Live and Let Blog
I've been reading Scott McLeod's post over at Dangerously Irrelevant, "Reclaiming My Blog, Reclaiming Myself."
Scott says:
There is a whole emotional side that no one has really been talking about as those of us who have been islands become connected. When the lone wolves join a pack... I guess we all still are a bit of a ... lone wolf in some regards?
Thankfully, Scott goes on to say:
I know just how he feels as I reflect in my own comments over on his blog:
And I love the response to yesterday's conversation by Stephen Downes, perpetual godfather of the edublog, when he says:
I think that the discussion that has spun into the edublogosphere from Jon Becker's blog (uhm, Jon, lets see those stats now!?) is a good thing, albeit on Monday, we'll all be focused back on the classroom.
However, I truly feel the emotional aspect of this whole thing is what our kids are going through! We see this playing out in the desire of teenagers to be Youtube stars. We see it everywhere.
When we experience it, we begin to recognize it in others.
Perhaps that is why many edubloggers report that they relate so well to their students. We are experiencing what they are experiencing. I see a lot of truth in this.
Ok, gotta run to take some food to a funeral and go to a baby shower. Ah, the joys of living in a small town... fresh air, lots of family, and lots of good long stories over coffee!
tag: Scott McLeod, Stephen Downes, Jon Becker, edublogging, blogging, emotion, social networking, trends
tag: education
Scott says:
For those not blogging, perhaps this blogging discourse is tiresome, but I think for those just starting out, understanding expectations is important.
"My posting rate here at Dangerously Irrelevant waned considerably over the past two months...
The interesting thing to me is that I’ve missed it, that I actually have felt sad that I haven’t been posting more. I think that speaks to the power of blogging for many of us – that we have the very human needs to express ourselves, to get feedback on our ideas, and to be connected with others. Of course blogs can be an excellent way to do that, particularly those of us who don’t have anyone around us locally who understand or care about our interests and our passions."
There is a whole emotional side that no one has really been talking about as those of us who have been islands become connected. When the lone wolves join a pack... I guess we all still are a bit of a ... lone wolf in some regards?
Thankfully, Scott goes on to say:
"This is something I have to do. So I’m back in the game."
I know just how he feels as I reflect in my own comments over on his blog:
"Scott, I went through this as well. I think it was at a time when I was internally rebelling at what I thought people wanted me to be. I just want to be myself and when I hear people talk about me in a certain way, it is intimidating.
Do I want to blog? Do I want to share so much? Is there anything left for me? Is there anything left for my family? These are things I've thought about and gone through.
But I feel like that the people that read me... and read you... read because of the person. That is why I've really stayed away from the guest blogging thing unless it is to encourage and bring in a newcomer.
If you read about personal brands, that is really what a blogger has... a personal brand. You ARE "Dangerously Irrelevant." And if we're in this for the long haul, sometimes we'll blog and sometimes we won't... but as long as YOU are there, many of us will be reading because we're here for you.
The popularity thing is a losing ballgame -- for some time now the technorati thing has become more and more, well, irrelevant, as mass market blogs move into the blogosphere, the daily, hourly blogs are just going to edge out the individual blogger. At some point, I'll probably drop out of the top 10,000 -- I've not changed and have more links than ever... what has changed is that more people are blogging. (Will Richarson is at 3,000 something -- for some reason, I thought he WAS in the 2,000's but I could be wrong.)
For that reason, it is so important just to do as you're doing... sit back, examine motives and if this whole blogging thing is really adding something to our lives. Then, just relax and live with it.
I for one, cannot live with the stress of feeling I'm in a perpetual horse race, I'm just going to live and let blog."
And I love the response to yesterday's conversation by Stephen Downes, perpetual godfather of the edublog, when he says:
"I'm sympathetic; I often feel, as Vicki Davis does, that I'm on the outside."
I think that the discussion that has spun into the edublogosphere from Jon Becker's blog (uhm, Jon, lets see those stats now!?) is a good thing, albeit on Monday, we'll all be focused back on the classroom.
However, I truly feel the emotional aspect of this whole thing is what our kids are going through! We see this playing out in the desire of teenagers to be Youtube stars. We see it everywhere.
When we experience it, we begin to recognize it in others.
Perhaps that is why many edubloggers report that they relate so well to their students. We are experiencing what they are experiencing. I see a lot of truth in this.
Ok, gotta run to take some food to a funeral and go to a baby shower. Ah, the joys of living in a small town... fresh air, lots of family, and lots of good long stories over coffee!
tag: Scott McLeod, Stephen Downes, Jon Becker, edublogging, blogging, emotion, social networking, trends
tag: education
