What has been a challenge to me so far in this course is not learning how to be public about my opinions--I actually feel confident in my self-expression and I can definitely "talk one's ear off." When I am sitting down with someone, face-to-face, I have no problems with communication. It's when I have to communicate with my fingers that I encounter difficulty.
I graduated high school in 2000, when computer access was limited to certain allotted hours in the computer lab in school. I didn't exactly hop on board. I spent the next few years living, working, and traveling before I began my college education. In "technology time" that might has well been a lifetime! Although I am proficient in online shopping, getting up to speed on how to use the internet and my laptop effectively has been a constant challenge. I have a Facebook account, but I'm not a particularly "active" user--I prefer to work on living my actual life then be so concerned with how it is perceived by my Facebook "friends"!
So you can see how this class could seem a bit daunting for me. The "Business of Understanding" article really struck a chord in me, because while I am skeptical of this new world, I am awfully impressed by it. I have difficulty even wrapping my brain around the vastness of the possibilities that the internet has to offer, and how my generation and future generations will be helped by it and also hurt by it. I have a great respect for public writing because of this--I think that if more of an presence is created by people who want to use the internet for good, this potential "hurt" could be lessened. So here I am, much like the "information architect," announcing my ignorance, my confusion, and my willingness to learn.
(As you can see, I fully support the use of imagery in my blogging! I think it is helpful for grasping the attention of the audience)
Actually, I'm new at this too. But you have already taught me something. Earlier I posted something about my lack of understanding of all this internet writing stuff like URL's and all that. But your tweet helped me figure out one step of it.
ReplyDeleteLike Wurman wrote, the first step on the path of knowledge and wisdom is the acknowledgement of that one doesn't know. Now both of us are at a better level that we were three weeks ago!