We would've been, could've been worse than you could ever know...

..The dashboard melted but we still had that stereo...

We have reached the end of an era, the era that is networked media. In crossing the finishing line a time comes for reflection and ultimately a retrospective overview of what has been achieved this past semester, especially in terms of this blog.

Frankly I believe that this blog has assisted me in my journey through the unit. It has allowed me to openly express and organize my thoughts and further obtain understanding and insight into the both the lecture and tutorial content. Each blog post that I have made was made with the some reflective intention whether that was to do with the production projects or Michael’s weekly lectures. I also believe that I would have blogged as often as weekly regardless of the unit requirement because after the first few posts (as can be observed by the shift of my blogging voice – satirical to serious) I really learnt the benefits of expressing thought in type.

Content of the blog: What can I say? Each post captures a state of mind or a state of being. Looking back I can feel frantic when reading slurs in capital letters or excitement with chat-speak (“OMMMGGG”) like remarks. My content was restrained primarily to the content of the course because frankly I didn’t feel the need to branch out into areas of the web or my social life that would not actually drive my work within the unit forward. In retrospect it was important to keep my brain active and on task in regards to the unit, and this was achieved through monitoring the content (keeping it all related) of my posts and the very task of posting weekly. I feel that the “push” to post weekly, although sometimes difficult, was incredibly beneficial in keeping my straying mind on track.

I used this blog to explain things. It might have been a new concept brought up in the lecture. It might have been the exercise we worked on in the tutorial. It might have been the grueling process I underwent in creating a project; nonetheless the main purpose of the blog was to explain. Explain and solidify concepts and ideas.

POST 1 is a prime example of the latter. This is a post that I am proud of, a post where I explained the entire building process of Production Project A. Here I could say everything that I wanted to say in the rationale, but couldn’t because of its sheer redundancy in terms of the rationale’s guidelines.

The two other posts that I am going to share are an example of tutorial learning. The material that we learnt and the knowledge that we gained in the tutorials after blogged not only stick, but are also shared to an audience. That’s the magical thing about blogging and the connectivity o the internet, that knowledge can be shared and spread to a wider body of people.

POST 2

POST 3

Audience: I don’t believe that I reached an audience beyond Michael and the University of Canberra crew. I counted myself on two other blog rolls and have a total of three anonymous followers. Over the 15 weeks that my blog was on the web I received a total of one comment. I think this gives a pretty good overview of the vastness of my audience. I believe it would be impossible to extend my audience into the wider web without giving them something more to offer. Right now ‘Zombie Stomping and Bear Blood’ revolves around a very specific realm of interests, a realm that you really have to be involved with to have interest in. It can be said that the subject of a blog determines its audience, which is especially evident when you look at some of the more successful or “famous” blogs on the internet. Even within the Networked media group there exists blogs which are more appealing to the common audience, they often included reference to the wider topic areas and an impression that they could continue beyond the course.
In retrospect a conscious effort could have been made to ‘connect’ to a broader audience, although I also believe that to do that the purpose and benefit for me as a blogger would have been negated. In my earlier posts I can see that I was trying too hard to gain traffic, and in placing my on popularity my resulting posts contained nothing more than a pathetic attempt at wit and little to no content. Striving for an audience basically led to me a rant pointlessly.

Connectivity: Audience also can be determined by connectivity, where a blog is placed and where it is advertised. In terms of connectivity, my blog connects to the blogosphere through the Moodle database and further connects to other blogs through a blog roll. Connectivity is the one thing I love about the internet, through linking and networking we all affect each other. For instance if I posted the link to this blog on my facebook account, the kids on my blog roll could potentially gain new followers and new friends. Connectivity is the lifeblood of the internet and ultimately the key to knowledge within the blogosphere.

Blogging in General: Connectivity not only provides knowledge but almost a social networking element to blogs. An entire community can be founded on a singular blog roll. For example: “I like sewing here are links to other bloggers who also sew.” Just as our blog rolls established a connected Network Media community. We learnt more about each other and our experiences through our blogs.

What I have learnt this semester is that blogging plays a leading role in communication. I can state with confidence that it is an essential part of the networked principal because it is run by the people. Blogging is just another way to be human, we express, socialize and empathize through connecting with each other. We can also broaden our horizons.

My blog may not be much on it’s own but it stands as a part of a larger picture. It continues to lives as I do, acting as a record, or a library, or a diary for all to see, observe and react to. Maybe one day, in the future it will help someone, but in the meantime this is the end of Zombie stomping.

I bid you, my dear readers (if you are out there) adieu.