  is not the problem, but the in real life process of taking one is. Many people scroll through social media unbothered by the self-taken images of individuals or groups, but taking a selfie in public is quite awkward for the individual and everyone around. The selfie is just one more cause for decreasing communication among peers. Having the simple ability to flip a camera and take a picture without outside assistance gives individuals one more reason to not have to communicate with others. This decreasing communication is causing humans to practically dissolve into their devices and we focus on perfecting our digitalized image more than our personal image. People care more about capturing the perfect image of themselves for the internet than about how strange they look sticking their arm out in public. The only reason celebrities are left alone on the subject is because today’s society praises the ground they walk on. This is the information that I was expecting to read in Rettburg’s book, the whys and the reasoning behind why individuals need to see themselves through technology. Don’t get me wrong, I did derive a lot from her book, but I hoped that the book itself would have taken the time to dive into the reasons why individuals see themselves through technology in the way that they do, and less on what types of technology humans use.

Rettberg, Jill W. Seeing Ourselves through Technology: How We Use Selfies, Blogs and                 Wearable Devices to See and … Shape Ourselves. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.

I chose to license my work under a basic, non-strict license because of the work that I do on my blog. I am not an author, a philosopher, scientist or anyone significantly important, so I’m not too concerned about someone else taking credit for my discovery of a new theory or new species. So far, my work on my blog has just been reflection and notes of other people’s work, so it would be hypocritical of me to restrict my work while I’m quoting other’s work at the same time. As long as my name is mentioned, even if my work is altered, I do not mind parts of my work being used by others.

Commentary: “In the late sixteenth century, Montaigne noted that drawing yourself was more acceptable than writing about yourself” (Rettburg).

One question continuously circles my mind which is why do people feel the need to write or draw themselves? Rettburg describes the transition from drawing  one self to writing, yet I am left curious as to why humans are so drawn to themselves in the first place. If a book is called, Seeing Ourselves Through Technology, I think the reason why humans even feel the need to see themselves in the first place should be stated. Rettburg does state Heehs argument for the use of diaries to be used for religious purposes, but it’s not made clear if it was the specific reason to writing about oneself. The transition from drawing to writing does not seem necessarily important either, because technology is used for digital portraits again. In the 21st century, humans are so drawn to themselves, posting images, accomplishments, and information to everyone and anyone. Has this attraction to one-self always been present, or was it the availability of technology that created a constant need to create one self for the world?

Analysis: “Although early photographers often used the camera as a barrier to protect them from the viewers in their self-portraits (Borzello 1998, 142), the classic outstretched arm of the selfie taken with a front-facing smart phone camera very strongly includes the viewer in the space of the photograph. As Katie Warwick points out, the outstretched arm is like a (forced) embrace, placing the viewer between the face of the person photographed and the camera (Warfield 2014)” (Rettburg).

Rettburg is stating the idea that past artists created their self-portraits to create a barrier between viewers and self, implying that the artist took images just of certain parts of themselves. On the other hand, she states people today hope to draw viewers in and let everyone see their true self. Does this interpretation truly understand photographers of today? Rettburg is agreeing that people embrace viewers into their lives, but what image are today’s photographers actually forcing viewers to see? If Rettburg is truly stating that people today want others to see themselves without barrier, then I’d have to disagree. Through technology, people did not break down their barriers, instead they created an altered image of themselves and they force viewers to see the perfected version of themselves. Early photographers did not have this ability to blur themselves to perfection, so they fragmented their images. Today’s photographers don’t need to create barriers. Instead, they can create whole new images of themselves to present.

Making Connections: “We imagined that the Internet was disembodied, anonymous and virtual. It wasn’t until the late 1990s and early 2000s that webcams became popular (Sen 2008), and we began to communicate with each other visually as well as through text” (Rettburg).

While reading this paragraph, I began to think of images from the 60s and 70s. Through movies, fashion, and media, it’s clear a clear fact that humans were not as “revealing” as they are in the 21st century. The 2000s is the era where technology became more visual, and it’s also around the same time when people started to share more, physically and mentally. During the 2000s, social media was on the rise, and people began to post more about themselves. Even clothing changed and started showing more of ourselves compared to previous generations of fashion. As technology grows, humans are apt to share more and more about themselves, and privacy dissipates. Yes, humans depict themselves through technology, but they are also showing more of themselves with technology. The availability of social media drives humans to copy and paste everything and anything about themselves. People are not only able to see themselves through technology, but people are able to see through each other.

Summary/Commentary:

While continuing to read chapter 1 of Rettburg’s book, Seeing Ourselves Through Technology, I just become more and more confused on what she is trying to get across. In the beginning, Rettburg states Heehs’ arguments on how Protestants used diaries for religious purposes. From there, Rettburg discusses uses of portraits and just barely brushes on photography and how certain images are depicted. From there on, she discusses forms of self-documentation and communication, and finally dives into the discussion of hatred for selfies. This article is very difficult to interpret, and even with a title, I still find it difficult to interpret what Rettburg’s main idea is.

Either way, for one semester of a college english course I will be trapped into blogging. The good news is, I discovered the benefits of blogging and so far enjoy this style of writing much more than essays. So while reading Alex Reid’s article, I found it information and agreeable. “Why Blog?” captures essential elements of a blog, different types of blog, how to set up a blog, and the benefits of blogging, which I have experienced even though I have not been blogging for very long (two weeks, so you can probably refer to me as an expert). A main topic that the author discussed is how blogs create personal motivation to write about any topic a writer desires. Blogging creates a channel for writers to express their individualism to anyone they wish, a formal journal that combines formality with opinion. Blogging is the bridge between writing a formal research paper and short social media posts, or microblogging. In my classroom, our blogs are seen not only by our professor, but also fellow peers. As a student, you may relate to the feeling of pressure when showing work to peers, rather than just turning an essay in for the professor. At first, I was terrified of this fact, but by writing through my own words and using my own thoughts, I’m comfortable and willing to write more through my blog. Not only do I agree with Reid’s prediction that blogging will create a greater desire to write, but I also agree that academic blogging provides a path away from standard schooling that aids students to become better writers. For years, the practice of writing formal essays have been driven into students’ heads, and any other style is rare. Reid states that essays and standard curriculum takes away the ability for students to write about subjects that truly interest them, and don’t dare write in first person. The reality is, a lot of writing forms are not structured as an intro, thesis, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. Books, poems, and scripts are just a few forms of writing that includes opinion and individual input. By blogging, an individual can practice the important skill of balancing by being both formal and opinionated for a topic of self-interest.

Reid also points out how blogging specifically develops one of the most important elements to any form of writing, the ability to hold a reader’s attention continuously. While viewing social media, posts only need to catch attention, and then you move on. On the other hand, a blog usually needs to hold a reader’s interest for a longer period of time. Blogs are optional, and the current generation has the shortest attention span ever. By mastering the ability to draw readers in to read and consider other’s ideas, any type of writer will go far. Reid does exaggerate although, because his type of blogging is not as popular as it used to be. Instead, microblogging is taking over, which takes form in sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Yet, blogging should not be over looked, because it truly does provide motivation to write with free-will, ties individualism to formal writing, expand a person’s writing styles, and develop important skills of becoming a good writer. In this day of age, the majority of people are always looking for ways to express themselves, so why not blog?

Making Connections: “Unfortunately, often the trappings of school curriculum can interfere with our ability to connect writing to our own goals and interests” (Reid).

The internet swarms social media with images of machines (representing schools) chipping away at students (shown as rocks) until they are all identical. Now, this form of education is not necessarily wrong, but there are truly a lack opportunities to show individualism and out-of-the-box thinking. There’s always that first english paper assigned, asking to describe who students are and what they are interested in, yet afterwards there are only book assignments and essays. This year, my professor took a different approach and introduced blogging. My class recently discussed the pros and cons of blogging rather than the standard teaching methods. One positive of blogging that the class discussed was that the students claimed to be less stressed by blogging because they could write as themselves and express their own thoughts. Another positive discussed was how a different style of writing will expand a student’s writing capabilities. On the other hand, students claimed that it is slightly stressful when peers and strangers have the ability to read their writings. Yet, by having an audience, students work harder to not only impress the professor, but also their peers. Another con my peers mentioned was that they are not used to writing through blogs, but it will only widen our horizon of writing experience. By getting into the routine of blogging, I noticed that I not only write more often, but I procrastinate less compared to past essay assignments.

Commentary:  “The trick in creating a flow state is to set a task that is neither so hard as to create frustration or anxiety or so easy as to be boring. As such, it is essential that you discover a subject for your blog that truly engages you”(Reid).

While writing essays, a common suggestion that many professors offer is to leave the first sentence for last. By doing this, the student will not stay stuck on one of the most challenging parts of an essay, hook. The majority of people who read and write blogs do so because they enjoy it, so the key to blogs is the ability to maintain the attraction of the reader. “Flow” is an important element to any style of writing, and blogging is an excellent way to master this key to writing. I admit, it’s hard to pay attention nowadays, so when I do become drawn towards a paper or article, I know to take tips. Writing for a topic that is meaningful and interesting to a writer will engage more readers than a popular writer trying to write a paper on something they hate or know nothing about. It may not always be noticeable, but a passionate writer creates passionate readers.

Analysis: “Unfortunately, decades of research suggest that such extrinsic motivators can actually hurt our performance on challenging intellectual tasks like writing an essay” (Reid).

Reading this section of the article, I became slightly aware of the lack of proven research behind this statement. Yes, many of my peers argue that the grading system may restrict outside ideas and the opportunity to explore, but what are examples of grades and outside motivation harming academic performance? Where are the examples of the decades of research? I have my own opinions on the matter, yet the author fails to back up his claims on this particular section. The majority of the article describes self-motivation and blogging for the individual, but only briefly touches on mentioning the benefits of blogging for a class or even writing for a class in general. The author also avoids pointing out opinions of people who are against blogging. What are the disadvantages of blogging? Many forms of professional writing aim to eliminate bias and personal opinion, like research papers, news articles (at least they shouldn’t be biased), and document writing. Yes, the author did an excellent job with this article, but this lack of research can catch a reader off guard.

I am never on my laptop. All around me, I see students my age on a laptop and using it for YouTube, blogs, and other areas of content. Yes, I may be on my phone as much as any other 21st century human being, but I’ve never been a blogger or whatever else. So, because of my lack of familiarity, this whole process has been quite confusing. Between going back and forth between the instructions, the page, and the million different ways of communication, (hence why I’ve already been late twice out of the three classes I’ve had) I’ve been struggling. Through this process, it did confirm my reasoning to avoid online classes as much as I possibly can is 100% supported. Luckily, the detailed step-by-step instructions prevented my head from exploding. To set up an account was actually quite simple due to the fact that it included the basic steps of inserting an email, password, name, etc. Then you enter your empty blog and need to make the decision of a theme. If you really don’t care about what your blog looks like, (especially if it’s just for a class) this step can be a breeze. Unless you’re me. I scrolled through template after template and changed my mind a million times over, unknowing of the fact that the worse was still to come. Finally deciding on a background, I had to write a title and pick out pictures and backgrounds, which was confusing because the background would never change color half of the time. As I approached the end of my journey (or so I thought) I discovered adding accessories like widgets, follow buttons and headers.  HEADERS WERE THE WORST TO DEAL WITH OUT OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. I was so frustrated because I kept adding certain tools to different headers and nothing would show up, and even if it did, the buttons would be placed where I did not want them. I still have no idea how to add what I want to the tab strip across my blog. The problems I encountered while setting up this blog were not due to lack of instructions, but the blog site. The blog site was never very clear on what certain things were and where, like the differences between header 1, 2, and 3. After my success in placing my widgets everywhere but where I wanted them and writing my first post, I moved on to attempting to sent up an RSS. Lets just say, do not try and find my RSS because that was a whole lot of instructions that I definitely did not understand. In the end although, we made it (sorta). Here we are, with a blog that I have already published with 4 different themes. Even with my lack of desire to do online-based homework, I do look forward to using a blog rather than past daily english assignments, like journal topics. Being completely honest, this blog will not continue after this semester. While this blog is requirement though, I hope to acquire a different set of writing skills, and to never have to set up another blog again.