Sunday, September 16, 2012

the tech i couldn't live without is my iPod touch

I. i can listen to music
1. music calms my nerves
2. music entertains me
3. i can download a lot of music

II. i can access iTunes and safari
1. easily accessible shopping store
2. safari is fairly fast on my iPod
3. the content i can download from iTunes

III. its accessories
1. cars are capable of playing iPod tracks
2. accessories can be added to boost sound
3. protective accessories can be bought.

IV my ipod and me
1. playing apps to pass time
2. tools on iPod like calculator or stopwatch
3. easy to carry everywhere i go

Friday, September 14, 2012

Final Draft



                                    
The Internet is a wonderland of creation. It has countless amounts of new things to do everyday and contains a vast amount of information. It is simply amazing. I find myself caught up in some of the newer crazes on the Internet. One of which is called Facebook. The whole reason I started a Facebook was to contact an old friend who I had randomly ran in to. It was something I “absolutely” had to have according to her. So, I asked myself “what do I have to lose?” and made an account that same day. I figured out fast that my friend was right. I ended up liking Facebook and its usefulness. I could easily stay in contact with people and it wasn’t hard to figure out. To say I’m absolutely hooked on Facebook would be a lie. I haven’t even changed my profile picture in about a year nor updated a status (picture at top is my profile pic i haven't changed in a while. It is me and my friends at kings island).However, it is useful in some respects such as staying in touch with some friends that are distant. Overall, having this social identity is a good thing and the best part is it’s free.
           
             An ex-Harvard student named Mark Zuckerburg created Facebook. The site, originally called “Facemash,” was intended to link students together in the school. The site later took off thanks to Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, and became a hit in the year 2004. Facebook today is extremely popular. People are constantly uploading statuses about what they are doing, where they’re at, and what has happened around them. Its even mobile nowadays with the invention of smart phones and iPhones and is accessible to everyone. When I found out about Facebook from my sister I thought it was just going to be another MySpace. However, unlike MySpace, Facebook turned out to be bigger than I expected. I find myself on Facebook every once in a while just checking out the news feed and seeing what people have to say. Its just entertaining for me I suppose. I haven’t really used the site that much to communicate, but instead check to see how people are. Occasionally, I find people I haven’t seen in a while and try to set up a hang out day through messaging on Facebook, which is useful if you don’t have someone’s number. Facebook still retains its formal aspects of linking people together except now it’s on a global scale. It is a great way to keep in touch with families and friends and is easily accessible.
        
       Although Facebook hasn’t caused any problems for me, it still causes some problems such as addiction. According to Amy Summers, a writer on the subject, there is a disease known as Facebook addiction disorder or FAD (picture to the left sort of captures facebook addictiveness in a comical way). is defined by the hours you spend on Facebook as well as what you do with Facebook. One of the reasons I don’t use Facebook all the time is because I don’t want it to define who I am. I don’t want my online identity to define who I am in reality. In Facebook you can freely express who you are, but I wouldn’t enjoy the fact that I could only express my opinions online. It may be easier to do, but it doesn’t seem right. I witness people all the time posting hurtful comments or threats towards others on Facebook instead of facing the problem head on. It hasn’t stopped nor will it for a while considering the “Facebook Drama” has shifted to twitter. I’m careful to not become an addict. I make sure to separate my Facebook identity from my real identity by keeping my time on it to a minimum. I do this while still enjoying the fun of having a Facebook.
            
            Facebook offers a variety of things to do, but I have yet to tap into most of it. You can post statuses, post pictures, play games, and even comment or like your friend’s status. I just can’t get into posting statuses all the time mostly because I feel like id rather keep “what’s on my mind” in my head. I like posting good news or pictures on my account, but that’s about as far as ill go. According to a recent Harvard university study, posting a status on Facebook is comparable to food and sex in terms of pleasure. It releases dopamine in the brain based off the responses one is anticipating. 
       
             I can see why people like posting statuses on Facebook after this study. And it does seem like that’s why people post things sometimes such as a “Like my Status” post or the occasional “truth is.” I haven’t partaken in any of those things. I usually scroll past it and look for some exciting news. For example, recently, a friend from my high school recently got engaged and I couldn’t help but stop to like the status and comment. Not to say posting statuses and comments is a bad thing. Facebook is meant for that purpose to speak your mind and to post whatever you are feeling at the time. In some sense, it could be more of a stress reliever than an issue. I can find some personal joy in reading someone’s exciting news even when I’m not happy myself. If someone finds comfort after a tough situation they’re going through then it becomes more beneficial.
             Facebook has been a great way to communicate with people and allows anyone access. It is even used by companies and businesses like an advertisement on a billboard. Nowadays, there is a newer site called twitter that has brought some competition to Facebook (chart on the left shows a comparison of times people spend on both Facebook and twitter nowadays). I haven’t considered making a twitter myself, but it sounds like it retains some of the ideas Facebook stood for. Both sites have become popular merely because a bandwagon effect took place. According to W. Wayne Fu, an associate professor in the Wee Kim Wee school of communication and information, Jaelen Tao, and Seraphina Seng, sites like Facebook have become popular because people like to use it based off how many of the people around them like to. I have found this to be a little true about my friends. Some moved to twitter and told others to follow and now the majority of my friends on Facebook now own a twitter account as well. I on the other would rather have to keep up with one online identity.

  Even though I don’t really use my Facebook account, I still like having it just in case something pops up. I can even keep in contact with friends even when they’re on the other side of the world. For example, last year, my sister and I met our Korean family on my mom’s side and we stay in contact through Facebook. Overall, I enjoy having an online identity and make sure to keep it separated from my real identity. It hasn’t become an issue for me yet and I’m eager to see how long Facebook will remain popular. Until then, this is one of my social identities and I like the benefits of having one.


                                                                                   

Sunday, September 9, 2012

social identity


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The Internet over the past decade has become more popular than I have ever imagined. It has countless amounts of new things to do everyday and contains a vast amount of information. It is simply amazing. I even find myself caught up in some of the newer crazes on the Internet. One of which is called Facebook. To say I’m absolutely hooked on Facebook would be a lie. I haven’t even changed my profile picture in about a year nor updated a status (picture at top is my profile pic i haven't changed in a while. It is me and my friends at kings island). However, it is useful in some respects such as staying in touch with some friends that are distant. Overall, having this social identity is a good thing and the best part is I’m not an addict.         
          An ex-Harvard student named Mark Zuckerburg created Facebook. The site, originally called “Facemash,” was intended to link students together in the school. The site later took off thanks to Sean Parker, the founder of napster, and became a hit in the year 2004. Facebook today is extremely popular. People are constantly uploading statuses about what they are doing, where they’re at, and what has happened around them. It's even mobile nowadays with the invention of smart phones and iPhones and is accessible to everyone. When I found out what Facebook I thought it was just going to be another MySpace; the next new thing people would blow over eventually. However, unlike MySpace, Facebook turned out to be better than I expected. I find myself on Facebook every once in a while just checking out the news feed and seeing what people have to say. I haven’t really used the site that much to communicate, but instead check to see how people are. Occasionally, I find people I haven’t seen in a while and try to set up a hang out day through Facebook. Facebook still retains its formal aspects of linking people together except now it’s on a global scale. It is a great way to keep in touch with families and friends and is easily accessible.
facebook-addiction.jpg             Facebook hasn’t caused any problems for me, it still causes some problems such as addiction. According to Amy Summers, a writer on the subject, there is a disease known as Facebook addiction disorder or FAD (picture to the left sort of captures facebook addictiveness in a comical way). It is defined by the hours you spend on Facebook as well as what you do with Facebook. One of the reasons I don’t use Facebook all the time is because I don’t want it to define who I am. I don’t want my online identity to define who I am in reality. In Facebook you can freely express who you are, but I wouldn’t enjoy the fact that I could only express my opinions online. It may be easier to do, but it doesn’t seem right. I witness people all the time posting hurtful comments or threats towards others on Facebook instead of facing the problem head on. It hasn’t stopped nor will it for a while considering the “Facebook Drama” has shifted to twitter. I’m careful to not become an addict. I make sure to separate my Facebook identity from my real identity while still enjoying the fun of having a Facebook.
            The whole reason I started a Facebook was to contact a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. Facebook offers a variety of things to do, but I have yet to tap into most of it. You can post statuses, post pictures, play games, and even comment or like your friend’s status. I just can’t get into posting statuses all the time mostly because I feel like id rather keep “what’s on my mind” in my head. I like posting good news or pictures on my account, but that’s about as far as ill go. According to a recent Harvard university study, posting a status on Facebook is comparable to food and sex in terms of pleasure. It releases dopamine in the brain based off the responses one is anticipating. I can see why people like posting statuses on Facebook after this study. And it does seem like that’s why people post things sometimes such as a “Like my Status” post or the occasional “truth is.” I haven’t partaken in any of those things. I usually scroll past it and look for some exciting news. For example, recently, a friend from my high school recently got engaged and I couldn’t help but stop to like the status and comment. Not to say posting statuses and comments is a bad thing. Facebook is meant for that purpose to speak your mind and to post whatever you are feeling at the time. In some sense, it could be more of a stress reliever than an issue. I can find some personal joy in reading someone’s exciting news even when I’m not happy myself. Also, if someone finds comfort after a tough situation they’re going through then it becomes more beneficial.
type=text.jpg            Facebook has been a great way to communicate with people and allows anyone access. It is even used by companies and businesses like an advertisement on a billboard. Nowadays, there is a newer site called twitter that has brought some competition to Facebook. I haven’t considered making a twitter myself, but it sounds like it retains some of the ideas Facebook stood for. Both sites have become popular merely because a bandwagon effect took place. According to W. Wayne Fu, an associate professor in the Wee Kim Wee school of communication and information, Jaelen Tao, and Seraphina Seng, sites like Facebook have become popular because people like to use it based off how many of the people around them like to. I have found this to be a little true about my friends. Some moved to twitter and told others to follow and now the majority of my friends on Facebook now own a twitter account as well (chart on the left shows a comparison of times people spend on both Facebook and twitter nowadays) i would rather have to keep up with one online identity. Although I don’t really use my Facebook account, I still like having it just in case something pops up. For example, this last weekend i received bad news about my friend near the moment it occurred through Facebook. I can even keep in contact with friends even when they’re on the other side of the world like my Korean family. Overall, I enjoy having an online identity and make sure to keep it separated from my real identity. It hasn’t become an issue for me yet and I’m eager to see how long Facebook will remain popular. Until then, this is one of my social identities and I like the benefits of having one.
            

internet making us dumb


                                       Gooogle making us stupid
The author seems to believe strongly that the Internet is creating lapses in the way we think. It makes us lose focus merely because of the fact that it’s readily available. The information that the Internet provides is virtually limitless in that people can add junk everyday.
I don’t see the Internet as a problem like Nicholas Carr does in the reading aspects. It may create problems in our reading process, but the information comes fast reducing hours of research. The Internet is like a bike in that it gets you where you want to go faster. I do agree it creates distractions because of the countless amount of information provided which obstructs your train of thought.
 The Internet is shaping our society today by giving us a variety of things to do. You can do a lot of things on the Internet from research to television. It makes communication easier as well. In a way, I think the Internet isn’t too harmful so long as people don’t get too drawn in to all the information provided.
I liked this article overall because of the way he presented the argument. He made anecdotes and took some quotes to make his article clear. It was funny cause I found myself doing the same things he was mentioning like skimming through the article to get the gist instead of thoroughly reading it. I actually think this article contains some things that I might hit in my social identity paper.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

rhetorical situation


     The Rhetorical Situation

Lloyd f Blitzer explains the rhetoric style in a way that was fairly complicated, but I think I got the gist. What I took from the article is that the rhetoric language is made up of three principles.
     One of these principles was exigency. I’ve never heard this word before and I believe it means something that isn’t good that’s being brought to an audience’s attention. So essentially, it’s like an argument but with more persuasive aspects pushing the audience to believe something should be done about a situation.
     The second principle was audience. What I took from this part is that it isn’t as much as the author keeping his audience in mind because it’s angled towards everyone, but that the audience must be willing to listen and keep an open mind. When he said an audience must be able to change, I thought that this was a key factor in the rhetoric style. It was saying that the writing is meant specifically for those who will be willing to understand and do something.
     The third principle was constraint. This one I had the most trouble understanding, but from what I understand, it is a factor that plays a role in the situation. It can show the authors’ beliefs as well as their proof. This one was harder for me to understand honestly mostly because of the way it’s worded I suppose.
     In general, it is important to have those three elements for the rhetoric style. Each one has its own important role in the style. And it is important to have the rhetoric response structured well. It was also easy to understand that a rhetoric response to a situation was like and answer to a question. What was confusing to me was when he said all rhetoric was persuasion, but in another line said that it shouldn’t be confused with persuasion. My guess is that it’s different because it’s more important and in-depth then simple persuasion. For the most part it was a little difficult to understand, but understanding these three elements and how they applied is what I took from this article.