It's difficult to describe my blogging experience thus far... As a science enthusiast and major, I often find it difficult to write "on-demand", especially about things that I struggle to find interest in (non-science-e things). For this reason alone, I do not think I would be capable of pursuing journalism, or professional blogging if it did not revolve around my own time and interests. It is for this same reason that outside of a class environment, I do not see myself blogging routinely (not to say that I will depart from it completely). This blogging class has taught me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and to think critically. My blog has become a space for myself to indulge in topics and events that I find particularly fascinating, and I recognize it as a safe space to express my opinions in more than 140 characters (twitter) outside of the sink hole that is Facebook. Building on this, I do not particularly want much publicity from my writings, I look more to my blog as a catalog of my thoughts, feelings, and opinions (I suppose I blog more for myself than the entertainment of others; God i'm selfish), and as a reference that I can refer to in times of vacillation, and look to as a tool of reassurance in my morals and standing on issues I have pondered. Blogging has taught me a lot about myself, for one, I have found a whimsical obsession with birds (healthy i presume for it has not affected my well being yet). Two, this connection with birds has opened doors to the world that I may not have not found without it (see: here and here). As far as accomplishment through blogging, I am far from success. Blogging has helped me on my journey to establishing a voice in writing and has given me a platform to express and if desired, share my opinions, findings, and interests.
It would be unfair for me to choose a favorite post of my own for they are all my brain children (that's creepy). Through blogging, I have tried to maintain a congruency in my sanity and reasoning, using rhetoric and rationality to support my opinions. Though I say I hold no preferences, I have found myself quite proud of my "Open Letter to California, the FDA and Those on the Bandwagon of GE Salmon Opposition". I aim to hold this standard of research and skepticism in all of my posts. Research through blogging has taught me two things: you cannot trust anyone (especially writers, a lot of them have no idea what they're talking about) and that other peoples opinions are just that, opinions. DISCLAIMER: I am not trying to put down all bloggers or put myself above anyone, there are very well educated, and experienced professional writers and bloggers out there, many of whom look for truth and are honest in their claims, but there are also those who look to deceive and manipulate through diction. Who do you know to trust? Maybe this is why I find such comfort in the academic realm. Everything is fact checked, peer reviewed and when appropriate ripped apart; overall, I suppose, more reliable. In class, Lance Mannion, has often thrown around this idea:
There are opportunities to be payed off in blogging... Should bloggers be held to the journalists code of ethics? #hnr340aq
— Eric Merrell (@ercmrrll) November 11, 2014
This is a great idea, how do we make it the social norm to report truth? Then again, need this call for honesty exist a somewhat non-professional world? Back to Mannion's idea, I imagine backlash for using science as an example. People will say "well don't corporations pay scientists to fudge results?" They do, this is true, but their conclusions are invalid if they cannot be reproduced; the checks and balances of academia. This, i assume, is a similar environment to that of the professional journalist. Outlandish claims do not travel as far in academia as they do in the social media (check this out)... This post has turned into a debate over professionalism in an amateur world, should it exist? Food for thought from a disposition of mine: your morals should be righteous and evident in everything you do... and of course the classic "honesty is the best policy." A little off topic, but definitely to be continued...
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