In an attempt to increase my blogging skills and understandings, I have decided to follow three blogs. Sullivan (Thomas & Brown, 2011) states that the participation of others is fundamental to the blogging process (p. 66). If this is true, then my participation in blogging cannot be limited to my own blog, but must include following and commenting upon the blogs of others.
The three blogs I have chosen to
follow all fall under the theme of “Living in Calgary.” As a non-native
Calgarian, I decided to choose blogs that focus upon living in Calgary and
experiencing all that the city has to offer. Each blog focuses on a different
aspect of Calgary, including: restaurants, events, and local news. All of these blogs are posted on the right side of my blog under, "My Blog List."
The first that I will explore is
The Avenue – Food Blog. This blog has various contributors, with each
contributor focusing their post upon a specific food and/or restaurant (Ex. 6
hidden sushi gems). All posts focus upon Calgary restaurants and food services,
with many being focused upon Calgary’s inner city establishments. This blog is
exciting for me because it works well for my lifestyle – I enjoy good food, live
downtown, and love to explore. My hope is that by following this blog, I will
have an opportunity to experience the best (as rated by the bloggers) food and
restaurants that Calgary’s inner city has to offer, especially those that are
‘hidden gems.’ With locally owned restaurants featured throughout the blogs, I
will be supporting local talent while at the same time, expanding my palate.
The second blog that I will
explore is “Downtown Calgary.” Calgary has a vibrant array of events, many of
which occur in the downtown core. By following this blog, I will stay informed
about the arts, music and festivals, along with a range of other events in the
city. The descriptions and reviews of events will keep me informed about what
is going on in the city and will guide me towards some of the best events in town.
The third blog that I will be
following is the City of Calgary News blog. As a daily Calgary Herald
reader, I am curious to see what other perspective(s) are out there in regards
to the city of Calgary’s news. Hearing about events that might not make the
newspapers, and having one or more perspectives in response to the news will
make for an interesting read and, at the same time, open up my perspective to other
possibilities.
In relation
to Technology and Society, each of the blogs listed above will be providing me with
an alternate way to stay connected to my community. I can experience a wide
range of opinions and ‘insider knowledge’ that may not have been available to
me otherwise. With other people experiencing Calgary in their respective areas of specialty (food, events, news), I am able to then be selective about what I
do and do not want to experience by utilizing their expertise and experiences. Thomas and Brown believe that "blogging is also a personally transformative experience...[as] the influence of the collective can powerfully and meaningfully shape the blogger's view of the world" (p.66). I am interested to see if my personal creation and use of a blog, as well as my experiences following the blogs of others, will transform my view of Calgary, and on a larger scale, technology and society.
Cheers,
Theresa
Thomas, D. & Brown, J.s. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Seattle, WA: Create Space.
Even though I am a native Calgarian, I can see benefits to following a blog or blogs about our city. There are so many events and new happenings in the city that we never hear of, or at least I don’t seem to hear of until they are over. I often think, I wish I had known about that sooner. Hopefully now I will!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the blogs are a great way to stay connected to the community. When going out for dinner, my husband and I often fall back to the restaurants we know and are familiar with. Venturing out and trying some of the restaurants featured on Avenue’s food blog is definitely on our to-do list- just wish I had the $250 per person to attend NOtaBLEs Valentines fundraiser event! I’ve also signed up to receive Avenue’s weekly Food and Drink Newsletter.
Do you think following these blogs will have an influence on your own blog?
Good luck in your quest to explore and learn more about Calgary!
Nancy