Blogs

My interest in blogging has only, so far, been related to what is required in certain classes. Although, I think a couple of things in this weeks readings have sparked a different kind of interest.

A quote at the author uses by Kathleen Blake Yancey got my attention: “The word Now when I wrote this text is one time; as I read the Now in San Antonio was a second time; and now, when this talk is published in CCC and who [knew?] how many people do (or do not!) read this Chair’s Address, it will be many, many other times (318)” (1). So, whether or not we add words, take away ideas and sculpt them to meet our needs, or simply read the ideas to interested parties, the premise changes. Now will never be the same for readers who are not reading the words simultaneously. The “situation” of now will be different for each of those readers—their mood, their circumstance, the reason for the reading of the words, etc. It is as if time itself is an element that thrives within the written word. I find that interesting, and perhaps, will explore that at some later date.

While reading “Software, socially” I began thinking of another aspect of the effects of blogging. Blogging as an electronic transference of information, like all electronic transfers, I suppose, is instantaneous. It is also limitless as far as the information it can contain. This brings me to wonder if we can be overly informed. Information, knowledge, for me has to be taken in, and thought over for a time, so that I might integrate it more thoroughly with prior knowledge. This makes attempting grad school at warp speed fun. Ugh. But I wonder if all this knowledge pouring forth changing, mutating, gaining, losing, etc., is losing something. The translation of that information must be quick and adept. Is it actually possible to keep up?

Centripetal/Centrifugal reminded me, of course, of Latour. It also made me think of my idea about concentric circles, and how that is now not quite right. Perhaps a better analogy is chemistry. Each new reader being a new ingredient that can change ideas and thoughts radically or barely. I realize this was about software, but. . . The author states, “This fluidity returns us to Yancey’s evocation of deixis—in the context of research, a given source may function centripetally or centrifugally for us depending on the time and place within the research process where we use it.”

Hmmm.