Code Poetry (make-up)

Personally I must say that I do not get code poetry. I looked at a couple of the links, but so far I am lost. Do not get me wrong, I love poetry in general and I do think that the idea behind code poetry is interesting, but I would not just sit down and read it on my own. It is one of those things where I would be more interested in someone explaining their code poetry to me than me trying to analyze it myself. I am one of those people who like to hear the background of the author and/ or the situation that led to them creating such pieces of art.

One day I would like someone to teach me the method of writing code poetry, because like I said before I do love poetry in general. But in my brief experience with code poetry, this being the only time I have been introduced to it, I did not grasp it the way that some other people might. I do respect the creators of the code poetry. Using shapes, pictures and descriptive scenic words is a excellent idea. It is a very creative way to express oneself.

I feel that I may not understand it as much as I should, because I have been in so many poetry analysis classes and I was not able to pull the meanings out of the code poetry right away. I think that with a better familiarity with code poetry, I could probably grow to enjoy it greatly. I will keep my interest alive and my mind open to new things.

Political Blogs (make-up)

Political blogs are beneficial, especially during election time. The blogs allow people to discuss issues that may not be talked about on the news or in the papers. When choosing the leader of your country it is good to hear the views of others to see if there are things that you may not be considering or that you may not have even thought about. During election times we see people walking around with buttons, hanging signs and using other campaign methods to get their candidate elected, but we never really stop and ask them why they are fighting so hard for that candidate. Just because we see people going through great lengths to get someone into office, does not mean that the candidate is good. It could be that the people hanging signs are family members and/or friends of the candidates or it is possible that the people are so busy fighting for a candidate because of his/her D or R behind their name, that they do not even know the issues being discussed.

I do not think that anyone should depend whole heartedly on people’s blogs to make their decisions during elections, or at all for that matter. I say this because the blogosphere is a place where people go to vent and to get their thoughts and opinions heard. It is possible that some of the ideas put into blogs are more like rants than credible information. It is always a good idea to research the issues and candidates before making any decisions, but other people’s comments could definitely help.

Another thought that I had is that blogs could actually help the candidates a lot as well. It is a good idea for them to check out blogs or create blogs to see what people think about them and the issues being voted on. This is a good way for them to get some insight from the people who will be affected most by the decisions that are made…. the residents.

Freestyle Blog (make-up)

The Pressure Put on Adults by Blogosphere

Today I would like to talk about a story that I mentioned in one of my essays. The story was about a couple of young boys who were planning a Columbine style attack on their school. I heard this story on a television news section where they mentioned that boys had been planning this attack for a while and had been making the plans through blog postings. Even though they were discussing their intensions over the World Wide Web, nobody found out until after the incident attempt occurred.

Blog postings, in situations like this, can be used in a positive and negative way. The positive way is if someone had known about their blogs and was able to inform the school prior to the attack. I think that it is a good idea for administrators to have some kind of blog account, so that they can keep an eye out for some of these things. I know that it is not possible to catch all of these situations over the internet, but it would not hurt to try.

The negative way that blogs affect situations like this is that they allow children a place to talk about things that they know that their parents and teachers will not see. Before blogs, these children would have had to meet somewhere, talk about it on the phone, write to one- another about the plans, etc. If things were the way they used to be, someone might have noticed something a little earlier, assuming that the parents and teachers are actively involved with their children and students.

I know that no creation is perfect, but the many advances around us, would need to continue communicating with one-another outside of the blogosphere. Parents are now faced with the pressure of knowing what their children are doing and talking about online, but it is necessary. The reason that these kids use this form of communication is because they knew that their chances of being caught ahead of time, where slim. We need to make children think again. If they do not see anyway to carry out such attacks, maybe they will not attempt.

This is just me ranting. I am throwing out ideas to the world. Thanks for reading!

Mutability of New Media Forms (make-up)

I think that the ability of new media forms to change will ultimately be their strength. Look at blogs. They are used for people to share their ideas with the world and for the world to also give them feedback on their ideas. If someone gives you some interesting insight into the topic that you have written about that might change your mind, it is good to know that your original thoughts are not set in stone. You can then let the world know that, thanks to your blog and the people who read it, you have a new outlook on things. The words that you enter into the blogosphere can follow you forever so it is good to know that you can alter your words or even delete them if you feel the need. Another good thing is that being able to change a blogs allows you to keep them current. If there are people who rely on your blog as an information source, it is important to keep them up to date with new information or even changes to old information.

All good things have something that can be changed. If a person puts their ideas into the blogosphere and they continue to change them, the person and ultimately blogs in general will lose their credibility. If people start to feel that they can not trust the opinions of other bloggers they will lose interest in blogs all together. One must be conscious of their thoughts especially when writing news blogs, political blogs, and educational blogs. These forms are heavily relied on sometimes, but if they can not be trusted, people will revert back to good old news papers and books with reliable authors.

Overall I feel that new media forms of composition, although I only talked about one, will be strengthened by their mutability. People may be more inspired to use new media such as blogs, knowing that they are not permit and that they can make changes at anytime. Also, with the mutability feature of the internet, people may be so inclined to speak with more freedom and confidence.

What is the Need for Neologisms and Portmanteaus? (make-up)

The need for these shortenings of words is the same need that we have for the internet in general. As I have said many times before, the internet provides immediacy and now with the new internet language which includes these neologisms and portmanteaus, we can communicate even faster. It is the same as using slang words in our everyday face- to- face communication, only it is over the internet.

Over time we have come up with this idea that our lives should be one big race against the clock. Everything that we do has to be in a hurry. By doing this we are allowing ourselves to miss out on the beauties of life. This internet slang, just like verbal slang, started as a way to not have to explain yourself in detail every time you talk about something. I guess talking to someone for a long period of time is just not as exciting as it used to be! The World Wide Web has become to long and tedious to say or type in full, so now we use words like internet or web. The ideas of a log of information that is kept over the World Wide Web or a broadcast that uses an iPod have become too difficult to explain over and over again, so now we have blogs and podcasts.

We have been butchering our languages for a long time and it would only make sense that we do the same when communicating via the internet. The funny thing is that people catch on quickly. It has probably become easier for people to remember these neologisms and portmanteaus than it is to remember the whole words or ideas that they represent. Looking at all of the neologisms and portmanteaus that already exist and thinking about how many more are bound to be created, Webster may have to create a whole new dictionary just for the internet language :) !

A Look into the Future of The Blog (make-up)

The blogosphere is definitely here to stay. It has been well received in many parts of the world. When looking back over the past weeks of this course, I can see many changes that have occurred in our natural forms of communication, education, politics, etc. In the third week we discussed blogs and how they relate to politics. During the 2004 elections people used their blogs to voice their opinions on the candidates and the issues that were being addressed. This is a big change in our society, because it is not very often that people, especially politicians, want to here the real point of view of the public. When people vote, they are not allowed comment boxes to express themselves regarding the issues and candidates and if they were we would see that there are a lot of people who do not even know for who or what they are voting. I think that this is a positive change, because now there is no turning back. No one can tell the political bloggers to stop what they are doing and I do believe that it is beneficial to hear different points-of-view when voting for things that can affect all of our lives. People who are not knowledgeable or who are not willing to broaden their thinking by listening to the thoughts of others are usually the ones who suffer the most in the end.

As far as education is concerned, there are upsides and downsides to blogs being involved. The upside is that it allows people to be creative. Teachers can be more creative in their teaching methods, which would hold the students attention a little better. Students can be more creative with essays which would broaden their education and make their essays a bit more interesting for teachers to read and grade. Blogs also allow for better student-to-student and teacher-to-student communication. Blogs allow people to see other sides of each- other and that could very beneficial to the education process. I am a firm believer that education is not just book smarts, but it is also the interactions that people have with one- another. This is why I also believe that, while students learn a great deal from their teachers, the teachers can also learn a lot from students.

One of the downsides that I find in using blogs in education is that, it seems that teachers are beginning to grade students on their creativity and not their knowledge of the educational materials. For example, in our class we are allowed to post our essays in our blogs, which allows us the sky as our limit to our creativity. This is great for us, because we know most of the English basics, but if this format is used in junior high and even high school, student will learn how to insert a hyperlink or a picture into their papers before they learn how to properly spell or punctuate. The current generation of children will have a rough time reading a book or focusing on math problems because their brains will be so accustomed to the fast paced internet opportunities and this is something that I see as being very sad. Another downside that I find with blogs could affect teachers, administration and students. It is the fact that once you submit your blog postings, you are labeled to the whole world by your words. I discussed in my last paper about anonymity in blogs. Well if you do insert your identity into your blog and you write freely about your thoughts and feelings, those thoughts and feelings will follow you for the rest of your life. Like I said before, the blogosphere is not going anywhere soon, but I think that it should be limited or, at least, well monitored when linked with education.

Blogs have a huge impact on how people communicate with one-another. Through blogs, one’s thought can be shared with the whole world. In the future, I can see blogs being one of our major forms of communication. Not everyone is hipped to it yet, but sooner or later, everyone will be somehow involved. Blogs are very informative and allow people to share ideas that they might not, otherwise, share. I think that I am getting closer and closer to wanting to open an account, but I am still a pen and paper girl…. for now.

Freestyle Blog (make-up)

The Impact of Internet on Our Society

While I knew that MySpace was popular on campus, it was not until yesterday that I realized how it controls some people’s lives. While preparing for a final exam, one of my study partners was very distracted. When we asked him what was wrong he said that he could not study anymore and that he was looking at all of the computers around him and wondering why he was not on MySpace right then. Again, I am probably biased because I have not been caught up in the blogosphere yet, but I can not imagine how people can allow blogs to run their lives. As mentioned before in class, when one walks into the UNLV library, on any given day you will see over 50 % of the computers being utilized by patrons of either MySpace or Facebook. This is amazing! Some people have made it a part of their daily ritual to check their accounts an average 2 to 3 times. What is so peculiar about this is that these are the same people who sit at their computers for hours trying to start an essay for class. I believe that the blogosphere has definitely taken over.

It is not just the blogospehere, it is the internet in general. The fast advancements in computer technology are causing people to get bored with their old everyday lives. People do not write letters, they send emails. People do not play board games with other people anymore, because now you can jump online and play those same games with single players. People do not go shopping for music and movies anymore, because it is easier to download them. Through these examples and others, we can see that our one-on-one communication is being cut very short. Soon we will not have to see or talk face-to-face with anyone. We already have the option of having our groceries delivered to our houses and even getting our taxes done online.

Where will this end? What I am beginning to realize through this class is that sky is the limit for the internet. It will never stop advancing and in order to keep up with the Jones’ everybody will eventually be hooked to the internet in some way, shape, form, or fashion. It is going to become one of those instances where we will not remember, nor will we be able to imagine life without the internet. It was the same thing for the television, the email, the cell phone, etc. When we look back, our vision is kind of blurry when we try to see what life was like before these things, and eventually our world will be moving so fast that we will not be able to see the past at all. The only time I’ve even thought about some of these things was in this class. Sooner rather than later I minds will be completely warped into believing that we need the internet, just like they have been warped to think that writing a letter takes to much time or going to the grocery store does not fit into our schedule. I have to admit that I have fallen victim to a lot of these things, but I have been made very conscious and I am trying to see how long it is going to take me to get wrapped up in the hype.

Traditional Lectures vs. Lecture Casting

Digital lectures (lecture castings) have some positive aspects as well as some drawbacks. Based on the Newsweek article, Professor in Your Pocket, the value of lecture casting is based solely on preference. Many people can provide good reasoning for why lecture casting is very useful in their everyday lives. One of the main reasons that lecture casting is so important to many college students is the lack of time and the growing need for the ability to multitask. An example is the Duke University student, Eddy Leal, who is written about in the Newsweek article. He needed to take a research trip and he also needed to be in his macroeconomics class. In situations such as this, it is good that Leal had the ability to do both. Other instances that often occur with college students are illness, lack of transportation, inability to wake up in the morning, etc. and in these cases lecture casting can be very helpful.

Those who contest lecture casting are mostly parents of college students. The main issue that they raise is that they do not feel they are getting their money’s worth. If all colleges start using lecture casting, then parents are paying for their children to get their education via an iPod and lose out on the interaction with teachers and fellow students. Teachers are not all for the new trend of lecture casting either. Some feel that the experience students get in the classroom can not be paralleled with listening to a lecture while on vacation, exercising or doing their laundry.

Being a student, I can appreciate both sides of the spectrum. I am a full time student, I have to work, I get ill and I also need a break sometimes. I understand the need for lecture casting, but I do not agree with lecture casting replacing traditional lecture styles. I think that the two can coexist. I personally like knowing that if I have a question or comment to make, I can just raise my hand and be heard immediately. I also like knowing that if I have to miss class one day, I can still hear what the professor had to say. Lecture casting can be good, even if you go to class everyday. When studying for a test and a student does not remember the whole lecture from a specific day, they can download the lecture to help them study. I think that parents have an opposition to lecture casting, but they do not understand all of the pressure and stress students have to deal with in school. When/ if the parents attended college, there were not as many demands put on students as there is now. At the same time, I do agree that students get their money’s worth when teachers actually conduct traditional lectures. Lecture casting should be used as an aid to students and not seen as a replacement of class time or as a complete downfall in the education system.

Computers vs. Pen and Paper

There are many differences between the pen and paper form of writing and the computerized, WWW/ blog form of writing. While many of the differences are obvious, what are not so obvious are the similarities they share. The issue could simply be that the two forms are created based on the expectations of the audience they are intended to reach.

The pen and paper form of writing is considered more boring than the computerized form. On paper it is a lot more difficult to personalize your writing than it is on the computer. It is not as easy to add a special background, emoticons, hyperlinks, etc., and that is alright. A huge misconception, since the WWW/ blog has become more popular, is that all of the extra graphics are necessary for one’s writing to stand out amongst the crowd. In the past, writing on paper was personalized simply by the penmanship used. It is believed by many that one can tell a lot about the author through their penmanship and because of this the pen and paper form of writing is sometimes still preferred over the WWW/ blog form of writing. When one is using the pen and paper form of writing, it could be that they are purposely eliminating the “flashiness” factor so that the reader can focus more intently on the words being used. Even when using Microsoft word to write traditional essays, many teachers specifically ask that the “flashiness” factor not be added. In these instances, the colorful words, backgrounds, pictures, etc. do not add to the writing, but actually take away from it because the reader can not focus on what is being said by the writer.

The WWW/ blog form of writing is meant to be more extravagant than the pen and paper form. This is because when one is writing for the WWW, they are competing with other websites for attention. The expectation of the WWW/ blog form of writing is that it must grab the reader’s attention and be able to hold on to it. If we were just to scan our hand- written notes onto a website, in the traditional black and white form, the reader’s will probably not even stop long enough to find out what we have to say. On the WWW/ blogs the “flashiness” factor is not only expected, but it is necessary in order to be recognized. The big, bold, colorful letters, creative backgrounds, interesting pictures, emoticons, etc. are what the WWW audience needs to peak their interest and hold their attention long enough for them to understand what is being written.

These two forms of writing can deliver the same message, they just use different approaches. In class the example was given of driving down Las Vegas Boulevard compared to driving down a street in another state. Las Vegas Boulevard has the “flashiness” factor like the WWW, and the street in another state appears to be more boring like the pen and paper form of writing. This is a great example! The street in the other state, because it is not so flashy, the visitors are able to see the detail around them (the people, stores, homes, etc.), but Las Vegas Boulevard is flashy to draw the visitors in and to stray away from looking like every other street in Las Vegas. The goal of Las Vegas Boulevard is grab and keep people’s attention, while the random street in another state is enjoyed for its simplicity. The bottom line is that they are both just streets and in writing, while there are different forms, they are all just writing. Neither form of writing is better than the other, it just depends on the intended audience and what the readers are looking to find in your piece of work.

Internet vs. Textbooks

The act of reading on the internet differs in many ways from the act of reading on paper. The example given in class was a Zine (an online news source) versus a textbook. The differences between the two range from the formality/ informality to the assumed authority that one holds and the other does not.

The Zine would be an example of an informal form of writing. It is the more casual form when put up against a textbook or many other published materials. The Zine would appear to be for a recreational use, a place where the authors can share their points of view on certain topics. It also may speak about things in a more general sense. It may not go into depth about the ins and outs of the topic on which the authors are writing. The readers of a Zine are more than likely reading it out of curiosity rather than using it as a reliable source of information due to its generality. A Zine a not very likely to show important aspects such as opposing views and what makes those opposing views wrong and their views right. Another difference discussed in class was that some people view reading on the internet as having many distractions (e.g. hyperlinks, etc.). Features, such as hyperlinks, on the internet reading materials can be seen as a positive and a negative thing depending on the reader. Some people chose to be able to read through text without interruptions and these would be the people who are not too fond of the hyperlinks. Others actually consider hyperlinks as an asset to reading instead of a drawback. These people like having the opportunity to further research a topic by simply clicking on a link to another site. I think that hyperlinks can, in many ways help the credibility of the website being read. If the creator can provide other sites to support what they are saying, the reader may be more apt to go back to that site for future reference (e.g. websites that provide ratings).

A textbook takes on a more formal approach. They are used as a more reliable research material and are often perceived as having more authority than other information sources. One reason for this is probably the easy access to the internet. Anyone can get online and voice their opinions, but it is assumed that a published text has been read and edited by enough people to have a good all around view on a topic. A textbook is the more dull, yet detailed form of reading when compared to internet reading materials. They do not have hyperlinks and emoticons to jazz up the text. Textbooks are used for professional/ work activity opposed to the internet’s recreational uses. Although the textbook may have an assumed authority, it all depends on what you are looking to get from the text. If you are trying to keep up with the latest reviews on items, music or movies, then a textbook would not be the proper source, because it is not updated as often as an internet source or even a weekly/ monthly magazine. I guess that goes back to the immediacy factor from previous discussions.

In my opinion one is not necessarily better than the other. It all depends on what the reader is looking to get from the reading. There are some internet authors that are credible and there are some textbook authors that are not. I think it is a good idea in any instance to further research the sources that you use instead of whole heartedly believing in just one.

Emails vs. Traditional Letters

The questions asked of us by our professor were, “What are some of the different conventions one follows when writing an email vs. a traditional letter? In what ways do the two forms differ, and how do these differences result in different sorts of textual composition?” There are many differences between email and a traditional letter starting with the immediacy of one over the other. Today, the email option is more preferable than the traditional letter, because now we are in what could be called the ‘microwave age.’ Everyone wants things quick and easy. An email, in my opinion, is designed more for the professional world. In the professional world, information has to be transmitted a little faster than the postal service can offer. While a letter can take up to three days to get to the next state (within the U.S.), an email takes a matter of minutes. Another issue with the delivery of traditional letters is the related costs. If someone would like their letter to arrive somewhere (within the U.S.) by the next day, they would have to pay approximately fifteen dollars, but an email that takes a couple of seconds to send is free. Based solely on this fact, I myself would opt to send an email opposed to a letter.

What tends to come with the immediacy and lack of costs of an email is the lack of sentiment. I feel that writing a letter is the best form of communication, especially when writing to someone who means a lot to you. When one receives a letter it automatically takes on a more personal value. It is much easier to personalize your letter than your email. One could use special stationery, draw special pictures, spray on special scents, and even enclose sentimental items that can not be included in an email. Another difference between an email and a letter could be the length. In many instances people put a lot more time and energy into writing a letter than an email, which causes the letters to be longer, containing a lot more information. In emails people use pictures and graphics in place of words and this is one way that lack of sentiment and lack of length work together.

My feeling is that email has taken the place of, not only personal letters, but also personal phone communication. The telephone was the replacement of letters and now email has replaced the telephone. Even though the phone somewhat did away with letter writing, a phone call still carries some sentimental value. While email and text messaging are just as immediate as a phone conversation, they are not as meaningful. When I receive a letter/ card or a phone call from my mother, sister, grandparents, or fiancé, it means so much more to me than a short message or a forward that they send to me through emails. I personally like to send people little notes and colorful pictures through the mail and when they receive them, it brightens their day. And when I have not spoken to someone in a long while, I like to hear their voice, oppose to getting an email from them, because I can hear in their voice whether they are in good health or not. It just means so much more!

I think that if we were to go back to writing letters as our predominate form of communication, we would put a lot more thought and effort into our work. Words are words, it is the way you distribute them that carries the meaning and value. I, like everyone else, have fallen into that ‘microwave age,’ but this assignment help me see which form of communication I values most.

Free write blog #1

My free write blog this week is related to this week’s class discussion and our first paper topic, plagiarism. It helps me when I am able to get ideas from other people on the topics that I write about, so I figured that this would be the best method of accomplishing that goal. Hopefully I can provide a little information or insight that will help you all as well.

The feeling that I have about plagiarism is that it simply should not be allowed. I really think that it is not extremely hard to cite a source whether it is from the internet or from a textbook. If one ever doubts themselves on whether or not they will be plagiarizing, it never hurts to reference the sources that were used in the creation of your ideas. In not allowing any form of plagiarism, perhaps writers like Jayson Blair or Stephen Glass will think twice before acting.

I also feel that it is the responsibility of teachers to start teaching children at elementary level classes about plagiarism and to hold the children to high standards. In many cases, at the college level, people get caught up in plagiarism, simply because they do not know the proper ways to cite or reference information gathered from outside sources. It was brought up in class that it is a fine line between what is considered plagiarism and what is not and I feel that the thin line will be the cause of many students being punished for plagiarizing. The question of whether students should have to quote passages that they use from class lectures also came up in our discussion. I do not feel that the students should have to cite the teacher’s or classmates’ when using their ideas, but it might be nice to simply make reference to the fact that the idea belonged to someone else.

Lisa Ede, in Work in Progress, defines plagiarism as “the intentional or unintentional use of others’ words or ideas as if they were your own. (p.127)” I think as long as you give the original author of the words or ideas credit for their work/ talent, one can not fault you for using the works of others. I think that there should be no more thin line, but more of a cut and dry rule of no plagiarism. When you use someone’s ideas, cite your findings and then tag your thoughts or feelings onto the piece of work.

I would really like to hear what others feel about the topic. Is it as simple as I am making it or are there more complex issues that I am not addressing? Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Plagiarism

Paper 1 (Draft)

Plagiarism, according to the “Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism” section or our Work in Progress textbook, is defined as “the intentional or unintentional use of others’ words or ideas as if they were your own. (p.127)” This definition is pretty clean cut and clear whether dealing with printed books or websites. When discussing or writing about a particular subject, it is understood that one may contribute ideas that have previously been shared with them. The problem lies in the fact that once the idea is used by someone else without citation, the original author can no longer take credit for the idea.

The issue that I have with Ede’s definition is her addition of the word ‘unintentional.’ It is easy for one to try to clear themselves of plagiarism by saying that it was a mistake, but a writer or speaker must be more cautious of his/her word choice. Oddly enough, when a writer or speaker comes across an idea that they do not agree with and they choose to share their opposing views, they remember the original author of the ‘bad” idea. It is only when one uses another person’s ‘good’ idea that they accidentally, while conveniently, forget that the ‘good’ idea was not their own.

The questions that were asked of us by Instructor, Quimby Melton was “What constitutes plagiarism in a blog versus other, traditional forms of textual composition…? In blogs and other forms of new media, how can we draw a line between “plagiarism” as it has been traditionally conceived and the sorts of hyperlink/ textual/ media incorporation common to blogs and other websites?” We can not draw a line. Plagiarism should be treated the same in both instances. If one would like to use a picture from another website or copy and paste text, they should also make some sort of reference to the website from which they borrowed.

Ede states later in the “Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism” section, “When you do not have time to consult a teacher or a tutor, include a citation. (p.129)” It is not a bad idea to use someone’s good quotes or even pictures to strengthen your point on a particular subject, but if you find yourself using more of their work than your own, you can not go wrong with citing your source. Giving credit to the original creator of the work you chose to use is better than having to face consequences for plagiarizing.