Philip E. Agre’s paper “Finding Your Voice: Writing For a Webzine” provides the reader exceptional points on how to pick up the proverbial “pen”, or in this case, click away on the “keyboard,” and start writing. Developing a public voice injected with private thoughts can be difficult for some, but it’s not impossible.
Agre said that first and foremost, that… “In order to have a public voice, you have to care about something.” (Agre, “Finding Your Voice,” 3). Once someone has figured out what their passion to write on will be, Agre transitions his article to 10 “rules of thumb” that every ‘zine writer should know.
I think his most critical point is to “…say something interesting right away.” (Agre, “Finding Your Voice,” 3). There is no point to try to gain readers to your Webzine or blog if you can’t attract readers. Literary prose is a wonderful tool to have if people are reading it. Would Shakespeare be the most famous playwright if no one read his plays?
My other favorite point to becoming a player in the public sphere is number 3 – have a point, and know what it is. This ties into the previous rule because great ideas that don’t make coherent points can be lost in translation.
Agre’s discussion about the future of ‘zines and their boon to creating “communities of practice” have transitioned into the Weblogs of today. Instead of only an Associated Press or New York Times reporter telling folks back home what is happening in Iraq, thousands of soldiers are providing first-hand accounts through simple and quick blogs. And for some mil-bloggers, they receive more hits than the elite media, so these quiet and faceless communities may be adding more to Jurgen Habermas’ concept of the public sphere than we currently know.
New bloggers shouldn’t expect their Web sites to get millions of hits from the get-go. A public voice can be difficult to manifest, but if you find that not many people are reading your work or you find the blog is getting stale, don’t give up and know that you are not alone. “You may feel alone, but that just means that you haven’t found your community yet.” (Agre, “Finding Your Voice,” 3). Keep up the writing, relax and before the writer knows it, a life-changing comment may be gracing the blog very soon.
Discussion questions:
Why does Agre stress the importance of developing a public voice, and should you bring your private thoughts into your public blogs?
How does Agre differentiate between a commercial voice and a private voice, and how should both facets be implemented into a Webzine?
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