rhetoric, writing, and technology

Introduction

I started blogging back in 2003 on Blogcity, which at that time was a free server-side site. A few of my academic friends in rhetoric and composition were blogging and said I should start up. My first blog, whateverdesire, took an openended approach: I blogged on music, politics, sports, family, rants, rhetorical theory . . . whatever. Mostly, though, the blog was about networking with about 10 of my colleagues. We shared ideas, commented on each others work, and kept up with life events—we were a social as well as professional network. In 2005 I started digitalb for my Digital Writing class with the intention of making it my primary academic blog, so many of the early posts are clearly aimed toward students in the class and issues around rhetoric and technology. Not long after, however, Blogcity deleted whateverdesire and I lost about two years worth of blogging.

After that I decided to make digitalb my only blog. I kept the primary focus on academic issues but slowly started blogging on family issues and eventually music, especially after teaching a Popular Music course. My approach moved away from small world social networking, especially as social software sites started taking over that function, and toward blogging as an instance of Ulmer's Popcycle. Blogging, unlike print genres like the article or magazine, crosses over institutional identities, purposes and audiences. So while the primary focus of digitalb is still university/academic, both in its design and content, I've started including more entertainment/fan material and family/father stuff. In my tags you can pick out the various corresponding posts: posthuman and vitalism for academics; alex and texas for family; music and video for entertainment; politics and documentaries for government/citizen (though most of my discussions there are more oriented toward rhetoric and profession). This multi-audience "affordance" is one of the unique things about blogs as a medium, so I want to continue to think about that and build my blog around these principles.

Posted by: bhawk at 18:50 | link | comments (4)
announcements, blogging, audience, institutions

Comments:

#1  19 January 2005 - 20:31

 

I glanced at whateverdesire, found it very worthwhile, and so look forward to seeing what you will write about here. Welcome to motime.

howard

#2  28 January 2005 - 14:03

 

Thanks Howard. Sorry for the delayed response. Starting school is chaos. Hope you guys don't mind the influx of student blogs! :) So far so good.

bhawk

#3  28 January 2005 - 14:06

 

i don't mind one bit. Maybe some students will even open up some personal blogs!

howard

#4  28 January 2005 - 14:27

 

That's my hope. There are university systems out there for blogs, but I want students to know this is not just something people in school do. A few students already have their own blogs so that's encouraging.

bhawk

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