Rachel's Spot

I have a lot of friends and colleagues who still look at me strangely when I get so excited about blogging and vlogging. They don't get it. Why? Isn't it just more work? Why don't you just spend that time on your real work?

There are many reasons I love to blog, here are I few:

1. It loosens me creatively. You know how teachers always had you free-write before writing the "real" assignment just to get the cobwebs loose and free you up to think. I blog and the writing just gets me thinking.

2. It's a great way to update my circles of fam, friends, women in hip hop on my life, thoughts, ideas. Often they post comments or links back to something they are doing and it just helps strengthen my community.

3. I can keep track of articles, new items, images, and films I've seen. The ultimate archive that can be changed, altered and updated. The categories allow for infinite topics - women in hip hop, film, personal diary documentary videos, and on. If only I could keep things so neat in my overflowing file cabinet.

4. It's really easy to update. I have a website that sat up for a year before I put a basic page on. Time is so hard to find. I can blog anything and everything (like new material, photos, links, appearances) quick, easy and from anywhere with internet access.

5. It's free. Since I'm at the U of M and UThink blogs are big (as of today the UThink Stats are: Blogs: 2729, Entries: 40012, Comments: 41227, Authors: 6179). Right now we have 10mb uploads (tho I have insider connects if I just have to get something bigger up) and unlimited space. It's great while it lasts.

6. I feel free to write what I want to. I know there are many debates about being professional and academic and how blogs have jeopardized that for many people. For me, it's a mute point. I don't tell secrets, lies, sex stories or anything like that and I don't think I'm very controversial. I still have a little ways to go to finish my program and maybe I won't find a job easily and have to re-think this but I have many blogging academic friends and those I read. Some are anonymous, some are not.

7. I use blogs for teaching. I allow students the choice to keep a traditional journal or a blog online. It's a way to engage them/their ideas with a larger online space, help them organize their research, connect with each other (through comments and linked posts) outside of the classroom space, and connect with content. I would be a hippo(crit) if I said blog, but I don't. It's fun for all and it's a stored archive of what happened that term.

8. I LOVE personal narratives, memoirs, diary documentary videos and I've found a couple vlogs that are the everyday version of that. I hope to keep a daily video diary but that will take a little bit more effort. We'll see.

9. I've gotten great baby stuff off my registry from old friends who otherwise wouldn't have known I was pregnant. Gotta love the baby ticker - 89 days to go!

10. I bought a new little camera (that I can't really afford right now) that takes great 6MP stills and video clips. They import with one click and can be posted straight away. I told my honey that "it's for the new baby!). I know, I know. See:

a pointless video with me, bad princess kitty and foxy blasting on itunes. Hey, it's fun for me & that's what counts!

This morning local news also made me think about the many ways people are using blogs:
- sharing experiences across great distances
- finding comunity outside of your immediate area
- freedom of the press. or is it. please read this about blogger/journalist josh wolf who is being held without bail in federal prison, read the "free josh wolf" wiki here.
- great for campaigns (info, testimonials, links, organizing info, banners) and promotion
- people have many many many many many reasons to do this. u should try it too!

Some great vlogs:

Ryan is Hungry

Minnesota Stories , Moment Showing, and
Ryanne Edit