Blogging as Social Action: a class synopsis

Class began with a question brought up by aybala50 about whether or not a blog can be classified. Are there any guidelines or categories that could help us determine a sorting system? Is a blog more of a community of people working together, like how our class functions, or is it more of a tool for the individual? This led to the discussion of last week's readings, and how Jo(e) poses a similar question; Is a blog a free exchange of ideas? He describes blogs as instantaneous and interactive, saying that they are not just a new genre, but a whole new medium. 

Discussion then moved on to the idea of audience, and the importance of who actually reads what is put out onto the internet. What does the worth of a blog depend on? Many observations were made: There are many more people reading blogs than actually posting them. This blends the distinction between the worlds of public and private, making blogs a paradox that combines both "anonymity and intimacy".

It was also mentioned that in some cases, what is written can actually affect what is being written about. A person can become so entangled in what they are blogging that they actually begin to change their life and way of thinking according to the responses they receive from readers, as well as their own reflections. This mirrors the idea that there is a blurred line between what is real and what is fake. In reference to Sarah Boxer's "Blogs", we talked about how blogs can actually mask the author, because they will oftentimes say things online that they wouldn't normally think to in person. Posting via the internet gives a person more time to think about what their response will be, which is ironic, considering the immediate and fast paced nature of technology and the internet. 

There was a general confusion as to what "kairos" is, because even the definition given in the readings did not help much. We clarified that it is a "space-time" or the current cultural and social beliefs. The word fits into our discussion, because it can be used to describe what influences actually helped to form blogs. This is a time period in which many people feel fragmented and troubled, or lost, so blogging helps the individual to assert themselves, and to try and find a "wholeness". Personal blogs in particular have forced people to define themselves using only a few words, which has led to an identification of the individual with certain groups of people. This serves as a sort of "free 24/7 hotline", as rachelr put it, which helps people connect over similar issues and traits.

The last few minutes of class, we broke up into small groups and talked about a few questions about blogs in general. Some questions that arose were:

Who actually controls the internet?

How should censorship work? Can it be a good thing?

How much does what you put onto the internet affect your future?

Finally, does the sharing of information and ideas on blogs and the web affect copyright?