Here’s a rather pessimistic view of blogging in academia (better read it before it expires)…stories of blogging assistant professors being denied tenure, arguably because of things said online.
- Free Speech: I’ve been hearing lately about the lack of protection for the speech of untenured educators. It seems odd that a few years of proving oneself earns them the right of free speech.
- Identity: Blogging and other means of creating online identity are becoming the norm (rather than an exception…take a look at the latest Pew Report). It may be that Google offers the means to more efficiently get to know someone, but this could have been also done by spending time together in the real world. This hasn’t traditionally happened, so why change because of efficiency.
- Education: Good thinkers who aren’t afraid to take an intellectual risk (and who aren’t shy when it comes to technology) may be an asset to an institution. Having the courage to think on your feet and put words out for the world to see shouldn’t be considered a weakness.
These are more fleeting thoughts than firm arguments, I realize. Perhaps it’s time to start editing blog posts more closely.