Since my first attempt at integration into ‘The Network’, via my blog SandM (more an initialism of mine and my friend Max’s names than an insight into our private lives), our initial undertakings to keep anyone silly enough to read our stuff apprised of the latest series of The Mole was an overwhelming fail. The intentions were good: keep such individuals up to date with an over dramatic guilty pleasure while we hone and develop our writing skills with playful frivolity. You can’t be serious if your writing is no good was our premise, or rather, the premise was an excuse just to write about The Mole…because what else would spark us into action to start excitedly getting together and doing this thing they call blogging?

Alas, The Mole had clearly and expectedly jumped the shark and I too had fears of burnout, and was faced with the decidedly embarrassing reality that even The Mole had lasted infinitely longer than myself.

A small preamble I’d like to bring to note before continuing. My first post titled ‘Gambit’ spoke of “the prospect and challenge of a program that incentivises and rewards proactivity.” I aim to eschew writing such lame and obligatory things that we might perhaps feel at times obliged to comment on, because, you know, “thats what we took from the Unlecture.” In lieu of explicitly mentioning ‘Unlectures’ and ‘readings’ and all these not so exciting parts of NM course jargon, I will try to involve these ideas more implicitly. Starting…….now. Here’s hoping it works. To be honest, I am abashed and reeling after only two days ago writing, so inspirationally might I add, that I feel “obliged to seize the chance for authorship and reap the benefits this space has to offer.”

If saying that is frowned upon by those surveilling this course and this domain (and I doubt it would be), then I think that in itself is an inherent contradiction of this space’s purpose: Honest thoughts and ideas, expressed in this space. And besides, I don’t think anyone really wants to hear my thoughts on this weeks ‘speculative metaphor.’ A recent boat trip in Queensland tells me I would have lasted about 2 seconds on that “unkempt” and “dishevelled” vessel.

It is now time to void the vile and unremitting concern that my musings are totally irrelevant and disinteresting.

The prospect and challenge of a program that incentivises and rewards proactivity is one I meet with tentative enthusiasm. Having gone through the motions during my degree thus far, I feel inclined and obliged to seize the chance for authorship and reap the benefits this space has to offer. It was patently obvious that a reactive approach will render Networked Media very tricky. Passing – for most – is the end game, and gaining knowledge or skill can often be secondary to that all important P, as we go through our respective courses with detached engagement. Doing the bare minimum for that precious P is not totally reprehensible, but something more exacting and demanding encourages reflection on why are we even doing this – and the ‘why’ is a point of examination that is non existent in any subject I have done before.