March 30, 2018

This has been beautiful Good Friday weather, and my book from last Friday (about fresh metaphors for God) has been keeping me company into this week, too. It’s been good to see things anew in this season.

1. In Defense of Trends (Keep Calm and Let Them Be)  “But now it seems like everyone and every space is up for judgement in some way (and yes, as a site that posts home tours, that’s something we’re aware we’re a part of — more on that next week) and just about anyone feels it’s okay to make pretty big assumptions about someone’s life, choices, beliefs or personality based on what they see in someone’s home — especially if what they see is part of a popular trend.”

   I browsed all the links she mentions about judge-y design writing
   —

   and they are really judge-y…and also contradictory! I swear I heard all these trends talked about in exactly the same prescriptive way like…last year. It’s like, you guys are the ones responsible for making trends blow up so fast! And of course they also fizzle out quickly, and here comes a piece from the same magazine on how “copper fixtures are so done.” I like thinking about my home and tinkering with it, but I am glad to have a moment of being critical about dissatisfaction/constant redesigning.

2. How to Get Back Your Privacy Online Without Completely Checking Out.  I have used DuckDuckGo, and it’s pretty good! And they do really value your privacy, so you might notice they aren’t serving the results they think are most tailored for you, but that can be a good thing. This author’s fast facts about Google’s use of your info are kind of nuts!

   I’m sharing this article with some reservations about the author’s advice. This type of security-checkup article starts as easy, practical changes, and then veers into "pay for your email service and only use VPNs and TOR browsers” so fast…And I’m sorry, but a girl still has to function. Do what you can and make changes you can stick to, but if you aren’t willing/able/interested in locking everything down just yet, channel some of that energy into advocating for legislation that supports your privacy (like net neutrality, etc).

3. Supporting Musicians: A Practical Guide. A great piece, and the best advice in here, in my opinion: “SHARE IT. Talk about your favorite artists. Post their links on your social media. Recommend them to friends. Word of mouth is still one of the most trusted, valuable ways to market in our over-saturated, algorithm-based world. YOUR OPINION AS A FAN MATTERS.” And to buy merch that you like
   —

   “encourage them to keep making.” This advice hits home for me because my husband’s new album is coming out next Friday! Listen to the first single here, or check out the music video!

4. The Intermediary We Don’t Need? Veronica Arellano Douglas. This turned my model of teaching information literacy (a model which is only about a year and a half old) upside down! Meditating on removing mediators in my classroom and exploring how to build a relationship in 50 minutes or less. “How amazing would our teaching be if we didn’t have an instructor
   computer at all? Is our focus on databases, websites, and functionality
   of resources interrupting our relationships with our students? How much
   more effective would we be as teachers and facilitators without that
   tech intermediary? Do we even need it?”

   Any tips, my teacher friends?

5. How to Balance Your Media Diet (infographic). “When we have control over what we consume, we tend to feel happier.” I didn’t read this article very closely, because I was mostly taken with the infographic at the top!