AKA “Is there a point to this?”
Well, yes, obviously. Wouldn’t be doing this otherwise. But a good friend asked me a deep question about the purpose of this blog, and in a moment of reflection, I came up with 5 answers.
The question I was posed was this:
“…based on the (unfortunate) instrumentalization of content creation and social media, what do you want the blogs to do?”
(Anon)
So here is the multi-part answer:
- A landing page for the podcast where I can post transcripts after shows air, as well as other notifications about the audio (currently working on the transcripts of the first 10 episodes.
- Same for longer form video (when that gets going).
- A place to house somewhat longer discussion, detail, or references, about either long or short form video posts, for whatever platforms are being used.
- A place to get writing out on a regular basis, and to assist in the getting back in the habit of writing (semi-) academically.
- Have a “place” that is more under my control away from the larger platforms.
I think the above covers most of the reasons, at least the ones that jumped to the top of my mind with little prompting. I believe that the reasons are valid.
Moreover, I feel like the text here captures my “voice”, that it is close to the way I talk, and close to the way I think as well. As close as any of these mediations can be, at least.
But I’m not here just to have a blog. I’m not invested in the “cultural form”. I don’t really follow many bloggers, or am invested in the idea of the identity (of “blogger”) as aspirational. If I end up repeating or replicating the elements of that form, it may be in part due to the “infrastructure” for lack of a better word, that posts look the way they do because the utilities surrounding WordPress as a platform encourage the shaping of content in a certain way. If it feels very 2016, or 2006, or 1996 in style, then that may not be by intention, but more due to just following the grooves on the track.
There’s no “final form” in mind here. That’s not to say that formless anti-content is the goal.
Just that I’m making it up as I go along.
Join me for the ride.