Thing #4

"If you don't have anything nice to say, no say nuffin' at all." -Thumper (as forced to say by his mother)

Commenting on blogs is more than just standing on a soap box and throwing your two cents into the air for any old passerby. Leaving comments on blogs is important for many reasons. When someone writes something, they may get the feeling that they're "talking" to themselves or making some sort of online dairy that apparently no one seems to care to read until... TA DA! A comment is left! Comments can make someone feel important, even down right famous if someone like Snoop Dogg or Jason Drumm drops by and writes something. Also, commenting could give the writer a different perspective to consider. Then the writer grows curious as to how someone could feel the way the commenter does. So, the writer comments back. Before you know it, you have a conversation going on in which other people could drop in and comment. After very little time at all you could very well be hosting a Guiness World Record-sized powwow and all this because you decided to write down what you were thinking. That's pretty cool stuff when you think about it. I mean, what other place could you just say something, some little something and have people from all over the world writing about it? Like I said, that's pretty cool stuff!

Okay, enough of me. As for the readings, what stuck with me was the "Darth Commenter". We've all seen that little Darth Doodie-head "Sith" all over someone's Facebook page, YouTube video, and/or blog. Before their "dark sided" comment is deleted, the whole universe usually joins in with their own versions of "Geez dude, get a life!". I personally don't understand why someone would take time out of their day to insult a complete stranger and then, somehow, feel empowered or important! It's blows my mind. The second thing from the readings that I've already touched on was that comments can be the fuel that keeps writers writing, connecting, and keep conversation going. I guess before blogs, whenever people from around the world could just sit around and talk was during a U.N. summit meeting. However, today this can happen many times by the minute. Did anyone else just feel the world get a tad bit smaller?

The five blogs that I'm following from our group are:
1) http://educ5540meganmetz.blogspot.com/
I commented on thing 8. I commented on how I am addicted to these new tools online. I'm following her blog so that I can have another perspective on the 23 things.
2) http://23thingsbyme.blogspot.com/
I commented on thing 9. I said how I enjoyed making the signs and how we could use these to decorate out classrooms. I'm following his blog because we always have good conversations and come away knowing just a tad bit more than before.
3) http://mreese7.blogspot.com/
I commented on thing 12. I posted how I used Google Maps a lot in my travels. I'm following this blog because she most always has great, positive things to say.
4) http://fairclough23things.blogspot.com/
I commented on thing 8. I commented on how seeing what he did with these tools gave me new ideas of how I could use them. I'm following him because he sits next to me in class and I enjoy his input.
5) http://killebrew123.blogspot.com/
I commented on thing 5. I said how I wish schools had the funds to afford these great technologies and how I'm all for School 2.0. I following this blog because she posts in detail. She offers more to think about.

The two blogs from outside of our group are:
1) http://www.loveisking.blogspot.com/f
I chose this blog because he is a missionary friend of mine that I made in Mexico. He commonly inserts pictures and keeps you up to date with what he is doing. I couldn't comment on his blog. I tried many times. I think he might have disabled the comment section. I'll try and ask him what's going on with his account. I've followed his blog for years before this class.
2) http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog/
I follow this blog because he is very inspiring. He and his church do very good work. My comments wouldn't stick. It might be because a lot of people might post inappropriate things since he is such a well-known Christian figure. I still read it though.