A Working Post: The Increased Need for Metadata within the Online LDS Community

Main Purpose/Thesis: With the increasing focus on online missionary work within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members need to be aware of the benefits and use of metadata in order to truly establish a reputable online community.

Preliminary Exploration: In my blog posts Moby Dick and Metadata and Magnificence of Metadata, I began exploring the idea of the necessity of metadata, and began thinking about how this could impact the LDS missionary efforts. However, these posts were really inspired by my previous post on Curating with Diigo, as I discussed the discovery that much of the discussion and content being created by members of the Church regarding online missionary work is getting lost, due to a lack of metadata.

Relevance: a. to digital culture metadata is the way in which the online community remains connected. Through labels, hashtags, shout-outs to other bloggers and tweeters, communities become developed and ideas are able to spread.
b. to a specific audience this research is of particular interest to members of the LDS faith, as Church leaders are urging members of the Church to actively participate in missionary work by digital means.

Format: A short academic article as well as a brief wiki-page detailing the need for metadata and links to current effective labels, hashtags, etc.

Outlet: Meridian magazine and the conferences discussed in this post.

Curation: a. of content for analysis the content I have been curating through outlets such as Diigo has mostly been blogs, articles, etc. on how to do missionary work online.
b. of secondary texts the main secondary text I have been working from is Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis. I have also been studying talks by apostles of the LDS Church, in particular those of Elder Ballard.
c. of community I have been keeping tabs on the Church's official social media platforms, as well as following #hasteningthework #ldsmissionary etc. on twitter and instagram.

Social Proof: I have not had much outside social proof, but in discussing these ideas within my own circles and my own online community, I have received a lot of positive feedback and interest.

Next Steps: The next steps I have to take is to reach out to the PR reps for the LDS Church and get some feedback from them on my ideas. I also need to begin to create the content for my wiki page.

Publication Options

For my final project, as stated earlier, I have been focusing on online missionary efforts for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  In particular, I wish to focus on the effects of meta-data, and how it could be used most efficiently. For my final project, I will be creating a wiki-page detailing the need for metadata, as well as links to current labels different platforms use. Hopefully with this curation, others will be able to more easily connect with others who are interested in online missionary efforts as well. In addition, I will write a paper, arguing for the greater need of metadata within the online LDS community, and the need to make personal connections, not just create content.  I have researched some possible locations to submit this paper.

1. Meridian Magazine-This is an online magazine run by the LDS community.

2. International Journal of Religion, Science and Society-This is a call for papers discussing the relationship between religion, science and society.

3. Religion in Society-This is a call for papers relating to topics affecting religion in our society today.

With the second and third options, I would revise my argument slightly to apply to all denominations, not Mormonism alone, although my examples would likely remain focused on the LDS missionary efforts.

I also did a quick search for Kylee and her research involving tourism.  Along with the website I found earlier when doing my altruistic research for her, I also found this call for papers, the ENTER conference, which focuses on etourism, and is accepting papers discussing the entire spectrum of tourism and technology.

Altruistic Scholarship for Kylee

As a fellow lover of travel, I was really excited when I saw that Kylee had decided to work her final project around this topic. Hopefully this will help you out a bit!

One website I found that is super interesting is Tnooz.  According to their website, they are a "gloabl provider of news, analysis, commentary, education, data and business services to the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. It is the leading voice to the industry for all areas related to travel technology. It focuses on distribution, marketing, systems, devices, startups, social media and commerce in the travel sector." This looks like a great resource to find others who are also interested in how the digital world has changed travel, and could be a place to submit your own research and ideas, as they have a blog and regularly post articles.

Here are links to some articles from this website that stuck out to me:

      Defining Innovation in Travel

      Taking a long view on digital marketing

      Also this webinar on travel reviews and data analysis

I also stumbled across this article, which addresses the social marketing aspect of the travel industry, and some of the dangers that presents. It addresses some of the issues the travel industry will have to work through.

Finally, there's a lot of discussion going on in social media regrading this topic. I searched #traveltechnology and found lots of different groups and discussions going on about how technology is changing the way the travel industry runs, and how they can stay on top of it.

Hopefully this helps a little bit!  Sounds like a really great idea and I'm excited to see what you do with it!

Video Review of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis

Well, seeing as Public Parts is a book advocating online sharing and not being afraid to put ourselves online, here is my video review of the book, in all my post-run glory. (A very attractive opening frame, wouldn't you agree?)

Making this review was much harder than I thought. Presenting is one thing, but watching yourself on a screen is something entirely different. Public Parts is all about online sharing and how we consciously represent ourselves online, and I think that made me all the more paranoid about the video being as close to perfection as I could get it.  At the end of the day though, it made me look at the book in a different way and decide what was really important in 90 seconds.

Review of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis

Also reviewed on Goodreads.

Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis is a really easy, yet interesting read. Jarvis uses personal and cultural examples to illustrate the importance of public sharing, and also highlights the challenges in separating public and private life. Jarvis's arguments in regards to businesses being more open in sharing ideas and interacting with their customers is especially strong. While I personally do not agree with publicness online to the extent that Jarvis does, I found that his logic for the most part made a whole lot of sense!

Jarvis really does make this an entertaining and easy read. He discusses the history of publicness and highlights the benefits of being public online. He addresses the concept and definition of privacy, and how that relates to the business world. Towards the end of his book he discusses the need to protect publicness and in a sense calls for support in this cause.

I think one of the strong arguments Jarvis makes is our need to make connections online. He writes, "The people we want to meet are a connection away.” While I have reservations about needing to be completely public online with our personal lives, his argument for the needs companies have to make connections online made sense. The online presence a company has now has a large affect on it's brand, and is something companies need to acknowledge. 

Whether or not you agree with the argument Jarvis makes, it is good to be aware of it. The digital age truly is changing the way we live our lives, and we need to be aware and informed on the issue of privacy. The digital world has expanded to the point where it can no longer be ignored.

Selfishness, The "Public Parts" Perspective on Copyright

I have to admit, before our class discussions I was unaware of the present issues our copyright laws create. I was aware of the inconvenience it caused when I really wanted a song that hadn't made it to Spotify yet or a tv show that I really needed to see the next episode but all of the links kept being removed due to copyright issues.  In Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis, Jarvis argues for the necessity of public sharing, both for success in business and in our personal lives. As you can imagine, he does not view copyright laws too fondly.

In fact, Jarvis compares the governments hunt for terrorists to their similar hunt for media use violators. He writes, "In 2011, the Obama administration proposed criminalizing unauthorized media streaming as a felony and empowering the FBI to fight it using wiretaps." Is copyright an issue that is threatening our nations security to the point where our rights to privacy can be violated? If so, I feel that some major reforms need to be made in regards to our copyright laws. Jarvis explains that much of prosecution on copyright violations come as a result of fear and companies trying to protect their ancient methods of doing business, as they refuse to change. He explains that this is something that happens all throughout time-people are reluctant (and lazy) to change their ways. When the radio began covering news, the traditional papers began to panic, same goes for when the tv came about. The papers complained that not only was the radio cutting into their sales, but it was violating their copyright. It's this selfish mindset of protecting what has been instead of adapting and rising to the new possibilities that creates the problems. Jarvis writes, "Other companies have attacked Google or Facebook instead of learning lessons from them. Yet more have threatened to extend copyright or hamper the doctrine of fair use to disadvantage newcomers." Content and distribution are no longer reigning in business, but relationships are.

I believe that copyright is still needed, that people should have the right to protect their work, yet the laws need to change as they are now being used to hinder progress, and to selfishly protect businesses that refuse to adapt.

my curation experience with diigo

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Over the past week or so as I have been exploring Diigo, I've used to the tool to track my research concerning public sharing, and in particular, online missionary work.  One of the unique tools Diigo provides is that it allows you to see other bookmarks and lists that other users have curated. This was helpful in finding information concerning online sharing in general, and even other enthusiasts of Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis, however it was difficult to find information specifically related to the LDS effort to use digital tools to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. So in that way, Diigo was not as useful as it might have been with another topic. However, the highlighting, bookmarking and note taking features were extremely useful in tracking my research through various church websites and blogs. It was a funny thing to hear Elder Ballard explaining the digital realm in a very similar way to Jarvis.  

Elder Ballard stated, "Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time." This sounds very familiar, as Jarvis likewise stated, "To make those [real] connections, we must be public and share. We first have to reveal ourselves as members of those groups." Ballard's talk was given back in 2008.  As I've gone through various blogs I've seen both good and bad examples of this in action.  It's not enough just to throw in the word "mormon" or "lds" and call it good. Yes, we must identify ourselves as members of the LDS church, but we must do so consciously.  Ballard continued on in his talk to expound upon the idea of explaining things online very clearly and simply. I found some wonderful articles, both by members of the Church and others, who discussed the need to consciously create a positive online identity, or as Jarvis calls it, a "brand". 

As I continue on in my research, I want to focus on not only the content that has been circulated, but how it was received. I'm hoping to look into several blogs that I have discovered and bookmarked through Diigo, and explore how those not of the LDS faith received and responded to the information. 

What have your experiences (good or bad) been with sharing your religious beliefs online? 

Exploring the benefit of digital sharing for the LDS church in Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis

With my personal experience serving my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Temple Square and using digital tools to do missionary work, I have been fascinated with the potential that the digital world offers for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am reading Jeff Jarvis's book Public Parts with the hope to gain some insight into just how effective digital sharing can potentially be.  I have a personal desire to continue to share what has made a large impact on my own personal life, and feel that a greater understanding of how digital media and sharing impacts our day to day life will allow me to accomplish that.

Preview

After spending some time browsing through Public Parts, I can see that Jeff Jarvis is going to cover in detail, the different benefits that he believes the public sphere provides.  That being said, he also discusses the boundaries between private and public, and how much is too much.  Jarvis also goes through history as a means to discuss public sharing, discussing the printing press, as well as how the introduction of basic technology affected everyday life.  I'm happy to see that Jarvis discusses specific social media platforms, and the benefits that they individually possess.

Early Social Proof

Unfortunately I didn't get any responses to my initial posts about my plans for research combined with this book.  However, I contacted several mission friends, and spoke with other friends who served missions as well, and they shared interest in my plans.  Whether or not they were involved directly with using the internet to share the gospel while they were full-time missionaries, they saw the influence it had on others, and how many people's first exposures to the church were online. If anything, I now know that there is interest in my purpose!

Similar Books

As I browsed through the other books recommended on Amazon, it seems that a common topic is examining how social media in particular can drive social change.  Jarvis's other book What Would Google Do? also popped up when searching on several different sites.  Privacy concerns are also a big issue and topic, and it would be interesting to read some of these other books to see how their arguments compare with the one made by Jarvis in Public Parts.

Who Cares?

As I explored the conversation going on concerning Jarvis and this book, I discovered that Jarvis himself is very active on twitter. There was a lot of conversation going on between himself and others who appear to be fans of his book, and interested in learning the balance of the digital world.  A lot of the discussion going on online is due to Jarvis's online presence. He has posted videos and has his own website and is very active online, which creates an opportunity for lots of discussion, on twitter, google+, etc.  I also found Jarvis on storify!  

Formal Reviews

Fortune reviewed the book, and I found the review extremely encouraging! They wrote, "Privacy has its advocates. Jeff Jarvis has made himself an advocate for publicness. In Public Parts, the original Internet optimist argues that if we become too obsessed with guarding al personal information on the 'Net, we'll miss important opportunities that come. with making information available." I found it interesting that Jarvis is referred to as the "original internet advocate".  It seems that he is a credible figure on the topic.  As I continued to read reviews by other papers and magazines, I've come to realize that Jarvis is very much an activist on the topic. USAToday refers to him "often taking corporatiosn and governments to task for assaults, as he sees them, on teh openness of the Internet." I'm gad to see that Jarvis is an authority on Internet publicness.

Informal Reviews

I found a review by Tim Peter who commented on the position this book plays among other business literature.  He recommended a specific chapter for those interested in the internets affect on marketing, and I'm interested to start my reading later on in that chapter.   He also mentioned that Jarvis keeps things funny! So I'm looking forward to that. On Goodreads, many of the reviewers commented that they read the book on audiobook and that it was fantastic. I was happy to see that both people who agreed with Jarvis's point of view, and those who disagreed both found the book informative.  A reader named Terry praised the book for it's well formulated argument and the logical soundness of the book.  I'm excited to read!

Educational Courses

I found that at Harvard the Berkman Center for Internet and Society uses this book and other lectures by Jarvis.  I found some videos of Jeff Jarvis lecturing on their website that look interesting.  UMBC had videos of him posted in their curriculum as well, and I learned that Jarvis is a professor of journalism at City University of New York.

Multimedia

While Jeff Jarvis is extremely preset online, posting his own photos, video, etc., I found many photos on flickr and other sites of him lecturing at various conferences.  Many also made video reviews of the book, which I was able to listen to. I am excited to see that this is an ongoing discussion, which Jarvis himself is participating even after the book.  I'm beginning to recognize how society will need to adapt and change before online sharing is the ultimate norm.  I'm excited to see what this means for the LDS church moving forward.

First Impressions of the Book

After my initial research, I began reading in the chapters that focused on the benefits of public sharing, as I wanted to see what his argument was founded on.  It was fascinating to see examples from all across the spectrum, not just social media companies, but from healthcare companies, government organizations, etc. as well. His arguments regarding the value of forming relationships and connections and how these relationships essentially "brand" and organization support my initial ideas regarding the continued use of digital media to share the gospel for the LDS church.  I'm beginning to realize the "what" and "how" of sharing is something I don't understand as well as the "why", and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn more about that as I read.

My Thinking So Far

As I was reading I kept feeling that as I research this I need to be applying what Jarvis is advocating-I need to be more public. Not in the sense of posting my meals and daily schedule, but in regards to my research, and even my own experience with missionary work and digital culture, I need to be more open and public.  I'm hoping to get in contact (via the internet) with missionaries I personally served with, as well as  with other friends who have served missions or who have been exceptionally diligent at sharing the gospel online. I want to gather their thoughts and opinions in regards to this topic and actually experience the book as I read it.  

The Magnificence of Metadata

As I've begun to look at Diigo as a platform for curation, I have come to realize what a necessity detailed metadata (labels, tags, etc.) is.  I have been looking into missionary work for the Church, both how full-time missionaries can use digital tools as proselyting tools, as well as how non-proselyting members can use similar tools to share their beliefs with their friends. The tag "missionary" brings up all sorts of craziness, and not much of it is useful.  Trying to generally search for websites and research related to missionary work for the LDS church brings up hundreds of blogs of missionaries currently serving, or people ranting about how their missions were the best. I found that the pages that appeared most useful were ones who had quite a few tags, so that a variety of searches would pull up those pages.  Until this point, I haven't worried much about putting labels and tags on my posts, yet as a result of the frustration I experienced trying to find information relevant to my research, I'm now recognizing that if you want your research, opinions, etc to be taken seriously, let alone seen, labels and other metadata are necessary. As mentioned in class, metadata also contributes to the identity you create online. If I want my work to be taken seriously, and if I want to be a person whose thoughts can be taken seriously, then the labels I assign need to reflect that. Overall, this process of curating has been an awakening to the magnificence of metadata!

Discovering Diigo.

As I work on curating, I have been exploring Diigo. It's been a great tool to bookmark pages, but I've had a more difficult time figuring out how to best utilize the other options. Diigo would be a wonderful tool for a group collaboration though. After bookmarking and highlighting pages, it is possible to send the bookmarks to others.  There are also online groups that have been created, or that you can create. I checked out one that is on social media, and it was fascinating to see how people were having a conversation about social media via bookmarking! Through their tags and highlights they were literally having a discussion back and forth arguing the direction in which social media could go.  So as a collaborative tool, Diigo is fantastic. I hope to figure out how to personalize Diigo even more and use it more effectively. Has anyone experimented with Diigo before and have any tips?

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The Final Product of Midterm 1

As I have mentioned before, for my midterm paper I chose to focus on what can be learned from Moby Dick about creative collaboration.  While many of my English lit classes have arranged peer review sessions, this was the first time I have "pitched" my ideas online.  The comments that were most helpful (both online and in-person) were the ones which pointed out the holes I had yet to consider, and even suggested possible connections I had yet to think of. In a way, my paper on collaboration came as a result of slight collaboration on the side.  After Dr. Wickman mentioned in class that our papers should not just be summaries of analogies found in Moby Dick, I was pretty paranoid that my analysis and thesis would not be deep enough or fully developed. One of the most helpful resources I had in gathering my thoughts and examining my conclusions were reading back through many of the posts that had been written by my fellow classmates. Some had also touched on the subject of collaboration, but even those that were not directly addressing the subject sparked ideas, or directed me to a portion of the novel I had not considered discussing.  Bouncing my ideas around online and turning to social media as a source for my work provided more material than any other source! Whether or not this is required for papers later in the semester, whether in this class or another, I'm excited to continue this process!

Check out the final version here.

Common Goals and Magnificent Results

I really appreciate the feedback regarding my paper! I wanted to share a portion of it.  I soon discovered that four pages was not enough space to really dive into all that we can learn about collaborating from Moby Dick.  This is just a small portion, but this is a topic I would like to study more about, not just from Moby Dick but from other groups, companies and organizations that are effectively collaborating to form magnificent results! 

San Francisco Opera's Moby Dick. Photo by Cory Weaver.

        Whaling itself is an operation that is structured in such a way that collaboration can thrive in it’s purest form.  For the men aboard these ships, the trust and reliance that they have among each other is very literally the difference between life and death.  To stress this idea, Ishmael spends entire portions of his narrative describing in detail the process by which these men work together to capture and collect the whales.  Ishmael goes into specifics concerning the monkey-ropes.  Ishmael explains, “From the ship’s steep side, did I hold Queequeg down there in the sea, by what is technically called in the fishery a monkey-rope, attached to a strong strip of canvas belted round his waist” (Melville 302).  Ishmael goes on to describe the bonding this simple monkey-rope created between himself and Queequeg and states, “So strongly and metaphysically did I conceive of my situation then, that while earnestly watching his motions, I seemed distinctly to perceive that my own individuality was now merged in a joint stock company of two; that my free will had received a mortal wound; and that another’s mistake or misfortune might plunge innocent me into unmerited disaster and death" (Melville 303).  Ishmael’s individuality was sacrificed so that he could become part of a larger cause, a larger collaboration.  While life itself does not need to be at stake for a successful collaboration, Ishmael demonstrates that to achieve a deeper level of commitment, there needs to be a common goal, or something of communal value must be at risk.  

        In the professional world we see that some of the greatest creations come only after separate parties come together with a common goal in mind.  LinkedIn is a professional networking website that creates opportunities for people to collaborate in ways that extend beyond just making a contact for a job.  True progress occurs as people from different backgrounds with a common goal or desire are able to join forces.  Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s co-founder stated “No one can succeed by themselves. Apple today is totally focused on how it can better work with its [applications] developer community.  It cannot thrive without them. The only way you can achieve something magnificent is by working with other people” (Friedman).  This level of magnificent collaboration is achieved as those involved recognize and utilize each other’s strengths.  

Prophets and Pinterest

I'm sure we all loved when conference turned on and down in the lower corner was #ldsconf.  I was even more excited to later see that among other things Dieter F. Uchtdorf was trending on twitter! However I think the thing I laughed at the most was when I opened my pinterest account and saw this:

and this...

and this...

Essentially my entire Pinterest feed was full of conference quotes already designed into cute printouts, and it was just the closing hymn. Conference hadn't even ended! It was a huge reminder that we have become extremely accustomed to our digital lifestyle, and often our first instincts are now to post, tweet and pin.  Even though it seems slightly ridiculous to me, I'm excited that these platforms are being used to spread the gospel and share with the entire world uplifting words of truth form modern-day prophets.

#ldsconf

Midterm 1 Part 2

As mentioned in my first post, I'm intrigued by the idea of how through the digital age, greater success seems to come from collaboration and making personal connections with others. I want to compare this to Ahab's crew, and the "collaboration" that exists onboard. 

A few examples of this that I've thought of so far:

-The monkey-rope's holding them together as they clean the whale
           "So strongly and metaphysically did I conceive of my situation then, that while earnestly watching his motions, I seemed distinctly to perceive that my own individuality was now merged in a joint stock company of two; that my free will had received a mortal wound; and that another’s mistake or misfortune might plunge innocent me into unmerited disaster and death." 
-The smaller groups that set out to kill the whales
-Ishmael & Queequegs strage relationship
    "How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends. Man and wife, they say, there open the very bottom of their souls to each other; and some old couples often lie and chat over old times till nearly morning. Thus, then, in our hearts’ honeymoon, lay I and Queequeg – a cosy, loving pair." 
-Ahab's relationship with Pip, and his dependence upon him
    ”Now, then, Pip, we’ll talk this over; I do suck most wondrous philosophies from thee!”
“Thou touchest my inmost centre, boy; thou art tied to me by cords woven of my heartstrings”

The larger question I need to consider is, what then is to be learned from this "collaboration"? It ended in death and destruction for all but Ishmael, so what does that teach us about how online collaboration should be done? Is there a proper, or better, way?

I know this is a bit scatterbrained, but any feedback would be very helpful!

Midterm 1 Part 1

Here are my posts so far:

Hey Yall!
Etymology, Extracts...Explain?
The Digital Culture of Temple Square
The Key to Success
The Bright Side
Collaboration
The Freedom & Potential of Blogging

As I think back over the first part of this semester, I find that the posts I had the most enjoyment writing and the class periods I connected with the most were ones in which I was able to discuss how digital culture makes a positive influence on the world.  That may seem like a very broad topic, and I suppose it is.  I loved being able to share how my mission was able to share the gospel and bring others closer to Christ via chatting and online media. I loved finding all the positive and uplifting clips and articles available to influence living a positive life. I especially loved seeing how collaborating online allows us to make personal connections with others in ways that are not otherwise possible.  This has probably become one of the most interesting aspects for me.  In class we discussed the different projects and websites people have constructed for collaboration. From the digital choir to the website kompoz, it was fascinating to think about the different ways we can collaborate.

I also really enjoyed thinking about the potential the internet can have on one's career, whether you're trying to create or improve one.  Aleesha discussed this concept as well, remarking that companies now need to consider the power of their online presence on their credibility in their profession.  Danielle  also blogged about how educational institutions like BYU are keeping  up with the times and moving themselves into the digital world.  It's a fascinating thing to think about how technology has impacted practically every aspect of our lives.

So I guess the question that I have would be a combination of my two areas of interest. How can, or how should, companies use digital tools as a means to connect with, and possibly collaborate with their customers? Or in this age is it acceptable to choose not to be involved in digital culture at all?

The Power of Collaboration

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Collaboration is an aspect of digital culture which I have previously discussed on this blog, and one which I continue to find fascinating. In particular, I have lately been thinking about how collaboration, or teamwork is present within the novel of Moby Dick, and what that has to say about collaboration in the digital realm.  In Moby Dick the ship only runs smoothly and functions as the men contribute their various skills and talents to work together in pursuit of the whale.  There is one scene where they are butchering the whale and there is blood and guts everywhere and the sharks are swarming, hoping to get a bite of the whale.  The men are tied together with "monkey-ropes" and are lowered onto the whale.  The idea is, that if someone slips into the water with the waiting sharks, the other men tied to him via the monkey-rope will be able to pull him in.  

In thinking about Dr. Burton's article on the benefits of blogging in the academic sense, we are all tied together with a monkey-rope. In the past, if I had a weak argument or just completely missed the boat with the literature we were studying, my only hope was that there would be a peer-review at some point before the final draft.  Yet with blogging and even status updates, I can receive instant feedback, and even comments that may spark new ideas that lead me onto an entirely new train of thought.  Ideas are able to be shaped in a much more powerful way through collaboration, than if they remained in my head until they were turned in to determine my grade. 

Yet there is also the issue that while Captain Ahab was able to force his crew to "collaborate" with him in his quest for Moby Dick, it ultimately ended in the death and destruction of the entire ship and crew (well, except for Ishmael). So what does that mean for collaboration in our class through blogging? I'm not entirely sure yet. I don't think that we will all be destroyed if one of our ideas or thesis turns out to be just plain awful.  So perhaps a key element to collaboration is that there has to be an extreme level of honesty, and the group in collaboration must share a passion for the vision and end goal.  Without it, the project at hand will probably not see much success.  This may be a topic I wish to write more about, and I've even been brainstorming ways in which we as a class may be able to collaborate even more than compiling blog posts and comments together. Thoughts?

The Freedom & Potential of Blogging

After reading through The Three Phases of Academic Blogging, I feel both humbled and inspired in the potential of my personal blogging endeavors.  While the great fear is being stuck in phase one of blogging-merely "exploring", that exploration is a necessary step.  I've never blogged prior to this class.  I guess the closest experience I could claim would be when I wrote letters home from my mission, knowing they would be distributed to some close friends and family.  While they have been foreign and sometimes difficult waters to tread, this stage of exploration in blogging has allowed me to write in a personal way, and for credit nonetheless!

I was inspired as I read Dr. Burton's explanation of the Power of the Personal.  Two of my roommates are English majors, and we often discuss how in many of our literature courses we feel we have the exact same discussions over the exact same themes and write practically the exact same research papers.  The passion and creativity that was maybe there for my first discussion of women's rights in a novel was completely gone after a dozen similar discussions, arguing the same things.  Due to the constantly morphing nature of the digital age, blogging allows for me as a student to address common topics in a unique and exciting way.  Through the personal touch of blogging, the conversation never ends, so instead of repeating itself over and over and over, it naturally evolves.  In his conclusion, Dr. Burton states, "I will go so far as to say that teachers of writing who persist in training students to write in ways that ignore this context are endangering the literacy of their students. Rather than preparing them to communicate well within society, they actually prevent them from doing so at a time when it is both practical and profitable to interact with others."  This interaction goes beyond giving a shout-out in class to the comment that was given prior to your own, it allows us to truly help each other grow and develop, both ideas and our personal selves, which is and should be the ultimate goal of learning in any field!

Collaboration

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As stated in previous posts on this blog, I believe we are all coming to appreciate the limitless opportunities the digital age provides for us to create, develop and collaborate, both on an intellectual level, as well as socially.  After finally finishing Moby Dick (I say finally, but 4 weeks was awfully fast to read that thing) I began to think about either the parallels this whale of a tale has with digital culture, or how it could possibly be used or expanded through digital culture.  I came across a website put together by Peninsula Arts and Plymouth University, Moby-Dick Big Read.  

Some of you may have stumbled across this already, but it's wonderful! It's founders, Angela Cockayne and Philip Hoare state, "Deeply subversive, in almost every way imaginable, Moby-Dick is a virtual, alternative bible-and as such, ripe for reinterpretation in this new world of new media.  Out of Dominion was born its bastard child-or perhaps its immaculate conception-the Moby-Dick Big Read: an online version of Melville's magisterial tome: each of its 135 chapters read out aloud, by a mixture of the celebrated and the unknown, to be broadcast online in a sequence of 135 chapters read out aloud, by a mixture of the celebrated and the unknown, to be broadcast online in a sequence of 135 downloads, publicly and freely accessible."

The collaborative efforts available to us in this digital age is what makes this effort, and others like it, so unique and special.  There have been artists, designers, scientists and story tellers around for ages. Yet rarely have people from these different backgrounds been enabled to collaborate on a common passion as random as Moby Dick.  I hope to continue to discover and explore more collaborations similar to this, and to be able to contribute and become a part of a larger digital movement. For now though, experience your favorite chapter of Moby Dick!

Moby-Dick Big Read

The Bright Side

Lizy's post yesterday and a video I saw got me thinking about all of the positive benefits of this digital age that we live in.  Not just the benefits it gives us socially or even for our careers, but all of the positive and inspirational messages now available to us.  While I'm not naive to the dangers and darkness that is out there online, there are so many positive influences as well.  The digital resources we now have serve as tools for people to express their creativity and create beautiful and inspiring videos, entries, and all sorts of other creations. From the virtual choir to an inspiring personal triumph story, even to a little kid President giving a Pep Talk, the internet is full of people trying to add a little brightness to the world.

Dr. Burton mentioned in class once that it's our job to create a positive image of ourselves online. It got me thinking not only do I present an appropriate, professional image, but is it a positive one? Have I really been using the internet as a means to add brightness into the lives of others? Even if that's just my family and friends?  It's a personal goal I have now, to try and be more of a light for others, certainly everyday with those I interact with, but online as well.  I guess what better way to be held accountable to a goal than to share it with any and all who read this post!

The video that got me thinking:

The Key to Success

A while back I called my mom to check in and see what she was up to. She picked up but quickly informed me she would have to call me back because her all time favorite show A&E's Duck Dynasty was about to come on, and she and her girlfriends were having a party.  This group of suburban moms gathered together in their name-brand jeans paired with camo shirts and bonded over a TV show that got it's humble beginnings via YouTube.  Soon after this call I continued my drive home and Taylor Swift's 22 came on the radio-another multi-millionaire whose start came from her MySpace page. Crazy to think that both Taylor Swift and the Robertson family both got their chance at the good life from the internet.

The career opportunities of the internet are not limited to entertainers and musicians alone. From Mormon-Mommy blogs to professionals in various fields, the internet has allowed many to start and grow their businesses, and even create income from just sharing the details of their lives on a lifestyle blog.  Barnes&Noble is full of books giving instruction and inspiration on how to turn blogging into a career, or how to use a blog or website to boost an already existing occupation.  As a soon to be graduate beginning the job search process, the options the internet provides make my job searching experience and options vastly different than the experience of my parents as they were newly graduated.  This can be both beneficial and daunting, and deciding the balance of how invested to be in the internet community is a tricky decision to make, and one I'm currently trying to figure out!  Any thoughts?

....at the very least, these videos provide a haven of sorts from my stress. Enjoy!