This one’s for the sewists (pushing up comments from my earlier post)
One of the things that was brought up this week – I think by Kyle – is how posts in this particular format get quickly buried. Indeed, thanks to a busy week topped off by food poisoning, my own post was buried before I had an opportunity to reply to people’s thoughtful comments – and I hate to reply only to be a voice in the wilderness. So pardon me for making a post out of it all!
Something that I really thought about this week is how blogging isn’t necessarily a good learning activity for all students. Blogs are all about the here and now, publishing quick thoughts and reflections in the moment. I think that that really favours certain kinds of students who are more verbally confident, perhaps more extroverted, or more comfortable publishing exploratory, reflective or polemical ideas on things they may have a tenuous grasp on (how many learners are masters of their subject?). I can tell you that *definitely* isn’t my learning style. The irony: I’m a longtime blogger – though not on things I’m learning, but rather things that I’ve experienced or have sorted out. Using pennames (I have a bunch!), gives me enough shelter to be more exploratory, tenuous, and reflective in ways I wouldn’t be if I were using the name that I publish non-blog material under.
p.s. I got a bunch of requests, and y’all are more than welcome to check out and follow my sewing blog. It’s new, and I haven’t had much time to sort out any of the design bits, but I’m reasonably happy with how it’s shaping up.
Kyle: your comments about how pseudo my identity ‘really’ is reminded me very much of a book on identity that I love called “Real Black.” The author, John Jackson, talks about the differences between authenticity and sincerity – and how authenticity (as in, is one “authentically” Black – in Jackson’s case – or Allie, in mine) is often used as a yardstick to gauge one’s sincerity. But the thing with sincerity is, it’s not something that can be evaluated, as authenticity can, since it has to do with an individual’s inner motivations in the moment – not performance up to an “authentic” standard. He deftly disentangles these two separate things that are often twinned together. I highly recommend Jackson’s book; it’s so smart it hurts.
In my earlier discipline (Anthropology), we routinely give pseudonyms to all of our research participants; sometimes, we use traits from a few people to come up with a composite ‘character’, or we split one actual person we worked with into two people in the ethnography – all to protect people’s identities and confidentiality. And as a longtime blogger, I’m used to and nonplussed by people concealing their identities. Because of that, I don’t find pseudonyms particularly problematic. (p.s. for what it’s worth, my penname is closely related to my real name, which is uncommon enough to make me pretty searchable).
Juliana: You asked what I think would make blogs better for personal use – I think easier, and cheaper customization. Thusfar, I’m just used the given themes, and the free ones often don’t have a lot of customization options. I have mega envy of some of the really stylin’ sewing blogs out there!
David P: It’s true that I do sometimes feel anxious about the writing I put out there, among other things, which I suppose is an occupational hazard for academics – even recovering academics like me! I think that I’m also very reserved and quite cautious in general, and prefer to wait, wait, and wait, and then speak when my perspectives are fully formed and thought through. As a medium, blogs are about the quick thought that isn’t necessarily fully fleshed out – it’s all about being fresh and of the moment. It’s difficult for me to attach my name to something I’m not sure I can stand behind 100%.
Tamara: you asked about my reasoning behind why I am so careful – I think much of it has to do with my personality; I’m simply a cautious and reserved person in general. And as I mentioned in my response to Kyle, as an anthropologist and longtime blogger, I’m really used to pennames and pseudonyms. In anthropology, protecting people’s identities is at the top of our list of concerns, and I guess it’s at the top of my list of concerns for my own personal and professional activities.
Deb: I’m glad that you share my concerns re: privacy, and I definitely appreciate your elaborations on the emotional maturity of students to deal with the possibility of having their work critiqued or criticized.
Posted in: Blog Café, Week 07: Blogs
Deb Giesbrecht 7:39 am on October 24, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Allie,
I really appreciate your openness and honesty in regards to these activities. I totally agree that blogging is not a useful activity for all students and I am uniquely aware of your concerns with the issue. I too find this way of delivering course material challenging – it is easy to get lost in all the information and even when sorted – I stil find it challenging. I find it interesting your dichotomy between your thoughts about blogging, anonymity and yet your actions/choices to participate. I have participated in clinical trials previously and anonynmity (particularly about health issues) is beyond vital. There are so many concerns when interacting with the Internet ( I am not trying to be one of those ‘old’ people that students have identified in their previous posts), but have seen first hand the damage that can be done when security, privacy and personal identification collide in public spaces.
Tamara Wong 6:30 pm on October 24, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Allie,
Thanks for the new post up here! I’m glad you did it because as you said it might have gotten lost down below. First I’d like to say thanks for posting your sewing blog! I’ve never actually been to it but I am positive I’ve seen one of your projects posted elsewhere – u-create perhaps? You are very talented!!
Second, thanks for providing a unique perspective on a subject you are clearly well versed in! I like what you said about using a pseudonym because you are not alway 100% you can stand behind something. I feel the same way but hadn’t though of using a different name to explore my thoughts – I just didn’t write them. I think your way is a little more creative and probably yields more results in the problem solving department.
I also understand your point about having a searchable name. I am not sure if I’d be so free to use my name if I hadn’t changed my name when I got married. I went from being the only one in the world with my name (a combo of different names from different languages) to being one in many many Tamara Wongs. I feel the relative anonymity of my more common name gives me a little more freedom when it comes to signing my name on something on the internet.
Tamara
themusicwoman 8:51 pm on October 25, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dear Allie,
Wow. Your post really resonated with me on a couple of levels. I’m about a week behind on this course (apology to last week’s amazing group!) and about three weeks behind in life but am madly trying to catch up!
Firstly, I agree with your sense of blogging as a here and now thing. As much as I used to believe that it could be a tool for those students who were not as extroverted as others, I find that it’s still the same more outgoing ones that post and others who may have more insight in their comments get “buried” in the onslaught if they are not quick on the draw at a certain time. You’ve made me think.
Secondly, writing under another name is a great tool and I’ve used it in my English classes. The anonimity allows a sense of creativity without the stigma of “who” it is. However, that being said, I am using this in a grade 9 English class where hormones are the driving force 🙂 My students and I talk about the identity of the writer and if that makes a difference. I usually also talk about our presence on the internet which is something you also mentioned.
So, thirdly, the whole privacy thing. And being searchable. I think Tamara mentioned something about going from being very distinguishable to one of many many Tamara Wongs. I went the other way with my name now being the second hit when searched in Google. (Now there’s a scary thought!) Your comments (and others) have just made me think more.
Thanks.