“Blogging the Disaster” is an unconventional way of making the world remember or better understand a particular devastating situation that the World endured. I chose to consider specifically the blog titled Choi’s Space. The effect of this project is pretty clear, the blog provided a way for people to gain a memory of an event that they did not personally experience. It is important that people remember the past, though we live in the present. The site provides a means of unconventional discourse as soon as the homepage appears. The statement “everything is in everything” which refers to the idea that all aspects of the world can be experienced by people regardless of the language they speak, immediately made me stop. I had never thought of such an idea, and it is true– while I personally have never been through the Rwandan Genocide, I hear about the events and experiences and cringe. I understand the experience regardless of the fact that I have no memory of my own of Rwanda. Another aspect of the site that broke the conventional method of writing was the series of logos that were included. Several different images are shown, designed to be a logo for the disaster of the Rwandan Genocide. One that caught my eye and made me stop was one with triangles inscribed in a circle. The triangles represent the ending of a culture, an effect of the disaster discussed. It is as if you are standing on a road and staring far into the distance, the farther the road is the closer the sides appear to be together. The road seems to form a point, hence the triangle. The blog states that it eventually loses visibility. This idea reminds me that we must never forget the events and disasters of the past. They must continue to be a part of our future. Rather than just blatantly stating this idea, the image was effectively used causing me as a reader to stop and consider rather than passively receiving the information.
As a reader, this “Blogging of a Disaster” was an extremely effective way to present an idea in a nonconventional method. The photos included, along side logos and different writings, caused breaks in the site and allowed time for reflection. This prevents the passive receiving that so often happens with typical articles or presentations of material. I like the logos and pictures especially. The view of the tunnel is especially effective in driving home the point of two parallel sides merging and disappearing in the future. It is a very effective antidote to the typical display of information. The author likely got an even greater sense of responsibility than I did as the reader. Composing the blog likely reminded the author of the importance of remembering the past and using it to guide our present and future. The fact that logos had to be designed took creativity and understanding of the situation which could only aide in the feeling of accountability experienced by the author.
