What’s the fascination?
April 11, 2008
Who am I writing for?
Recently I’ve had to do some real introspection. Why do I blog? Who am I targeting? What is my goal with each post? It has really made me go back and look at many posts. I used to think it was for my technorati rank, and then I thought it was for readership. Then I thought it was to solicit comments/conversations and affirmation that I have good points, thoughts, and ideas. Some would say it is for attention, and some might even say I am campaigning for an award or two.
Check out this:
Blog Stats
There are currently 191 posts and 479 comments, contained within 55 categories and 105 tags.
And for the record, those are not necessarily great stats, but I’m pleased with them.
Why then…?
That’s a lot of possibilities
As I sit here reflecting on this tonight, I realize it is for none of those reasons–though some of those things I list are definitely side effects, and some of them very satisfying ones. In short, however disappointing this may be to some, I do it for me. I do this as a way to tumble ideas through my head. I read others, and respond there, and then quite often here. And I’m open to any and all agreements and or disagreements. There is no harmful or malicious intent, but rather a desire to think out loud (albeit in a blog.)
Face to Face vs. Virtual Conversations
Feel free to agree or disagree, and if you want to be left out, I will remove anything that makes you uncomfortable, particularly if you express to me your interpretations. Words, just like emails, can be easily misinterpreted, and when someone is not known very well, the ever important “voice” that comes out of writing could start something that was never intended. It is better to set the record straight right away. Face to face conversations will ALWAYS supersede blogosphere conversations. It is the very reason we all strive to attend the conferences where we might meet up, and why many flocked to EdubloggerCon in Atlanta (NECC 2007) and Educon2.0 recently in Philadelphia. We clamor to see the people who do partake of conversations in the 2.0 tools because as much as we love these tools, they still cannot top meeting face to face, having conversations, sharing and networking in real life, and realizing that commonalities do exist in more than just our virtual presences. Even though the tools (like Skype, Ustreaam, and CoveritLive) allow us to experience the faraway and impossible (either physically or financially) to attend workshops, conferences, and seminars, nothing beats hanging around face to face with the people we have befriended in virtual places. I feel I made life long friendships with Liz Davis, Joyce Valenza, Lisa Thuman, Jennifer Wagner, Carolyn Foote, Sylvia Martinez, Will Richardson, Ryan Bretag, Robin Ellis, and many more who attended Educon. When I attend NECC this summer, I will deepen already strong friendships with Sue Waters, Diane Cordell, Sheryl Nussbaum Beach, Darren Draper, Dean Shareski, Lisa Parisi, Alex Couros, and more there. This is true on a local level too, as I have recently cultivated a few good friends (Heather L., Fran B.) out of virtual tools right out of my library association, SCASL. Why? We already share a camaraderie in other virtual venues.
So just who is Cathy Nelson?
Please don’t think you know all there is to me or what makes me tick from what is written here. The blog is just one component of me; it is one place you can learn a little bit about me. But it is not the total me. Want to know the total me? Pick my brain in person. I’m not near as forward, brave, or sassy in person. (But I do like to be that “wannabe” personality sometimes, and the blog allows it. It’s probably my one take away from getting to know Doug Johnson in person this past summer at NECC 2007–outside of his blog.) To quote him–straight from his list of biases which I am more and more seeing the wisdom of instead of just humor:
- Technology is neutral.
- Best practices should drive educational change, not technology.
- Short-term fixes rarely fix anything and usually aren’t short-term.
- PowerPoint doesn’t bore people: people bore people.
- Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part.
- Cell phones are evil. (Exception to bias #1.)
- Macs are better than PCs.
- More and better are not synonymous.
- My best judgments are made when I think of myself first as a child advocate, second as an educator, and lastly as a technologist.
PS-don’t humor yourself and think you did something to warrant this post. I got the idea after reading what Clarence Fisher said today in his blog. 
Because that is true, no one gets a pingback except Doug and Clarence. Hope the rest of my friends have subscribed to google alerts or something to let them know I named them. (I can be so selfishly mean sometimes.)
Attribution:
Image: ‘asleep‘
www.flickr.com/photos/45519093@N00/7790062
Image: ‘mac kitty‘
www.flickr.com/photos/94507863@N00/144630706
Image: ‘Photo 43‘
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2287488214_f3157bc639.jpg?v=0
