March 6, 2008

What is this thing good for?

I’ve been dabbling with this blog for some time now and have, until now, avoided the temptation of a “hello world” post. I started this in November without much fanfare, or really any idea of what I was doing. So what am I doing?

Mostly the same as everyone else out there doing this blogging thing. The Tumblr software I’m using has some bearing on the format and my selection of media, but generally speaking I’ve been idly collecting personal anecdotes and pointing my finger elsewhere. I’d like to inject a bit of longer-format writing into the mix as well. In the style of Jon Taplin, I’d like to start with a theme: what is this thing good for?

By this I mean interactive media in general and the internet in particular. What’s it good for? Can it change its participants for the better? I think it already does and I’m interested in exploring how. I don’t mean that in some abstract way — I want to look at how new tools can create opportunities for analysis and dialogue.

The web often takes the form of entertainment, which I think is great, but when communication is the goal I want to avoid the pitfalls of wallowing in technobabble and self-satisfied chatter (but do allow me the occasional indulgence). I don’t want to discount the value of in-person exchanges. To the contrary, I think offline and online contexts can thrive on each other.

Can we learn to ignore the trolls, remain engaged with each other and question our assumptions? I don’t know, but I’d like to try.