WIRED – A Domain of one’s own Denise Raftery 11 Dec 2021 15:54
Reading a Domain of one’s own helped me understand what the module re website construction is all about.
I am on my third consecutive course across two institutions and loosing access to one’s work when one loses access to the institution licences is a real problem. I find back in Boole on a library PC that a lot of my previous work is still available to me.
I am delighted to be creating a space where I can take agency over and preserve my own work. I have eschewed Facebook, Twitter and such platforms thus far in my life, by reason of self -preservation and an unwillingness to give it the time. I have embraced a family Whats App to keep up with family. I am not exhibitionist by nature but now that I am left with family hard copy archives and my own disparate and scattered creative pieces over time, I am happy to cloud gather them. My Christmas gift in 2021 or 2022 will hopefully be access to my domain for family and interested friends.
Once again reading the conference paper contribution, it is clear UCC DAH is on point! I have felt throughout my slow burn learning here that the Word Press work will prove most valuable to me when I depart UCC campus!
I am full of admiration for these intelligent, generous disruptors who are seeking to wrestle the power away from the platforms and also drag the institutes of education to a fairer, liberated repository for academic work.
I agree that digital literacy will be so important for our young people. Becoming digitally literate at my age is akin to sneaking into a NALA classroom in the late evening! One is hoping nobody can see or identify you and your lack of literacy skills.
Mark Marino’s piece is indeed a plethora of presentations and blog histories. I am reminded of a quote from the book of Ecclesiastes “of making books there is no end; and much study is a weariness…” (Eccl. 12:12). Weary indeed is the word for this reading!
As I read through the info graphic on platforms and blogs, I was struck that the only one I had ever typed in was The Huffington Post. I am truly not a blog reader or writer. I thought his point on “Sorry, I have not posted lately…” demonstrated the tyranny of the art form. I used to write a large ‘S’ on letters and pile up 3 words ‘Sorry so Long’ to apologise for being incommunicado. To set up a blog seems to set oneself up for failure unless one is going to make it a life’s work to maintain that space.
Scrolling through the blogosphere, blogrolls, blogazines and reference to newer Zuckersphere, I think poetically: ‘Lost the long hours of pleasure’ to Mark Zuckerberg’s vision and coffers. I am relieved to have missed those trends altogether! The hog postings left my mind idling over a ‘colonisation’ treatise I read, photocopied and was very taken by mid teaching career. I need to dig that out and rethink it from post career standpoint.
In all the information contained in the piece seemed to highlight that there can be a better way. I took the invitation to ‘read more’ and delved into the article re teaching ‘writing as a lifestyle’. This one sucked me in, perhaps because it relates more to my milieu. I was interested because my collection of notebooks is testament to my having carried a ‘journalling book’ with me over most of my life. I never can sustain a diary and daily entries but I have books that are part filled and document particular eras or specific travels I have experienced. However, when inspiration really hits me, I invariably find myself writing on a used envelope or bottom of bag piece of paper. I usually end up transcribing such writing into a designated poetry/prose notebook or onto my tablet sometime later.
Of late I do daily note taking on my phone and only use the notebook when I am travelling. This piece would cause me to rethink my practice. There are plenty of suggestions here that would allow for immersive practice, some indulgence and I would guess greater productivity in a qualitative sense.
Not sure I will be BLOGGING any time soon. I took on board Joan’s point on blogs offering an opportunity for social connection and I am aware I miss out on that form of social connection but I am not sure those platforms are very stable, somewhat akin to standing on a floating jetty out at sea. The thought that anyone would look to them for ‘personal validation’, that causes me to feel deep sadness for our society.
I once again learnt loads from sticking with the reading here. Building a domain of one’s own is a challenge but maintaining it post UCC will be the bigger challenge.
December 13th 2021
