In Medias Res

Though I recently wrote a post gushing about my change of heart, I find myself happy to write again at this, the middle of things.

First, I look back at reading Wisdom of the Crowds, a book about group work being more than group work. It was an interesting book but, when I first started, I wasn't really anticipating it changing anything about what I thought. After all, I've been in college for four years and I've had my share of group projects--hated every one. "Wisdom of the Crowds" was practically an oxymoron. After reading it, though, I suddenly understood that people really can be helpful; I don't always have to go it alone. It's something we already practice: Google searches, Wikipedia, online communities; Q&A's like Yahoo Answers and Answers.com. We love aggregated knowledge, and this is a book explaining why it works. It was a great way to start my involvement in this class--something built upon and practiced through crowds and groups and interaction, both physical and digital.

Then, there was the literature. A class where I got to choose my book? After years studying Frankenstein too many times, reading and rereading Wordsworth and Poe, analyzing the likes of Shakespeare and Austen to death, this self-guided learning was a breath of fresh air. I excitedly chose Jurassic Park, a favorite book--probably considered too mainstream to study at university--and immediately began gushing about it here, here, and here. It's been great exploring media's impact through a literary lens. Jurassic Park is pretty much far and away from the digital sphere (it is about dinosaurs, after all), but I've loved analyzing the text in relation to our digital landscape. Whenever I find myself lost online, I suddenly wonder if I'm feeding a monster I can't quite understand. Is it good? Is it bad? Are we all screwed from this reliance on technology? I've found myself bringing it up to family and friends; I'm constantly thinking about it: dinosaurs and media.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Because, the truth is, this class has inspired more out-of-class work than I've ever allowed myself to dedicate to another class. I am obsessed with what's being discussed not only in class but in the world. I have found myself connecting to the digital world more than I ever have, getting and actually using a twitter account, diigo, flickr, linkedin, tumblr. I try to use pinterest and blogger better, connecting and talking things over with strangers on the web. I even signed up for a myspace account--all because Justin Timberlake promised it would be cool. I am so much more aware of how much media means to me, posting about it here and here. Having to post every day on Google+ means I'm constantly looking out for news and information pertaining to our digital age. It's so interesting, making little connections between current events and what is happening on a digital level. I find myself so much more involved in politics, especially with the upcoming election, where I'm reading about the impact of social media even as I participate in it. Facebook groups, twitter trends, media commentary: I inhale it. Plus, my group project means I'm doing a lot outside of class. I'm participating with peers to create something meaningful, and I'm excited about it (as you can see here).

And that's another thing that is so great about this class. I get to learn not only from a professor but from a bunch of like-minded students just as excited and enthused as I am. I've never been in such a lively class where people share their varying opinions not with impatience or pride but with passion and interest. We're all curious to figure it out together. I'm obsessed with reading their blogs and following their Google+ feeds. There's so much to be said and I'm glad I don't have to be the one to say it all. I've always been one interested in knowing what people are thinking, even when I disagree. The fact that this class is mostly played out on Google+ makes it so easy to read these differing ideas and get involved with what most interests me.

That being said, I have rather eclectic taste when it comes to digital culture and its various facets, subjects, concerns and creations. Mostly, though, I find myself drawn to media's impact on culture, from popular to political. People often turn their noses down at the "laymen" who overrun the web, but I find the community aspect of the digital world so interesting, both the good and the bad. So I write about bullying, I comment on transmedia and remix, I obsess over what's happening now. Because of all that, I'm excited about my participation with the online magazine. The idea of blending medias to highlight a common idea is exciting. It's a website allowing for final drafts to still receive a sort of community. We're all excited about it and I'm ready to see it come together. As things continue, I'm eager to remain involved in the pop culture aspect of everyday affairs and I'm ready to help craft a magazine as part of the acquisitions team for my group.

It's been an interesting semester thus far and I'm excited to see everything play out. Digital culture is so vast, it's exciting to watch everyone branch out into their various passions and pursuits. But, as one of the great benefits of a digital world, we can all remain connected during it. You don't have to have singular tastes now. And that is an exhilarating thought.