More Than Just Words

Will the work you do today
Stand the test of time

"Test of Time", Spy Vs. Spy, 1988.

D'Arcy Norman went very close to pulling the plug and "nuking" his blog. Why?

He explains in an out-of-context quote:

...my blog is strictly just a bunch of words. Just a bunch of talk.

Now the focus of his post was tossing around the "edupunk" theme that seems to be fairly visible in my aggregator but this particular quote combined with his actual willingness to make his blog disappear from the face of the internet really made me think. All of us, typing in our thoughts, ideas and experiences - just a bunch of words?

Are words different to action?

Can words be a result of action?

Sure, some blogs can be a pile of pontification and empty trails heading nowhere. But D'Arcy's blog is not the sort I would place into that category. His blog and many more that I read are full of action - documentation of action, plans for action, ideas to spark others to action - they are "about standing up and doing things".

The things that are done are archived for those of us unable to see and experience the first hand action. We can take those words and use them to guide our own actions, to provide us with experiences and case studies and to help form professional and personal relationships with others in totally different spheres of learning. D'Arcy (and many others) help me with all of the above and more often than not put a smile on my face when I need it most. Where else would I have encountered the term "borked" if not for D'Arcy and his "outboard brain".

Blogging can be a form of "time-capsuling" your work. I want my blog to be more than just words.

Image attribution: 'i don't know anything right now'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79477064@N00/88887418
by: Diane

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2 thoughts on “More Than Just Words

  1. Jo McLeay

    A wise post Graham, and I agree. Thanks for the comment on my blog. It was good as I went over and looked at your slideshares again. Your blogging at school is excellent, as is your Echo 08 presentation. You really have a good eye for design. When are you coming over to the east again?

    Reply
  2. Anne Paterson

    The blogs are more than just words, they are a community link.
    Your comment over at my blog made me realise I wasn’t alone. Sometimes I do think about the line “never has so much been written by so many about so little” and how my blog fits in with that.
    Then I think – no, the technology, the communication media, is mine as much as anybody’s to participate in and contribute too. So I keep going – and I am connecting back up by commenting on other peoples blogs and twittering like a mad thing!
    Anne

    Reply

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