Reflections -To blog or not to blog

This unit has proven to be the most controversial and yet stimulating module of this semester. Initially, the segment on Haraway's cyborg manifesto and the cybernetic theories made me feel like i was in a parallel universe and that my fate in this unit was to be a doomed one. However, as I started to grapple with the various ideas and concepts that were discussed I realised that it is more relevant than i thought it would be.

The Blogging process was a significant element in my learning journey in this course. I definitely feel that it complimented tutorials and workshops and it gave me a space to read, reflect and analyse the issues that were debated on, in my own time. I also learnt a great deal through the blog entires, as they exposed me to a variety of opinions and beliefs. "Tuesday 2pm" soon became a new community that i became familiar with. Strangely, i'm still unsure of some online identities(i.e. Im not sure who's who) and perhaps i have been treating them seperately from their offline idenities.

Well, at the start of this course I though i was a full fledged cyborg in compliance to Haraway's description. I am in every way intertwined with technology, ranging from the withdrawal effects I get when the tv is off or my genuine hysteria when the internet connection suddenly ceases. However, as many of us are, I am still uncomfortable with the implications of being a cyborg as it implies a certain degree of detachment from being "natural" and perhaps this synthetic dependence makes us vulnerable. I would rather view us as human beings who are thriving in an era which requires us to learn and pick up the technological skills we know in order to live comfortably and efficiently.

On hindsight, this unit was an enjoyable one with a good mix of academia, current affairs and interactive engagement. To everyone in the tute, you guys were great fun!:)