Blogging Pro Bono

Photo source.

The blogosphere can be a strange world for writers, offering vistas as broad ranging and fickle as human nature itself. Bloggers relying on pageviews for sustenance, even those who do not, face the challenge of attracting as many readers as possible, sometimes at the cost of becoming an uncivil "woo meister," provocateur or even worse, a demagogue.

From my first post at "Dean's Corner," I wanted to avoid these potential traps and to simply share what I love about science, sometimes bringing to light mistruths or misrepresentations - at least in my opinion. So,

I blog for free because:

• I read the scientific literature continuously and find amazing discoveries everyday that I would like to share with my students, faculty and the broader public.
• I love to write.
• Writing these posts is a great way to learn the latest breakthroughs, as they are reported in a 24 hour news cycle.
• It allows scientists the freedom of creative expression beyond traditional peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• It is an important supplement to traditional science journalism, allowing scientists to articulate science directly to the public.
• It provides an opportunity to learn online social networking and blogging, something every educator should do.
• All (modest) proceeds generated from pageviews at Dean's Corner are donated to my University Foundation to increase scholarships and research opportunities for our students who deserve as much support as I can provide, particularly because:
• Sixty-five percent of Kean's students are the first generation in their family to attend college. Indeed, Kean was named as one of the nation's top five universities for diversity by DiversityInc magazine.

If you agree with this approach, please share this blog far and wide. Thanks for reading.