The question is whether Web-log commentary helps or damages an academic's career. It is a shameful question. Intellectuals should not be worrying about "careers," the tenured among us least of all.
July 24, 2006
"A shameful question."
Seven bloggers -- including me -- have short essays in The Chronicle of Higher Education about Juan Cole and the risks of being a blogging professor. Cole has a response that begins:
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5 comments:
Very good response, Professor Althouse - but I must admit my teeth begin to grind when academics want to put themselves out in the public square (be it the blogisphere, newspaper op-ed pages or television), bask in the attention and (dare I say it) noteriety, then get twitchy when the wrong people are looking and talking back.
This isn't very well expressed, but I can't help but wonder if some blogging professors (like Cole) aren't trying to have their cake and eat it too.
I should find old professors of mine and spam stupid crap on their blogs too. It looks like fun.
Maybe the Journal of Higher Education could do a piece about how blog commenters can hurt their careers. Well, it's just the Deb Frisch question. We know the answer. What you do on the web shows.
That could be an interesting subject, Ann. Another group that I'd like to see a psych study on is people who comment obsessively about what someone they obviously can't stand has written.
P.S. You missed one - see Dreamspace comments.
No Mary, it is not funny how someone like you uses someone else's PRIVATE LIFE to score POLITICAL POINTS or engage in a PERSONAL VENDETTA. That is why your posts are disappearing. (I'll delete this one once yours does go)
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