I have to admit it. I hate blogs! Well, admittedly I’m simulataneously somewhat fascinated by them and the effect they have on how people communicate, issues around privacy, and the ability of every Tom, Dick, and, well, Alynne, to share every mundane detail of their lives (provided someone ACTUALLY reads their blog).
So, I’m not afraid to admit to hypocrisy.
However, I am (obviously) putting aside my disdain to blog about my upcoming 13 month placement with Engineers Without Borders in Malawi, Africa. I’m hoping that in having this purpose my blog will not join the annals (defn: a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year) of (in my humble opinion) “less than useful” blogs.
But, while I hate blogs, I love Engineers Without Borders (“EWB” henceforth) and in the past three years of my involvement with this organization have found myself doing things I might not otherwise be particularly inclined to do (ie. writing a blog, asking people for money, being extroverted, etc.)!
I think this is a testament to the organization as I find myself doing these things because I believe in EWB, its people, mission, values, and the work that they/we do. And in doing these things I have been pushed outside my comfort zone in areas such as public speaking, fundraising, etc. and have learned a lot in the process!
And now this post has degenerated into the stereotypical narcissistic blog post so I’ll end the disclaimer there.
More on EWB and my future project in Malawi to come…
Alynne
November 12, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Nicholas Carr’s blog says that blogs are dead:
http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2008/11/who_killed_the.php
Blogging seems to have entered its midlife crisis, with much existential gnashing-of-teeth about the state and fate of a literary form that once seemed new and fresh and now seems familiar and tired. And there’s good reason for the teeth-gnashing. While there continue to be many blogs, including a lot of very good ones, it seems to me that one would be hard pressed to make the case that there’s still a “blogosphere.”