doctoral candidate in rhetoric and scientific and technical communication
blogs
I’m in…
04 years ago
Ok. I’m in. I know I’m a day late in making these larger posts, but I’m going to make an attempt to post a blog post every day — every single day — during November. And I’m not
talking about my Twitter tweets, either (although I really think they should count because you get to see the things I’m doing, thinking, or working on). Ahem.
I know that this is not appealing to everyone. However, when I get as busy as I’ve been (consider this: I work full-time at my regular job, I’m teaching a class, I’m finishing my thesis (60+ pages with a lot of research), I’m studying for the GRE, I’m applying to doctoral programs, I’m refinancing my house, I’m researching buying a new car (because mine is 11 years old and I’m going to need a newer one to get me through the next 5 years that I’m in grad school), I still post a photo a day, and I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with family before I move away), it isn’t always the first thing on my mind to post a new full-fledged blog entry. I’ve tried to keep everyone up-to-date by posting tweets.
I’ve heard some complaints about that, though. I’m sorry. I know that you’re a loyal audience and I’ve tried to do my best by you. So this month is for you. Really.
I have to say, though, that the posts will probably be about a lot of my research. And what, you may ask, am I researching? My area of study is looking at how women create identity in online social communities — both visual and linguistic rhetorical identities. I look at how they (the three particular women I’ve been following) have used images to define who they are, how they use words to define who they are, and how they juxtaposition the two — and what can come of that. I look at the issues of objectification of women and how we can often put ourselves in the role of objectifying ourselves in order to fit in, to meet audience expectations, and to be noticed.
Bored yet? This is just the beginning of the ride. It may be bumpy but you may have fun, too. Yahoo!
all in
04 years ago
One of my favorite things about the blogging community is how there is a lot of interaction. People want to be heard and to hear what you have to say.
While many of the blogs that I read are technical, political, and/or feminist in nature, I also like to check out new blogs or find people who are creative and interesting — who give me insights into issues that I wouldn’t normally encounter or would approach from a different angle.
I found Jaycee’s Semantically Driven through BlogHer, a site that is geared toward promoting women bloggers. How could I not be drawn in? I mean really…the title of her blog is all about language. Have I said how much I love language? Whee!
Seriously, though…Jaycee helps women promote their blogs through an exercise called all women blogging carnival. It’s a nice way for people from all over the world to see what one another are engaged in and to be introduced to some new bloggers. I’m going to highlight a few that caught my attention.
- Becky, at Just a Girl in Short Shorts, writes about spanking her daughter and wonders if others feel the same way about corporal punishment. Anyone who has ever been a part of the torrential downpours that occur during the season and have seen the powerful walls of water that go through normally dry beds will understand her fear, her concerns, and her overwhelming need to teach her daughter about this subject.
- Klamath Design writer, Linda, reminds us about the importance of backing up our databases — information that we should always remember but rarely do.
- Jill, from Writes Like She Talks, shares a YouTube video that isn’t quite the rhetorical response to female legislators that most of us would prefer to see.
- At Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker, Patricia writes about her friends, the love she has for them, and how death can’t supersede that love.
I probably would have never seen these blog entries if I hadn’t gone to Jaycee’s site. It’s a good thing to go outside of your communities. There are wonderful and interesting things to read and see.
i am different
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Rousseau, in discussing his particular confessional style of memoir writing, writes, “I am commencing an undertaking, hitherto without precendent, and which will never find an imitator…I am not made like any of those I have seen; I venture to believe that I am not made like any of those who are in existence. If I am not better, at least I am different.”
I have been blogging (or something akin to it online) for nearly 10 years. Before blogs were blogs, I was putting my thoughts on message boards and inviting comments there. I didn’t start this off as a confessional. I didn’t create it to become a subject of history or to become, like Samuel Pepys in his autobiographical style, an accumulative subject. I didn’t start a blog to write about my marginalized life. And yet, here I am – confessing, being a subject of history and an accumulative subject. I write about the ways I feel marginalized in today’s society.
I began this journey to have somewhere safe and free to write. I began this as a place to get those writing energies out, somewhere, anywhere. I write because I need to write. It fulfills me in ways that photography doesn’t. My words paint the pictures. It can be more blatant or more subtle depending on what I do with the words.
I’m working on my master’s thesis. I’m looking inward, at myself. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m self-absorbed, writing these past 10 years. I’m looking at my words, my photos, and determining what type of audience I’ve been writing for, what my voice has been, what type of identity I have created, and if I’m believable to anyone but myself.
I think I am. I mean, this is me – the real me – here on these pages. I tell the truth as I know it. I share my world as I see it, warts and all. But is it believable? Does it resonate? Does it matter?
This is me without the filters of big publication machinery. Without an editor. Without a publisher. My autobiography. My accounting of my life – here, right in front of you. My sorrows, my joys, my fears, my triumphs. All right here. In technicolor. For the world to see immediately.
Me.
kindness
05 years ago
I was visiting daisies’ blog (as I try to do each day) and I noticed a few links on her site.
The first was Indie Bloggers, which I promptly joined. It seems like it will become an interesting community of bloggers. And I’m always up for a good social networking site. The founder of the site writes:
We’re writers not necessarily by profession but by passion. We love the act of writing and that is why we write every day, no matter how many visitors or comments we get. We write because it’s impossible for us not to.
We don’t fit into a neat little category. We write about life, not about one topic. Because we’re “un-nicheable,” we can’t network as easily. We can’t find each other on our own – though we may have our core readers, we don’t want to limit our communities. And because we can’t network as easily, we tend to feel a little lost.
I started Indie Bloggers because I am a “personal” blogger and I’m sick of feeling like my writing is frivolous, that I’m “just a personal blogger.” If you don’t write in a niche people tend to write you off, scoffing that “it’s just a blog.” It’s not just a blog. We’re not “just” bloggers. We write and we want to keep writing, keep growing, keep learning. We’ll probably never get published. And yet we still write.
Indie Bloggers is dedicated to us. It’s not about exclusion, it’s about including those who feel excluded. It’s for networking, meeting fellow non-professional writers. Communicating. Gathering ideas. Growing. It may sound cheesy, but I want to change the way people view “personal” blogs, how they view us and lump us into a category of “I had cereal today and am wearing blue socks!” bloggers. WE. ARE. MORE THAN THAT.
We’re not “personal” bloggers. We’re Independent Bloggers. Indies.
The second was kind blog. It is a pledge:
By posting this badge, I’m declaring that in addition to humour, intelligence, wit, sadness, snarkiness, passion, exuberance, peace, stillness, excitability, anger or any other emotion you may witness on my site:
1) I will never intentionally hurt other people, whether I know them or not, whether they blog or not, whether they’re celebrities or not, either through my words or my images. It’s just not my style; and
2) I hope that by the time you’ve clicked away from my site, I’ve helped in some way to make your day just a little bit better.
So this all got me to thinking. I wonder if I intentionally hurt people.
When I write about dating and my lack of success in doing so, am I being mean to the men that I’ve gone out with or will potentially go out with?
Was my discussion of the firefighter not calling, not visiting, not emailing unkind or was it just a sharing of things that are going on in my life right now? Would he like to read that post or would it embarrass or hurt him?
I don’t know.
I try not to be mean even when I’m hurt or disappointed or irritated or frustrated. But I don’t know if I succeed.
I think that sometimes (okay, most of the time) I wear my emotions on my sleeve and when I’m feeling disrupted (happily or not so happily) that maybe it comes out in a snarky, almost mean way — even if that’s not how I mean it.
I want to be considered kind. I want to consider myself kind.
I’m just not sure if I’ve evolved that much yet — no matter how much I want it.
inequality
05 years ago
I’ve talked about the trend that I see in the photoblogging community to focus on men’s blogs predominantly and to ignore the validity of women’s blogs (for the most part).
Recently, Photoblogs.org started a series that they call the “Hall of Fame”. According to the Hall of Fame page,
“Photoblogs.org regularly adds outstanding photoblogs to its Hall of Fame. The intent of the Hall of Fame is to recognize those who have made a significant impact on the Photoblogs.org community. This list acts as a reference for anyone who wants to see fine examples of what can be accomplished through photoblogging. The selection of Hall of Fame members is determined automatically by a special algorithm that analyzes website influence. No more than one new site is added per day.”
When I looked through the list of twenty-one current “Hall of Famers”, there were two women’s blogs listed. Two out of twenty-one.
To me, this is a failure in the system. It fails to recognize that the inherent differences between how men and women see the world and how we photograph it are appealing in different ways. It also fails to take into consideration that if a blogger is not a part of the “boy’s club” (and most of these people comment on one another’s blogs but rarely go outside of that loop), then they will not be considered a “Hall of Famer.”
But why does it bother me? Am I concerned with being a Hall of Famer? No. I don’t think most people *get* my photography. And, quite frankly, I’m okay with that. I also don’t think that I will fit in with mainstream photobloggers. I’m not a mainstream sort of person – never have been. And I’m okay with that, too.
It bothers me because there are some amazing female photobloggers out there who are being overlooked simply because they are not hits on the popularity scale – and, essentially, that’s what that list is starting to look like.
–
The other day I had walked down to the local health food store to pick up some things for lunch. As I walked back to my office, I passed the geology building where a group of young men (all in their early 20s by my estimation) were standing.
One of them made a catcall whistle.
I looked around.
I was the only female within viewable distance.
And they were looking at me.
Then came another.
And I was confused.
I’m nearly twice their age and not what I would consider whistle material. So why were they whistling?
So, that’s what went through my mind first.
Then I wondered if I should be offended. They were treating me like a piece of meat walking down the street.
Or should I be flattered? I mean, I *am* almost twice their age and they were whistling.
Was the whistling meant in jest, to be mean? Was it sincere? Is that kind of whistling ever sincere?
And why am I giving it this much thought, even 3 days after the fact?
I think it bothers me. It bothers me that this sort of behavior is still taking place and that women are still being treated with such disdain.
What’s wrong with actually approaching someone and saying, “I just wanted to tell you that I find you attractive.”? Or saying, “I think you look very nice today.”? Why whistle and create this air of separatism? It’s not healthy.
mea culpa
05 years ago
This is another photo that has a lot of views on Flickr. I have no idea why. It’s not that great of a shot but I loved the lighting and I loved that I took it in a place that is very comfortable to me – my bedroom.
Yesterday’s entry came from a place of frustration. I was venting and I know I affected some people because of that.
It’s not the desktops that bother me. Well, I mean, it bothers me that people are getting low quality photos (because I don’t post the large sizes or the increased dpi on the internet). And it would be nice to know that people are using them for that – yeah, it is flattering.
I got a few emails from people apologizing for downloading images to their computers to use as desktops. And then I felt guilty for venting about that. I know that it means they like my photography. I know that it means that this is something they enjoy looking at everyday.
So, I apologize.
I think I was more upset about my photo being used by a corporate presence and by my photos being used by people who won’t ever speak to me or who don’t even acknowledge me as the photographer. I work hard on these, spending hours getting the right feel, the right words to go with them, and to get them posted in a timely manner.
My photography matters to me. I love doing it but I also love knowing that others are enjoying it, that they see the work that goes into it. Because, frankly, I don’t have many visitors and I don’t feel like my photography is well-received. So it is nice, just once in a while, to know that it is appreciated.
My apologies to those people I upset. I didn’t mean to do that.
advertising
05 years ago
This video is funny. Nevermind that it’s an advertisement for one more car on the road. Nevermind that it’s feeding into that environment of consumerism and that more is better.
The video is funny.
And guess where I found it? The crab has a MySpace account. Seriously.
And this really cracks me up:
Who I’d like to meet:
Other Actors. Invertebrates. Surfers. Honda fans. Beach Lovers. Environmentalists. People who appreciate a hearty pinch. Vegetarians. Those with seafood allergies. Other actors. Great huggers! Britons by birth, Surfers by soul. Tuners.
Seriously.
This is some good advertising.
pfffft
05 years ago
I’m going along, minding my own business when I come across this:
“Blogs are like spam in Google searches. I heard the figure of 32 million blogs the other day. Does anyone read these?
I look at the writer. It’s my professor! Okay, granted, it’s in my class – but it’s my professor!
He’s an instigator. You make a comment like “blogs. . . bah humbug!!” as one of my classmates did, he’s going to capitalize on it.
But it went further. People started jumping on the bandwagon.
“My own opinion is that blogs are a bit like examining one’s navel in public. I believe I’ve said this before, but any idiot with a computer and an opinion can suddenly have a global forum. Annoying, and a bit dangerous. Do I read them? Never.”
Huh.
“”Annoying, and a bit dangerous.” I agree. Keeping a journal is great, but leave it near your bedside. I have a few friends who ask if I ever look at their blogs. They seem offended that I’m just not interested, but I prefer either a personal conversation or a good book. A blog is neither to me.”
Wow. We’re now dangerous. Who woulda thunk I had so much power?
“I have to agree with the majority here — I find that people that have extensive blogs have way too much time on their hands. I myself have tried to maintain two blogs in the past and I never have time to maintain them.
Now I’m just getting annoyed and offended. So it’s time for me to weigh in.
“As one of those “navel-gazing” bloggers, I guess I take umbrage with the “majority” here. I have 7 different blogs that I keep up on a regular basis…in addition to going to school full-time and working full-time.
Do I have too much time on my hands? On the contrary.
However, I enjoy doing writing, photography, reviews, tracking my master’s degree program, keeping up with widespread family and friends, and sharing information.
Is some of my blogging personal? By all means. Some of it is used to encourage others to speak out. Some of it is used to externalize some of my internalized feelings. Some of it is used as a memoir type medium to record interesting things in my life.
Great things have come of it. I’ve sold some photography. Long lost friends have found me and we’ve rekindled relationships. I now do blog trainings at work. My master’s focus is on social software and how it can be used in teaching literacy.
I read a lot of blogs. I have an RSS feed to over 100 blogs. I comment on many of them. I see it as a social avenue – a network.”
And they just come back with argument after argument about why blogs are bad (most of them centering around an elitist attitude that the masses just aren’t intelligent enough to discern truth from fiction and authority from joe-shmoe writing a blog).
Bah.
I’ve heard it before (and, actually, from someone who used to read my blog – not sure if he does anymore).
Blogs aren’t for everyone. They are a tool. One tool works better for one person, another tool for someone else. It’s not beneficial to anyone to discount the benefits of a tool solely on dislike of that tool.
I’m not a huge MySpace or Facebook fan. Why? I think the design of them is atrocious. But, I think they are great socializing tools and appreciate them for that.
To each his or her own, I say.
tagged – food stuff
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This doesn’t happen to me often but I’ve been tagged. Geraldine has tagged me to list the 5 foods that I want to eat before I go to the great restaurant beyond.
I’ve been thinkng about this and haven’t come up with really exciting things but here goes.
- Fresh picked blueberries, raspberries, and huckleberries from the forests in Montana. When I was a kid, we’d go out and pick these (eating way more than we collected, I’m sure). It was some of the best fruit I’ve ever had.
- Choke cherries from the orchards around Flathead Lake in Montana. See a trend here? Succulent, juicy, and the best cherries I’ve ever had.
- Gelato in Italy. Enough said.
- Pad Thai in Thailand. I want the real stuff.
- Tapas in Spain. We Americanize everything. I want to try them in their original forms.
I like good food. I like it even better when I’m traveling and trying new things. Food always tastes better on the road.
I also want to thank Geraldine for naming my site as her blog of the week. I’m honored and delighted.
today is…
05 years ago
To celebrate it, I decided to peruse the blogrolls at BlogHer.
- The first blog that I found interesting and want to highlight is An Oxymoron Is Not An Idiot With Zits. She had me at Yee Haw!
In 1966, the world was graced with my presence. The first doctor that laid eyes on me said I was so beautiful. I offered to sleep with him because he was jewish and a doctor. I figured this would please my mother and keep me comfortably in the retail heaven I would soon become accustomed to. He declined and told me to call him back when I turn 40. He’s 80 now. God bless you, Dr. Edelstein, wherever you are. I have the Viagra. All I need is your phone number.
Happy birthday, CP.
- Stacie Penney writes Raspberry Latte. It’s a blog about life, books, family, and whatever strikes her fancy. She wrote a poem that really struck a cord with me.
- moi writes my occupied territory. It is a blog dealing with race, ethnicity, and politics. Her profile says it all:
a recent college graduate attempting to vent feelings and rationalize the happenings in this world through this space. although i have occupied this blog, i do not plan on enforcing this occupation through concrete barriers that will prevent visitors from traveling though this site. Nor will I use security check points to make sure that individuals have the right nationality/race/ethnicity in order to comment. this blog is an expression of my thoughts on international politics, human rights, globalization, culture, and society with a focus on the Middle East from an Arab American perspective.
- post doc ergo propter doc reiterates many of the same issues that I think many people in academia feel. Her 10 things I wish someone had told me is insightful, poignant, and witty.
Total synthetic chemist people also speak a different language to the rest of the chemistry world. Only theirs is the world of 50 step reactions to some obscure marine natural product that will be no bloody use to anyone. The great benefit of their work (apart from occasionally synthesising something quickly and usefully) is the techniques, reactions and procedures they develop along the way. Scifinder Scholar or Crossfire Commander is the universal translator for this work, turning obscure synthesis into something meaningful and useable for the masses.
- ¡Masala Fabi, Pura Vida! is the writing of Mari, a Costa Rican woman living in Mumbai with her Indian husband and their son, Fabi.
When you have interacted with other children you have learned to kiss on the cheek, and to hug. But I like when you surprise strangers with a flying kiss or when you wave good-bye in reply of someone’s greeting. You’re quite the charmer when it comes to meeting people.