Saturday, July 11, 2009

Why I have never blogged before

As a professor of technology in a faculty of education as well as a person who considers themselves in-tune with current and emerging technology it surprises many people when I tell them that I have yet to participate in this social media/networking phenomena. People are shocked when they hear that me, of all people, has never registered for an account on: Blogger, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, ...

I am well aware of the utility and novelty of these sites and how they have become a part of the social fabric of our society -- I have just been very discerning and have yet to really understand how I will incorporate myself into the world of Web 2.0


WHY NO LOVE FOR BLOGGING?
If I were to quote a gender stereotype, I would say that I am a typical male who rarely digs deep to share my feelings, therefore sharing these thoughts and feelings with strangers seems completely absurd. I find it difficult to bare my soul and be vulnerable through narrative, which is why I have never written a diary and failed any journal writing assignment I have been forced to complete. Despite the fact that I have a good sense of humor and consider myself to be a good storyteller, and with no offense to bloggers, I suppose that I don't have the ego to dedicate a website to myself and my thoughts/experiences.

With all that being said, I have turned over a new leaf and signed up for an account on Blogger. The first challenge I faced was to create a name for my blog! After pondering for quite some time for an appropriate title I reflected on what I thought this blog would become (it's that damn backward design to teaching -- gets you every time!). As I embark on the adventure of pursuing my EdD, I aptly named my blog "Doc's Orders", as I feel this blog will follow my progress (order of events) through the EdD candidacy process.

Thanks for reading my first ever blog post!

4 comments:

  1. Way to Go, Stephen! I am delighted that I spurred you on to create a blog and join the social networking community.

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  2. Stephen,

    I am also one of those males that find it hard to write freely on an open access site. Potentially, once there is a community that provides a safe environment, we'll be able to respectfully challenge and seek clarification on the thoughts posted. D.

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  3. One major problem I have with blogging and 'baring your soul' online in general is that you cannot convey tone. I attempted to blog for a while on various topics. Anything beyond that of work related issues was welcomed with many comments regarding my level of sarcasm and cynical nature. So I stopped. I now use Twitter for posting short messages about things I have found, or cool resources.

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  4. I have been blogging since January and have found it to be the best way to organize my thinking and connect it to what others are thinking. I wonder why I didn't start sooner.

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