I noticed recently that once i began posting my English 100 assignments on the web, there was a sense of relief for me.  First off, i have taken accountability off of me and onto the students to keep up with what we will be reading next, what the essay questions are, what the portfolio format is, some examples of specifically good reading responses, what the inclass and homework assignments are,etc.  Thus there can not be the excuse, "well, i didn't know that is what we were doing today."  The accountability for completed assignments, up-to-date readings, etc is placed, i think, where it should belong--with the students.

Also, in keeping with the eco-mentality of the school and the North Coast in general, i have been using less print material, less paper.  This small move on my part fulfills me i guess.  Before coming to Humboldt, i had never really paid much attention to environmental issues, except in their most general and theoretical manifestations--as problems to be solved.  thus i am now entering a new mindset--at least educationally speaking, where i can concentrate on finding readings that are online, posting assignments, examples, formats, critiques, etc all in the ether so that i do not keep perpetually running up stairs to the copy room unless specifically necessary.  I do admit there are three reading assignments out of thirteen that are paper-ized, but that is not all that bad considering some professors i know who seem to kill a tree daily.  Anyway, i do not know of what consequence this is but it was conscious decision on my part.

David got the Webct stuff going this week, and i have been having a blast with it.  In contrast to others, i enjoy writing copiously on these listservs, or bulletin boards because the sense of anonimity is pervasive.  I mean, yes, it does have our names and ss#, but that is really all.  I mean if we had an onlooker who did not know who we were, they would have to presume and assume based on the information given to them.  The ss# stuff does bother me a bit, but David has assured us that this forum is behind a firewall, thus limiting access.  The only problem with these boards for me seems to be that i write too much.  I want to go on and on and not really get precise and concise.  But this is a problem i have in general and might be something i have to reform in the long run and globally within my own grammatological framework.  How ironic it is that now, after all of these years, i spend more time writing than i do reading, which has never been the case.  I have usually written because of requirement, but never because i have wanted to either display work, or extend conversation or theorizations (except with Magzzz...you know who you are).  This allows unlimited (figuratively speaking) space in which to present work, criticize others' works, propose ideas and problems, etc.  The transferal of ideas from the paper medium to the electronic byte format leaves much room for revision, addition, subtraction, and individuation.  I can also see this as being a bit more a mathematization of the writing process, whereby we leave traditional formats of writing to enter into newer and more 'creative' writing formats and procedures.  In a sense, the ability to formulate one's own sense of place and identity is a direct correlative to being able to write "differently."

some interesting quotes:

"Now that artists, comedians, writers, poets, architects, newsbroadcasters, religious leaders, politicians, industrialists, fashion designers, and scientists are all acting like pop stars, there's nothing left for pop stars to do but award them with prizes."-- Brian Eno

"It's the Right that has become revolutionary and it's the Left that is trying to conserve government as a liberal force...They were looking for the dream--and the dream was elsewhere"--Arthur Miller
(of let's say, people in the thirties, who would meet each other going to opposite coasts and say, 'Don't go that way!!)

"...Creating a sort of fractal pattern in time where i write about writing about writing.  This could lead me heading towards real literature--the kind that no one wants to read."--Brian Eno

"i managed to appear in the background of a Tony Blair speech as a limping leper.  Interesting idea: undermine the credibility of politicians by always surrounding them with retards--thus making obvious what is probably true anyway."--Brian Eno to Stewart Brand in email conversation

" You can never get enough  of what you don't really want"--Eric Hoffer