12.06.2009
12.05.2009
Reaching the End...
I, personally, have learned a lot this semester. Not only can I apply what I have learned to my writing, but it is applicable in other aspects of my college career and even life. The most important information came by way of Joseph Harris, author of our class text book, Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts. Although the wordiness of the book made it difficult to read at times, the information portrayed became useful. I would pinpoint an exact chapter I felt was most influential in my writing, but without the remaining chapters the book and lesson would be incomplete. Not only did Harris outline techniques of his writing style, but gave us an example of these methods by writing his book. Applying the techniques of Harris to blog posts and essay responses truly helped me grow as a writer. (No, Eric, I'm not just telling you this because it is the kind of thing teachers like to hear). My writing style was much improved by the lessons learned at that bright and early 8am class three days a week. I can apply everything from this course to my remaining educational career. Not only has my writing style changed since the beginning of this course, but the way I read and interpret information has changed as well. I tend to take more notes, either mentally or physically, instead of just skimming an article or book passage. The news seems to interest me more than it had in the past, I will actually watch the news on a more regular basis and follow up on the news stories I find most interesting. I would provide one solid example as to how this course has impacted my reading and writing habits but there are almost 30 preceding blogs that contain all the evidence you should ever need. I find an obvious difference in my writing from when I wrote that first blog up until this final post and my extended essay.
11.22.2009
11.14.2009
Pick a Side...Any Side
The term taking an approach is only slightly more difficult than the name implies. Most simplistically, taking an approach is the stance you choose to take when writing in response to another individual's work. Harris defines taking an approach by outlining three key aspects for using the technique. They are, acknowledging influences, turning an approach on itself, and reflexivity.
Acknowledging influences basically means giving credit where credit is due. According to Harris there are three main ways (funny how he always outlines in threes) to give said credit to influences. You can evaluate common concerns faced by other writers, analyze methods and habits used by writers to outline and develop stories, or you can attempt to gain an understanding of the writing styles used. Turning an approach on itself would have to be one of the simplest, yet most difficult to grasp (at least for me), ideas. The foundation of this approach technique is to question, quite literally, EVERYTHING. You start with a general question on the subject and turn it into multiple specific questions on the topic until all sides of the issue are fully understood by the writer. Reflexivity is most easily defined as the author taking a look back on their work and evaluating decisions that could change the direction of the piece. This can include anything from language usage to the values and morals concerned when writing the story.
It is difficult to say news articles, such as those from the New York Times, take an approach because news writing is supposed to be unbiased. The only time it is truly acceptable to take a approach an article from one side or the other is when writing an editorial, but even then the writer has to be careful not to be too controversial. Newspapers tend to play it safe when approaching an article, unless approaching from one side would be logically impossible, or ethically repugnant. The blog I personally follow, The Ville Voice, is straightforward about their editorial and complaint/compliment system. While this blog gives you the facts with links to the source, they are not afraid to throw in their personal opinion, however harsh it may be. A prime example of this is in a story about the Louisville Metro Animal Services scandal and the stance Mayor Jerry Abramson takes on it. They say, "It’ll be a cold day in hell before Jerry Abramson takes responsibility for anything,". This blog is constantly negative about anything having to do with the mayor, obviously voicing a dislike for the fact that he has remained in office this long.
Acknowledging influences basically means giving credit where credit is due. According to Harris there are three main ways (funny how he always outlines in threes) to give said credit to influences. You can evaluate common concerns faced by other writers, analyze methods and habits used by writers to outline and develop stories, or you can attempt to gain an understanding of the writing styles used. Turning an approach on itself would have to be one of the simplest, yet most difficult to grasp (at least for me), ideas. The foundation of this approach technique is to question, quite literally, EVERYTHING. You start with a general question on the subject and turn it into multiple specific questions on the topic until all sides of the issue are fully understood by the writer. Reflexivity is most easily defined as the author taking a look back on their work and evaluating decisions that could change the direction of the piece. This can include anything from language usage to the values and morals concerned when writing the story.
It is difficult to say news articles, such as those from the New York Times, take an approach because news writing is supposed to be unbiased. The only time it is truly acceptable to take a approach an article from one side or the other is when writing an editorial, but even then the writer has to be careful not to be too controversial. Newspapers tend to play it safe when approaching an article, unless approaching from one side would be logically impossible, or ethically repugnant. The blog I personally follow, The Ville Voice, is straightforward about their editorial and complaint/compliment system. While this blog gives you the facts with links to the source, they are not afraid to throw in their personal opinion, however harsh it may be. A prime example of this is in a story about the Louisville Metro Animal Services scandal and the stance Mayor Jerry Abramson takes on it. They say, "It’ll be a cold day in hell before Jerry Abramson takes responsibility for anything,". This blog is constantly negative about anything having to do with the mayor, obviously voicing a dislike for the fact that he has remained in office this long.
11.11.2009
"Do I contradict myself? ...
...Very well then I contradict myself."
It was thoroughly difficult to choose which blog post I wanted to revise and contradict. There have just been too many. I finally decided to put some logic into the decision making process and chose the very first post I wrote for this class. Where better to start then from the beginning?
When I first reread this post I noticed the length difference when compared to my more recent posts. It seems I was definitely striving for no more then what was required. That has of course changed, I now find myself attempting to put a personal cap on my posts so I do not end up boring everyone who happens to read them. I have to say that I still agree with most of my "Blogs In the World" post, but I have a new found respect for bloggers everywhere.
Within the very first thought of this post I seem to imply that the actual writing aspect of the blog is not as difficult as generating a creative and attention-grabbing title or headline. WRONG. After the seemingly countless numbers of posts we have written I have come to realize that although the headline usually caught the attention of the reader, it is what is written in the blog, itself, that holds the reader's attention and inspires them to show others your blog. And what is the point of blogging if you do not have followers to share your opinion with? There really isn't one.
I completely agree with a statement I made in that first post, so long ago:
It was thoroughly difficult to choose which blog post I wanted to revise and contradict. There have just been too many. I finally decided to put some logic into the decision making process and chose the very first post I wrote for this class. Where better to start then from the beginning?
When I first reread this post I noticed the length difference when compared to my more recent posts. It seems I was definitely striving for no more then what was required. That has of course changed, I now find myself attempting to put a personal cap on my posts so I do not end up boring everyone who happens to read them. I have to say that I still agree with most of my "Blogs In the World" post, but I have a new found respect for bloggers everywhere.
Within the very first thought of this post I seem to imply that the actual writing aspect of the blog is not as difficult as generating a creative and attention-grabbing title or headline. WRONG. After the seemingly countless numbers of posts we have written I have come to realize that although the headline usually caught the attention of the reader, it is what is written in the blog, itself, that holds the reader's attention and inspires them to show others your blog. And what is the point of blogging if you do not have followers to share your opinion with? There really isn't one.
I completely agree with a statement I made in that first post, so long ago:
Blogging is more of a means of spreading information. Blogs tend to contain current event type information that pertains more to communities as a whole instead of just a certain small group of individuals. Blogs are synonymous to writing in that they are a means of putting ideas into society but through a webpage instead of paper.I would only have to expand on this by adding that the current event information that blogs discuss and spread depends on what news means to the blogger and their blogging community. If it is not important to the readers there is no sense in wasting time reporting it.
11.07.2009
Countering
Harris presents "countering" as an aspect to writing, along with his many other ideas. The idea of countering can be summarized fairly easily. Countering does not necessarily mean to disagree with an author's work, but offers three key points that can be used to counter a piece that you may still agree with. The first point is arguing the other side to show possible flaws in what the author is arguing for. The second point is uncovering values by analyzing an idea that was left unexplained to help bring better meaning to the argument as a whole. The final point is dissenting, or noting limits on a shared idea. Once these points are understood it becomes clear that countering does not have to be a disagreement, but a way to bring new perspective to a text.
A blog I follow, The Ville Voice, does not often use countering to convey a point, as forwarding articles they agree completely with seems to be more their forte. I was, however, able to find an article where countering was used to show the blogger, Jake's, opinion. The blog post, Told Ya So: Berman Wasting Your Money, discusses the Jefferson County Public School Superintendent, Sheldon Berman, wasting Louisville's tax money for personal use, such as travel. The original article from WHAS only mentions that Berman seems to be traveling more often, and discuss possible reasons for this sudden travel increase. Jake puts a personal spin on this article and argues all of the negative aspects of Berman's travel. He points out all of the places he has been traveling to, and how the only explanation is for personal reasons. I believe countering is a useful tool. It does not cause an article to lose or gain anything. When used properly, countering should really only be seen as a way of putting a new perspective on a semi-controversial article or topic.
A blog I follow, The Ville Voice, does not often use countering to convey a point, as forwarding articles they agree completely with seems to be more their forte. I was, however, able to find an article where countering was used to show the blogger, Jake's, opinion. The blog post, Told Ya So: Berman Wasting Your Money, discusses the Jefferson County Public School Superintendent, Sheldon Berman, wasting Louisville's tax money for personal use, such as travel. The original article from WHAS only mentions that Berman seems to be traveling more often, and discuss possible reasons for this sudden travel increase. Jake puts a personal spin on this article and argues all of the negative aspects of Berman's travel. He points out all of the places he has been traveling to, and how the only explanation is for personal reasons. I believe countering is a useful tool. It does not cause an article to lose or gain anything. When used properly, countering should really only be seen as a way of putting a new perspective on a semi-controversial article or topic.
11.05.2009
Forwarding
Joseph Harris mentions the idea of forwarding in his book, "Rewriting: How to Do Things With Texts". What this means is an author putting thier own spin on another's work. Anything can be forwarded, from the traditional texts that have been rewritten for various purposes, such as plays or for new understanding, to the modern, and fairly annoying, forwarded email.
Both of the blogs I am following constantly use forwarding as a way to spread thier news. My personal choice of blog, The Ville Voice, uses forwarding to convey news updates. Most of the time, when on of The Ville Voice contributers links a story they will add their own personal touch. Each day this blog opens with multiple headlines from the latest news updates, adding, a normally witty line, to make the story appealing. For example, on Wednesday, the title was "Wednesday Morning of Wasteful Spending and Such" one of the headlines, and custom leads, was, "Don’t let your kids trick-or-treat in Shively. Cause some dude may snatch them and pull them inside his house. You never know." This was in reference to the Courier Journal blog about how to keep safe when trick or treating on Halloween.
Almost all blogs use stories that have come from other references in order to insure the news will be spread to as many people as possible. If we were not allowed to use this idea of forwarding we would all have to be first hand witnesses to events that occur all across the globe everyday. It would also be much more difficult to develop our own ideas based on previous text and convey them through papers and such.
Both of the blogs I am following constantly use forwarding as a way to spread thier news. My personal choice of blog, The Ville Voice, uses forwarding to convey news updates. Most of the time, when on of The Ville Voice contributers links a story they will add their own personal touch. Each day this blog opens with multiple headlines from the latest news updates, adding, a normally witty line, to make the story appealing. For example, on Wednesday, the title was "Wednesday Morning of Wasteful Spending and Such" one of the headlines, and custom leads, was, "Don’t let your kids trick-or-treat in Shively. Cause some dude may snatch them and pull them inside his house. You never know." This was in reference to the Courier Journal blog about how to keep safe when trick or treating on Halloween.
Almost all blogs use stories that have come from other references in order to insure the news will be spread to as many people as possible. If we were not allowed to use this idea of forwarding we would all have to be first hand witnesses to events that occur all across the globe everyday. It would also be much more difficult to develop our own ideas based on previous text and convey them through papers and such.
10.31.2009
When In Doubt: Venn Diagram.
I have been considering how to answer this post all day. I have spent most of that time attempting to find a deeper relationship between the New York Times, The Ville Voice, and Instapundit than the obvious; they all help in the dissemination of news. I soon realized that once you got down to the basic core of this relationship, the spread of news was the strongest bond. All three of these sites focus on news updates, most commonly about politics, be it state or national level, and contribute the occasional, slightly off topic yet informative story. Each of the three news gatherings offers a collaboration from several different authors or sources so readers receive a variety of opinions instead of the constant lean towards one side or the other.
How the three sites are related to press spheres and news ecologies depends entirely on who is interpreting the information. All of these news sources could be considered an integral aspect to the "me sphere", each site having a certain level of influence over the individual. All three use a form of the "new news sphere" to write, or follow-up, on a story. The consistency of each individual aspect, however, cannot easily be determined. Each story that is written using that sort of time line will use certain characteristics of the "new news sphere" model, depending on the popularity and audience of the topic. While all three sites evaluate similar topics, the way they use the press sphere models and the news ecology differs immensely. Each news outlet is constantly changing the way the press sphere is used in the spread of their information, as the press' effect on the public changes on, what seems a daily basis.
How the three sites are related to press spheres and news ecologies depends entirely on who is interpreting the information. All of these news sources could be considered an integral aspect to the "me sphere", each site having a certain level of influence over the individual. All three use a form of the "new news sphere" to write, or follow-up, on a story. The consistency of each individual aspect, however, cannot easily be determined. Each story that is written using that sort of time line will use certain characteristics of the "new news sphere" model, depending on the popularity and audience of the topic. While all three sites evaluate similar topics, the way they use the press sphere models and the news ecology differs immensely. Each news outlet is constantly changing the way the press sphere is used in the spread of their information, as the press' effect on the public changes on, what seems a daily basis.
10.28.2009
Jarvis and Sullivan
In my opinion, Sullivan's ideas of blogging in his article "Why I Blog", help support Jarvis' models, and vice versa. Sullivan uses blogging as a way to escape the uptight pressures of the press and to share his thoughts directly with the public. This coincides with Jarvis' model "The Me Sphere" because it, too, puts the public in the center with influences from many news source outlets surrounding it. Both Jarvis and Sullivan convey to their audiences that the discourse of news has changed as we enter the technological age.
Jarvis' models, particularly "The New News Model", are able to support Sullivan's ideas of blogging because they convey a similar story line to that which Sullivan describes in his blog. Many of the same characteristics of blogs, mentioned by Sullivan, are key in the makeup of the news model. One of Sullivan's favorite features of the blogging world is the ability to hyperlink additional information to your blog topic. Jarvis mentions this as an aspect to story writing. A major aspect both writers have in common is the belief that stories, especially those related to the news, no longer have a clear cut beginning and end. Stories are now expounded on after additional information is found. Jarvis mentions, "Now a story never begins and it never ends." The same can be said for blogs. Andrew Sullivan has the ability to return to any of his blog posts and revise them with new information, or even write a new post discussing new leads, follow-up, and corrections, all traits mentioned by Jarvis in the new way of writing a news story.
Jarvis' models, particularly "The New News Model", are able to support Sullivan's ideas of blogging because they convey a similar story line to that which Sullivan describes in his blog. Many of the same characteristics of blogs, mentioned by Sullivan, are key in the makeup of the news model. One of Sullivan's favorite features of the blogging world is the ability to hyperlink additional information to your blog topic. Jarvis mentions this as an aspect to story writing. A major aspect both writers have in common is the belief that stories, especially those related to the news, no longer have a clear cut beginning and end. Stories are now expounded on after additional information is found. Jarvis mentions, "Now a story never begins and it never ends." The same can be said for blogs. Andrew Sullivan has the ability to return to any of his blog posts and revise them with new information, or even write a new post discussing new leads, follow-up, and corrections, all traits mentioned by Jarvis in the new way of writing a news story.
10.26.2009
Press Charts and Jarvis
Jeff Jarvis's blog post, The Press Becomes the Press-sphere, does an excellent job at shedding light on the current means of civil discourse. He is not afraid to say that print news is becoming a news spreading tool of the past. He makes his opinions on the topic obvious, and wants to make it clear that the public should be the center of the news and all forms of discourse. Without the public there would be no reason for the news, and for that reason the news should be spread by means that are convenient to all interested members of society.
I did not find Jarvis's models confusing by any means. This could be attributed to the fact that I was in a journalism class in high school and understand the basics of news writing. I believe his models were fairly cut and dry. You hardly needed the added explanation to grasp basic concept. The only thing I found truly odd about them is that he took the time to sit down and draw up these models to prove a point. But, I would not consider that completely unusual; I find it creative and useful in getting his point across.
Jarvis seems to truly understand how quickly and easily the technological world is changing the way we view even the simplest things, such as print newspapers. I agree that the world of news and discourse must change its ways if it ever hopes to keep up with the ideas of the modern citizen.
I did not find Jarvis's models confusing by any means. This could be attributed to the fact that I was in a journalism class in high school and understand the basics of news writing. I believe his models were fairly cut and dry. You hardly needed the added explanation to grasp basic concept. The only thing I found truly odd about them is that he took the time to sit down and draw up these models to prove a point. But, I would not consider that completely unusual; I find it creative and useful in getting his point across.
Jarvis seems to truly understand how quickly and easily the technological world is changing the way we view even the simplest things, such as print newspapers. I agree that the world of news and discourse must change its ways if it ever hopes to keep up with the ideas of the modern citizen.
10.24.2009
Times are Certainly Changing.
I will be the first to admit that I do not pick up a newspaper on a daily basis. I won't even glance at it unless I am guaranteed to find an interesting story. Most of what I read in the newspaper is found in the sports and features sections. I realize that I should make an effort to be more involved in current events but I sometimes have no time for it.
Needless to say, the transition to reading the paper everyday was a huge step. The first time I attempted to read the New York Times was a complete disaster. I found myself reading headlines and telling myself how uninteresting it all seemed. Finally, after searching through a few of the topics in the sidebar, I found my stride. Under the health topic I found a story with a headline that really grabbed my attention. After reading the lead I decided this story just might be worth a little bit of patience. It turns out the story, though not exactly a typical current event update, helped me gain a new perspective about becoming an avid news reader.
Though my comfort zone remains in health and sports (anything about the Giants) topics, I find myself reaching out and giving other, not so interesting stories a second chance. I think this is the biggest part of the process I have missed. I should have been more open from the start and been less concerned about spending time on a story that held no interest to me. As of right now, I cannot honestly say I have noticed a change in my habits since beginning following the New York Times; it may be too early on for that. The only differnce may be that the Times is one of the first places I go when I get on the internet, so I do not forget to read up on that day's news.
Needless to say, the transition to reading the paper everyday was a huge step. The first time I attempted to read the New York Times was a complete disaster. I found myself reading headlines and telling myself how uninteresting it all seemed. Finally, after searching through a few of the topics in the sidebar, I found my stride. Under the health topic I found a story with a headline that really grabbed my attention. After reading the lead I decided this story just might be worth a little bit of patience. It turns out the story, though not exactly a typical current event update, helped me gain a new perspective about becoming an avid news reader.
Though my comfort zone remains in health and sports (anything about the Giants) topics, I find myself reaching out and giving other, not so interesting stories a second chance. I think this is the biggest part of the process I have missed. I should have been more open from the start and been less concerned about spending time on a story that held no interest to me. As of right now, I cannot honestly say I have noticed a change in my habits since beginning following the New York Times; it may be too early on for that. The only differnce may be that the Times is one of the first places I go when I get on the internet, so I do not forget to read up on that day's news.
10.23.2009
Blog Analysis
The blogs I am following, as I mentioned in a previous post, are the Ville Voice and InstaPundit.
The Ville Voice has two authors, Rick Redding and Jacob (Jake) Payne. Rick Redding, a Louisville native residing in Jeffersontown, is the original creator of the blog. He has worked in various media venues including blogging, reporting, writing, and photographing news, sports, and politics. Jake is an eastern Kentucky native who loves anything having to do with politics or technology. He serves as a political liaison, spokesperson, and financial adversary.
The audience of The Ville Voice is comprised mostly of Louisvillians who are interested in updates about the city in which they live. The main purpose of this blog is to update all interested parties in Louisville's upcoming events, local news updates, and the latest Louisville gossip. The blog also contains the occasional national news updates.
The author of InstaPundit is Glenn Reynolds. He is currently employed at the University of Tennessee as a law professor. He has written a variety of articles and books pertaining to a multitude of subjects such as environmentalism and ethics. He is currently a contributing editor at Popular Mechanics. He has strong interests in music and the crossroads of technology and individual liberty.
The audience of this particular blog is conservatives and those with an interest in politics. The blogs provides updates on political issues from a conservative standpoint. It shares videos, interviews, and articles about the conservative opinion on current political topics such as health care reform.
Though I am not strongly interested in politics I feel InstaPundit will be able to hold my attention as i follow for the next few months. As for The Ville Voice, I love this city and am of course interested in its news and events.
The Ville Voice has two authors, Rick Redding and Jacob (Jake) Payne. Rick Redding, a Louisville native residing in Jeffersontown, is the original creator of the blog. He has worked in various media venues including blogging, reporting, writing, and photographing news, sports, and politics. Jake is an eastern Kentucky native who loves anything having to do with politics or technology. He serves as a political liaison, spokesperson, and financial adversary.
The audience of The Ville Voice is comprised mostly of Louisvillians who are interested in updates about the city in which they live. The main purpose of this blog is to update all interested parties in Louisville's upcoming events, local news updates, and the latest Louisville gossip. The blog also contains the occasional national news updates.
The author of InstaPundit is Glenn Reynolds. He is currently employed at the University of Tennessee as a law professor. He has written a variety of articles and books pertaining to a multitude of subjects such as environmentalism and ethics. He is currently a contributing editor at Popular Mechanics. He has strong interests in music and the crossroads of technology and individual liberty.
The audience of this particular blog is conservatives and those with an interest in politics. The blogs provides updates on political issues from a conservative standpoint. It shares videos, interviews, and articles about the conservative opinion on current political topics such as health care reform.
Though I am not strongly interested in politics I feel InstaPundit will be able to hold my attention as i follow for the next few months. As for The Ville Voice, I love this city and am of course interested in its news and events.
10.20.2009
Faithful Follower
The blogs I will be following:
The Ville Voice: a blog dedicated to updates about the city of Louisville.
http://thevillevoice.com/
InstaPundit: a conservative blog that will help keep me updated on politics, a topic I generally do not follow.
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/
The Ville Voice: a blog dedicated to updates about the city of Louisville.
http://thevillevoice.com/
InstaPundit: a conservative blog that will help keep me updated on politics, a topic I generally do not follow.
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/
10.19.2009
News Findings
As a class, most of our news comes from sources other than the typical newsprint and television media. I noticed more news being spread my word of mouth. We may be informed by the radio, something we read, or a television news cast, but we seem to generally talk about the news we hear with our peers and family. By doing this we develop our own opinions and understanding of the story.
The news we find on the internet tends to find us, instead of the other way around. I personally do not go looking for news stories unless it is to follow up on a previous story of interest. Most of the news we happen upon on the internet is from "pop-up" stories that appears across the tops, down the sides, and scattered throughout the various sundry of websites we visit during the day.
We all seem to be on the same opinion when it comes to stigmas about our generation and its ability to keep up on current events. Our generation does not want to completely avoid news; we just do not have the time to spend in front of a television or behind the headlines of a newspaper. With our constantly fast paced lives we only have time to catch up on current events when they interrupt music on the radio or when we happen to catch snippets of news on the internet or through breaking news updates. It is unfair for people to judge our generation's current events knowledge when most teenagers have our own definition of news.
The news we find on the internet tends to find us, instead of the other way around. I personally do not go looking for news stories unless it is to follow up on a previous story of interest. Most of the news we happen upon on the internet is from "pop-up" stories that appears across the tops, down the sides, and scattered throughout the various sundry of websites we visit during the day.
We all seem to be on the same opinion when it comes to stigmas about our generation and its ability to keep up on current events. Our generation does not want to completely avoid news; we just do not have the time to spend in front of a television or behind the headlines of a newspaper. With our constantly fast paced lives we only have time to catch up on current events when they interrupt music on the radio or when we happen to catch snippets of news on the internet or through breaking news updates. It is unfair for people to judge our generation's current events knowledge when most teenagers have our own definition of news.
10.18.2009
Fit to Print
As someone who is constantly on the go it is difficult to find time to catch up on current events. Luckily, with the amount of time I spend on the road between school, work, and home, the radio is available as my main source of news. Granted, most of the stations I listen to are filled with celebrity news and pop culture updates, when they feature actual news, the story is worthwhile and to the point.
Another main form of my news gathering includes the conversations my friends and I have. If one of us hears an interesting scoop about current or pop culture news we share and pick it apart until every fine detail has been discussed. You would be surprised about how your personal view of a topic can change by looking at it the way your friends interpret it. Of course, if all else fails, my mother would certainly never allow me to be left in the dark about top story news. If she believes for one second that I may not have heard about the story yet, she is sure to inform me.
The only time I will really sit down and read any part of the paper is on Sundays, this just happens to be the day when the Courier Journal is the fullest, making it worthwhile to look at. When I do this it is normally just skimming headlines, leads, and pictures with captions until something interesting comes up. Most of the news is either related to sports or local news; seeing as most international news has already been spread and I know the gist of the situation.
Another main form of my news gathering includes the conversations my friends and I have. If one of us hears an interesting scoop about current or pop culture news we share and pick it apart until every fine detail has been discussed. You would be surprised about how your personal view of a topic can change by looking at it the way your friends interpret it. Of course, if all else fails, my mother would certainly never allow me to be left in the dark about top story news. If she believes for one second that I may not have heard about the story yet, she is sure to inform me.
The only time I will really sit down and read any part of the paper is on Sundays, this just happens to be the day when the Courier Journal is the fullest, making it worthwhile to look at. When I do this it is normally just skimming headlines, leads, and pictures with captions until something interesting comes up. Most of the news is either related to sports or local news; seeing as most international news has already been spread and I know the gist of the situation.
10.01.2009
9.28.2009
Rocking the Foundation
Here is my first draft. It is by no means finished, as you can see by the length. But, it is all i could get out before the writers block set in and i started searching for an outside article that didn't pale in comparison to those we had already read.
If you edit on the document please do so in a differnt color or font. Thanks.
If you edit on the document please do so in a differnt color or font. Thanks.
9.27.2009
Personal Growth
The once underestimated web writing has helped me grow as a writer. I have a new found respect for both web reading and writing. I did not understand how difficult it was to write the first thoughts, reactions, and emotions that came to mind until I was placed in the shoes of a blogger. The free form spontaneity is both awe-inspiring and a challenge. I used to not like writing because I thought the process of completing an "academic paper" was arduous. I know find that there is a comfort in the structure of writing for educational purposes and that spontaneous web writing is almost stressful.
I have started to notice that the change of how I read, write, and process information on the computer is actually affecting my everyday reading and writing. I find myself taking notes more frequently and much more carefully then I had in the past. Since having to take notes on articles for our blog posts I have found myself reading other pieces on the internet that I would have ordinarily just skimmed. I am now very much interested in the blogging community, though it is unlikely that I will create a personal blog. Now that I have looked at blogging from a different view point, I admit that I much prefer online information updates as opposed to that of newsprint.
All and all I must say that blogging has positively changed my views of internet reading and writing. While this change is taking some time to get used to I believe that it will help me in the future. The challenge of adapting my writing style to fit that of the fast paced blogging community is worth it, in my opinion.
I have started to notice that the change of how I read, write, and process information on the computer is actually affecting my everyday reading and writing. I find myself taking notes more frequently and much more carefully then I had in the past. Since having to take notes on articles for our blog posts I have found myself reading other pieces on the internet that I would have ordinarily just skimmed. I am now very much interested in the blogging community, though it is unlikely that I will create a personal blog. Now that I have looked at blogging from a different view point, I admit that I much prefer online information updates as opposed to that of newsprint.
All and all I must say that blogging has positively changed my views of internet reading and writing. While this change is taking some time to get used to I believe that it will help me in the future. The challenge of adapting my writing style to fit that of the fast paced blogging community is worth it, in my opinion.
9.25.2009
Stepping Beyond Wikipedia
I found the article stepping beyond interesting because it talks, mostly, about how to search the internet through search resources, such as Wikipedia. It also mentions learning new literacy and reading techniques by aquiring the proper knowledge of how to use the internet.
9.19.2009
Newsflash
Through his article "Bad Days for Newsrooms" Chris Hedges argues it cannot be inferred that the internet is completely to blame for the decline of newsprint. A major reason for cut back in newsrooms is the lack of "public responsibility". When it comes to uncovering stories and gathering all of the necessary entities to produce and spread news, news staffs have almost become too lazy. When considering all of the expenses it takes to print just one edition of a newspaper it is almost not worth the minimal profit, especially when the staff is not willing to put in the effort to make a sensational newspaper. The rising corporate power houses are also to blame for the decline of print news. The population has become less amused with actual news events and have turned to more entertaining shows such as, TMZ which gathers information about current social events.
The major difference between Hedge's article and Clive Thompson's "Clive Thompson on New Literacy" is that Thompson argues the new forms of communication through internet technology have revolutionized modern writing and language. People of today's generation are beginning to write outside of school, where in previous years writing rarely occurred without a school based reason. Both Thompson and Hedges attempt to show that writing is now done mostly for entertainment. Most of today's society is using internet writing as a means of communication and to spread information quickly and efficiently.
Advances of modern technology have helped to improve language and writing. With proper teaching any student can learn the difference between "text talk" and formal writing language. I personally believe that if there is no reason to write out full words and phrases that short hand is acceptable to make life easier. Why would you make writing and communicating more difficult than necessary?
The major difference between Hedge's article and Clive Thompson's "Clive Thompson on New Literacy" is that Thompson argues the new forms of communication through internet technology have revolutionized modern writing and language. People of today's generation are beginning to write outside of school, where in previous years writing rarely occurred without a school based reason. Both Thompson and Hedges attempt to show that writing is now done mostly for entertainment. Most of today's society is using internet writing as a means of communication and to spread information quickly and efficiently.
Advances of modern technology have helped to improve language and writing. With proper teaching any student can learn the difference between "text talk" and formal writing language. I personally believe that if there is no reason to write out full words and phrases that short hand is acceptable to make life easier. Why would you make writing and communicating more difficult than necessary?
9.16.2009
A Watered Down Culture
At first, the ideas presented in Chris Hedges America the Illiterate brought about feelings of complete shock. The idea that the majority of our modern society, with its complex computers and other technological advances, could be descending to the mindset of a 10 year-old was almost unfathomable. Then I considered the other advaces our society has made, mainly in the genre of entertainment. With the ever updating means of technology comes the capability of spreading entertainment farther at a much faster pace.
Even with this new view on literacy, the rising statistics of the illiterate remained staggering. It is almost impossible to grasp the concept that about one third of America's population survives day to day on familiar brand names and image filled restaurants alone; most of them capable of serving only fellow illiterates. I would personally be lost if I did not have the ability to help myself with daily tasks such as, paperwork, driving, and being able to determine the dosage for medicine. Presidential candidates have started to "dumb down" their speeches to appeal to the illiterate of our population.
Americans have traded in their once highly valued knowledge and education for entertainment. As if this fact were not disturbing enough, it is something politicians are preying on. They use the weaknesses of those that cannot serve themselves to get ahead in polls and elections. With user friendly images and slogans they can sway the vote of the illiterates without much effort. Hedges uses an example that, after doing the math, is quite an eye opener. The election debate between Lincoln and Douglas was presented at an average grade level of 11.6. The 2000 debate between Bush and Gore was only a 7.2 grade level average. I personally would not want a president that presented himself at 4.4 grade levels less than that of previous presidents.
America needs to bring back the valued days of education and use these great technological advances for the betterment of human kind. Educating instead of catering to the needs of the illiterate could completely reshape not only America, but the world as a whole.
Even with this new view on literacy, the rising statistics of the illiterate remained staggering. It is almost impossible to grasp the concept that about one third of America's population survives day to day on familiar brand names and image filled restaurants alone; most of them capable of serving only fellow illiterates. I would personally be lost if I did not have the ability to help myself with daily tasks such as, paperwork, driving, and being able to determine the dosage for medicine. Presidential candidates have started to "dumb down" their speeches to appeal to the illiterate of our population.
Americans have traded in their once highly valued knowledge and education for entertainment. As if this fact were not disturbing enough, it is something politicians are preying on. They use the weaknesses of those that cannot serve themselves to get ahead in polls and elections. With user friendly images and slogans they can sway the vote of the illiterates without much effort. Hedges uses an example that, after doing the math, is quite an eye opener. The election debate between Lincoln and Douglas was presented at an average grade level of 11.6. The 2000 debate between Bush and Gore was only a 7.2 grade level average. I personally would not want a president that presented himself at 4.4 grade levels less than that of previous presidents.
America needs to bring back the valued days of education and use these great technological advances for the betterment of human kind. Educating instead of catering to the needs of the illiterate could completely reshape not only America, but the world as a whole.
9.14.2009
Information Overload
The information available on the internet is not making us stupid, necessarily. It actually aids in making human kind more efficient. Now, what you choose to do with all of the extra time gained from not having to spend hours upon hours in a library doing research is completely up to the individual. Sure we have taken hold of this internet and seem to use it as a crutch, but who would turn a gift horse in the mouth if it is going to save you from the Dewey Decimal system.
Computers have, of course, become an integral part in today's society. The fear that they may one day take over the world is completely ridiculous. I do not see the world becoming a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, like Carr mentions in the beginning of his article. Think of it this way, when cars and cell phones and other modern technologies were invented humanity did not live in fear. They, instead, adapted to their presence and do not plan on going back to a world before these conveniences.
As a class we seem to have this idea of adaptation under complete control. Of course each individual has their list of frequently visited sites, but in most cases we are using the internet for the same basic reasons. Some just prefer different search engines, for example. But the fact is we all have a need to, at one time or another, scour the infinite resources of the internet.
So, the internet and computers in general are not designed to take over our lives and make us mindless robots or anything. The intention is to make it easier to gain access to information at the drop of a hat in hopes of making life just a little less chaotic and complex.
Computers have, of course, become an integral part in today's society. The fear that they may one day take over the world is completely ridiculous. I do not see the world becoming a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, like Carr mentions in the beginning of his article. Think of it this way, when cars and cell phones and other modern technologies were invented humanity did not live in fear. They, instead, adapted to their presence and do not plan on going back to a world before these conveniences.
As a class we seem to have this idea of adaptation under complete control. Of course each individual has their list of frequently visited sites, but in most cases we are using the internet for the same basic reasons. Some just prefer different search engines, for example. But the fact is we all have a need to, at one time or another, scour the infinite resources of the internet.
So, the internet and computers in general are not designed to take over our lives and make us mindless robots or anything. The intention is to make it easier to gain access to information at the drop of a hat in hopes of making life just a little less chaotic and complex.
9.12.2009
Reading and Writing Harris Style
Harris' attempts to convey that reading and writing are open for interpretation according to the comfort levels of the current 'reviser'. To Harris writing exists in the form of rewriting, in the form of both personal revision and interpretations of past literary works. His main focus, when it comes to writing, is to embed the idea of writing as a social practice with action, and dynamics, instead of the all-to-common summarization. A writer should feel free to respond, not necessarily to the original author, but to those who may receive the rewritten work. Before grasping the basic concept of how to read, Harris first helps us to understand what it is we are reading and interpreting. Harris defines this as a text, or any physical artifact with personal meaning. With this in mind Harris suggests we read with the author and then from different perspectives to gain a complete understanding of the passage as a whole. Harris outlines three guidelines to consider while reading which I find could be very helpful: define the purpose of the author's project, note keywords, and determine limits and uses.
The term project is used to convey that not all literary works are constructed around a single simple main idea, some include complex thoughts. Finding where the author is coming from and where they received their information can help easily determine the meaning behind the textual piece. When responding to a written work quotes can be your "best friend". Through the multiple types of available quotes a writer can efficiently display the way in which they interpreted the original text.
This all ties in to Andrew Sullivan's ideas of writing being more unstructured and in the moment. The formalities of academic writing hinder the creative and personal flow. Both Sullivan and Harris come from the idea that writing should be expressed in a way that suites the writer.
The term project is used to convey that not all literary works are constructed around a single simple main idea, some include complex thoughts. Finding where the author is coming from and where they received their information can help easily determine the meaning behind the textual piece. When responding to a written work quotes can be your "best friend". Through the multiple types of available quotes a writer can efficiently display the way in which they interpreted the original text.
This all ties in to Andrew Sullivan's ideas of writing being more unstructured and in the moment. The formalities of academic writing hinder the creative and personal flow. Both Sullivan and Harris come from the idea that writing should be expressed in a way that suites the writer.
9.09.2009
So What Did You Do Today?
Whatever happened to those good old days, the ones where you had to have an actual conversation with a person before you could say you honestly knew them? It was not until I looked back on the internet usage of my fellow classmates that I realized everything you truly needed to know about them was right in the sites they visited. I quite honestly assumed that, although we would never have all the same sites listed in each individual blog, one site would be visited almost religiously by at least a great majority of our class. That site is Facebook. Every blog I skimmed in order to prep for this post referenced the networking site of networking sites at least once, if not several times.
Because we have a fairly diverse list of hometowns in our class it was to be expected that there would be sites visited that some of us maybe had not heard of before. These differences were seen mostly through local news sites and even some local blogs. It seems that we used the internet for more of a reading, information gathering, and networking opportunity than anything else. Unless you got online to update a blog, or send an email there was not much writing occurring.
Though it always feels, at least to me, just a little awkward to peer into the personal lives of others, I believe the "research" aspect of this post taught me a few things. I think the most important thing I was able to gather was an insight into the personality and background of several of my fellow students. Seeing the sites most visited by them allowed me to realize that though you may not talk to someone because they sit across the room from you, you may have more in common with them then you ever thought possible. I also realized that today's generation has a need to be constantly included in the loop, and everyone has their own form of gossip mill.
Because we have a fairly diverse list of hometowns in our class it was to be expected that there would be sites visited that some of us maybe had not heard of before. These differences were seen mostly through local news sites and even some local blogs. It seems that we used the internet for more of a reading, information gathering, and networking opportunity than anything else. Unless you got online to update a blog, or send an email there was not much writing occurring.
Though it always feels, at least to me, just a little awkward to peer into the personal lives of others, I believe the "research" aspect of this post taught me a few things. I think the most important thing I was able to gather was an insight into the personality and background of several of my fellow students. Seeing the sites most visited by them allowed me to realize that though you may not talk to someone because they sit across the room from you, you may have more in common with them then you ever thought possible. I also realized that today's generation has a need to be constantly included in the loop, and everyone has their own form of gossip mill.
9.08.2009
Where in the World Wide Web
Surprisingly enough, I did not use the internet as much as i would have expected this weekend. Due to the holiday and a rather hectic work schedule there was not much time for it.
Saturday:
8:00-8:20am checked and updated Facebook.
6:00-7:00pm had Facebook up while working on homework and cleaning my room
6:00-7:00pm listened to music on Pandora radio
10:00-11:00pm on Facebook catching up with out of town friends
Sunday:
8:00-10:30 listening to Pandora while getting ready for church
1:30-2:40 read articles online for Modes of Inquiry paper
1:00-1:30 Facebook to work out plans for the rest of the weekend
Saturday:
8:00-8:20am checked and updated Facebook.
6:00-7:00pm had Facebook up while working on homework and cleaning my room
6:00-7:00pm listened to music on Pandora radio
10:00-11:00pm on Facebook catching up with out of town friends
Sunday:
8:00-10:30 listening to Pandora while getting ready for church
1:30-2:40 read articles online for Modes of Inquiry paper
1:00-1:30 Facebook to work out plans for the rest of the weekend
9.02.2009
Mr. Sullivan, Why Do You Blog?
Patience is a virtue rarely seen in today's fast paced society. Without bloggers such as Andrew Sullivan, most of the population would be at a loss. Consider a world before the constant current event update. If Andrew Sullivan had never discovered the then underground spread of news, chaos would continue to plague the unorganized news highlights of typical webpages. Sullivan accidentally stumbled upon the new reverse rolodex of the digital community.
For Sullivan, the idea of spreading current news throughout the world in a matter of moments after its occurence did not come until after he concurred his fear of technology and began with past works of art and research. Once he discovered this free-form public diary, there was no turning back. He found blogging as a way to relieve the stresses of journalistic office work. It gave him, and other previously voiceless individuals, the ability to show creativity and personal opinion not available in structured informative news writing.
The most interesting quote to catch my eye was Sullivan's true boiled down opinion of the blogging world, "There is a vividness to this immediacy that cannnot be rivaled by print". This can be considered the most quintessential purpose of blogging. Generally, by the time a story is printed in the paper the entire country has heard it, and misconstrued it, to an almost fabricated rumor. With real time blog updates the news has less opportunity to morph into the thoughts and ideas of others. It has a way of trademarking itself due to its semi-permanent appearance. Some may accuse blogging of consuming the need for a traditional pen and paper method, but bloggers, such as Sullivan, realize the boundaries where "matter dictates medium".
For Sullivan, the idea of spreading current news throughout the world in a matter of moments after its occurence did not come until after he concurred his fear of technology and began with past works of art and research. Once he discovered this free-form public diary, there was no turning back. He found blogging as a way to relieve the stresses of journalistic office work. It gave him, and other previously voiceless individuals, the ability to show creativity and personal opinion not available in structured informative news writing.
The most interesting quote to catch my eye was Sullivan's true boiled down opinion of the blogging world, "There is a vividness to this immediacy that cannnot be rivaled by print". This can be considered the most quintessential purpose of blogging. Generally, by the time a story is printed in the paper the entire country has heard it, and misconstrued it, to an almost fabricated rumor. With real time blog updates the news has less opportunity to morph into the thoughts and ideas of others. It has a way of trademarking itself due to its semi-permanent appearance. Some may accuse blogging of consuming the need for a traditional pen and paper method, but bloggers, such as Sullivan, realize the boundaries where "matter dictates medium".
8.29.2009
Blogs in the World
Creating the blog itself was not a difficult task. However, when it came to naming my personal blog I had a bit of "writer's block". I was most surprised about how creative you could be with your blog. I had to remind myself that the main purpose was the written part of the blog, not about how I could completely change the appearance of the blog page.
Blogging for this class has not changed my opinion of blogs. I was fortunate to have a similar assignment in my senior english class. We used a site called edublogs.org. We would respond to class discussions, articles we read, and general topics we felt the need to give our opinions on.
For me making a blog and having a Facebook or MySpace page have both similarities and differences. I see a site such as Facebook or MySpace to have more of a social aspect where people can interact with friends and family. People using one of these social sites are more apt to limiting the amount of information displayed because the pages are not anonymous. Blogging is more of a means of spreading information. Blogs tend to contain current event type information that pertains more to communities as a whole instead of just a certain small group of individuals. Blogs are synonymous to writing in that they are a means of putting ideas into societybut through a webpage instead of paper.
Blogging for this class has not changed my opinion of blogs. I was fortunate to have a similar assignment in my senior english class. We used a site called edublogs.org. We would respond to class discussions, articles we read, and general topics we felt the need to give our opinions on.
For me making a blog and having a Facebook or MySpace page have both similarities and differences. I see a site such as Facebook or MySpace to have more of a social aspect where people can interact with friends and family. People using one of these social sites are more apt to limiting the amount of information displayed because the pages are not anonymous. Blogging is more of a means of spreading information. Blogs tend to contain current event type information that pertains more to communities as a whole instead of just a certain small group of individuals. Blogs are synonymous to writing in that they are a means of putting ideas into societybut through a webpage instead of paper.
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