The Internet has allowed for more convenient transfer of scientific information. As blogs become increasingly popular, they have become a new medium to communicate current news, research, and insights. This class blog is one obvious example of this new form of communication. Rather than bringing in a clipping from a newspaper article and sharing it in class, we can quickly write up a post, attach a link, and the class can leisurely peruse the site at their own convenience.
'TheIssue.com' is one new type of website; they call themselves a "blog newspaper." Basically, the site focuses on a particular issue each day. They bring together perspectives from different blogs with the aim to give the readers an brief overview of the topic, and then dig deeper into the topic by providing links to noteworthy blogs expressing various perspectives on the issue.
The example I linked has to do with confusing nutrition labels due to FDA regulations and misleading advertisements. The first article gives a brief introduction to problems with reading nutrition labels. Then readers can read more into the politics behind food labeling with the second blog. Then there is a lighter blog that describes one person's so-called quest to find "plain soy milk" (which I recommend you read even if you don't read the other ones). At the bottom of TheIssue.com page, there is a spot to post comments on the issue.
It's an interesting take on how transfer of information is changing today. Not only can the experts more easily provide scientific articles and media news on the web, but everyday people are posting blogs and sharing their own tidbits as well.
http://theissue.com/issue/8806.html
Sunday, January 27, 2008
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4 comments:
I don't know the timeframe of when blogs were considered to be "blogs", but I remember 6 years ago or so when xanga was popular and was simply a personal journal for everyone to read. That quickly became myspace which allowed for friend connections and even more personal communication between users. Today we obviously have facebook and dozens of blog sites and sites such as the one you posted about.
Another question that comes into play with all these sources of information is what is credible? I can go to CNN.com and read real news stories, but if I want more personal information or from-the-source accounts? Who decides the difference between valuable personal accounts and incompetent bystanders?
It seems now people do rely on blogs and other informational sources, even though they might not be as realistic as we would all hope. However, even the news is biased and to really understand an event or discovery, you need to look at different sources and come up with what you think the most realistic story is.
I think, because blogs and journals have become so popular and easy accessible online, people can now read others opinions. Although these opinions might not be backed up by a doctorate or an expertise i n the area, they can be a great source of information and can teach people to look at things from different perspectives. And if these people don't really know what they're talking about, hopefully by looking at the news and other sources, people can pick up on this . The more informed a society is and the more willing individuals are to taking the time to deciphere the facts, the better off all of us will be.
So I just looked at the soymilk post and found it quiet intriguing. As a senior nutrition major I have analyzed at these issues in most of my classes, and yes the food industry can be tricky. The only reason I know what carrageenen is, is because I took "The Physiochemical and Biological Aspects of Human Nutrition." For those of you who may be wondering, its a natural seaweed byproduct that adds viscosity and gel-like properties to foods...I know, kind of gross.
A note on cane sugar -- I understand this guy/girl's point - if you want "no sugar added" soy milk, "plain" seems to make sense. But I was just happy to see that the sweetner used was not the infamous "high fructose corn syrup" seen on most ingredient lists. As much as I have learned about carbs and fats, etc I only found out last year that the reason EVERYTHING in the US is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup is because we subsidize corn crops. We have SUCH an abundance of corn (a lot of which is used to feed livestock, a whole other issue) that we use it as a sweetner in most processed food products. Cane sugar is a more natural sweetner, and I've seen it used in other products such as Kashi GoLean breakfast cereal.
Its great that blogs, such as this one, can allow consumers to communicate their concerns to one another and generate awareness. This particular posting was so illustrative and narrative, I'm sure it grabbed people's attention. It's only through widespread public awareness that changes in industries, such as the food industry, will actually occur.
Yes, I also noticed carrageenen from NS331! If anyone is interested in reading more about the "corn" issue in the US, I recommend "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. You will never look at food the same way again!
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