Casting my net out into the bloggosphere

First of all, I do not even know how to spell "bloggosphere"....does it have two g's?! If that doesn't give me away as a novice blogger, I may as well sign off. I do have to admit that I love the language that technology has spawned and verbed. It makes me feel a sense of pride to be part of a generation that is expanding the modes and spheres of communication and free speech. Now, "casual encounters" on Craig's list leaves much to be desired in terms of a movement. But to think that the words "blog" and "vlog" and even the verb "texting" didn't mean much 10-15 years ago suggests that the speed of social change may be growing as rapidly as you can illegally download a new song.

The curious thing about blogs is that they are uncensored (right?). No grammar police, no Ms. Manners....and anyone can read your blog. I wonder what kind of effects these new forms of expression will have on education. There is potential for technology to further people's capacity to obtain knowledge by bombarding them with all types of literature and media. However just as potent could be the misspellings, poor verbage and abbreviations that could have a negative impact on literacy. This goes even beyond the written word. I find myself zoning out more often on the road because I know my trusty GPS will steer me back on the right track. Furthermore, the GPS (while it has saved me time and frustration from countless wrong turns in Boston) is affecting my ability to navigate on my own and my feelings of self-efficacy in navaigation; I am becomming reliant on a machine.

Over the next two weeks, I will experiment with different styles of writing; "blog-sampling" in essence. Perhaps I will become as dependent on this cathartic method of expressing myself and the allure of sharing one's own thought medleys wilth whoever will read them. Or perhaps I will find that I shy away from the public attention of people reading my online diary. In this blog eat blog bloggosphere, I will learn if I can hack it, figuratively.