Just blog it

by Erik Pavia
February 3, 2009

Expressing ideas is not always a commodity, and in many places it’s still punishable by death, so it’s almost a pity when those who have the right to publicly opine don’t take advantage of it. Everyone has (or should have) something that they can contribute to their communities or, on a larger scale, to the world. Finding a medium for expression is easier than ever. It used to be that only the well connected could find publishers and distributors for their content, but with all the wonders granted to us by technology, anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection can share their thoughts with the 1.4 billion other people with internet access; give or take a few hundred million.

If you’re not technologically savvy, you may find it hard to place your content in a nice looking, dependable, respectable location on the internet. For those who get intimidated by the prospect of web design or graphic design or network design, it’s actually easier to publish than you think. Look around for a few minutes and you’ll find a handful of places that’ll fit your information disseminating needs. If you’re reading this, you may have already found a solution.

It is undoubtedly a pity when many of the few who do take the time to say something do so without showing responsibility for what they publish. Like 16 year olds receiving their licenses to drive, writers who gain any amount public exposure need to be careful not to grow overzealous with their new found power. It is important not to mislead your audience. There’s nothing wrong with fiction as long as it’s not disguised as fact. Not to say that everything you write requires an MLA format citation. One of the perks of blogging is the relatively relaxed attitude that the blogging community follows. It is always necessary to give credit where credit is due, but sometimes, that can be as simple as including a link.

So who are you to have your product available for the world to see? You may not think your thoughts or opinions are worth much. There are 1.4 billion people online; each individual is a drop likely to get lost in a sea of content. The converse is also true. If 1.4 billion have access to your content, more than a few are likely to at least stumble onto your work. If your work is any good, you may have repeat visitors.

With the launch of the online Regional Identity magazine, I hope to see more people from the community creating and contributing quality work. Quality doesn’t mean necessarily Nobel winning work; as long as people can provide something insightful, educational, funny, unique, or relatively interesting, they will more than likely have a home.

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Erik Pavia

Pavia is a senior Economics major at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is a member of the Regional Economic Development Association. He plans to attend law school after receiving his BBA.