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What is T182, or even what is the Open University.The Open University is a fully accredited university in the UK, based mainly in Milton Keynes. Well, someone has to be based there. They do distance learning to UK citizens, I'm not sure if they have foreign students. To find out more, visit the Open University website for distance learning courses. T182 is one of their courses. Full details can be found in the Open University website. But as a bit of an introduction, this what their prospectus has to say about it.
As part of this course, it is suggested that I set up a weblog. I looked at the Guardian Unlimited's guide to setting up a weblog. Unfortunatly, I don't tend to think in little snippets. I tend to struggle with issues, think things through, look at more than one point of view. Putting down little bits about something I say that day just isn't how I work. For example, the other day my partner had a friend staying over from the states. A nice lass, who just happens to be a quaker. We were discussing the problems she is having with her boss, who is a devout, bible-bashing, fundameltalist. Well, from the way she describes him, that is how he comes across to me. He is studying for the ministry. He had to write an epistle, 'in the style of St Paul'. Well, immediately I thought, what is the style of St Paul. Firstly, there is writing it all in capital letters, with no punctuation. The way the original Greek was written. Would this count. Next we have the fact that St Paul wrote in very long trains of thought. His arguments start just after the preliminaries, and end just before the closing bit. Romans is just one, long, argument: Paul trying to explain exactly what the Christian faith meant to him, and how we should act if we decide to follow it. But what about Philemon. This is also an epistle of St Paul, but totally different from his longer works. This is a personal letter, begging someone to receive back a run-away slave. Asking for forgiveness from him, and saying how much Onesimus had been of help to Paul. Even offering to pay for any debts Philemon may have incurred due to Onesimus's actions. It's a very different style of letter, much more intimate, Paul writing to a friend about a difficulty. So, is it this intimate short letter you need to copy the style of. Or finally, how about one of the points that Paul tries to make. How about picking a point he made, and argueing it in his style, but based in our culture and times. Would that be what they wanted. So, from this single phrase, 'in the style of St Paul', I immediately come out with four, completely different, but valid responses to what this means. In about 2 seconds I had run them through my head, and decided which one I would choose had I been asked to do this exercise. All from 6 words, I created four paragraphs examining and detailing the possible approaches. How can I fit that in a blog? Ah - but a blog is meant to link to other sites, to point to places people like to visit. Ok, I can give a list of my favourite online comics. Or how about my favourite search engine? Or an interesting e-bay auction item (now, unfortunately, removed)? Well, I have no problem with that. I may well link to sites to underpin my argument. Bringing in resources where required. Pointing out one side of an argument from one proponent, and then what the other side have to say. However, I still can't keep it short. Look how much I've written so far. And this was meant to be a reason why I'm not writting a blog for this course. When it comes down to it, I'm just not that interested in writing short prose. I'm a columnist at heart, and I like wandering through my mind, putting down the thoughts I find there. When I am responding to a question, I like to take my time, look around a bit. Not just rush in with an immediate answer, but study the scenary. Pause to take time with the flowers before coming to a conclusion. So what is my conclusion to this argument? I won't be writing blogs for the course. I will probably be doing one long spiel on what I studied that week. Hopefully only one per day, but knowing me, I'll write too much, and break it down into more than one section. I hope the above has not been too boring for you. If you are looking for a columnist, by the way, drop me a note, and we can talk about licensing agreements.
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