Friends are a wonderful thing and the Internet has allowed us to stay closer to our friends on every corner of the earth. I have to admit I am running very behind the eight ball this week and although I have been thinking about my project and paper all week I had yet to put a word on the virtual paper until last night. I was dealing with some pretty hefty life issues that have not allowed me to focus the way I should in order to get my school work done, basically life just got in the way. So, you say how do friends figure into that. Well last night when I was half dead and reeling from the stress in life and tried to sit down to write my thoughts were so fuzzy I couldn't wade through them. To my delight a great friend popped online and chatted for a few minutes. Outside of the usual, "hows life going?" banter she offered, unpromted to be a sounding board for my research. We had an excellent conversation that helped me to weed through the clutter in my brain and clarify the ideas that I felt I could succesfully run with.
Now I am writing, clarifying and research as I move through the paper that I will have finished for tonight. I have decided to focus on the sense of community that the virtual environment may or may not have created. I feel that I can determine this through observing the posts on the "wall" and an online survey of self-reported particpant data. I will look at demographics, participation levels, types of discussions, and other self-reported items like the number of friendships created virtually that turned into face to face relationships.
So now my task in to just write and crank it out. I took a minute out to do this because when I write for a paper I find I am trying to be too much of a perfectionist and can't just pound out the ideas but for some reason the blog allows me to do just that.
Testing, testing. Can u hear me?
9 years ago
2 comments:
Julie--
Maybe you should read Cheri's notes on "Just write"! She says just to put stuff on paper, and that's one of those tricks that may have helped you last night.
I don't mean to make light of your "writer's block" (are we still calling it that?), but one of my favorite professors used to advocate just dumping stuff on the page: if life is getting in your way, tear it up in writing; spill everything that's dragging you down, and get it out of your system. Even if the writing isn't related to what you *need* to write, "dumping" may clear your brain so you can focus on the task you're supposed to be doing.
On the other hand, the real reason I'm commenting here is that I really, really agree with you about the value of online friendships. I.M. is my personal favorite because I appreciate the "private" nature of it more than more open tools, like blogs. More than once, someone has just happened to notice that I'm online and has said something I've needed to hear right then, and more than once I've been able to be that listening ear and "coach." (Sometimes it's nice to know that the other person is miles away from me, so what I say won't be heard by people in closer proximity!)
What you wrote here is really a very nice tribute to your friend!
Julie, I'm with you about the friends thing. Interestingly, do you know who I really "got to know" after she got on the Internet? My MOTHER! I've really enjoyed emailing her; we talk about things we never could f2f.
Also, I absolutely NEED to bounce ideas of someone (often multiple times) as I'm fleshing out an idea/focusing a topic. I'm glad you were able to do it online--my guess is that it'll be the first of many times to come (or perhaps it wasn't the first--but I'll wager a large sum that it won't be the last!).
While I don't want you to be cavalier (not sure if I spelled that correctly), you should know that I'm very flexible. My focus is the process and the learning, and while I want an outcome that you can use (in work, as a pub, etc.), my goal is for you to learn the process so you can do it again. SO...if deadlines seem impossible, email me and we'll work it out.
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