Sowing My Seed: A Historical Overview of Blogging and Its Societal Influence

Dissemination and Dialogue

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So, here I am. "Sowing my seed" as John Durham Peters would say (quoting the Bible). I am publicizing my thoughts broadly and hoping that maybe someone will take the time to read them. This is the heart of dissemination- that a seed or thought is spread across a wide audience, knowing that it won't reach most people but with the hope that it reaches a few. In Chapter 2 "From Bards to Blogs" of Rettburg's book, he discusses this idea of information dissemination versus the idea of dialogue. Rettburg uses Peters as an example of one who supports the idea of dissemination of information, quoting Matthew 13:3-9 as an example. On the other hand, Plato strongly believes that dialogue is the most effective form of communication because a person is able to respond directly to the audience and that words are not being thrown around recklessly. I tend to agree with Rettburg that blogs are an excellent combination of both of these ideas because it allows for a wide audience to view the information while at the same time providing a means for direct communication through comments, etc. The Internet, in general, seems to have this set-up. I believe that this is beneficial because there are pros and cons to mass media and to personal conversations, but through these ends, the ideas are able to balance out. This ties back into the idea of author transparency that has been discussed in previous posts because the author is able to be known and communicated with easily.

Public Sphere
I am currently in a political communications class where we are reading Jurgen Habermas's book, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. I thought it was quite interesting how Rettburg presented the idea of the public sphere here. He focused on the influence that the transition to silent reading has had on the public sphere. This shift led to a relationship solely between the text and the reader. This places more emphasis on the growing division between the private and the public because now even literature doesn't have to be a public event or read aloud. In class, we have been discussing the influence of capitalism and how this is driving the private realm to grow, but we haven't talked about how we read as influence on this as well. I do think that what an individual reads privately can easily be brought into rational debate within the public sphere, thus still allowing the private and public strata to interact.

Connectedness
In Chapter Three, "Blogs, Communities, and Networks," Rettburg focuses on how blogs and social media allow for people to be connected across the Internet. I have personal experience with this because Facebook has allowed me to still be connected with people from middle school or younger that I otherwise wouldn't have thought of in years. This is the audience that I'm used to tailoring my social media to. Blogs, on the other hand, allow for a different type of audience, one that the author likely doesn't know personally but is interested in the topic of discussion. This has caused my to change my personal writing style to tailor to people not knowing me or having the same background knowledge that I do. Others, like you who are currently reading this, may have a deeper understanding of this topic or may not have any exposure (though you found this blog, so congrats for that accomplishment!). Therefore, I try to be as clear with my wording and my explanations as I can.

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Rettburg discusses a site called LinkedIn, which is a more professional website allowing for employers to hire employees and for someone to gain professional connections. I hadn't heard of this site until I was a college student, probably because it wasn't relevant to my life until then, but I have yet to truly explore its potential. I do have an account though, and I'd love to begin building those connections. This idea leads into the idea that "weak ties" are more effective socially than "strong ties" because those people that are only acquaintances usually hold information that you don't have. Through weak ties, it may be easier to find a job opportunity due a web of connections rather just a small, inner circle.

Internet Permanence
Rettburg says that internet postings are "persistent" because they continue to be around despite being deleted or hidden. I tend to think that postings are more than persistent but rather are permanent. Anyone could screen shot something or copy it without your knowledge, so although it may be completely eliminated from the World Wide Web, an unknown person may have access to this still. I cannot count the times that I was told, "If you don't want it across the front page of the newspaper, don't post it." I try to take this seriously because bosses and family and countless others could make that happen. The idea of this permanence makes me nervous, however, because it lends itself to cyberbullying.

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Cyberbullying is a growing issue because it is easy to be anonymous and to manipulate material. Also, because digital media is becoming so accessible, it is difficult for parents to constantly monitor what their children are doing on social media. This makes it easier for people to say things or do something that they would never do in real life; anonymity gives them a surprising boldness. If you see cyberbullying, please report it because it really impacts the lives of those involved.

Life Postings
The final topic Rhettburg discusses is the idea that anything we do digitally can be monitored and publicly shared if desired. This includes where we are, what we search and read, when we get emails, what events our calendars have on them, text messages sent, etc. I shudder to think about this, not because I have something to hide, but simply because privacy is a luxury that is quickly slipping away. Needless to say, the world does not need to know everything about me, nor do I care to know where others are at all times or what they are doing. A public image is important to have, but a private understanding of yourself and time to be truly alone is also healthy. 

Discussion Questions
How do we feel about private life being so publicized, and permanently, through digital media? How can bloggers most effectively take advantage of the weak ties that they have established on their blogs?