One of the major issues we have to contend with when writing blogs for academic credit or work in a college class is dealing with technology. Sometimes the technology is at fault: I can't say how many times I've punched my laptop or slammed down the screen in frustration or despair when it freezes. Contending with the limitations of technology means that we have to work within its constraints, even when I have a brilliant idea that must be rushed. If I've overloaded my computer, or haven't defragmented it recently, it's likely, then, that, according to Murphy's Law, my computer will freeze; my Internet connection will break down. I'll close without saving, or click away from the screen...
So often it's human error that causes the problem. If you look at science fiction books (and movies of the 1980s), who was really at fault? Was it the humans or HAL in 2001, A Space Odyssey (I blame both society and the programmer)? Who really was at fault in dealing with the zenomorph in Alien (the Corporation)? The humans, of course. We are not perfect beings, and we create as much cacophony as we create harmony. Blogs invite cacophony due to the potential in voices and interaction, but also the technology, which is so instrumental in connecting writers and the world, can get in the way. And so writing a blog means that we're trying to do quite a few tasks in a 3D environment. We're writing argumentatively; we're hoping or expecting RORI (return on reader investment, through comments and interaction); we engage with the world through the one technology that is evolving faster than any one blogger can keep up.
And so what happens when Mother Nature gets added into the mix? Events like Hurricane Sandy recently have proven that the power of the environment is much mightier than any human has control over. Here in the Washington, DC, area, many of my students lost power, and a few have asked for extensions on their weekly posts. There was no way I could say "no." While I didn't lose power, I'm not immune to seeing the news and hearing the stories of those who did, and it's pretty horrifying. Will we ever be able to revert back to pre-technology writing situations?
Blog writing allows writers to connect to the wider world, but it does take us out of our writing element. How many people write by hand anymore? What happens without a quick save of a file? A lack of a comment? I must acknowledge that blog writing can create writers who are overly focused on the technology; and, at the heart of things, technology isn't always our friend. Writing that is good must stand on its own, be it in hard copy form or even written by hand on a napkin from the local BBQ Chicken and Beer. All the hyperlinks, graphics, and fancy images in the world will not suffice for a little bit of Mother Nature. Students must be prepared to get back to basics. To unlink. To write by hand. To try something old. It can be new again. So when the next Frankenstorm hits, they'll light a candle, whip out a notebook, and get on with Plan B (the to-do list for a Zombiepocalypse).
