DigitalCritic

Over on PhD2Published you´ll find my response to the Guardian Higher Education Network blog post by Leonard Cassuto suggesting that academic blogging is pretty much a waste of time. When I read the article I tweeted that my head had “exploded” because there were so many things I thought Cassuto had got wrong about blogging in general, let alone in academia. The main issue with what he says is that he seems to think blogging is just one thing and of course it isn´t. In my own work blogging is both a critical platform (and one which requires deeper critical analysis) and tool for networking and sharing. But of course the irony hasn´t been lost on anyone that Cassuto is bitching about academic blogging on an academic blog!

In a week where some crazy stuff has been said about social media in academia (more on that soon), it is great to see LSE´s Impact Blog creating a list of Academic Tweeters. They´ve broken things down by subject area, which is useful too, and I´m thrilled to be on the Arts and Humanities list with PhD2Published on the Higher Education and Learning list. It´s just such a great resource!

One of my favourite Twitter chums is @3pipenet of the blog Three Pipe Problem: an intrepid exploration of all things Art History by H. Niyazi. I know I go on a bit about how great I think Twitter is, but this is an important case in point because (thanks to Twitter) scattered throughout my day are entirely new ways of looking at my subject and practice – courtesy of the likes of Niyazi/@3pipenet.

I was therefore extremely touched to be included in a recent post by Niyazi precisely discussing the art historical benefits of Twitter: From Pompeii to Cyberspace: transcending barriers with Twitter. Like me, Niyazi finds the way ideas are explored through twitter fascinating and talks in this post of a recent Twitter-based discussion of a graffiti inscription at Pompeii. One of the things I find so interesting about Niyazi’s approach – given that he looks at the good old stuff and I look at the good new stuff – is the way he observes just how art history unfolds today and this post is a great example of that.

However he also includes the video I made for a-n on how to use Twitter in this post and VERY generously says of me:

“Charlotte’s work is a constant source of inspiration to humanities students and professionals engaging online.”

Niyazi’s understanding of art history as a blogger is hugely interesting to me and I definitely have designs on working with him the future. For now I’m just grateful he’s on the other end of Twitter when I need an opinion or an idea.