The cluster map is located here.
In my cluster map I basically split the Flint water crisis into a good v. evil story. I wrote how the Flint residents are the protagonists and how they have lost their liberties to clean water and decent care and also mistrust from their government. They have the chance to bring the governor to justice by asking for his resignation and their health is at risk.
On the other hand, I have Governor Rick Snyder who is somewhat the antagonist of all of this. He decided to switch the water supply for the worse just to save a few extra bucks instead of betting with the safer option that would ensure clean water to the citizens of Flint, Michigan. He is in jeopardy of losing his position as governor and has the chance to win back the love of the people of Flint and try to right his wrongs.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Evaluation of General Sources
The following two sources relate to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
URL: The URL is http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/page/flint_water_crisis.html#incart_special-report. The source ends in a .com, this means the source is credible although a .org or .info or .gov would be more of a reliable source.
Last Updated: No it doesn't provide last updated on the article. The article is not outdated as it was released in 2016 of January. The source has working hyperlinks to charts, statistics and videos with regards to the history of the water crisis in Flint.
URL: The URL is http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/page/flint_water_crisis.html#incart_special-report. The source ends in a .com, this means the source is credible although a .org or .info or .gov would be more of a reliable source.
Author: The author is John Counts. Yes, I can verify his qualifications by researching him online (he also works for a newspaper of Michigan).
Last Updated: No it doesn't provide last updated on the article. The article is not outdated as it was released in 2016 of January. The source has working hyperlinks to charts, statistics and videos with regards to the history of the water crisis in Flint.
Purpose: The text wants to inform the history of how the Michigan Government contaminated the waters of Flint, Michigan.
Graphics: The only considerable graphics are the charts and videos added on to the video to provide further information on the controversy.
Position on Subject: The source seems unbiased as it is presenting the factual truth of the history of this crisis to the best of its abilities. If the information is viable, it profits readers who are investigating on the matter of this controversy. Yes, I can verify the information with other sources.
Links: The source links reputable sources to provide further background on the controversy.
URL: The URL is http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/01/12/flin-j12.html. It is a reputable source as it is a .org website.
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| geralt, "Binary Ball" 9/23/14 via pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
URL: The URL is http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/01/12/flin-j12.html. It is a reputable source as it is a .org website.
Author: The author for this source is James Brewer. Yes, I am able to verify his qualifications via research.
Graphics: There are no graphics in this article.
Position on Subject: It is a bit biased in favor of the residents of Michigan and if this information is true, it benefits media outlets and citizens who want to be well informed on the matter.
Last Updated: The website doesn't provide when the source was last updated but, it is contemporary as the source was released in January 2016.
Purpose:The purpose of this source is to explain the situation of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and the effects it is having on the public health of the residents.
Graphics: There are no graphics in this article.
Position on Subject: It is a bit biased in favor of the residents of Michigan and if this information is true, it benefits media outlets and citizens who want to be well informed on the matter.
Links: The source does not provide any additional links.
Considering Genre
There are four genres available for my first project: Podcast,video essay, Quick Reference Guide and the college essay. The following will briefly explain my selection of genre for Project 1.
1. What genre are you going to commit to for Project 1? Why?
For this project, I am going to commit to the college essay because I think it's the genre in which I can express a controversy the most efficiently out all of the genres. Plus, I want to get the college essay over with because I think I will find this the least exciting genre as well.
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| ClkerFreeVectorImages, "Quill Pen Writer Author Ink" 08/26/13 via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
I plan to work on the thesis of my paper and develop a narrative structure in which will establish the controversy clearly and all the things surrounding my selected controversy such as the characters, setting, plot, conflict, etc. Also, I will attempt to find a balance between formality and little hints of informality that do not cross the line (to keep the content from seeming too serious on itself).
3. How are you feeling about Project 1 going in to the Production phase? What challenges do you anticipate next week as you create content for the project?
I am feeling a bit nervous for the project. I expect to come across maybe lack of specific detailed information as I am creating content. Also, I expect to have difficulty in finding the right structure to tell my content in essay form. By right structure, I mean the structure that will make the content feel informative yet entertaining.
Reddit and What I Found There
On Reddit, some forums seemed to have familiar topics that I saw on Twitter such as the Flint water crisis and the Zika. Also, it seemed as if the people discussing public health on Reddit were on the same page as those on Twitter (hooray for social media).
1. What kinds of things do people in the Reddit forums seem to be arguing about, debating, disagreeing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in the Reddit forums.
The forums seem to be discussing about career advice in Public Health ranging from Bio statistics, internships at Public Health facilities to issues of Public Health such as the Zika virus (and its potential to be the tropical disease of 2016) and last but not least, the contamination of the water in good ol' Flint, Michigan. Also, there seems to be discussions about the prevention of STDs and statistics on them.
2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting debates/disagreements you found in the Reddit forums? Hyperlink us to the two different Reddit threads and explain why you found those debates interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.
One debate was on "Why are Americans Against Health Care?". Honestly, this debate had me laughing as soon as I read the first comment mentioning how Americans just don't like the idea of PAYING for health care. The debate had people discussing about how U.S. health care is an issue among Americans mainly because of the financial aspect of it (how we should pay for it) and not necessarily the lack of quality of the health care we have here in the U.S.
The second debate I found was on the new dietary guidelines. What I found interesting was how people were mentioning that the guidelines are essentially bull manure because they mostly think the guidelines are based on financial rather than scientific support. So, I was surprised to find how many people thought the guidelines were changed by a "conspiracy" of sorts (which I agree, food companies at the end of the day influence these kind of things).
3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening in the Reddit forums? Were the people in those forums talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.
I got the impression that people on these forums spoke their mind on certain issues and talked in informal ways (which I enjoyed myself). I had no idea they'd be talking about the political side of public health issues like diet and health care. This showed me that public health is more than just about health, there's politics in it too.
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| ClckerFreeVectorImages, "Seal Blue Public Health Service" 03/24/12. via pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
1. What kinds of things do people in the Reddit forums seem to be arguing about, debating, disagreeing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in the Reddit forums.
The forums seem to be discussing about career advice in Public Health ranging from Bio statistics, internships at Public Health facilities to issues of Public Health such as the Zika virus (and its potential to be the tropical disease of 2016) and last but not least, the contamination of the water in good ol' Flint, Michigan. Also, there seems to be discussions about the prevention of STDs and statistics on them.
2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting debates/disagreements you found in the Reddit forums? Hyperlink us to the two different Reddit threads and explain why you found those debates interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.
One debate was on "Why are Americans Against Health Care?". Honestly, this debate had me laughing as soon as I read the first comment mentioning how Americans just don't like the idea of PAYING for health care. The debate had people discussing about how U.S. health care is an issue among Americans mainly because of the financial aspect of it (how we should pay for it) and not necessarily the lack of quality of the health care we have here in the U.S.
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| stevepb "Vitamin B" 08/02/15 via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
The second debate I found was on the new dietary guidelines. What I found interesting was how people were mentioning that the guidelines are essentially bull manure because they mostly think the guidelines are based on financial rather than scientific support. So, I was surprised to find how many people thought the guidelines were changed by a "conspiracy" of sorts (which I agree, food companies at the end of the day influence these kind of things).
3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening in the Reddit forums? Were the people in those forums talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.
I got the impression that people on these forums spoke their mind on certain issues and talked in informal ways (which I enjoyed myself). I had no idea they'd be talking about the political side of public health issues like diet and health care. This showed me that public health is more than just about health, there's politics in it too.
Evaluation of News Magazine Stories
A woman in peril of a virus in Latin America. The "mystery" of who poisoned a whole town. I selected the following two articles from Time and the Rolling Stone Magazine, respectively.
Why Latin American Women Can’t Follow the Zika Advice to Avoid Pregnancy
1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about? Explain cocisely, but with specificity and precision. Name specific people, places, things, events, dates, times and/or other identifying details. |
| DanEvans, "Pregnant Beach Sunsent Pregnancy Woman"08/23/14. via Pixabay CCO Public Domain |
The debate is about how governments in Latin american countries like Brazil, Colombia, and El Salvador are advising women to avoid getting pregnant for fear of the present Zika virus causing defects in their newborns. This situation has been going on as of January 2016 in Latin America and the issues is that in most of the countries of Central and South America, abortion is illegal and therefore most women who say want to avoid pregnancy via abortion cannot.
2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why do they evoke feelings of sympathy from you?
The Latin women in these countries are the most sympathetic because they are being encouraged by governments to avoid them from pregnancy, yet they are limited to the resources for abortions to cooperate with the governments. They evoke sympathy because these women did not ask to have something like the Zika virus come into their environment and mess up any newborns they may be carrying.
3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?
Most of the Latin American governments I'd say have the least sympathy from me because yes, they are only informing women to not get pregnant for the sake of the health of the possible newborns, but for them to tell women what to do still bugs me.
Who Poisoned Flint, Michigan?
1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about? Explain cocisely, but with specificity and precision. Name specific people, places, things, events, dates, times and/or other identifying details.
The debate is who is responsible for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that has been occurring unknowingly in the beginning of 2014 until now. The story points at Michigan governor Rick Snyder for deciding to switch the water source from the Great Lakes to the Flint River, all to save a couple of bucks. The story involves the governor, the people of Flint, and figures who opposed the switch like Congressman of Flint Rep. Dan Kildee.
2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why do they evoke feelings of sympathy from you?
The people of Flint, Michigan. These citizens are the ones who are affected the most by the switch of water source in their town as they're children are being poisoned by the lead in the water. These guys need help.
3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?
Governor Rick Snyder. He is the one who decided to risk the health of Flint, Michigan in favor of having more money in his back pocket. The man risked lives for greed, that I don't understand.
The debate is who is responsible for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that has been occurring unknowingly in the beginning of 2014 until now. The story points at Michigan governor Rick Snyder for deciding to switch the water source from the Great Lakes to the Flint River, all to save a couple of bucks. The story involves the governor, the people of Flint, and figures who opposed the switch like Congressman of Flint Rep. Dan Kildee.
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| Stevebidmead, "Bottle Empty Glass Container Water" 07/14/14. via pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
The people of Flint, Michigan. These citizens are the ones who are affected the most by the switch of water source in their town as they're children are being poisoned by the lead in the water. These guys need help.
3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?
Governor Rick Snyder. He is the one who decided to risk the health of Flint, Michigan in favor of having more money in his back pocket. The man risked lives for greed, that I don't understand.
Twitter and What I Found There.
As I embarked on my Twitter crusade, it is important I think to note that I have not selected a major as of now. Therefore, for this search I have decided to search up feeds about Public Health since that is the major that I am curious about at the moment.
1. What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in these Twitter feeds.
On Twitter, people seem to be exchanging about local stories such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and international issues of sorts like the Zika virus. The people talking about the water crisis are particularly pointing out on Michigan governor Snyder for not having prevented the eventual disaster happening in Flint right now and as for the Zika virus, many news outlets seem to be headlining this as the "virus of 2016" and is becoming an issue for women in South America who may want to have children.
2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting conversations or stories you found in the Twitter feeds? Hyperlink us to the two different Twitter feeds and explain why you found those conversations interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.
The first story that caught my attention was the Department of Agriculture's new dietary guidelines. Now, this story is interesting to me because I have heard stories before of the dietary guidelines given by the government to have been tainted somewhat due to the lobbyists of companies involved with say red meat or soda pressuring them to not advise people to reduce their consumption on those things. However, it has been common that people should not consume a lot of red meat or soda because it can cause health problems in the long run.
One of the interesting stories I found on Twitter is the story of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. This story has grabbed my attention because it sounds really astonishing how the officials in charge of the water supply in Flint decided to change their water source from a healthy one to a river that was undoubtedly going to endanger the health of the people of Flint, but they did it anyways all to save a few bucks. The story is more than a Public Health story, it is a story of trust between the public and the government.
3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening on Twitter? Were the people in these feeds talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.
I got a good impression on the discipline of Public Health discussions on Twitter. I was expecting people to speak somewhat assertively on some issues going on in Public Health such as the Flint water crisis. Other things I found surprising like the Zika virus which I did not know was a big deal (I think I read someone mention on Twitter that it was this year's Ebola, which I found humorous since Ebola was mainly media propaganda). In short, the feeds related to Public Health really gave me the impression that they want to inform the internet on health issues around the globe.
1. What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in these Twitter feeds.
On Twitter, people seem to be exchanging about local stories such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and international issues of sorts like the Zika virus. The people talking about the water crisis are particularly pointing out on Michigan governor Snyder for not having prevented the eventual disaster happening in Flint right now and as for the Zika virus, many news outlets seem to be headlining this as the "virus of 2016" and is becoming an issue for women in South America who may want to have children.
2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting conversations or stories you found in the Twitter feeds? Hyperlink us to the two different Twitter feeds and explain why you found those conversations interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.
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| bs65me "pumpkins" 05/28/13 vi pixabay CCO public domain |
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| ronymichaud, "Drops of Water" 12/28/14. via Pixabay CCO Public Domain |
3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening on Twitter? Were the people in these feeds talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.
I got a good impression on the discipline of Public Health discussions on Twitter. I was expecting people to speak somewhat assertively on some issues going on in Public Health such as the Flint water crisis. Other things I found surprising like the Zika virus which I did not know was a big deal (I think I read someone mention on Twitter that it was this year's Ebola, which I found humorous since Ebola was mainly media propaganda). In short, the feeds related to Public Health really gave me the impression that they want to inform the internet on health issues around the globe.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Evaluation of New York Times Stories
I selected the political and scientific sections in the NY Times to take a look at because of two reasons: science is interesting to me and I wanted to see what interesting articles there could be in politics (sarcasm intended). I found one political article titled "For Gadget Geek in the Oval Office, High Tech Has Its Limits" and a scientific article titled "Gas Leak in Los Angeles Has Residents Looking Warily Toward Flint".
1. Does there seem to be a "main character" or "protagonist" to the story? If so, who is it and how are they are the "center" of the story? If not, are there any important or central characters in the story at all? What role do they play?
The protagonist of this story is President Barack Obama and he is central to the story as the story centers on how Mr. Obama is the first "gadget geek" Commander in Chief and the limits of his use with certain personal technologies such as an iPad.
2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.
It is safe to say that this entire article is centered around one of the most iconic places on Earth: the White House. The White House is the home of the President of the United Unites and home to the place where many "info-sensitive" meetings and information passes through. So, the fact that the White House affects the way people at the White House can use certain technologies and increases the caution for technological securities in devices around the House.
3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?
There is a debate of sorts of just how many of the President's devices are purposely disabled. This "debate" seems to involve White House officials, who refuse to comment on the question of the devices, and the media who is curious to know more about the actions taken to prevent cyber attacks. Officials probably do not want to comment on the features of the devices because it could expose information that can help "evil doers" figure out what kind of features could still be potentially hacked on the technology within the President's reach,The media does not have any risk that could endanger the free world so to speak.
1. Does there seem to be a "main character" or "protagonist" to the story? If so, who is it and how are they are the "center" of the story? If not, are there any important or central characters in the story at all? What role do they play?
The residents of Porter Ranch ( a neighborhood near L.A.) seem to be at the center of this hazardous related story of a gas leak near them. The antagonists of this story are the public officials (specifically the Los Angeles Department of Health), whom are seen skeptically by the residents because although they say the area is now safe of the leaked natural gas, the residents ain't buying it.
2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.
The events of this particular article occur in the neighborhood of Porter Ranch, which is located near Los Angeles, California. The setting influences the residents of Porter Ranch because since they live near hills that have pipes which run natural gas pulled deep from the Earth, their setting has provoked the issue of the gas leak! Hence, the setting arose a problem for our central characters and eventually set up the skepticism of the residents against the public officials.
3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?
There has arisen the issue of trust between the public and public officials. The residents of Porter Ranch are looking towards the water crisis in Flint, Michigan; which for those that do not know about this event, the officials in Flint changed the source of water to save money, told residents it was safe, then a year later they found out it was not. So, the Flint incident is backing up the notion for these people to doubt the public officials that the area is now safe because the government has deceived the people before. This conflict puts the credibility of the government at risk, the loss of the residents' homes to move to a safer area and has caused lawsuits against the Southern California Gas Company for causing several health issues with the residents.
The protagonist of this story is President Barack Obama and he is central to the story as the story centers on how Mr. Obama is the first "gadget geek" Commander in Chief and the limits of his use with certain personal technologies such as an iPad.
2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.
It is safe to say that this entire article is centered around one of the most iconic places on Earth: the White House. The White House is the home of the President of the United Unites and home to the place where many "info-sensitive" meetings and information passes through. So, the fact that the White House affects the way people at the White House can use certain technologies and increases the caution for technological securities in devices around the House.
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| mikebrice,"Obama Barack Obama President Man President Obama". 02/24/08 via Pixabay. CC0 Public Domain |
There is a debate of sorts of just how many of the President's devices are purposely disabled. This "debate" seems to involve White House officials, who refuse to comment on the question of the devices, and the media who is curious to know more about the actions taken to prevent cyber attacks. Officials probably do not want to comment on the features of the devices because it could expose information that can help "evil doers" figure out what kind of features could still be potentially hacked on the technology within the President's reach,The media does not have any risk that could endanger the free world so to speak.
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| LoggaWiggler, "Pressure Water Line Pipeline Tube Water Guide" 10/03/14 via Pixabay CC0 Public Domain |
The residents of Porter Ranch ( a neighborhood near L.A.) seem to be at the center of this hazardous related story of a gas leak near them. The antagonists of this story are the public officials (specifically the Los Angeles Department of Health), whom are seen skeptically by the residents because although they say the area is now safe of the leaked natural gas, the residents ain't buying it.
2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.
The events of this particular article occur in the neighborhood of Porter Ranch, which is located near Los Angeles, California. The setting influences the residents of Porter Ranch because since they live near hills that have pipes which run natural gas pulled deep from the Earth, their setting has provoked the issue of the gas leak! Hence, the setting arose a problem for our central characters and eventually set up the skepticism of the residents against the public officials.
3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?
There has arisen the issue of trust between the public and public officials. The residents of Porter Ranch are looking towards the water crisis in Flint, Michigan; which for those that do not know about this event, the officials in Flint changed the source of water to save money, told residents it was safe, then a year later they found out it was not. So, the Flint incident is backing up the notion for these people to doubt the public officials that the area is now safe because the government has deceived the people before. This conflict puts the credibility of the government at risk, the loss of the residents' homes to move to a safer area and has caused lawsuits against the Southern California Gas Company for causing several health issues with the residents.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Course Projects
The English course this semester will be split up into four major projects: The Controversy Postmortem, The Rhetorical Investigation, A Public Argument and the Reflective Self-Assessment. Here are some of my thoughts on the four major projects.
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| geralt, "Four Timeline Display Panel Number Digit Ad". 07/13/13. Via Pixabay. CC0 Public Domain. |
- What are you most confused by or nervous about in regards to the four major projects? What I am most nervous about is the whole preparation to producing the final version of the project. I am nervous about how well I am going to be able to manage my time while making the projects. Also, I am nervous about how much of a challenge the projects might be to me since I do not consider myself that well at researching information.
- What are you most interested in or excited by in regards to the four major projects? The interesting thing about these four projects to me is that they will be connected to a topic related to my major (or a major that might interest me since I am undeclared as of now). I think that the decision to have the class use a subject related to their field of study to base the projects off of sounds exciting for me.
- Based on your understanding of the major projects, what are the elements of this course that you have to plan ahead for? How will the coursework described in the four project assignment sheets challenge your time management skills this semester? Based on my understanding, the elements to plan ahead for are researching, and getting the equipment necessary for said project. The research stage of the projects will take some time for me to do in order to get the appropriate secondary sources or even primary sources such as interviews for Project 2. The equipment stuff will have to be planned ahead of time or else I will fall behind if I do not have the proper equipment to work with during production. The coursework is going to push my time management skills to the edge since they are very poor, yet they will help me develop them for the better.
- How has your past English coursework in high school or college prepared you for the challenges of this course? What skills will you bring into the course with you? In high school I had English courses that required me to produce video assignments, so I have some experience with working with Windows Movie Maker. Aside from that, I think my past courses have given me writing skills that can help me bring in some creativity into the projects of this course.
- Do you have any questions about the four major projects that haven't been answered by the assignment sheets? What do you still want to know? I would say no, for now. One thing I would maybe like to know is about more examples of what exactly we can and cannot write about. Specifically, what could be considered too broad and what could be too specific.
Reflection: Reading from my peers' blog posts on this topic, I realized that they have similar thoughts on the upcoming course projects. Thoughts such as nervousness, anxiety and a bit of concern on the amount of liberty that will be given on these upcoming projects. Also, these blogs made me feel more comfortable in the sense that they were written in more personal note. It didn't feel like I was reading something robotic as opposed to my personal feeling of how I wrote the blog post for the projects.
I replied to the posts of Brady Thomas and gdietrich.
Investigating Genres
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| Ivan Linares, "Microphone, Audio, Radio". 02/02/15. via Pixabay. CC0 Public Domain. |
With the emergence of new technologies, there comes new ways to produce media and even so called "new media" emerges. New media can be referred to types of media such as a podcast segment, a quick reference guide or a video essay. I have decided to look at, or hear, some examples of a new media: the podcast segment.
- The purpose of a podcast segment is to provide content to an audience in an audible format. With a podcast segment, you are able to use sound to help the audience paint a picture in their head of the content being provided via special sound effects and clever sound editing and mixing. Generally, the podcast segment serves as media which can be used while performing another task such as driving to work or walking.
- The audience tends to come across this new media online on digital formats such as iTunes, Spotify or the website of the author of the podcast segment. Also, podcast segments can also be found on Youtube in the form of a video where the video is simply the audio of the podcast segment but with pictures being shown for visual references made in the podcast segment. However, the general form in which a podcast segment is presented in is an audio file.
- The audience for this genre are usually listeners who want to listen to content created by people who they find entertaining, informative or their content appealing. A meaningful amount of these listeners will listen to this content on a portable device or while they are doing another task,
- Podcast segments allows you to take in content with only one of your five senses: hearing. As opposed to say video which requires you to listen and watch, a podcast segment only requires you to listen and this makes the genre a very "portable" one of sorts. You can be going for a jog or doing homework and you can still be able to listen to your podcast. So, the genre does not require a lot of your full attention in order to interact with it as opposed to say visual media.
- Based on the text above, a podcast segment is an audible genre of new media in which it can be used to provide content that can be created by anyone. The content typically created in this format may relate to something in pop culture or in the daily activities of the creator of the podcast.
Reflection: From reading my peers' posts on genres such as the podcast and quick reference guide, I learned some new things on these genres such as how the podcast is very organic and the quick reference uses a heavy dose of pictures. I realized that reading other people's thoughts of what they think a genre is composed of gives you new insight into the genre and the person as well.
I replied to the posts of Ben Macklin and Benjamen Meyer.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
My Writing Process
The writing method of any person can be either monotonic or be a mix of different writing styles. There can be the procrastinator who waits last minute to vomit out a paper or the sequential composer who has a step-by-step plan to get to the final writing product. Here is a little bit of a view into my writing process.
1. I would consider myself to be a hybrid of a heavy reviser and a procrastinator. When producing written content like a paper, I tend to not plan out how I am going to evolve my content beyond the first draft. So, I am a procrastinator in the sense that I usually ever only write one draft of my paper throughout my whole writing process. Then, the "heavy reviser" in me kicks in and I spend a great deal of time revising my first draft until it is polished to a final draft.
2. As mentioned before in the previous response, my writing process tends to include a bit from those of a heavy reviser and a procrastinator. My process will begin in one short session of "inspiration" where I might just throw all the ideas in my head into an initial draft of sorts (like how a heavy reviser would). Then, I'll spend a heavy amount of time sculpting the initial draft into a final draft.Typically, this heavy amount of time spent revising will be crammed into the last two days before the due date.
3. The writing method I have practiced for a while now has been successful for the most part. On occasion, it has not been able to excel over the desired objective I had, but it mostly meets it. Some strengths of my method would be that it pushes me creatively to come up with ideas quickly. My method also has helped me be able to edit quickly. A major weakness in my writing process is that it is not really continuous so to speak (or time efficient). Instead of working on a paper say each day, I might do one intensive session one day then the day before it's due go back to my paper.
4. I think there would be benefits to trying a different approach. The use of a different writing method could help me point out more of the flaws in my current one. Also, it might even allow me to produce even better content than what I am able to create as of now. I believe the exposure to different writing techniques will add more tools to my toolbox of writing, and that is always a plus in my opinion.
1. I would consider myself to be a hybrid of a heavy reviser and a procrastinator. When producing written content like a paper, I tend to not plan out how I am going to evolve my content beyond the first draft. So, I am a procrastinator in the sense that I usually ever only write one draft of my paper throughout my whole writing process. Then, the "heavy reviser" in me kicks in and I spend a great deal of time revising my first draft until it is polished to a final draft.
2. As mentioned before in the previous response, my writing process tends to include a bit from those of a heavy reviser and a procrastinator. My process will begin in one short session of "inspiration" where I might just throw all the ideas in my head into an initial draft of sorts (like how a heavy reviser would). Then, I'll spend a heavy amount of time sculpting the initial draft into a final draft.Typically, this heavy amount of time spent revising will be crammed into the last two days before the due date.
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| LoggaWiggler, "Maze Labyrinth Glendurgan Garden Cornwall". 11/08/14. via Pixabay. CCO Public Domain |
3. The writing method I have practiced for a while now has been successful for the most part. On occasion, it has not been able to excel over the desired objective I had, but it mostly meets it. Some strengths of my method would be that it pushes me creatively to come up with ideas quickly. My method also has helped me be able to edit quickly. A major weakness in my writing process is that it is not really continuous so to speak (or time efficient). Instead of working on a paper say each day, I might do one intensive session one day then the day before it's due go back to my paper.
4. I think there would be benefits to trying a different approach. The use of a different writing method could help me point out more of the flaws in my current one. Also, it might even allow me to produce even better content than what I am able to create as of now. I believe the exposure to different writing techniques will add more tools to my toolbox of writing, and that is always a plus in my opinion.
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