Tuesday, November 6
Sunday, November 4
What if you could remember everything?
One of this weeks articles for class set off an atomic bomb of questions, comparisons, and thoughts in my mind, and dozens of notes along the margins of the print out. Gemmell, J., Bell, G., & Lueder, R. (2006). MyLifeBits: a personal database for everything. Communications of the ACM, 49(1), 89-95. According to their website, "MyLifeBits is a lifetime store of everything." Do you buy it?
A Blockbuster Shelf.
Reading this article made me feel like I was walking down the isle of a movie rental store, looking at random titles. Some you've heard of, some maybe not.
Being John Malkovich
If you could be feel what someone else feels, see what they see, taste what they taste, how could you tell the difference between them and you?
The way I see it, your damned if you do, your damned if you don't.
Why is it unrealistic and unattainable to attempt to record "everything"? Because you'll never be able to record enough, and if you do, your recording too much. Let me explain.
The discus field.
In high school I threw for our track and field team. During some down time at practice one day an upperclassman and I were talking and he asked me, "wouldn't it be cool if humans had the ability to recognize and be able to identify every single blade of grass individually?" This is an extreme example of course, but think about it. How many millions upon millions of things do we encounter everyday, but ignore because they serve no purpose to our day to day lives? We could take an hour walk in the woods and literally see millions of trees, leaves, grass, rocks, dirt, moss and animals, but perhaps one single flower catches our attention, and evokes an emotional response. For that one in a million, do we need to record each and every individual element? Will that ever be possible? (Great irony- I don't remember the upperclassman's name)
Lets think smaller.
A newspaper is on the kitchen table. You walk past and look at a picture on the front page of someone you think looks like your friend. You get a muffin, you walk away.
Your called to jury duty. During the selection process your asked, "Do you know anything about John v Doe?" You say no, you've never heard of it. The prosecutor gets access to your visual history file, and pulls up 9 am last Tuesday. It turns out, moments before you got breakfast you glanced at the daily paper which displayed a headline and feature article on the case. Your called a liar, and sent home. My point is this, not everything we encounter we remember, not by a long shot. Classic example. And if we do record everything we encounter, we're not accurately recording everything we remember. Either way, we've got problems.
Earlier in this course Willow said "when you see the Taj Mahal in moonlight it brings you to your knees." We can take pictures, we can take notes, video and heart beats-per-minute ratings, but I don't think we could ever capture what she felt right then. Not from the outside of our skulls anyway. Until we better understand how the brain works, how it functions, records, and observes, we won't be able to record "everything." And if we ever do figure that all out, The Matrix may not seem so far fetched after all.
Links:
An easy to use mobile blogging site http://www.utterz.com
Jim Gemmell's Site - http://research.microsoft.com/~jgemmell/
Gordon Bell's Site http://research.microsoft.com/~gbell/
On the Record.
The article, which described the theory and practice of recording the human experience as much as possible, I found fascinating. Recording conversations, location, photos and video, contact information, and even bodily activities and performance. I do believe however, that their intended goal, is unrealistic and unattainable. More on that later.
My Mega Pixel Day.
Almost 2 years ago I was living and working in Seattle, and I decided I wanted to document a single, random day through pictures. Soon after I woke up, I took a picture, and about every hour for the rest of the day I did the same. It was a typical day, I with going to gym, breakfast, work, lunch, work, meetings, phone calls, dinner, out with friends to watch March Madness. The pictures alone weren't particularly great, together in a sequence they where intended to paint a broader picture. Here is March 23rd, 2006:
At the time I didn't even know lifelogging existed. But I did know I had a digital camera, and this could be a cool way to create a sort of a time capsule, to be looked back upon in the distant future. Little did I know they would come in handy for my QU Intro class blog :)
So why?
Why do we do it? Why do we have the desire to capture, document, and share? One could make the argument its in our nature. Story telling and communication are hard wired into our psyche, and now we have the tools to capture bits of information at incredible rates, and on the horizon are infinite possibilities.
The article, which described the theory and practice of recording the human experience as much as possible, I found fascinating. Recording conversations, location, photos and video, contact information, and even bodily activities and performance. I do believe however, that their intended goal, is unrealistic and unattainable. More on that later.
My Mega Pixel Day.
Almost 2 years ago I was living and working in Seattle, and I decided I wanted to document a single, random day through pictures. Soon after I woke up, I took a picture, and about every hour for the rest of the day I did the same. It was a typical day, I with going to gym, breakfast, work, lunch, work, meetings, phone calls, dinner, out with friends to watch March Madness. The pictures alone weren't particularly great, together in a sequence they where intended to paint a broader picture. Here is March 23rd, 2006:
At the time I didn't even know lifelogging existed. But I did know I had a digital camera, and this could be a cool way to create a sort of a time capsule, to be looked back upon in the distant future. Little did I know they would come in handy for my QU Intro class blog :)So why?
Why do we do it? Why do we have the desire to capture, document, and share? One could make the argument its in our nature. Story telling and communication are hard wired into our psyche, and now we have the tools to capture bits of information at incredible rates, and on the horizon are infinite possibilities.
A Blockbuster Shelf.
Reading this article made me feel like I was walking down the isle of a movie rental store, looking at random titles. Some you've heard of, some maybe not.
Being John Malkovich
If you could be feel what someone else feels, see what they see, taste what they taste, how could you tell the difference between them and you?
The Final Cut
Who would, who should, who could, have access to your recorded memories? What would they find? What about after we die?
The Matrix
If memories can be recorded, can they be imported? "I know Kung Fu"
Memento
"Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy... yes I will. " Sometimes we don't want to know the "truth", our versions are much more convenient.
Who would, who should, who could, have access to your recorded memories? What would they find? What about after we die?
The Matrix
If memories can be recorded, can they be imported? "I know Kung Fu"
Memento
"Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy... yes I will. " Sometimes we don't want to know the "truth", our versions are much more convenient.
The way I see it, your damned if you do, your damned if you don't.
Why is it unrealistic and unattainable to attempt to record "everything"? Because you'll never be able to record enough, and if you do, your recording too much. Let me explain.
The discus field.
In high school I threw for our track and field team. During some down time at practice one day an upperclassman and I were talking and he asked me, "wouldn't it be cool if humans had the ability to recognize and be able to identify every single blade of grass individually?" This is an extreme example of course, but think about it. How many millions upon millions of things do we encounter everyday, but ignore because they serve no purpose to our day to day lives? We could take an hour walk in the woods and literally see millions of trees, leaves, grass, rocks, dirt, moss and animals, but perhaps one single flower catches our attention, and evokes an emotional response. For that one in a million, do we need to record each and every individual element? Will that ever be possible? (Great irony- I don't remember the upperclassman's name)
Lets think smaller.
A newspaper is on the kitchen table. You walk past and look at a picture on the front page of someone you think looks like your friend. You get a muffin, you walk away.
Your called to jury duty. During the selection process your asked, "Do you know anything about John v Doe?" You say no, you've never heard of it. The prosecutor gets access to your visual history file, and pulls up 9 am last Tuesday. It turns out, moments before you got breakfast you glanced at the daily paper which displayed a headline and feature article on the case. Your called a liar, and sent home. My point is this, not everything we encounter we remember, not by a long shot. Classic example. And if we do record everything we encounter, we're not accurately recording everything we remember. Either way, we've got problems.
Earlier in this course Willow said "when you see the Taj Mahal in moonlight it brings you to your knees." We can take pictures, we can take notes, video and heart beats-per-minute ratings, but I don't think we could ever capture what she felt right then. Not from the outside of our skulls anyway. Until we better understand how the brain works, how it functions, records, and observes, we won't be able to record "everything." And if we ever do figure that all out, The Matrix may not seem so far fetched after all.
Links:
An easy to use mobile blogging site http://www.utterz.com
Jim Gemmell's Site - http://research.microsoft.com/~jgemmell/
Gordon Bell's Site http://research.microsoft.com/~gbell/
Friday, November 2
Biblio
The following is an annotated bibliography for the white paper James and I are working on.
Chambers, J. (2005). The Sponsored Avatar: Examining the Present Reality and Future Possibilities of Advertising in Digital Games. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.digra.org:8080/Plone/dl/db/06278.01541.pdf
Abstract
This paper examines the practice of advertising within the space of digital games. Additionally it anticipates the future development of advertising within the interactive entertainment spaces. A future that holds possibilities as varied as actual game sponsorship, product placement and brand integration within games, or cross promotional opportunities between digital games and other forms of entertainment media. The author seeks neither to neither bury nor praise the practice, but to offer a careful and reasoned examination. Given the similarity between videogames and movies this research synthesis incorporates analysis of advertising placement within those genres with limited processing theory to propose a placement model for digital games. The analysis includes the perspective of advertisers, game publishers and designers, and end user consumers. This work finds that currently there are multiple approaches to in-game advertising, but that it is an accepted practice by end user consumers. An agenda for future approaches is also offered.
Svahn, M. (2005). Futur-proofing advergaming: a systematization for the media buyer. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1109210
Abstract
The idea of using games as carriers for goal-oriented strategically shaped rhetorical messages, i.e. advertising and propaganda, has been much talked about. Those who produce games take an interest in such messages as a way to find new revenue streams and new customers. Media strategists are interested in finding the audiences that are leaving traditional media and turning to games. It could be fruitful for media strategists and game producers to meet, but as the meaning of the term advergaming is becoming diluted, that meeting is becoming difficult. This paper is an attempt to facilitate such a meeting by giving an overview of the planned rhetorical functions of ludic activities. This will hopefully lead to a structure of concepts useful to the scientist as well as to the practicing communications strategy planner.
Chaney, J. (2004). The Effect of Billboards within the Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/Chaney_Lin_2004_Billboards.doc
Abstract
Players from all demographic groups are spending more and more of their leisure time playing multiplayer online games. As such, the gaming environment may be a more suitable vehicle to reach target markets. This study assessed whether advertising in the form of embedded billboards has an impact on the online gamer. Even though they could recall passing the billboards many of the players could not recall the names of either the products or the brands after the gaming session. This was possibly due to the immersive nature of the game with peripheral details not fully registering. The embedded billboards within the game had very limited impact on either the enhancement of the game experience or on product purchase intentions.
Han, S., Cho, M. M, Choi. (2005). Ubitem: A Framework for Interactive Marketing in Location-Based Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/proceedings/&toc=comp/proceedings/icmb/2005/2367/00/2367toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/ICMB.2005.108
Abstract
Mobile game and advertising are evolving rapidly and becoming the key of mobile contents market. More powerful mobile devices have enabled the creation of better and richer mobile games and advertising. This paper proposes a framework, called Ubitem, which addresses many of the issues that are characteristic of mobile gaming and advertising. Ubitem facilitates time and location-sensitive, interactive marketing by enabling users with the location-aware technology capability to collect nearby items such as m-coupons and redeem the items in the close participating stores. We believe that mobile advertising within location-based gaming will most likely enable much richer entertaining experiences as well as the advertisers get superior responses from the users by linking a virtual game play and real-life action.
Wolf, M. (2002). The Medium of the Video Game. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=lKZriBxbcwQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Medium+of+the+Video+Game&sig=KyOMPdvC_3-z58pMR2G35ikPOQ8
Duke, M. (2006). In Game Advertising: Touching the Elusive Consume. Retrieved on October 26th, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1178863
Abstract
Consumers are bombarded with more and more advertising, while traditional media such as TV and radio become more and more fragmented, the challenge of reaching the consumer gets harder and harder. Consol and video games are a media that does not suffer from user 'switch off' or channel hopping and if carefully integrated advertisers can link in with games that match a brand and connect to other channels such as billboards, mobile phones and even retail locations. The process of in game advertising is a sophisticated one that offers advertisers a clear segment to advertise to and a water tight mechanism of measurement and return (two elusive items in the fast changing world of advertising). The session will look at In Game Advertising - Touching The Elusive Consumer -- with examples from across the globe.
Shankar, V. Bayus, B. (2002). Networked ETWORK EFFECTS AND COMPETITION:
An Empirical Analysis of the Home Video Game Industry. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/faculty/bayusb/webpage/papers/vgames-e.pdf
Abstract
Building on the Resource-Based View of the firm, we advance the idea that a firm’s customer network can be a strategic asset. We suggest that network effects are a function of network size (i.e., installed customer base) and network strength (i.e., the marginal impact of a unit increase in network size on demand). We empirically study these network effects in the 16-bit home video game industry in which the dominant competitors were Nintendo and Sega. In the spirit of the new empirical IO framework, we estimate a structural econometric model assuming the data are equilibrium outcomes of the best fitting non-cooperative game in price and advertising. After controlling for other effects, we find strong evidence that network effects are asymmetric between the competitors in the home video game industry. Specifically, we find that the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) has higher network strength than the firm with the larger customer base (Sega). Thus, our results provide a possible explanation for this situation in which the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) was able to overtake the sales of a firm with a larger network size (Sega). These empirical results suggest that the ultimate outcome in a competitive market with network effects is more complex than simply accepting that the firm with the largest installed customer base will always be the winner.
The following are sources that may be helpful in our research along with the above mentioned texts.
http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Video_Game_Hardware_Software_and_Services
http://credibility.stanford.edu/captology/notebook/archives.new/2005/02/recent_developm.html
http://advergamez.blogspot.com/
http://www.dfcint.com/game_report/onlinegames2004toc.pdf
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20060135235.html
Chambers, J. (2005). The Sponsored Avatar: Examining the Present Reality and Future Possibilities of Advertising in Digital Games. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.digra.org:8080/Plone/dl/db/06278.01541.pdf
Abstract
This paper examines the practice of advertising within the space of digital games. Additionally it anticipates the future development of advertising within the interactive entertainment spaces. A future that holds possibilities as varied as actual game sponsorship, product placement and brand integration within games, or cross promotional opportunities between digital games and other forms of entertainment media. The author seeks neither to neither bury nor praise the practice, but to offer a careful and reasoned examination. Given the similarity between videogames and movies this research synthesis incorporates analysis of advertising placement within those genres with limited processing theory to propose a placement model for digital games. The analysis includes the perspective of advertisers, game publishers and designers, and end user consumers. This work finds that currently there are multiple approaches to in-game advertising, but that it is an accepted practice by end user consumers. An agenda for future approaches is also offered.
Svahn, M. (2005). Futur-proofing advergaming: a systematization for the media buyer. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1109210
Abstract
The idea of using games as carriers for goal-oriented strategically shaped rhetorical messages, i.e. advertising and propaganda, has been much talked about. Those who produce games take an interest in such messages as a way to find new revenue streams and new customers. Media strategists are interested in finding the audiences that are leaving traditional media and turning to games. It could be fruitful for media strategists and game producers to meet, but as the meaning of the term advergaming is becoming diluted, that meeting is becoming difficult. This paper is an attempt to facilitate such a meeting by giving an overview of the planned rhetorical functions of ludic activities. This will hopefully lead to a structure of concepts useful to the scientist as well as to the practicing communications strategy planner.
Chaney, J. (2004). The Effect of Billboards within the Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/Chaney_Lin_2004_Billboards.doc
Abstract
Players from all demographic groups are spending more and more of their leisure time playing multiplayer online games. As such, the gaming environment may be a more suitable vehicle to reach target markets. This study assessed whether advertising in the form of embedded billboards has an impact on the online gamer. Even though they could recall passing the billboards many of the players could not recall the names of either the products or the brands after the gaming session. This was possibly due to the immersive nature of the game with peripheral details not fully registering. The embedded billboards within the game had very limited impact on either the enhancement of the game experience or on product purchase intentions.
Han, S., Cho, M. M, Choi. (2005). Ubitem: A Framework for Interactive Marketing in Location-Based Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/proceedings/&toc=comp/proceedings/icmb/2005/2367/00/2367toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/ICMB.2005.108
Abstract
Mobile game and advertising are evolving rapidly and becoming the key of mobile contents market. More powerful mobile devices have enabled the creation of better and richer mobile games and advertising. This paper proposes a framework, called Ubitem, which addresses many of the issues that are characteristic of mobile gaming and advertising. Ubitem facilitates time and location-sensitive, interactive marketing by enabling users with the location-aware technology capability to collect nearby items such as m-coupons and redeem the items in the close participating stores. We believe that mobile advertising within location-based gaming will most likely enable much richer entertaining experiences as well as the advertisers get superior responses from the users by linking a virtual game play and real-life action.
Wolf, M. (2002). The Medium of the Video Game. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=lKZriBxbcwQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Medium+of+the+Video+Game&sig=KyOMPdvC_3-z58pMR2G35ikPOQ8
Duke, M. (2006). In Game Advertising: Touching the Elusive Consume. Retrieved on October 26th, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1178863
Abstract
Consumers are bombarded with more and more advertising, while traditional media such as TV and radio become more and more fragmented, the challenge of reaching the consumer gets harder and harder. Consol and video games are a media that does not suffer from user 'switch off' or channel hopping and if carefully integrated advertisers can link in with games that match a brand and connect to other channels such as billboards, mobile phones and even retail locations. The process of in game advertising is a sophisticated one that offers advertisers a clear segment to advertise to and a water tight mechanism of measurement and return (two elusive items in the fast changing world of advertising). The session will look at In Game Advertising - Touching The Elusive Consumer -- with examples from across the globe.
Shankar, V. Bayus, B. (2002). Networked ETWORK EFFECTS AND COMPETITION:
An Empirical Analysis of the Home Video Game Industry. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/faculty/bayusb/webpage/papers/vgames-e.pdf
Abstract
Building on the Resource-Based View of the firm, we advance the idea that a firm’s customer network can be a strategic asset. We suggest that network effects are a function of network size (i.e., installed customer base) and network strength (i.e., the marginal impact of a unit increase in network size on demand). We empirically study these network effects in the 16-bit home video game industry in which the dominant competitors were Nintendo and Sega. In the spirit of the new empirical IO framework, we estimate a structural econometric model assuming the data are equilibrium outcomes of the best fitting non-cooperative game in price and advertising. After controlling for other effects, we find strong evidence that network effects are asymmetric between the competitors in the home video game industry. Specifically, we find that the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) has higher network strength than the firm with the larger customer base (Sega). Thus, our results provide a possible explanation for this situation in which the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) was able to overtake the sales of a firm with a larger network size (Sega). These empirical results suggest that the ultimate outcome in a competitive market with network effects is more complex than simply accepting that the firm with the largest installed customer base will always be the winner.
The following are sources that may be helpful in our research along with the above mentioned texts.
http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Video_Game_Hardware_Software_and_Services
http://credibility.stanford.edu/captology/notebook/archives.new/2005/02/recent_developm.html
http://advergamez.blogspot.com/
http://www.dfcint.com/game_report/onlinegames2004toc.pdf
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20060135235.html
Thursday, November 1
Don't Patronize Me, Bro
How well are the presidential campaigns doing with viral video?
It's pretty simple - Bad.
In my definition viral video finds you, you don't go looking for it. I'm sure candidates are working hard and paying ludicrous amounts of money to try to create an online buzz that will spread like wildfire, but other than the Obama 1984 commercial, I haven't seen any yet.
The thing with "viral video" is, sometimes it just works, and I find attempting to create a phony buzz is patronizing to us, the viewers who make these videos so popular.
It will be interesting, however, to see what develops over the next 12 months.
It's pretty simple - Bad.
In my definition viral video finds you, you don't go looking for it. I'm sure candidates are working hard and paying ludicrous amounts of money to try to create an online buzz that will spread like wildfire, but other than the Obama 1984 commercial, I haven't seen any yet.
The thing with "viral video" is, sometimes it just works, and I find attempting to create a phony buzz is patronizing to us, the viewers who make these videos so popular.
It will be interesting, however, to see what develops over the next 12 months.
Tuesday, October 30
Blog on Blog
"Corpspeakers talk to people when they want to speak, not when people want to listen." - Naked Conversations pg 4.
Don't bloggers do the same? The only difference is bloggers want to speak ALL THE TIME.
Deadspin vs ESPN
Can blogging hurt a company? ESPN prides itself on timely, accurate info. One day, I came into work and there was a rumor that Mohamed Ali had died. We went to def con 4. We started preparing shows, getting in contact with reporters and analysts, and waited in standby mode. It turns out, ofcourse, that Mohamed Ali was alive and well playing golf in Arizona somewhere. My point is that a company which encourages or allows it's employees to blog about the inner workings of said company could potentially be a hamper, or a legal and PR nightmare. Imagine if the story broke and was linked directly to ESPN? Our credibility would be tainted forever.
Unlike Microsoft, which people have had negative views of, ESPN is a company the general public like. People love the 'This is SportsCenter' commercials, but in reality, Wally the Green Monster and Big Papi aren't wandering the halls and hanging out by the water cooler... well sometimes they are, but not everyday. Could employee blogging tarnish ESPN's reputation as a hip, young sports haven and reveal it's corporate and professional reality?
I would like an internal ESPN blog, to see what the executives are up to, but I would bet everything I own it would get leaked by a disgruntled employee within a year, if not sooner. Why? We're underpaid, for one thing, and the other is psychological. Naked conversations talks about the psychological effects of collaboration, there's also a psychological affect of revenge, and of getting away with something against the rules.
I was surprised to hear about Sun Micro's blogs. When I was in high school, I worked stocking shelves at a liquor store in the suburbs of Boston, and on a few occasions I delivered to Sun Micro. At the time I noticed the tight security - it was clear they took their business very seriously and were not taking any chances of unauthorized people getting any inside information. Ironic.
Finally, this quote really struck me in our reading.
"You can make something worth talking about or you can become invisible." Naked Conversations.
I think that applies to a lot more than just blogging.Why my blog sucks
I'm not interested in gadgets, political playground conversations, and I don't read Japaneses or Chinese. If what was said in out reading this week that "popularity breeds popularity," one could assert that unobserved blogs breed disregarded blogs. (Thompson, C. (2006). Blogs to Riches. New York Magazine, February 20. 26-35.)
If I learned one thing this from this week's readings, its that I don't blog often enough, or with enough passion. I'm interested, but its not my life. If blogging is the sex god of the Information Age, as is suggested in Naked Conversations, I've got an unhealthy sex life. (Scoble, R. & Israel, S. (2006). Naked Conversations. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-62) The question then becomes: Why?
Naked Conversations ends a section by stating "blogging just happens to be fun." Well it depends who you ask. I haven't found my passion for blogging yet, in fact I still sometimes find it irritating. Postings with irregular fonts and formats, no sort of fixed posting schedule, typos and punctuation mistakes (which some see as cute and conversational, I see as unprofessional and immature.) Alas, even as I write this I'm sure this post and every one in this blog has more than one spelling mistakee .)
But beyond the format and content issues, I also have an issue regarding inclusion. I feel like I'm always in search of an introduction. I am linked to blogs with no welcome, and it makes me feel like I'm wandering a cocktail party where I don't know anyone, bouncing around listening to bits of other peoples conversations until I feel awkward enough to up and leave, only to find another conversation to awkwardly intrude myself. This could be because I'm new to the game. It could be because I haven't found my blog topic of choice, or it could be because I haven't interjected and spoken my mind.
I'm no Grant Webster.
Grant and I are very different. I'm northern, he's southern. He's very religious, I'm not. He talks loud, I don't. But despite these differences, and the many others, we became friends a few years ago and keep in touch to this day. Every night, every single night, Grant takes a pen to a notebook and writes for at least an hour, sometimes more. He writes and writes and writes and writes. I asked him about it once and he said "Some people are readers, some are writers." He also said he very rarely goes back and reads this notebooks - he just writes to write.
I started a journal once, ended after about 8 entries. It just wasn't in my nature I suppose. The closest thing I have now is my old emails. They are filed away in chronological and categorical order, and occasionally I'll read some old correspondences and it takes me back to the past. My point is that for some people free writing comes naturally, others it does not. And along time ago I realized I'm the latter.
My iPod headphones broke yesterday, have you heard?
"Nothing great has been and nothing great can be accomplished without passion"-G.W.F. Hegel in Naked Conversations.
What am I passionate about? What am I overtly public about? Is there anything that fits into both categories? If not, should I just blog for the sake of blogging? My headphones broke yesterday. Does that mean their a bad design? No, they lasted over a year and worked fine while I had them. Does that mean there the best design ever? No, I'm sure there are better, maybe even at loser prices and higher quality. But that's how most of my life goes, as expected, on course, on time.
Many days of my life I feel like Groundhog Day, repetitive and predictable. But when I finally buy that ticket and go backpack across New Zealand I'll sure I'll blog...or will I? Does it cheapen the experience, being mentally chained to a keyboard, feeling obligated to brag about your experience to those back home. Or does sharing make it less of your experience? So I went skydiving, who cares? People do it everyday. If I don't think I am a good story teller, why do something mediocre just for the sake of doing it?
So fark them all....
Despite the author's praising of the holy blog, I'm still not drawn in. I'm not even drawn to blogs of those who interest me most (Michel Gondry, Alton Brown, Stephen Colbert). I'm not drawn to read blogs by or about my favorite music artists, I perfectly happy getting there new CD when it comes out, and maybe catching a show or two.
Fark.com is the only blog I read with any regularity. Its simple, entertaining, free, and funny. It also keeps me informed. I read it at work when I'm bored, and can keep my attention for up to an hour. Honestly I don't really notice the advertising on the site, but if it is making someone rich, that's fine with me. Someone out there is working hard on it and deserves to be compensated. I think I would read a blog if it filled a need in my life (like fark cures my boredom), but I can't think of another need which needs fulfillment.
Don't fail me now.
I realize this post contradicts our class assignment entirely. Our ongoing assignment is to create and manage a blog that allows us to express ourselves, create buzz, make contacts and learn new things. I certainly haven't accomplished them all yet, but as we all know failure is one of the best ways to learn, and its never too late to turn things around. While I don't agree with everything that was put forth in this weeks readings, I did find them enlightening, and they have help me come to terms with my talents, deficits, biases and attitudes. This post was written as a reaction to the reading, and my blog experience thus far, a journey that is far from over.
If I learned one thing this from this week's readings, its that I don't blog often enough, or with enough passion. I'm interested, but its not my life. If blogging is the sex god of the Information Age, as is suggested in Naked Conversations, I've got an unhealthy sex life. (Scoble, R. & Israel, S. (2006). Naked Conversations. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-62) The question then becomes: Why?
Naked Conversations ends a section by stating "blogging just happens to be fun." Well it depends who you ask. I haven't found my passion for blogging yet, in fact I still sometimes find it irritating. Postings with irregular fonts and formats, no sort of fixed posting schedule, typos and punctuation mistakes (which some see as cute and conversational, I see as unprofessional and immature.) Alas, even as I write this I'm sure this post and every one in this blog has more than one spelling mistakee .)
But beyond the format and content issues, I also have an issue regarding inclusion. I feel like I'm always in search of an introduction. I am linked to blogs with no welcome, and it makes me feel like I'm wandering a cocktail party where I don't know anyone, bouncing around listening to bits of other peoples conversations until I feel awkward enough to up and leave, only to find another conversation to awkwardly intrude myself. This could be because I'm new to the game. It could be because I haven't found my blog topic of choice, or it could be because I haven't interjected and spoken my mind.
I'm no Grant Webster. Grant and I are very different. I'm northern, he's southern. He's very religious, I'm not. He talks loud, I don't. But despite these differences, and the many others, we became friends a few years ago and keep in touch to this day. Every night, every single night, Grant takes a pen to a notebook and writes for at least an hour, sometimes more. He writes and writes and writes and writes. I asked him about it once and he said "Some people are readers, some are writers." He also said he very rarely goes back and reads this notebooks - he just writes to write.
I started a journal once, ended after about 8 entries. It just wasn't in my nature I suppose. The closest thing I have now is my old emails. They are filed away in chronological and categorical order, and occasionally I'll read some old correspondences and it takes me back to the past. My point is that for some people free writing comes naturally, others it does not. And along time ago I realized I'm the latter.
My iPod headphones broke yesterday, have you heard?
"Nothing great has been and nothing great can be accomplished without passion"-G.W.F. Hegel in Naked Conversations.
What am I passionate about? What am I overtly public about? Is there anything that fits into both categories? If not, should I just blog for the sake of blogging? My headphones broke yesterday. Does that mean their a bad design? No, they lasted over a year and worked fine while I had them. Does that mean there the best design ever? No, I'm sure there are better, maybe even at loser prices and higher quality. But that's how most of my life goes, as expected, on course, on time.
Many days of my life I feel like Groundhog Day, repetitive and predictable. But when I finally buy that ticket and go backpack across New Zealand I'll sure I'll blog...or will I? Does it cheapen the experience, being mentally chained to a keyboard, feeling obligated to brag about your experience to those back home. Or does sharing make it less of your experience? So I went skydiving, who cares? People do it everyday. If I don't think I am a good story teller, why do something mediocre just for the sake of doing it?
So fark them all....
Despite the author's praising of the holy blog, I'm still not drawn in. I'm not even drawn to blogs of those who interest me most (Michel Gondry, Alton Brown, Stephen Colbert). I'm not drawn to read blogs by or about my favorite music artists, I perfectly happy getting there new CD when it comes out, and maybe catching a show or two.
Fark.com is the only blog I read with any regularity. Its simple, entertaining, free, and funny. It also keeps me informed. I read it at work when I'm bored, and can keep my attention for up to an hour. Honestly I don't really notice the advertising on the site, but if it is making someone rich, that's fine with me. Someone out there is working hard on it and deserves to be compensated. I think I would read a blog if it filled a need in my life (like fark cures my boredom), but I can't think of another need which needs fulfillment.
Don't fail me now.
I realize this post contradicts our class assignment entirely. Our ongoing assignment is to create and manage a blog that allows us to express ourselves, create buzz, make contacts and learn new things. I certainly haven't accomplished them all yet, but as we all know failure is one of the best ways to learn, and its never too late to turn things around. While I don't agree with everything that was put forth in this weeks readings, I did find them enlightening, and they have help me come to terms with my talents, deficits, biases and attitudes. This post was written as a reaction to the reading, and my blog experience thus far, a journey that is far from over.
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