Don't...hurt me because of this discussion paper.

Here is my discussion paper. It is too long. I will cut it down and upload a shorter version if i have time. If not, then well, I think its interesting enough to read through anyways. I am also sure you will get some really short papers sent in to make up for it :)
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Wow, I have finally reached what I feel like is a suitable time to write this discussion piece on my weblog, and weblogs in general, how they compare to traditional journals and how mine relates to others I have come across and all that Jaz (ßsee, that was my first ‘just in case that tutor looks over my blog’ gag).

Now, first of all I must state that my handwriting is pretty horrendous. It’s atrocious even (believe me on this one). As such, a weblog, or any way of transferring and holding my ideas out of my head for future perusal or for outside perusal WITHOUT having it in my handwriting is a godsend. So straight from the start, discovering a new way of keeping my thoughts in my writing, but not MY writing was a good sign. Anyone reading this should be thanking whatever omnipresent being they believe in that this is a typed-blog, not a written-blog (which I think is a possible future concept). That was my initial and is still my first personal reaction to weblogs; simply that I don’t have to write things down. How else can you compare a ‘paper’ journal with a weblog? Simply changing the input interface from handwriting to typing is more of a technical difference, which only has a limited impact on what content you include.

The obvious other difference is of course the fact that you can control exactly who sees your paper journal, whereas a journal produced through a weblog format at its foundations includes the concept of openness and sharing the content. With a weblog, you are uploading the content with the knowledge that it is open to anyone, and as such – even if it’s only subconsciously - the content will be altered from if you were writing it in a paper journal. I’m not saying this is bad or good, but that it’s fairly obvious that the different formats aren’t simply different ways of distributing your content, or different methods in input of information, but that they force a change in the content itself. If you were to try and write a paper journal entry as a weblog, you would find it altered significantly due to assumptions you make about the new medium (e.g. target audience, length, etc). So we have the weblog altering both the way we input data, the way that data is distributed, and the data itelf. All three.

Is there something between a weblog and a paper journal? (other then writing up your journal in a word document :P) For example, someone could use wordpress, and place the blog within a secure folder. I don’t believe you could then call that a weblog, as you would be able to selectively decide who saw it or not. This I believe would be a truer digital version of a paper journal (not that we were aiming for a truer version in this class). It really depends on your definition of 'weblog'.

Don’t get me wrong, a weblog’s main function in my eyes is to provide a way to communicate your own work, thoughts, ideas, concepts, rantings, plans for world domination, recipies for cheesecake to other people who happen to pass by your page - amongst a host of other uses - not just for a personal journal-style medium. But that’s how it seemed to turn out for me. Maybe it’s because I am boring, maybe it’s because the essential function of this blog was to record my thoughts and opinions on readings and lectures that only a sparse few people will have also witnessed or even want to read about. I did attempt to bring in other related discussion, and somewhat related topics, but in the end it seemed to be dragged all the way back to simply providing my opinion on that reading, or that tutorial group, or that lecture which wouldn’t be as interesting to an outside then what I had for breakfast today. True, it was interesting to jump around some other people’s weblogs (both in our tutorial group and outside), and we did have some form of limited comment giving and communication between us every so often, but nothing along the lines of what a weblog could potentially grow to be. Which is what I suppose is the purpose of this whole exercise, to get us started and to see what the format is capable of helping us do.

How can I compare my weblog to others (non-unit related), other then possibly looking at whether the blog has completed or is completing its purpose? I feel mine’s served its purpose for existing (culminating in this paper), while other ones have also continued to serve its purpose, whether to act as a communal confession http://postsecret.blogspot.com or to adverise up and coming games buy a great designer and concept creator http://www.americanmcgee.com/wordpress/.

What are my final thoughts on weblogs before I sign off (and go and get wordpress)? I think a well maintained weblog with a cause, a purpose, which requires the communication and linkage from other weblogs and provides original or even just well written critiques or analysis of anything that people would be interesting in, would be able to reach the full potential of the weblog format.

Adios Amigos, gracias senorita...umm...yeah.