The latest issue of The New York Review of Books has an article that reviews 10 different books about blogs & the effects of blogging:
Blogs, by Sarah Boxer
The New York Review of Books · Volume 55, Number 2 · February 14 2008
If you're interested in learning more about the history of this phenomenon, or thinking about the differences between this medium and traditional print media, it's an interesting read.
Note: I'm not sure how long that link will work without a subscription. I can't find online access through UIUC, so if you come back to this in a couple weeks you may not be able to read it.
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Blogs and internet posting is so interesting to me. I feel in the middle of two generations and pulled in both directions.
For example, my parents who are in the mid fifties cannot understand why anyone would ever want to publicize any of their thoughts for the world to see no matter how innocent or mundane. The thought of even sharing online seems taboo, dangerous, strange, silly or just plain dumb. I hear this sentiment often from anyone over fifty.
On the other hand, I read stories about the fan writers and the home schoolers and I feel inspired by the potential we have as a community to be more open, and share and learn in a whole new way.
I feel caught in the middle. I'm quite aware of the potential danger of saying the wrong thing in print and having it come back to bite you. Even if at the time it didn't seem wrong. For example I'm quite interesting in my political candidate and have linked to him on my facebook and my space. But, what if someone interviews me for a job and decides just by looking at my political views they don't want me? Seem far fetched? How would I even know they decided not to hire me for that reason. They surely would never tell. I think young people are naive to how these things work. I've been burned a few times and so I know. On the other hand, I remember these same baby boomers being terrified of email.
In my first real job we had a computer room that we had to sign up for time in, get permission to email from a centralized email account and the secretary had to read and print our incoming emails and place them in our mail boxes. They were afraid of virus's as well as other issues. I remember trying to explain to my boss who was a mentor and is now a friend, that email was just mail. I said, you can't legally open our postal mail so why should it be any different to receive the mail electronically?
He just didn't get it. It took three years of discussion to even let people have their own computers in their offices and we still were not allowed internet for another two years.
Now it's common place. So, I feel like the middle child. I guess it is a good position to be in, maybe I can help bridge the gap between the young and the old. I even have a strong interest now in working with the older generation when they are interested but intimidated by technology. I at least can remember not having it, so I know a little about where they are coming from.
Nell
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