Monday, October 18, 2010

Blog Funk

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It's official.....I am in a blog funk. I suppose it happens to the best of us for any number of reasons. Anyone who has a blog with daily content and photos will tell you it's A LOT OF WORK. You have to go out and take the photos, edit them, upload them, arrange the order of the photos and write the word content and then post it. That can easily take a couple hours a day. That is quite a lot of time for what is essentially a free service. There is no monetary compensation with this blog regardless of the couple ads on the sidebar. That was more of an experiment.

So what do I blame the funk on?? Well I would say that it is 80% academic and 20% lazy. That 20% lazy has always been there when it comes to blogging.....but this math class is killing me. It pisses me off that I am paying the University of Alaska hundreds of dollars to teach me algebra and then I have to find other people to actually teach me algebra because the University of Alaska sure as hell isn't. The class is online with elive. You wear a headset and you can talk and hear others talk and see the instructor write on the white board. Here are a couple screen shots to give you an idea of what it looks like during the class.....



This is a shot of most of the screen. The writing on that white board is live while the professor is talking. There are about 16 people in the class and a limited amount of time to cover certain amount of info so there is really no time to assist students like me who just aren't getting it. Basically I am on my own to find help to figure this stuff out.




This is a screenshot of one of the problems from tonight's class. Now maybe some of you can decipher this nonsense, but as far as I am concerned the professor might as well just speak Swahili. That's about how understandable this stuff is for me. VERY frustrating....and I have to PASS THIS CLASS WITH A B!!!!!!!

I think another problem I'm having that is contributing to my blog funk is the internet here in Kotzebue. Something has happened. It used to be that you could, for example, click on a youtube video and watch it and not have to let it download before you watch it. Not anymore. The internet has slowed down so much that you have to let the videos download several minutes before you can watch them uninterrupted. You might think it's because there is something wrong with my computer but I have noticed it on OTHER PEOPLE"S computers. Chime in here people of Kotz if you have noticed this as well within the last, ummm, maybe 5 months or so (not sure the exact date). So now I can only upload one photo at a time, which is very tedious and frustrating.

AND I guess another problem I have is that I'm really not much of a writer...meaning I CAN write, I just don't much like it so really I often just want to post photos with no narration. I sometimes feel like I am always just posting the same old photos and that's kinda cheap. Or that maybe people are getting tired of the same old thing. I guess this is where I need to remind myself that I do all this for free and should just post whatever the heck I want whenever I want and get over it.....but I really do care that there are three to four hundred people (amazing) that come to this blog every day and I feel bad when there is nothing new for them to see. So on top of being frustrated and lazy I now feel guilty as well.

So what I'm trying to say folks is I'm still here. I'm not throwing in the blog towel, but I just can't keep up the pace like I used to. Instead of new content 5-7 times a week you may only end up with two or three posts a week, unless I can motivate myself to pick up the pace a it.

But anyway, I just wanted to get all that off my chest.

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Totally understand :0)
I have 2 blogs (crazy) and I take on-line classes, run a household and add in kids and grandkids...I'm tired just talking about it...lol
You do what you can, when you can and as for the math...I hate math and I don't get any of it :(

AussieAlaskan said...

Sorry about the algebra - you are in a slump - you know, when you "get it", you will be surprised. I am willing to wait - your photos and blog is one I would really hate to see go. I read everything and review the photos again and again. I've never been to Kotzebue but I've see a lot there - from your blog. Keep going, Cathy :-)

Anne said...

I can totally relate about the "Blog Funk". I've been in a doozy of one myself lately. On the subject of your internet connection, do you use Internet Explorer? I have found that my computer has slowed tremendously lately, so on the advice of a friend, I've switched to Firefox Mozilla. HUGE difference. Internet access, downloads, etc., is now at lightning speed. You can download Firefox Mozilla free from their website. Good Luck!!

www.simplysweeter.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Gee, Cathy, don't feel guilty about not blogging everyday. We all understand you have a busy life. Sorry about algebra, I could never understand it. My 9th grade teacher gave me a D just so I would not have to take it in high school. I have never had to use it in adult life. GOOOD LUCK. Cheryl

Arvay said...

My dear, this blog is a grace you can give at your own pace, as you please. You owe us nothing. :) I thank you for all of your beautiful photos and informative posts over the past few years. :)

Judy said...

This is your blog! Post when you like. I enjoy reading about what you are up to.

On the algebra, it should be viewed as another language or logic pattern. Find someone to teach you the 'two finger' method, I bet the 'light' will come on for you then.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm....two finger method? Is that one finger on each hand pointing straight up? :-)
Hang in there "Sweetpea".
D.

Amanda said...

Hang in there on the Algebra stuff. You can do it. I totally here you with the SLOW internet. Ours here in Unalaska is super slow to. To update my blog with pics takes several hours. And I can only do it at night after DD is asleep, so it doesn't happen as often as I'd like. It can take me 3 hours for one blog post. The only reason I put up with it is becasue a lot of family and friends read it and is there only way to keep up with us being so far away. I can't watch u-tube here at all. It takes it an hour or more to download or it keeps being interepted every 5 secs. You know it is bad when your 3 year old says "GAAH MOM! The internet is soooooo slow!" LOL.
I love reading you blog nop matter how often you post. I have never been to where you are, infact we just moved to Unalaska not quite 2 months ago from PA, so it has been quite a change but I love seeing it through your eyes :)

-Amanda
www.adventuresinansleyland.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy your blog and especially the beautiful and informative photos.
About the Algebra, I teach it and if I can help you in any way just let me know.
PKay

Tracy said...

No pressure! I like the pictures, with commentary or not. lol But I know what yhou mean with the blogging. Since I joined FB I've all but dropped my blog. But I do occasionally update it now since I found some a couple family members DO still read it and want updates on kids and stuff. lol

Anonymous said...

Cathy,
Have you ever visited the free online Khan Academy?
This guy has a good reputation of being able to explain things so that people can understand what is happening. This is the link to the Algebra part of his site: http://www.khanacademy.org/

I hope that a different perspective helps.
Good luck with the your final grade.
Kay 2

Cathy said...

Thanks for the link to the khan academy. I am definitely going to spend some time checking that site out!