DISQUS

blk · 6 months ago

decided her anecdote didn't need sharing, after all. sorry.

digitaldigs · 6 months ago

Not a problem. I understand how that is. We've all been there.

Jill Morris · 6 months ago

"Why ask whether writing on the Internet makes you a better academic writer? Why not ask whether academic writing makes you a better user of social media?"

I like this question as I think it speaks more to my own experience than the reverse. I can't say that it's been "academic writing" that has made me a better user of social media for sure, but beginning to write and become involved in the Computers and Writing community more directly certainly has changed the way I adopt and use those technologies. I don't use Facebook and Twitter in the same way that my students do (we play games against one another, sure, but they're befuddled by my long list of professional contacts and Foucault jokes, to say the least). I've found ways to connect my writing to my life on these systems and that's been a valuable link to me. My research and technological life overlap, so to speak, and I'm both a better researcher (writer? maybe?) and better user for it.

Of course, not all "academic writing" would lead to that result. If I were writing about something completely disconnected from that technological part of my life I probably wouldn't have found those connections. Probably.

digitaldigs · 6 months ago

Thanks Jill. I have had similar experiences. I don't use Facebook like my students do. My wife is way more into it than I am. My interests in social media are more professional than personal. I think you make a good point that b/c you write about technology you find more connections here. I do think, however, that the other humanities will slowly come on board with social media.