Blog on Blogging

In the four days now since I started this blog, I have to say I am shocked at how it’s impacted me. I remember thinking of blogging in the past and wondering – what would I possibly have to write about that anyone would want to read? Hello world, I woke up today and did all the things I usually do and how boring is that?

One typically associates daily writing with what you did, how you are feeling, and for me above all I use it to work my way through emotional challenges. None of which I have any interest in broadcasting publicly, thank you very much. So why blog then, if you are not an expert in some area where your opinion is of interest?

Blogging, it turns out, is actually a great tool to sharpen your thinking. It’s as though suddenly a journalist’s mentality kicks in – your world around you almost begging you to extract some worthwhile takeaway. Sure we draw conclusions from our interactions all day long, but there is something about knowing you are broadcasting to the world that makes you deepen your thought process and sharpen your message.

In the few days since I started this blogging thing, ideas for postings pop into my head regularly. Most of them are silly, but some of them - to me anyway, are actually quite interesting and maybe even worth sharing. Here are a few ideas that have come to mind, none of which meet my original intention of relaying my travel experiences, but that I have felt compelled to write about nonetheless:

• How the practice of blogging impacts observation (i.e. what you’re reading right now)
• Who says search problem is solved? Turns out the challenges of multimedia search and how computer science is working on them are extremely fascinating
• Observations of the impact of globalization on higher education – both structurally and with regards to its relationships with industry

Not bad for the past 72 hours, cocktail party worthy at least - no? And so my new blog is born – http://jstefanotti.blogspot.com. No one may ever read it, and I’m sure the frequency of my posts will wane considerably over time, but I have a feeling the impact on my thought process will be a lasting one. You just might want to try it out yourself.

With the exception of this post, “stefanotti’s miles log” I will keep a clean little diary of my travels for family and friends, as originally intended. But if you ever want to know what’s really on my mind, now you know where to turn. Hopefully I will have something thought provoking to contribute to your next cocktail party ;).