A lot of this class is focused on "putting ourselves out" onto the
Internet, by creating a website, posting on a blog, and as Steve
Roggenbuck talked about in class on Monday, interacting with other
people through social media. Personally, I find this enriches my life,
but I realize it isn't for everyone that's trying to forge a path as a
writer. Some people have expressed the opinion that it seems like the
goal of this "putting ourselves out" adds to the culture of attention
begging, or that it dilutes the quality of what's out there, or can make
our lives seem inauthentic.
Making our creative lives authentic seems like an important aspect of
the MFA program here, and in all things I want to reinforce that. I
don't disagree that the Internet can cheapen things, be a shortcut, be a
distraction, but I also think that it's possible to interact in an
edifying way online. Someone said, "If you don't like Twitter, you're
not following the right people." It's something like that. Find a
community that you're interested in. What are they saying? How can you
contribute? We do this all the time IRL. We wouldn't be here, in this
program, if we didn't.
Some people mentioned they don't know what IRL means.
It stands for "In Real Life."
But the IRL social codes have been instilled in us over the many years
it takes to become an adult. Older people taught us these codes. There
isn't a parallel for the Internet. And that can seem daunting. Likewise,
the stimulus is different. IRL, when you hear a person talking you
don't default to thinking, "This person is begging for attention."
Conversely, when you're reading an article online, you don't feel any of
the social engagement or anxiety or flirtatiousness or whatever you
might feel when interacting IRL. You're also reading, which is
work. Both of these things—the work and the lack of social stimuli—might
make social media less interesting in the first place.
But there is a way to incite those feelings. My own most powerful social
interactions online started when, in response to blog posts about
things I was really interested in, I would post a comment that I worked
hard on. Immediately after clicking submit I would start to get a little
shaky. I felt like maybe I had transgressed or at least that maybe I'd
said something the wrong way. I refreshed the page every ten seconds to
see if anyone had responded. It's a very lively feeling, and a palpable
one, and I can sense it even now.
At Smashing Magazine, a great resource for all things Internet, Rian van der Merwe has written a really important post called "Making a Better Internet."
It pays attention to many of the concerns I've heard in class and in
our responses online. If you are feeling a bit of agitation at what
social media may require of writers, I recommend you take a look,
especially to the first part half. I'd love to hear what you think.
Comments are welcome below or IRL.
The Tester 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Steve Roggenbuck to visit
In class tomorrow we'll have a visit from Steve Roggenbuck, the
Motivational Speaker-slash-poet of the Future who the NY Times just
labeled "The Prophet" (checkitout in this article).
They say, "Roggenbuck might be the first 21st-century poet. The
Internet’s staccato vernacular comes alive in his work, as does the
vernacular of everyday life."
You can see his websites at www.livemylief.com and www.iamlikeoctoberwheniamdead.com. Here is a provocative video: http://livemylief.com/post/15813396420/be-yourslef-the-reason-most-people-dont-read/.
Will you please think of questions and issues and things to talk about related to how you feel about the Internet and writing? Like, does the Internet de-prioritize the quality of writing in favor of glamour or cliques or even just brevity? Does it distract you from what's really important, that is, writing itself? Does it foster a false sense of community? What about the fact that most online journals and lit blogs don't pay their writers? What are the best colors for links? Are blogrolls no longer important? How important is commenting on people's blogs versus Facebook? How are reading habits changing because of the Internet?
Below the fold, a video Steve made here in Baltimore.
You can see his websites at www.livemylief.com and www.iamlikeoctoberwheniamdead.com. Here is a provocative video: http://livemylief.com/post/15813396420/be-yourslef-the-reason-most-people-dont-read/.
Will you please think of questions and issues and things to talk about related to how you feel about the Internet and writing? Like, does the Internet de-prioritize the quality of writing in favor of glamour or cliques or even just brevity? Does it distract you from what's really important, that is, writing itself? Does it foster a false sense of community? What about the fact that most online journals and lit blogs don't pay their writers? What are the best colors for links? Are blogrolls no longer important? How important is commenting on people's blogs versus Facebook? How are reading habits changing because of the Internet?
Below the fold, a video Steve made here in Baltimore.
Friday, March 3, 1995
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