A Position vs. An Opinion

I am exploring different ideas that distinguish the difference between a "position" and an "opinion" within the writing spaces and writing tools on the internet.  Feel free to offer any suggestions or add a comment to further my thought process. :-)

Topics pulled from Axel Bruns' book, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond
1. News Blogs and Citizen Journalism
My issue with news blogs have to do with my preconceived notions of the mechanical delivery by news anchors.  Blogs provide so much personal flair, and the delivery via blog may be misinterpreted if (for example) sarcasm is used.  To be fair, some people argue that John Stewart's "The Daily Show" does not deliver the real news, but as he has proven, the news is real but with a comical flair.  Perhaps I have to change my perception of how the news is delivered.  However, with citizen journalism, how does one know if the information is reliable? 

2.  Media and Creative Industries
My main question with the media and creative industry is:  How much money does an artist loose with illegal downloading?  And why does other countries allow free downloading, and it is perfectly legal?

3.  Social Produsage:  Questions of Reputation and Trust
Anyone can create an alternate persona online.  With the amount of children exploited via the internet, can we really trust anyone?

Beef. Beef? Beef.

I'm in no way a vegetarian, but this article has freaked me out a bit.  Check out my post on Digg.com.

DIGGing DIGG.

Over the last week, I have been exploring the world of DIGG.com.  If you are into random, interesting, edgy information,  you have to check out this site!  If you, the user, likes an article/video/blog post, you can click on a "Digg" button.  The most popular posts have a tallied Digg # next to it to let the user know how many people enjoyed it.  And when I say the site provides the most random articles/videos/blogs, I really mean it!  Apparently there is a 101-year-old woman in China who has a 6cm horn on her forehead.  Strange.  Amazing.

The criteria highlighting the best parts of Digg are it's ACCESSABILITY and PRIVACY-- Anyone can explore the site, but if you want to put up your own posts or "digg" a post, you will have to become a member.  Also, the site provides category tabs to organize the posts by content and article/video/image.  PRIVACY is provided if you become a member.  All the information needed is the creation of a username/password and e-mail address.  Whenever you "digg" or comment on a post, the only information shown is your username.

All the posts on this site are shared by other Digg members, so if I happen to come across a video I want to share from YouTube, I can post it to Digg.  Also, as a member I receive weekly updates via email.  In the email, there are links to the most Diggs catergorized in: Offbeat, Top Image, Entertainment, World & Business, Sports, Top Video, Gaming, Lifestyle, Technology, and Science.  What started off as a review has become part of my daily internet surf.

My rating of DIGG.com is: A

Electro-Space. Electro-Tool.

In this age of technology, it is difficult to distinguish the difference between an electronic writing space and tool.  Do you think of your blog as a writing space or tool?  How about Facebook?  For me, the idea of writing space and tool are nearly one in the same.  The main difference may be the intention.  For instance, if I am writing on my blog to simply share thoughts, that is a writing space.  Writing is the action, and the computer is the tool I use to express that action.  The blog itself is a writing space.  HOWEVER, the intention of the blogger may change it to a writing tool.  Try to follow me... If the intention of the blogger is to receive feedback, s/he is using the blog as a tool to exchange with other people.  If a blogger happens to receive a comment without trying to receive a comment, then I would classify the blog as a space.

Facebook is a good example.  There are boxes an FB user uses to insert comments on photos, and to let everyone they are connected to know what they are doing.  Those are all tools to communicate and exchange with other FB users.  An FB profile is the only writing space where there is no invitation to receive feedback/comments from other users.  Other than the profile, everything else are writing tools used for the purpose of exchanging thoughts or giggles.

My intention right now is see what you think.  Use my electronic tool, and let me know your thoughts.

Do you DIGG?

Just letting all of you know I will be reviewing DIGG, a website created to "discover and share content from anywhere on the web -- From the biggest online destinations to the most obsure blog".  Check it out with me, and let me know what you think!  :)

A Much Needed Censor Button.

Laura C. Berry, Associate Professor at the University of Arizona once blogged, "It's not just that we can't avoid the merger of personal and professional, it's that we should welcome it."  Blurring the line between personal and professional can be affective if used properly, but how will one know if he/she has gone too far?  The internet provides a sense of anonymity to its users which is comforting, but for an academic blog used in classroom settings, a self-induced censor button may be necessary.  Perhaps I have just lost a little faith in cordiality within the masses.  And perhaps I find it hard to decipher between a sincere statement online and a cordial response.  Either way, I can't win.

This semester at San Jose State University, I have started a blog for one of my English classes.  I must say, it makes me a bit nervous.  I have taken many online English courses at the community college I attended less than two years ago, and every now and then I reflect on responses given and received.  As with most online courses, the student must post a reaction to an assignment then respond to at least three other student's posts.  What I found were responses that were either superficial for the sake of responding to a post, extremely blunt reactions, and responses having nothing to do with the topic.  For me, it all depended on my mood.  If the assignment was not interesting enough, I would respond for the sake of responding.  If I was tired, my responses would tend to read too straight-forward and almost rude.  If I found something to relate to my personal life, I would share that connection, but it seems that another "tired" person would point out the irrelevence of my post.  After some time, I realized that a lot of people in a classroom setting are not very interested in anecdotes.  Or maybe, the classroom connection via online tends to create a fog.  It's not like I haven't heard life stories used in creating connections with course studies, but if the stories are posted online, well, that's a lot of reading!  Not that I mind.  ;)

In the article "The Bane of the President's Existence" by Dennis Jerz, he wrote, "When I ask - or, rather, require - my students to blog, I am forcing them to make public statements that they might otherwise have made only in private."  I can see this being affective when time runs out in class or if someone is too shy.  I totally get it.  I can understand if a professor is curious because the subject is their passion.  BUT... what if my car was towed, my boyfriend broke-up with me without a reason, and I was left stranded in an area with no cell phone reception for three hours?  The requirement to post a blog by 11:59pm that day will likely be filled with nothing but fiesty rage.  And for me, it would be something I'd want to delete almost immediately. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I tend to be embarrassed of what I write.  Every year my aunt would buy me a diary for my birthday, and after two entries, I'd rip the pages out and burn them.  With the entries I would manage to keep, I'd read them at the end of the year, wonder what I was thinking, then burn the entire book.  Blogs are essentially journals everyone can see.  And while I may be able to burn MY computer, I'm pretty sure I can't burn everyone else's. 
:-p  

Learn via Tech!

The Incubator Classroom is the best learning room, ever!  It's one of the major perks at San Jose State University.  Check it out!