Blogging has always been an avid interest of mine and getting the opportunity to pursue that through my Network Media course has been eye opening (especially since the blog has prompted me to look inwards and discover new parts of my personality and capabilities I never knew were there) but also oddly humbling. As a proud Millennial I’ve always assumed that I knew everything I needed to know about technology, and this course has proved me wrong. I have learnt how to create and nurture an online ‘persona’ and have been introduced to the concept of an RSS feed (I know I’m a little late to the party, yet you can rest assured I now put it to good use).
I’ve found that learning to write for a blog is an extended learning process, especially when you’re trying to reach a specific demographic and you’re so used to a more academic and restricted style of writing (Miles 2006, p. 66). During my second week Networked Media lecture, my lecturer (Jeremy Bowtell) suggested that we create “about me” pages in order to outline our blog content and introduce our online ‘persona’ to the world.
Here is my about me page, in which I attempted to appeal to my niche target audience (on-trend, good humoured if-not slightly voyeuristic Millennials who want to hear about my life) by remaining relatable and accessible while highlighting the prominent features of my blog.
My readings have also opened me up to the concept that “Network literacy is being able to participate as a peer within the emerging knowledge networks that are now the product of the internet” (Miles 2007, p. 26) Which gives to the idea that being network literate transcends the ability to access web content but instead focuses on our ability to contribute as well as benefit from the vast resources of the internet. And I put this into practise by customising my theme, embedding hyperlinks within my blog posts, adding widgets (blogroll, instagram and twitter feed) but also by using photography in order to provide a text form that is different from standardised written text (find that blog post here.)
Adrian iterate the concept that “Blogs provide access to much of this in ways that complement and make concrete what might otherwise appear to be abstract or distant concerns” (Miles 2006, pg. 69). I understood this quote to mean that as bloggers, we have the ability to make a difference and publish opinions that others may deem to be unimportant however you perceive to valuable.
My blogging experience has become an important learning opportunity in which, I not only learn from the material in class but also from myself. It has helped me refine and practise new writing techniques and lay a foundation in which I can build my internet presence upon. I’m excited for the possibilities that this could platform could bring, and hope that somewhere, somehow my words are making a difference.
CARPE THAT DIEM 