When was the last time you read an opinion online?
It was probably a few minutes ago, when you saw your friend’s Facebook status, or my own Facebook status, recommending that you read this article from The Aggie because it provides such great wisdom and insight. (It’s true!)
You probably did read something that someone online thought of very recently, and whether you know it or not, it affected your thoughts in some way. Online opinions are here; they’ve been here; and they are just as valuable and important as those in print.
Journalism is changing. Newspapers are moving to the internet, sometimes because they want to and sometimes because they have to. But either way, they’re here. We have websites like Facebook, Buzzfeed and Tumblr. Basically, if someone has an idea, they can post it and get it seen. You can choose to agree or disagree with what they have to say, and then you can tell them what you think by posting it in the comments. Online posts give people more power. They give them the ability to reply with what they have to think, when they think it. In all honesty, that is a disadvantage of print media. With print media, we don’t really have the power to retort right when we want to.
That is not to say that print is, by any means, dead or obsolete. Holding something in your hand allows you to feel it, write on it and, in some ways, become more involved in it than when you stare at a computer screen. It can sometimes be even more satisfying to see your name in print than on a website. But the truth is, media is moving to the internet. It’s quicker, more up to date and it gives you (the reader) more power. Even though not printing is a loss in some ways, we can still embrace the gains and move forward.
The columns that you will see here in the coming days and weeks of Fall Quarter 2014, have all been read over. They will have been edited and discussed by a variety of different, qualified students at The Aggie. They will be worth reading, and they will be worth replying to. Speak out your opinion, just like these writers are! The power of the online comment or email allows you to.
Take advantage of the fact that thoughts worldwide are moving online! Move your thoughts there as well. Become more acquainted with telling people what you think, when you think it. As a warning: be polite and thoughtful, just like these published stories are. Do not say something purely to be mean, because where will that get you in the long run? Say something thought-provoking and help this digital world that we’re all living in progress.
So, take a study break, get excited about the start of the quarter, read a few columns and open your mind. Remember that change, like downloading free e-books instead of buying print textbooks, can be a good thing. You can learn just as much, if not more, from this digital copy than you could learn from what is in print. So, see what we have to offer, and then let us know what you think. Realize that online-only can mean more, not less.
Tell the new Opinion Editor MELISSA DITTRICH, what you think by using the internet and emailing her at medittrich@ucdavis.edu.
