Comments on: Blogging and the Academe http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/ News, plugins and themes for blogging applications Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:59:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: A Question of Basic Decency » The J Spot http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-74659 A Question of Basic Decency » The J Spot Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:20:46 +0000 http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-74659 [...] Here’s my take on the matter. Bloggers are, indeed, free to post whatever they please on their blogs. That’s the beauty of the blogosphere. However, this can also get ugly. The blogosphere can also be full of crap. And people can be haphazard with what they post. True, the blogosphere tends to be self-correcting—it’s publish then filter as opposed to editing before publication in traditional media. But by the time the issue has been cleared up, the damage would’ve already been done. [...] [...] Here’s my take on the matter. Bloggers are, indeed, free to post whatever they please on their blogs. That’s the beauty of the blogosphere. However, this can also get ugly. The blogosphere can also be full of crap. And people can be haphazard with what they post. True, the blogosphere tends to be self-correcting—it’s publish then filter as opposed to editing before publication in traditional media. But by the time the issue has been cleared up, the damage would’ve already been done. [...]

]]> By: J. Angelo Racoma http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-63744 J. Angelo Racoma Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:47:54 +0000 http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-63744 Thanks for the insights, Kathy. I'm a blogging advocate myself. I should be--I blog and write for a living. And I have been advocating the use of blogs (and podcasts, too) since before that. My post highlighted an interview with professors from Wharton, and I don't exactly agree with everything they said. When it comes to the blogosphere, I can say there is more good that one can get than bad. However, their observation about a credibility problem probably speaks for majority of the blogosphere. Do consider that these people are from an academic background, wherein ideas are usually verified and facts double-checked before they really matter. And do consider that majority of bloggers around the world do, indeed, publish before validation. This is a grey area, actually. You can consider the publish-then-edit nature of the blogosphere as self-correcting, and that in time, with due discussion the truth will prevail. True enough, some major political issues have been disclosed and thoroughly discussed on blogs. But there are some cases when due diligence is needed, or else people get hurt in the process of haphazard publishing (take for instance <a href="http://forevergeek.com/fg_commentary/shooting_the_messenger_looking_back_at_the_apple_nyc_cube_incident.php" rel="nofollow">the Apple NYC Cube issue</a>). By the time the blogosphere has corrected itself (i.e., through discussions and feedback mechanisms like comment threads and posts on other blogs), the damage would've already been done. I agree that it's ultimately for a reader to decide whether the blog or website he/she is reading has good content or not. Thanks for the insights, Kathy. I’m a blogging advocate myself. I should be–I blog and write for a living. And I have been advocating the use of blogs (and podcasts, too) since before that.

My post highlighted an interview with professors from Wharton, and I don’t exactly agree with everything they said. When it comes to the blogosphere, I can say there is more good that one can get than bad. However, their observation about a credibility problem probably speaks for majority of the blogosphere. Do consider that these people are from an academic background, wherein ideas are usually verified and facts double-checked before they really matter. And do consider that majority of bloggers around the world do, indeed, publish before validation.

This is a grey area, actually. You can consider the publish-then-edit nature of the blogosphere as self-correcting, and that in time, with due discussion the truth will prevail. True enough, some major political issues have been disclosed and thoroughly discussed on blogs. But there are some cases when due diligence is needed, or else people get hurt in the process of haphazard publishing (take for instance the Apple NYC Cube issue). By the time the blogosphere has corrected itself (i.e., through discussions and feedback mechanisms like comment threads and posts on other blogs), the damage would’ve already been done.

I agree that it’s ultimately for a reader to decide whether the blog or website he/she is reading has good content or not.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-63531 Kathy Thu, 26 Oct 2006 07:45:38 +0000 http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2006/10/25/blogging-and-the-academe/#comment-63531 You guys miss the point. 1. Blogging software provides an easy way for students to publish their thoughts online. We know that reflective writing (not a "report" but an analysis) helps cement learning. So why not use the power (and cost, ie, free) of this publishing tool in classes? I do. So do many people who teach about or with writing. 2. The feedback mechanism can be a powerful tool in classes -- to help stimulate student involvement outside of the classroom. 3. Saying that blogs have a credibility problem is like saying books have a credibility problem or TV has a credibility problem. "A blog" is a tool -- it is a medium. There are political blogs and celebrity blogs and sports blogs and personal blogs .... and, and, and. Broad-brush does little to illuminate. 4. Finally, just as students have to learn how to judge the credibility of a commercial on TV or that of a newspaper columnist ... they need to learn how to made good judgments about website credibility. Not just blogs but the larger universe of websites. color me grumbly! kathy You guys miss the point.

1. Blogging software provides an easy way for students to publish their thoughts online. We know that reflective writing (not a “report” but an analysis) helps cement learning. So why not use the power (and cost, ie, free) of this publishing tool in classes? I do. So do many people who teach about or with writing.

2. The feedback mechanism can be a powerful tool in classes — to help stimulate student involvement outside of the classroom.

3. Saying that blogs have a credibility problem is like saying books have a credibility problem or TV has a credibility problem. “A blog” is a tool — it is a medium. There are political blogs and celebrity blogs and sports blogs and personal blogs …. and, and, and. Broad-brush does little to illuminate.

4. Finally, just as students have to learn how to judge the credibility of a commercial on TV or that of a newspaper columnist … they need to learn how to made good judgments about website credibility. Not just blogs but the larger universe of websites.

color me grumbly!

kathy

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