So I'm satisfied with the appearance of my blog, for now. I'll admit that I've tried on at least a dozen templates, and different color schemes for a few of them, and don't even get me started on how many different pictures I've tried out as my profile picture - I might try to log some of these hours in MTP as "independent photoshop exploration" since I had to crop out a LOT of other people just to get some good candidates.
And it did strike me that I might be dwelling on the superficial, and I'm not entirely proud of how much time and energy I spent on what might easily be considered the cosmetic aspects of my blog. But that said, I'm intensely aware of the fact that what I put out on the internet is me, and for better or worse, I'm a little bit of a freak about the details. Just as surely as I'd be horrified to find I'd made a spelling error in a post, I'd be mortified to realize there was broccoli in my teeth in the picture I'd chosen, or that the colors of my template seemed boring upon closer examination. People would see that, and draw conclusions about me based on the evidence before them - that's what I'd do, anyway.
That's what sometimes overwhelms me about Web 2.0. I'm eager to create and contribute and explore all kinds of different things, but also conscious of the breadcrumbs I leave behind as I do some of those things. I am a proud and frequent facebook user, and have a set of personal guidelines that allows me to be comfortable with what I post, what I allow others to post, whom I friend, and who has access to my page - but it took time and patience to figure all that out. My biggest anxiety is that I unwittingly make too public something that would better be kept private.
And paradoxically, I think that going public is the most exciting part of Web 2.0 as well. I am enthusiastic about entering a vast forum for exchanging ideas, sharing my thoughts and sensibilities, and I do intuitively understand that I will get more out of this if I really put out into the web universe what I need or want from it, and that's going to require some disclosure on my part.
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I'm hoping that when our students blog or post things, that they put as much thought into what they upload/post as you do! I can totally relate to your comment about being judged on what you do/post/choose...too bad not many people use that filter when they post things up!
ReplyDeleteIt is scary how your words mimic my own insecurities about this project. I spent the same time and energy into the look of my own blog. I also began to feel guilty about the emphasis I was placing on the appearance of my blog. I am nervous about what others see about me , but I also feel compelled to model what I expect of others. I think there is probably a lesson in all of this for our students.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts here, and I think you're right that it takes some courage to "put yourself out there" and, as your other commenters have mentioned, some of us are prone to greater attention to detail than others. Like you, I found myself writing more than I had originally intended, but sort of taking pleasure in the forum I had created for myself. We'll see how it goes as we continue.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that's great about social networks is that you CAN control what pictures are uploaded (or tagged) or not. Certainly I've been mortified at some of the pictures my friends have tagged on Facebook of me, but having the ability to untag them is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLike you Karen, I'm equally picky about the images of myself. I had someone on Facebook ask me how I could look the same as I did in high school and I replied that I'm very selective about which pictures I tag and which I don't. So, it's almost like creating a persona...in a way. Here's me at my best (or at least semi best) haha!
I enjoy Facebook a lot and I'm really enjoying the English Companion Ning as well. I do find that they take time though and I sometimes lose track of time when I'm reading posts here and there.