GMP has taken down her blog, The Academic Jungle. In her final post she asserted that academic/science blogging (as she sees it) has little or no significance. That the disappearance of such blogging won't make any difference.*
Perhaps that's true for her, but not for me.
I am continually learning a lot from other blogs. Reading about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of tenure-track faculty as chronicled at Prof-like Substance, Professor In Training, Blue Labcoats, ChemBiLOLogy and The Prodigal Academic has no doubt had a positive effect upon my interactions with junior faculty at my institution. I've learned much about women in science from some of the same blogs, plus Isis and Zuska. Drugmonkey and Comrade PhysioProf have dispensed invaluable advice on obtaining funding, particularly from the NIH. And Janet Stemwedel's Adventures in Ethics and Science blog is always food for thought.
In addition, the interactions I have had with people in the comments sections of this and numerous other blogs have in general been a blast.
My own blog has allowed me to share frustrations and triumphs, dispense advice unasked, and generally blather and pontificate. Maybe not useful for others, but certainly cathartic for me.
Blogging and reading academic/science blogs have significance for me.
* Hopefully I'm not getting her comments wrong or out of context. Since her blog no longer exists I'm having to go by memory - I read the post last night.
9 comments:
Well, this seems a shame, but if she no longer wants to blog, that's obviously for her to decide.
But, the assertion that academic/science blogging is of little or no significance is horribly naive and misguided.
I share many of the same favorite blogs as you, and I've certainly learned tons about being a scientist and academic.
It is a shame and my post was not meant to be a criticism of GMP. Clearly to blog, or not to blog, is one's own decision. Just as clearly, one person's experiences with blogs and blogging is not necessarily the same as that of someone else.
Yeah, I've benefited from the same blogs, including yours, for basically the same reasons you listed.
one person's experiences with blogs and blogging is not necessarily the same as that of someone else.
Completely agree and I had made a comment to this effect before the blog was deleted. Oh, well. Each to their own, I guess.
I agree there are a number of interesting blogs out there.
It's just that I cannot stand it how seriously some people take themselves; blogging has made me take myself too seriously, as it is inherently an exhibitionist activity, and I really dislike it in myself. (Not saying all science bloggers are like that.)
But as you will see, no one's the wiser after my blog is gone. Of course, it was a low profile blog, you can say, but I really think even the very prominent science blogs around are ultimately not that important. If Isis or somoene like that closes up shop, people will huff and puff for a few days and then of course life moves on.
Another issue with the blogging community is that it's an illusion of a community. I could never imagine de-pseudonymizing myself to go drink with a fellow blogger, as people seem to do. And that ultimately makes all this unreal, at least to me.
But most of all, blogging has made me into someone I don't like.
GMP,
I don't necessarily agree that bloggers take themselves too seriously (okay, maybe a few do), but your reasons for closing shop make sense.
I could never imagine de-pseudonymizing myself to go drink with a fellow blogger, as people seem to do.
Initially, I couldn't see this happening to me, either, but over the course of the past couple of years I've gotten to know several bloggers away from the blogosphere and now count several of them among my friends. Professionally, it has also been very helpful as a couple of bloggers have read my grants and provided very helpful feedback prior to their submission. YMMV.
blog, don't blog, life moves on, eh?
if one doesn't like what one has become on blog, this is a great reason to stop. who knows? maybe a bit of reflection and another go under a new guise. Pseuds can do that!
re: having interactions IRL..well, these and even online interactions of a slightly less public nature have a way of helping us to understand some things. such as that perhaps some bloggers who appear to take themselves too seriously don't really, they just come across this way sometimes. also that some of those that act like adolescent asshats most of the time in public have a very helpful and more serious side IRL. blogging is a social business, it involves people so it necessarily must. if one doesn't understand this, one doesn't understand people
DM,
Agreed.
@DM: who knows? maybe a bit of reflection and another go under a new guise. Pseuds can do that!
It's not out of the question. But after a little while...
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