Are Blogs Academic Journals?
Colorado Springs – Over the past week, I’ve seen a number of my blogs being dissected by an increasingly large number of Deaf people who seem to believe I “hate” them. And the leader of the current charges that I promote hate is none other than a published author and leader of a Deaf political group.
In fact, the same author claimed that my style of writing made him feel like I hated him personally. (Makes me wonder: how easy is it to be published today, anyway?)
And it all began because the same author demanded I reveal my educational background, as well as demonstrate whether I was “deaf” or “Deaf,” presumably so he would know that what I write is valid and correct, as if it were an academic journal. I began to wonder why there seems to be a requirement for bloggers to present such personal information when most blogging sites suggest that people do not reveal their personal identities on the Internet.
So, the author demanded I give him my personal information. I could’ve given it to him when he first asked, but I knew his intention was more along the lines of discrediting me and my blogs without any real discussion of what I had to say. In the academic world, many authors of journals reveal very little personal information about them, and yet, people – including the published author – seem to associate blogs (well, at least mine, anyway) with academic research journals.
I must write really well if people think my blogs are academic journals.
When the published author “discovered” my identity, he published the doctoral program I’m enrolled in, and from there, the many Deaf bloggers/vloggers began commenting about me. But, here’s the interesting thing: the same published author mistook me for another Joshua Dawson, who is also a mixed martial artist (MMA). In fact, I was quite amused that the same author had published a YouTube link showing Mr. Dawson delivering an ass-whooping.
Consequently, a chorus of comments and blogs proceeded to call me a bad person because I “liked to beat up people,” because Mr. Dawson is a pretty decent fighter. Honestly, I loved it and am a new fan of Mr. Dawson the MMA fighter. (Note to self: ask JR to interview him)
Back to the pseudo-academic approach many bloggers take: in researching the published author, I discovered that he did not list any educational background on his biography (or About Me page). I wondered if he had ever gone to college and actually engaged in academic research or not. Probably not.
Sadly, many people who dissect blogs fool themselves into thinking they are engaging in academic research, and proceed to pretend they are intellectual giants by demanding references or citations. Normally, in the academic world, the requirement for references and citations goes without saying.
But, this ain’t an academic journal. My blogs are not academic papers. My blogs are a combination of satire, humor, personal perspectives, and occasionally, observations I’ve made either through ethnographical research and/or from the readings I come across in newspapers, books, magazines and the occasionally an academic journal. So that must be it: because I’m a doctoral student, I must provide everyone with credible references and citations.
I got news for you people who insist that I provide references for my blogs: if you don’t agree with me, then read this fantastic article. And if you want to become an academic intellectual, then go to school. The word, “academic” is academic, okay?
I’m not interested in gossip, as there’s a million gossipers out on the blogosphere. I write for myself and for people who understand what I write, how I write it and even why I write. I do not write to engage people in academic discourse – I’ve got plenty of that in school, already.
And that leads me to my final point. The published author went the extra mile and found one of my old MySpace blogs and published it at his blog (in the comments section), which was later picked up and dissected by a number of other bloggers and vloggers. Naturally, he proclaimed he found “evidence” that I hated Deaf people.
The MySpace blog was actually one I wrote to myself, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short time as a blogger, it’s not to make generalizations about groups of people. I learned that the hard way with the first few articles published at BlogCritics.com. I made mistakes and learned from them. If my opinion remained static over time, then I would not be learning anything, and therefore, my opinion would be outdated, useless and irrelevant. My opinion is constantly refined because I learn new things everyday. I learned, for example, that the published author, even though I found him to be extreme with his approach towards advocacy, had some valid points that I hadn’t considered before.
Generally, blogs are not academic journals. Why people feel threatened by my blogs reveals more about themselves than it does about me. In the case of the published author, my guess is he probably feels threatened because of my writing. I can’t help him, and my attempt to work with him led him to publish a blog listing a number of complaints against me because he was so busy worrying about my own creditability.
Oh .. and why didn’t I just tell him my personal information when he asked? Because at one point, I suggested to the published author that his intensive focus on discrediting me and political groups tend to do the opposite of what he wanted to do. In short, he ended up losing creditability because of his narrow and singular focus on discrediting me.
If there is a sub-moral to this tale, it’s this:
Be careful for what you wish for.
*shrugs innocently and kicks a small pebble*
Be good .. or be good at it.
Paotie
Sphere: Related Content
If it helps you, I never got any sense of you attacking nor hating anyone in your blogs. More likely, I think it is people’s feeling threatened by your blogs and comments, so they react. As Mike said, “…when people’s sensibilities get challenged you can see that happen whenever they see themselves get pegged into corner and start making all these excuses and reasons to lash out…” in Mike McConnell’s posting “My Twenty Clarifications”.
I think it is great that we feel threatened… so that we could explore ourselves and get in touch with our weaknesses. We might decide to acknowledge you or not. In other words, you challenge us to think. That is a good sign of being a well-thought out writer
).
[CommentsEditor: No personal attacks allowed.]
You sort of answered your own question. It doesn’t take ANYTHING to get published these days, except money. Everything that Egbert can claim as a publication was done via a “vanity press.” That means that anyone who’s willing to fork over the money can get his book published. No reputable publisher would have published Egbert’s novel. (and they didn’t!)
Karen….
Yep.
Another great blog. I hope the negativity by a certain group of Deaf individuals would not turn you away from blogging in the Deaf blogosphere. I am starved for more deaf/Deaf thinkers like you.
But to be a bit honest here, I was a little miffed by your mockery at those who disagreed with you. This is like adding gasoline to an already simmering fire.
Keep up the intellectual thought provoking and debatable work of yours.
Best of luck on your doctoral studies!
A Deaf of Deaf squared who is hearing impaired and do not give a (intentionally filled in) about people seeing me as defective in the sense of hearing.
Hey, i just wanted to show my support also and say i really appreciate your writings, especially your ‘style’ of writing. I kind of agree with what karen said, some people don’t like to have their beliefs or ideas threatened.
I admire your persistent take on trying to explain your particular viewpoint to those who clearly don’t want to even entertain the idea or thought you posted. I have long ago learned that the best way of dealing with idiots is to ignore them. Your way is at least humorous and entertaining and the sad part is, that they probably don’t even realize it hahah!
I’ll leave you with a quote i read once of Aristotle’s; It is the mark of a small mind that cannot entertain an idea without accepting it. or something along those lines, been awhile since i read it.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle.
About small minds? Well, some things are better left unsaid.
hey mcconnell. Thanks for that! I knew it was something along those lines. couldn’t remember the exact quote haha!
hmm, i got totally ass backwards
errrmm.. *embarrassed* i’m gonna go ahead and shut the hell up now before that hole i’m digging gets any deeper.
*whistles*
My interpretation of your blog is essentially:
“quityourbellyaching”
We are at a point in society where there is more out there easing the communication and life-functioning abilities for anyone with a disability. Similar to the African-Americans and their knack for playing the race card. At no other point have they had so many opportunities, yet it will never be good enough.
There is a similar battle occurring online with autism now. I know several people involved in this and it’s created quite a conflict. It happens.
Me? I’m grateful you’re around, opining the way you do. Mamma raised you to not take on the victim status and if that is something that people can’t respect, than they are the ones with the problem.
On a side note, you know how I feel about hawt beefcake; please tell me that’s you. Heh.
Have a good one.
No, not him. That’s me.
You’re bigger than that. Spied your YouTube lifting stuff. I lift too. Although being a frail, old woman with crappy genetics; I don’t accomplish much.
Darn it.
Genetics? Your genetics look mighty fine to me.
*ahem*
Btw, how old do you think I am?
I can’t even tell anymore. I’ve seen people a decade younger than myself who look older than I do. I try not to guess anymore.
Sorry for clogging your serious post “Peyote”.
Just want to say thank you to everyone.
I appreciate the support and open-mind that you all have (as well as many others who haven’t commented).
Dennis – Heheheheh .. DIRTY MIND!
McConnell – You’d win a powerlifting contest against me any day. I saw them HUGE tires you shoved around the backyard. Geesh!
Stacy – your genes are working nicely for you, still. And you ain’t old, either.
Anna – I understand your point about being miffed. Frankly, I’d rather engage in constructive conversation than to become embroiled in juvenile arguments. Still, I borrow from an old physics adage: to create order in a disordered system, sometimes chaos is necessary to be introduced so the system can naturally reorder itself. People aren’t physics, but … I thin the point was well-served, anyway. Still, thank you for looking past that and seeing what my point really was.
Karen – Thank you for the support as always.
Miranda – I figured. You had the guts to say what many people probably thought, too and thank you for commenting!
Have a fantastic day today.
Paotie
Stacy ..
No need to apologize. I liked your word, “hawt” ..
*laughs*
It’s okay to have fun, ya know?
“hawt” … “hawt” … “hawt” …
Paotie
It’s okay to have fun, ya know?
That’s why there’s still breath in my lungs.
Ok. I turned on my strongman vids. Now, you can “properly” assess how I am.
Don’t burn your eyes out watching them.
Correction: “I turned on my strongman vids. Now, you can “properly” assess how old I am.”
Only word I saw was asses. Heh. Sorry Paotie. This is what you get for being MIA.
Back to lowest common denominator message board. “I’m coming Wendy”.
Hehehe ..
That reminded me of an old joke: one day, a young man was busy with his girlfriend in the bedroom of his mother’s house. When the mother came home after grocery shopping, she knocked on his door.
“Mamma, I’m busy! I’ll be right there!”
“Son, get your ass out here now!”
“Mamma! I’m coming!”
After a few seconds, the mother impatiently rapped on the door again. “Lord better help you if you don’t get your ass out here right now!”
“But, Mamma! I’m coming!”
And then there was silence.
After a moment, the son opened the door carefully. Slightly panting and sweating on his forehead, he tells his mother, “Mamma, I came.”
*shrugs*
Paotie
Meh.
*laughs*
A bad joke, I know.
Sorry.
Paotie
Hey Paotie nice blog! isnt “unbiased activist” an oxymoron?I like your blogs so please keep writing! Can I suggest the archives be more user friendly? I had to constantly click the previous posts to read your blogs and it takes time. Thought to suggest it to you to make it easier for new fans of your blogs to read your older writings. Thank you.
A new fan of yours.
Danny ..
Thank you for the suggestion. You’ve actually got a good idea. I’ve been meaning to fix the archives to be better organized for people to read easier, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I will address that soon – this week. Thank you!
Have a great weekend!
Paotie
You write well indeed, Paotie, and keep the sense of humor along the way. Honey attracts and vinegar repels, you know what I mean? I had a good laugh on Stacy’s blog, yeah, yeah, it’s easier to take criticism with a healthy dose of humor. Yes, I agree with Danny, your archives could use better organization and user-friendly attributes. After all, a neat presentation gives a first good impression that you’re on top of it. The couch is comfortable for the dialogue, but make sure you’ve got the “crumbs” somewhere your posters can access it and understand where YOU’RE coming from.
Keep on truckin’,
Ann
[...] Are Blogs Academic Journals? [...]
I must say, I enjoyed your blog. Not only that, I agree with what you’re saying. Mindset of certain groups of people can be a funny thing. I’ve saddled both worlds for years, and it’s the same ole thing. I think I have a better perception on the whole picture because of who I am. But then, that is jmo.
Anyway, thanks for a breath of a different kind of fresh air.
C -
Thank you for the compliments.
I’ve experienced similar forms of mob-mentality by the same groups in real life, several times over. What I see on the blogosphere is, unfortunately, a reflection of real life.
I hope you have a great and safe Thanksgiving.
Paotie
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