Archive for October 15th, 2006
Strange suspicions
October 15th, 2006
I’m frustrated. I tried to explain blogging to someone over breakfast. Here’s how the conversation went.
Them: You’re giving your ideas away for nothing. Someone else could take your ideas and advance their own careers or take credit for them.
Me: My ideas aren’t that valuable. If someone benefits from them, great. They also aren’t all that earth shattering.
Them: If your ideas aren’t valuable, then why are people reading your blog?
Me: We’re a community of learners, interested in the same topic, education. We share our ideas freely, hoping to advance learning for everyone.
Them: Nope, there’s gotta be something in it for them.
Me: Can’t they just be like me? Hoping to discuss that which they’re most passionate about? Hoping to connect, influence thinking, learn something?
Them: Nope, other people aren’t like you. You’re going to be taken advantage of.
Me: I don’t want to discuss this any longer.
Did I give up too quickly? Are these just the most cynical people alive? Why was it so hard for me to articulate what this is about? I felt defensive and judged by people who have maybe read one or two posts of mine. And when I tried to show them how I’ve been linked on other blogs like Christian Long’s think:lab, forget about it, I totally lost the argument.
Them: What’s he hoping to gain by doing that?
Me: Nothing! He actually helps me because he directs more readers my way.
Them: For what? So they can take your ideas?
Me: I don’t want to discuss this any longer.
Maybe this is the same way our students feel when defending their use of social networking sites?
