Baby Boomer Blog: The Thesis

In February 2004 I wrote the first entry in “Baby Boomer Blog,” a blog I created as a vehicle for developing my personal capital in an age of innovation and change.  Baby Boomer Blog eventually became my final project for the MLS.  It is a creative project and this paper serves as the process paper.

The process paper is divided into six chapters.  In the introduction I explain my topic, blogs, and my project, Baby Boomer Blog.  I present my thesis statement and define blogs, virtual selves, personal capital, and alternative futures. In chapter two I present the  interdisciplinary framework for my project.  I explain how the Liberal Studies curriculum, the writings of Arthur Harkins, and the Generational Theory of authors William Strauss and Neil Howe affected my outlook. Some current research from the Pew research foundation's Internet in American Life Project provides context for my project. 

In chapter three I describe my personal experience with Baby Boomer Blog.   I review the topics of my blog, present my blog statistics and describe the blogging service I use, called Typepad.  Chapter four will define Blogging on the Internet Social Network,  MySpace.  Part of my research has been comparing and contrasting the results of blogging on this Internet Social Network.  I expanded my original blog into two blogs, a  technique  known as cross-posting.  Chapter five will explain what I learned from blogging.  I analyze the lessons learned from blogging, including the importance of design for a blogger.  I include an example of publicity I garnered for my blogging, and a cute web survey, “How Much Is My Blog Worth?”

In the  conclusion of my paper, and I share my insights on the future of blogging and Baby Boomer Blog.  I explain why I consider my blog a success, and highlight my most successful blog posting.  Then I step back and look at blogs from a larger viewpoint to explain where we are now with blogging in 2007.  I discuss why blogs have become     popular, and how blogs might look from 2008 to 2018.  The appendix features three screen print illustrations from my blog. A computer disc of the Baby Boomer Blog entries is included with this process paper.

The whole thesis is here.Download cohen_janet_dthesisdec2007.pdf

Thanks to my family and friends.  Mike, Shana, and Marc, and my sister Meira, who is a constant inspiration.  Special thanks to my friends Mary Alice, who first handed me a U. of Minnesota catalog, and Joe, a classmate who is now a blogger.  Also thanks to my friends Marisa and Heidi, and the members of Poor Posture, Fixed Gears, and the Zombie House. 

Thanks very much to my Advisors and Professors at the University of Minnesota:  Jack K. Johnson, Arthur Harkins, and two favorite professors, Jerry Alan and Jeremy Iggers, who first encouraged my research on blogging.  Also, thanks to the Master of Liberal Studies Department.

Next I'd like to thank the theorists and bloggers who most influenced my work.  Thanks to;  professor and co-advisor Arthur Harkins,  authors Brenda Fiala, William Strauss and Neil Howe, and  Generational Dynamics blogger John Xenakis.  Special thanks to the Pew Internet in American Life Project for their ongoing research in this subject.  Thanks to the bloggers and web creators I call my "Virtual Professors", whose words and thoughts have influenced me. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan, Meryl Yourish, Oliver Willis, Pamela Geller, Ray Kurzweil, Nova Spivak, dana boyd, Douglas Rushkoff,  and Jay Michaelson.  Also thanks to University of Minnesota blogger John Moravek.  Finally I would like to thank some special MySpace friends.  Thanks to Janet Waters Levite for being amazing, Manny Mann for being a blog-a-holic, Alvis Briggs, my futurist friend, and Diablo Cody, for being a fearless, female, blogger. 

Comments

[Joe]

Janet,

Congratulations on finishing your thesis!!! I hope you had a nice celebration!

Joe