J109 has introduced me to a different way of seeing science-directed blogs. I used to think they were highfaluting articles full of jargon to baffle simple minds like mine. Now, I see the entries no longer as articles but as blogs—no longer homogenized academic pieces, but impassioned, opinion-tainted stories.
The Scienceblogs.com fiasco is a great example of this. From the first article we read to the latest article by GrrlScientist, we are shown these writers speaking to their readers, telling them what’s on their minds while saying heartfelt goodbyes.
Seeing grammatical and formal mistakes have also served to humanize the articles we’ve been reading. The National Geographic Society has always been iconic to me, growing up with their colored magazines, but even in this week’s readings, their grammatical and formal mistakes allow me to think that these were written by humans too. Tired, drained writers paired with equally tired editors letting a mistake or two slip through.
Yes, to err is human, and being human, these writers and their endeavors must have had beginnings too, and inevitably will have their own ends. Therefore, we must not be afraid to make our own beginnings, not just to start our own blog, but to follow any dream of ours. Just because someone has been doing something for longer than you have, or is churning out better results than you, does not mean that you should give up. If we once survived as the single sperm to fertilize an egg and start life, then we may very well have the chance to survive the net’s overwhelming odds and gain an audience—maybe even spark a revolution.
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