Metablog

This is my third try on this Meta blog.  Writer's Block has abounded.  Then I realized- I don't even know what "meta" means.  So I referred to the handy-dandy Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and found that "meta-" means "occurring later than or in succession to" or "transformation."  Well, that's a start.


Personally, I measure transformation by comparing the first and last of a series.  My first post this quarter, "A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words",  discussed a photo we analyzed during class.  It dealt with perspective and the inevitable editing all art undergoes.  My most recent post, "Six Dead, One Moment", talked about the shootings in Tuscon, Arizona.  Both posts displayed pictures, but were different in their presentation.  The latter acted as a news report more than analysis, while the first was almost completely analysis.  I cannot say that I have gone from all analysis to all explanatory: that would not be true.  I can say, though, that my posts are more varied.  As stated in my first quarter reflection:

The topics of my posts share a common theme: me.  It may seem conceded, but what better can an author comment on more truthfully than themselves? 

I usually only talked about topics that impacted me personally.  With lightening fast news reports, social media networks, and constant communication amongst people coast to coast, few events do not impact us personally.  During the first quarter, I emphasized this personalized world.  This quarter, yes the events impacted me, but I focused more on overall impact.  To offer an example, I refer to my "Facebook 'Friends?'" post:

The New York Times reported on cyber-bullying.   (HERE is the article)  It tells the stories of teens both as targets and bullies.  

Rather than referring to a tough childhood memory of my own, I referred to a national epidemic: cyber-bullying.  I did discuss my own in other posts this quarter, but far less often than first quarter.  I accredit this change, thinking of the larger world rather than my own, to the topics we have discussed in class.  Reading The Crucible, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in addition to seeking more worldly experiences on my time, has expanded my outlook.

Perhaps the most clear example of my expanded view is my most recent post: "Six Dead, One Moment".  Through independent research, I presented factual information.  I then analyzed the situation, changing the article from a solemn one to an inspirational (I hope!) one.  The complexity of the post, which was relevant to all audiences, is my strongest post this quarter.  PLEASE REFER TO THIS POST FOR GRADING, IT IS LINKED ABOVE TWICE.

Third quarter, I hope to regain the personal connection to posts while still maintaining a worldly view.  Please leave comments with your suggestions as to how to achieve this goal.  Any blog is a team effort: author and readers.  Thanks for your continued viewership!  It is much appreciated!

Help me prevent this from happening! :)