After engaging with the diverse readings this week that raised conceptual issues and offered examples of types of academic blogs one may encounter, I am struck by a few issues but most strange to believe is fear of animosity by colleagues and employers. Certainly, I could see how if a scholar were blogging about something considered to be too much personal information might negatively impinge on one’s career, or if they blogged about unethical matters. However, the thought that a history blog within a history department might spur negative comments from colleagues (particularly on the blog) is just sad (Cummings & Jarrett, 2013). I want to believe this is an outdated idea and that scholastic colleagues really are not this juvenile (or with this much time on their hands) but given the date of the blog and the creditability of the authors, I need to believe it. I suppose these curmudgeon commenters argue they are simply engaging in the peer-review process: offering a certain ethic to being critical. I could see how this could easily lead one to pulling down the piece, possibly the blog entirely, or engaging in a robust flame-war.
A logical reason to blog is to circumvent scholastic temporality. When dealing with the incredible slow pace of academic publishing, it makes sense people would turn to something with immediacy. To think academics are just what their curriculum vitea indicate is to suggest we are not full humans with a multiplicity of interests. My mentors have been telling me to be very thoughtful about the precise topic I select to write a dissertation on, as it will set my research agenda for the next five to ten years and it will set how I want people to see me as a scholar for the first large part of my career. I find this task daunting on its own. I am in a discipline that closes itself to many different ways of thinking and that is not how I operate. As a holistic multidisciplinary person, I have interests in advocacy/activism, cooking, art, travel, etc. as well as that which I plan to spend the next years of my life toiling over to write something cohesive about the politics of pleasure.
This is but one reason I blog. I want to get out some of these built-up thoughts that if they do not come out, may well clog the pathway of my academic voice. Luker (2005) offers many examples of scholars blogging about interests that may exist outside that which they spend most of their time, like cooking and photography. This is how we should see these blogs, as different parts of ourselves being shared. There should be room for different styles and voices. Just as our lectures, if written down word-by-word, would not make for a perfectly polished academic piece neither should blog posts be held to that rigor.
The example of the voice used in Fulton (2005) is quite conversational and well-researched. It retains academic appeal but can reach farther into communities outside the hallowed halls of the ivory tower. Reaching those outside of academia, or other parts of my communities, is another reason I blog. My track-record publishing thus far has almost been half open-access, and half traditional closed journal. I have done with this with intention of being more of a public scholar, as I value sharing information to people who cannot afford (or should spend) money to access an article. Similarly, a blog offers that space. It can be shorter, easier to read, and interspersed with pictures to add to the sticky appeal of web space.
I offer my blog cripconfessions.com to show how I have engaged with this process. Like is mentioned in one of the articles, initially I was an anonymous blogger, but people wanted to share their stories with me and it was not reasonable of me to hide behind a handle. Engaging with people in Freire or hooks way feels ethical to me. This does not mean I have not experienced some bullies and other annoying humans. The title of the blog alone bothers countless people, but that is one of the best parts of the liminality of text on the internet-one can happily close the window, block the page, and move on with their lives as though it never existed.
normal accidents 