My Writerly Blog

First, I'm not a computer geek. I'm an online geek. There's a big difference. Computer geeks are heroes, for one, because they can bring back my computer from the dead. They can read and write in obscure languages like ASCii and Java. If I asked, one could probably figure out why my HTML code for my labels is not working here. Online geeks are people who can use the computer, but can't talk to it or fix it or even know the difference between a motherboard and a wake board. We're like race car drivers who can't change their own oil. Half my friends are fully "online" friends, and I even met my husband online. I get all my entertainment on-screen; I don't even own a TV. News: internet. Phone: internet. Shopping: internet. But even so, I don't know much about software. And of course, the challenge I've set myself for this PhD is going to involve a lot of software. I can't create a digital novel unless I can create digital art, e...

I'm in school again. I'm a student. It's so cool, and yet so weird at the same time. I haven't really been a student in a long time. My Master's was an experience in "this is how it's done and I have little statuettes from academies, so everything I say is gold!" No debate, no real thought. But here, it's a good thing if you stand up and shout about what you think of something. It's a good thing if you tell the head of the department he's full of crap (as long as you can back it up, of course). I was in a class a couple of weeks ago, and we reviewed a rather crap journal article, IMO. Some felt it had merit merely because it was interesting, and we went back and forth, back and forth over what has value in our field, what other schools perceive about our research, etc. We all shouted over one another and made points and trotted out examples. I had an amazing time. In the induction week for postgrads, they kept telling us what a lone...