Wondered why nothing is happening on this blog? Answer: no time for writing! Why did I start a blog in the first place? Wanted to write. Solution? Here we go...
This is how Wiki defines the term "group work":
"Group work a form of cooperative learning. It aims to cater for individual differences, develop students' knowledge, generic skills (e.g. communication skills, collaborative skills, critical thinking skills) and attitudes.
Specifically in psychotherapy, "group work" refers to group therapy, offered by a practitioner trained in psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, counseling or other relevant discipline."
I kind of like the second the part concerning psychotherapy, made me think in metaphors, legacy of a literary scholar. That is not the point, however. The problem is that I do not like group work as such. Anti-social? Yes - at least in this respect. Writing to me means individualism. Writing means letting it flow - whatever the "it" means in the end. No matter how crappy the "it" turns out. So, why then consider group work for solving my blog-writing-laziness-syndrome? Here is another definition that gets us closer to the point:
"A collaborative blog is a type of weblog in which posts are written and published by more than one author. The majority of high profile collaborative blogs are based around a single uniting theme, such as politics or technology." (Wiki)
Now what? Schmisi is turning social after all? Right and wrong. Am I really in favor of a blog that turns out like a quilt in the end with bits and pieces by different bloggers who are neither "high profile" nor have a "uniting theme"? Answer: no - I am not in favor of this, people who know me know that schmisi likes to have it all "perfect" in one way or the other. Is schmisi sure of that anymore? Answer is no. Do I know that the blog turns out like a mess because different people mess with it? Anwer is no. Am I the one to judge what crappy means? Answer is no - even though it took me a long time to realize this in life. Is there still room for a "yes" answer in this post? I think there is. Do I want to experiment with "collaboration?" YES - period.
What is going to happen now? I do not know. I know I have a lot to say about current events, though. Sounds silly, right, cause I did not say a lot in the course of these past months. Still, I want current events to be the "uniting theme" of this blog. "Ah, collaboration without collaborative liberty" - you might think now. YES and NO again. I think that "current events" appearing on tv news, in the paper, on the internet, in daily gossip... - are shaping our lives. What happens in some forgotten village at the other end of the world has a lot to do with our life here in good old privileged Europe. Why is that? Because we are all human beings who care about very similar things in life - no matter if we are black, white, straight, gay, speak Chinese, English or Arabic, work in academia or in a bakery around the corner.
True, you have to accept this logic if you want to blog on this blog. Does this mean that I am forcing you to write on something in particular? No. Will I give another Wiki-definition of current events? No. It is up to you how you define "current events." The process of "defining" already reveals a lot about your thinking. If that scares you - o.k. Should it scare you? I do not think so. Keep your eyes open and digest with the willingness to share the process - not only the product.
Now what? Want to blog on this blog? Great! What do you have to do? I do not know. I am not posting a formal "call for bloggers." I am encouraging you to think about writing before you might decide you want to write on this blog. There is someone I especially want to encourage with this first post on collaboration. BH just taught me very unexpectedly that group work might work in the end. This lesson was not about elementary school poetics (= result), this lesson was about sharing the great experience of being creative together (= process). So, BH, if you want to be creative - go ahead. I am hereby inviting you. Am I keeping all other candidates out? No - YOU are welcome to join. Just let me know. How? Be creative and find a way...
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