Response to “Social Networks: Definition, History, and Scholarship”

Boyd defines social network sites as a service that allows any user to create a profile to share with other individuals by connecting and viewing information. I also had not had a distinction between "network" and "networking" in reference to these sites, the difference here being that networking implies forming these connections with strangers while most people only network - forming online connections with users they know. Through the social network, users with similar interests can share their ideas and connect with certain individuals.

Since I have a Facebook account, I was familiar with Boyd's introduction of the various features of a SNS: the friends list, the fan pages, video/photo sharing and the emphasis on the public display of comments, connections and interactions.

I found it interesting that I have never heard of the first SNS to incorporate many different aspects of the social network, SixDegrees.com. For me, at least, it is interesting how other more simpler sites have outlasted or have remained more popular than this one.

I thought that the time line showing the release dates of all the SNSs was a great way to show the progression as well as the increase in interest since a greater amount were being launched between 2003 and 2006. It is interesting, also, to notice how fast some of these have grown as well as how long it has taken them to become popular. Facebook, for instance, took off immediately, while it took Twitter a couple years to become widely known and utilized.

I think that the issue that Boyd addresses in regards to Friendster is an issue in any SNS context. Where can you draw the line between people you know and people you "kind-of, sort-of, don't-really-know-at-all"? And when does this start to become a danger when you're making these connections online?

5 Causes that interest me (Project 4)

1. Sex trafficking
2. Domestic violence
3. Music programs in schools
4. Sexism
5. Racism

Design analysis of Shogun website

Contrast:
More-so on the Warwick page of the site, the contrast is poor on the "About Us" tab. With a green background and black text it is a little difficult to read. The pictures aren't symmetrical and aren't all of similar sizes so it is difficult to find a true focal point. The Shogun logo (which is also small in the top, middle of each page) should be made larger so as to be made the focal point of each page on the website.

Alignment:
There is some alignment in the text, and all of the contents of each page stop at an invisible border, keeping them in the middle about two inches away from each edge. Each menu link has a different alignment: Some of the titles are direct center, some are all capitalized and some are not.

Repetition:
The background is white on all pages except for the "About Us" tab (which has a green background for the Warwick location and a grey background for the Wakefield location). Also, the "Drinks" tab has a different format and text than the other menu tabs (Appetizers, Dinner, Sushi & Sashimi) and also has a graphic picture behind the menu. The navigation tabs and photos are consistent on each page. Some of the font headings (which should be consistent) are different sizes and appear to also include several different fonts and include a different mixture of font colors.

Proximity:
The navigation tabs across the top are very close together. Everything seems squished towards the center of the screen. It would probably be good to spread it out so that it is easier on the eye and has a more relaxed feel. In the menus, some of the descriptions are squished/ there should be an extra space between entrees that include a description and the entree that follows.

Interface Design
On the homepage, it has a horizontal orientation but on the menu pages, it extends to a vertical orientation to accommodate the listings.

Because the pages for each location feature the same information, pictures and different directions and come colors, it would definitely benefit the website to condense the information to one homepage and include another navigation tab which features information and directions specific to each separate location.

Good Website, Bad Website

Good Website: World Wildlife Fund
http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html

This website is a very large website with numerous pages. The main bar is available on the top, always, on all pages and the same list of pages that expand on top are listed on the bottom of each page with links to those pages of the site. There is an icon of a panda with the WWF logo in the top left corner of every page, indicating that users can always return to the homepage. Links to other sites open in new tabs. Some graphics are used, but they are simple and not distracting to the content of the site.

Bad Website:
http://homeforprofits.com/web-resources/examples-of-very-bad-web-design-and-web-navigation/

In this page that is talking about bad web design, the page itself has some bad web design because many of the links do not open a new tab. Other than the links, this website is ok but it was the only one that I could find without stumbling upon that had this example to give of links that didn't open a new tab.

Palmquist response

In this article, Palmquist went over some basics about web design and different structures and features. The first thing that I found interesting was the importance of Pop up windows versus Links. From personal experience, I know that it can be annoying if a website's links always change that window to the site in the link instead of opening a new window. That always makes it a little more annoying to return to where you were initially reading and I think that the Pop up window/ floating window link is more efficient than the normal link.

Also, Palmquist's distinctions on the four organizational structures of websites were helpful and clear. Linear structures follow a backward or forward, book-like format. Hierarchical structures are used more in informational or government websites, but this form is not the most common. Interlinked structures are used in smaller websites and each page has a link to every other page on that website. I think that the most common and plausible structure is the last one: a combined organizational structure which uses parts from all of the other structures. It is probably the most used and most efficient format for medium-large websites.

Finally, Palmquist's guidelines for web page design were also helpful. I think that the most important ones to keep in mind are: to have consistency across all of the pages in design and format, to remember that simple is better and to make sure not to overuse graphics or digital illustrations. I think that in creating a web page, many people may want to take advantage of the availability and capability of using graphics and interactive content, but Palmquist brought up some important things to think about: that these aspects may slow down the loading of the page, some may not even load depending on the user's browser, and an overuse can be more distracting than helpful.

Entries for WikiTravel

Ogunquit

See
(Scenic walk at Marginal Way, A beautiful one mile path along the seashore ending at Perkins Cove.) This popular walkway has plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the views on benches and is a great trail for couples and families. More than 100,000 people walk the Marginal Way every year. Dogs are not allowed April through September.

Z Name Shop, 1 Beach Street, +1 207-646-4990, http://www.znameshop.com. Located directly in downtown, this shop is a great place for tourists to find souvenirs.


Eat
The Egg & I, Route 1, Phone: +1 207 646-8777, http://www.eggandibreakfast.com/. Breakfast. Located on one of Ogunquit's main roads, this moderate-sized, family oriented pancake and waffle house is easily accessible. They offer breakfast, lunch and a kids' menu. $7-$12 per person. Accept only cash and traveler's checks. Parking is shared with Ogunquit Lobster Pound across the street. Lines form quickly so go early.

(Ogunquit Lobster Pound, 504 Main St, Phone: +1 207 646-2516. This Ogunquit institution serves more lobsters in a week than many restaurants do in a lifetime.) You can choose to personally select your own live lobster for your dinner. You can either eat inside the restaurant or outside on picnic tables. For desserts, they feature a delicious chocolate lava cake a la mode. The parking lot is shared with The Egg & I, which is across the street.

3 tips from the Manual of Style that I think are important

One tip that I thought could be particularly helpful was in article layout: where you can stick it. I think that for people who are especially new to WikiTravel, they may not know exactly where to put a piece of information. This page allows you to distinguish whether a museum is something you would place in "See" or "Do." It includes a large list of items to help writers determine how to categorize their posts.

Another page from the Manual of Style that I found useful was in formatting content: Wiki markup. It gives examples showing how to create certain visual and formatting layout outcomes. Therefore, if you want italics, bold words or links to click on, this page explains and displays how you can go about doing that.

Third, I think that in the writing style section the tips pertaining to tone are useful. This page covers how you (as a writer on a WikiTravel post) should address the [general] reader. It also lays guidelines for how you should write your posts, including not treating your reader like an idiot, how to include humor and the importance of being concise and specific with the information you provide.

Response to Danielle's post on Information Ecologies

I think that you touched upon an important aspect about this article: that information technologies exist all around us and our lives are based around them but we don't always clearly see these distinctions. Also, because there are so many unique and diverse information ecologies, I like that you acknowledged that only those within each one understand how it works.

While reading the article, I made the connections of Nardi's examples with information ecologies (the libraries, hospitals, etc.) but an information ecology can be almost anything and it was interesting to see how you made that connection to your sorority. This really shows one of the core aspects of information ecologies: members working cohesively and all aware of their individual contributions to the group as a whole.

Reaction to Nardi and O’Day's chapter on Information Ecologies

Reading this article, I feel that the concepts of an information ecology are already known to us, but we have not defined it as such or learned it in this way before. I think that one of the most important aspects of the information ecology is the fact that each individual has an important part that is connected and associated with every other part within each information ecology. Also, I agree with their idea of diversity within the ecology as well as the fact they bring up of a keystone "species" which is the foundation for the existence of the ecology. Everyone must be specialized across a broad spectrum so that they create a complete, informed group and while each part is important, there must be a baseline that drives all of the forces in the group.

I think that WikiTravel is an information ecology because it is a community of specialized and knowledgeable people sharing information which is constantly evolving. In WikiTravel there are common goals among the users. They want to provide useful guides and suggestions to travelers going to any destination worldwide. Just like someone who lives in a small village in Ireland won't know much about my hometown in Connecticut and vise versa, it is the poster's responsibility to be knowledgeable and fulfill their part in the information ecology. WikiTravel was started by everyday people, is run by everyday people and is used by everyday people. And it is something that continues to grow.

Another information ecology that I participate in is the URI student newspaper, The Good Five Cent Cigar. At the Cigar there are a certain number of employees who all have a specific title and duty. Without any one of these students, the newspaper would not be able to run as smoothly. There are the journalists who do the research and write the stories; copy editors who edit the stories before submission; managing editors who edit the paper in progress; production managers who do the layout of the actual paper, making sure everything fits where it should and is formatted correctly. Then there are the section editors (sports editor, entertainment editor, news editor), the columnists, the Editor in Chief: the people who decide which stories to write and when to run them. After a night's work, the paper then goes electronically to the publisher and their information ecology prints and delivers the paper to URI.

Reaction to Kress article

In many ways I completely agree with the points Kress is making in this article. Learning in just one modality (such as text) is limiting you solely to what written words can provide. If you add in things such as art, music and video documentary you are allowing yourself to learn on completely different levels. You can read all about the different sounds of different instruments in a book, but you'll never fully know them until you hear them play. You can read a scientific article about the different pigments and levels in different colors that exists, but without accompanying pictures, you're losing out on that aspect of it.

Using multimodalities, learning becomes more thorough and also more easily accessible for different types of learners. This is something that I see everywhere: posters and pamphlets, textbooks, novels, newspapers. I think that we definitely benefit from multimodal learning and if we ever eliminated any parts of it, our society would be very different.

PROJECT 1: ENTHUSIAST BLOG POST WRITE

1)What is the topic and title of your blog? Why did you choose this topic and title?
My blog is titled “Gift Catastrophe: Giftastrophe” and my topic is taking a look at bad gifts (that I’ve received or heard about from friends). I chose this topic because it’s something that could apply to anyone: we’ve all received a gift at some point in our lives that was strange, unusual or just a bad gift. I thought it would be fun to explore and kind of document things that people really shouldn’t give as gifts.

2)Describe the organization of information in your blog.
The description of my blog is right underneath my title. This way, any reader who may come across my blog will see my intentions right away, even if they don’t know what I mean by my title. Directly under that I have a generic picture of a baby opening a gift, so it sets the mood for my blog. Down the left side I have my about me profile and a picture and my blog posts are on the center/right down the page.

3)Describe the personality that you are putting forth in your blog and cite 3 places where this personality is at its strongest.
I used a comic/sarcastic personality in my blog, trying to portray the image of how we really feel when we get a strange gift but when we are forced to say “thank you” anyways. Three places where this really comes out are in my posts and in my about me:
“…growing up I have had the luxury of being bombarded with all sorts of gifts. I take pride in my own gift-giving abilities and know that unique feeling of getting a gift that you absolutely hate, makes you feel awkward or simply makes you wonder what the person was thinking when they picked it out.”

“Just to, uh, point out what seems to be obvious to me: the two glaring aspects of the cover that would set off alarm bells that this is probably not the best gift for a twelve-year-old...
1. The title includes "SEX" and "DRUGS"
2. The characters in the artwork are missing something rather important: some clothes”

“The horrifying part about these shirts is not that I have a few hiding in a corner... No, I have enough of them from over the years to open up my own store. Literally. Aside from all of the "normal" shirts that I simply didn't like wearing, one section of my closet was dedicated entirely to piles of Bonita Springs paraphernalia.”

4)How would you describe your blogging style? Why did you choose this style?
My blogging style is pretty laid back and made so that it’s accessible to most people. I chose this style because I didn’t want to have my topic be exclusive or crude.

5)How would you describe your design aesthetic? How does this aesthetic tie into your topic?
For each post, I will attempt to provide a visual accompaniment to the gift I’m describing (if I have a picture). I think this helps because many people like the instant gratification of a picture to let them know what is going on within an article, even if I give a description in words. This ties into my topic because the gifts themselves are the focus of my posts.

6)If you had more design knowledge, how might your aesthetic change? In other words, what would your ideal blog look like if you were more tech savvy and/or had more design tools to work with? What might you change and/or add?
I would really have liked to add a background behind my posts. If I had been able to create this I would have included a design that featured gift bags or a variety of wrapped presents. Also, I tried to adjust the size of the pictures I posted but had trouble sorting that out on Blogger. I also would have added some borders around the pictures to separate them from the post and give them a little more distinction.


7)What about your blog works best? What needs the most work? Please explain both answers.
I think the aspect that works best in my blog is the specific-themed posts. This gives focus to each post and provides something new each time and something for the readers to look forward to because it could be anything.
The aspect that I think needs most work is explaining more of why the gift is not a great gift, since in my posts I’m basically assuming that the reader is going to agree with me that whatever it is isn’t a good gift.

8)What was the best piece of feedback you got from your peers? Why was it helpful and how did you incorporate it (or not)?
The only peer feedback I received was from Maureen. I was glad to hear that she thought my blog was easy to follow and a topic relatable to a wide audience. I liked her idea of incorporating reader-participation by requesting readers to send in bad gifts that they’ve received. I think this would be a great way to really open it up in the future, but at the moment I’m sure my readership isn’t that widespread enough to do so!

9)If you had to describe blogging to someone who had never done it, how would you describe it? What sets writing in the electronic environment of a blog apart from other types of writing?
If I had to describe blogging to someone who had never done it, I would tell them both good and bad experiences that I’ve had throughout this project. First, I did have some technical difficulties with Blogger and I must admit, some disappointment because I don’t have the technical abilities to follow through with a lot of the ideas that I had in my mind about how I wanted to set up my blog. However, I think that even a blog with a simple set up can be a very productive and successful blog. Yes, the extra add-ons improve it, but if you can find a way to bring out your personality using words and pictures that you can create and do have access to, then it can be a great blog.

I think that writing in the blog environment is very different that other types of writing. At one point, I started to sketch through one of my posts on paper and it felt strange. For me, it’s definitely one of those things that you HAVE to write right on the computer. Also, it is a different atmosphere than if you’re writing a paper or a newspaper article.

10)Has this project changed your ideas on blogs and blogging? If so, how and why? If not, why not?
This project hasn’t really changed my ideas on blogging, but it has created an open window for me. Making a blog was something that I never really considered before this class simply because I had never been a part of that community and hadn’t taken the time to explore it on my own. Creating a blog here showed me that it really is a fun way to write, get your voice out there and be a small part of this internet community.

11.Remember, this incarnation of your blog is just the beginning. You’ll be working on it and improving it throughout the semester. With that in mind, is there a particular aspect of your blog that you want me to focus particularly closely on in terms of my feedback? If so, please expand.
Yes, I am a little worried about my “voice” in the blog overall and in my posts and how this comes off to a reader, especially a reader who doesn’t really know me very well. Could my sarcasm be misread? Also, do my posts seem complete or is there an aspect of them that seems missing? What could I improve on to make them better?

Ideas for WikiTravel topic

The first place I am considering is Ogunquit, Maine. Since I was six years old, every summer my family and I have gone to Ogunquit for a week and it is almost like a second home. There is already a wikitravel site, however, at the bottom of the page it says: "This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!" so I feel like I could truly add to it.

Second, I would like to either like to initiate/contribute to either my hometown of Haddam or Killingworth, or contribute to Middletown, a small "city" nearby which has more things to list.

My third choice would be contributing to the class's project of Kingston/URI. I am not from here and would probably only be able to contribute a few things such as places I've eaten/shopped at.

My initial reactions to WikiTravel

After everything we have discussed so far in class, a few different aspects appeared in the pages we were assigned to read on WikiTravel and I felt like I connected with the ideas right away. I saw that they have a license with Creative Commons and before last week I wouldn't have known what that meant. Also, right on the site it thoroughly explains the Wiki process that we already went over: how anyone can edit and contribute to each post/site.

I have used Wikipedia but I have yet to use WikiTravel. Browsing around on the site, however, I think that I will find it interesting and perhaps useful as a user, if not also a contributor. I think that the set up of the site seems to be very well laid out and easily accessible to anyone, which makes the information listed here a good source for any traveler.

Response to Jimmy Wales' Wikipedia video

Throughout high school and in some aspects of college, most of my teachers and professors have taken the stance that "Wikipedia is not a credible source." In a way this has kind of been ingrained in my mind. I have used it as a reference or as a go-to site when I start research on a topic that I don't know much about. Through Wikipedia, the posts give a sense of a broad overview and depending on the topic, go into detail. In this way that I've used it, it is a starting point for more in depth research. It provides some clear data and information so that you can go to other sites with a greater sense of direction.

The conversation with Jimmy Wales was interesting because it showed me more background on how the site was formed and how it operates. I was particularly intrigued by the software he talked about that was released on the German version. Through this, the Wikipedia community (those who contribute regularly to the postings and editing) has control over revising or even censoring each post for accuracy and tone before any of it is seen by the public. I think that this would help the volunteers of Wikipedia to eliminate the more inaccurate postings or posts by people who are insincere or rude. Therefore, the credibility levels of the site may rise.

I think that the creation of Wikipedia is a huge advance for writing in electronic environments. First, it is free and available to anyone worldwide with internet access. I was pretty surprised to hear the statistics Wales stated: that Wikipedia is available in over 250 languages and was (at the time of the interview) the fourth most popular website. Also, the idea that everyone can not only just access the web encyclopedia but also contribute to it is amazing. Not just professionals can have input here, but anyone with some experience as long of they know what they're talking about and the writing is quality writing.

There are many differences between the environments of blogs and wikis. The main one that I can see is the fact that the wiki is more of a community with many people contributing and working towards a common goal or wiki-argument while a blog is a single writer. While the public may comment on a blog or respond to another blog in their own blog, the public cannot go in and change features or posts of an individual's personal blog. The wiki is open to editing by anyone which makes the final outcome a true community collaboration.

Why am I a credible source?? enthusiast blog topic

I'm still planning to make my enthusiast blog about gifts that are unusual and items that shouldn't be given as gifts (ever, or in specific situations). I think that my credibility will be pretty easily acquired: everyone has probably had some sort of awkward gift exchange and while some posts may be eccentric or almost unbelievable if they're anecdotes about actual gifts I've received, there is still the comedic nature of it. Some people may see things that they've even received, or perhaps just things they never would've thought to give as a gift.

But overall, I guess the point I'm trying to make with my blog is that there are some crazy people out there who will give just about anything for a gift, whether it is meant to be comical or whether they gave it in all seriousness. I think the other purpose my blog will serve is a binary source to all of the sites that suggest what kinds of gifts you should give. So, it's a different take on the whole concept of gift-giving.

Response to Information Architecture article

This article was very interesting because it brought up some common misconceptions that many people have about learning. I thought the chart he presents of understanding was interesting; before this article I've never fully tried to distinguish the difference between data and information and knowledge. I think that these are all the crucial pieces in the learning process and we, as students, should define them better so that we can more accurately take in what we're learning.

I found Wuirman's ideas in ignorance and how we allow ourselves to do just about anything to avoid ignorance intriguing. I think that his description on accepting and allowing that you don't know everything will allow you to relax, allow you to be more open to learning more. This admission will then mean that you are less distracted from learning instead of trying to hide ignorance on a topic.

I connected with his viewpoint on the way that we have been socialized to not admit ignorance. To this, he brings up the fact that we must associate being able to ask questions as being productive and good, rather than our current viewpoint that answering questions is looked upon as better than asking questions. Throughout my elementary, high school and college years, there has been the general idea that "no question is a stupid question" in order to provoke us to ask questions. However, I do believe that there is that underlying worry that by asking a question, therefore admitting that you don't know something, may be harmful.

While I agree with Wuirman's idea that we must basically "resocialize" ourselves to internalize that asking questions is productive, it seems to be a concept more easily said than done for some people. I am pretty shy in the classroom, especially with people that I don't know or if the class is large. This often stops me from asking questions: a worry that it might be something that I should already know or something that I could figure out on my own.

Brainstorming Enthusiast Blog

Topic: What is your topic? is it specific enough but not too narrow? Discuss the specific stimuli to which your blog entries will respond.
The topic I would like to write about in my enthusiast blog is unusual or bad gifts given by friends or family members (more often than not from an elderly grandmother or aunt). I think that the idea is specific (gifts), but broad enough because it can relate to anything that may have been a gift or even the circumstance in which the gift was given. I could also include in my posts things that should not be given as gifts.

Audience: Describe the audience that you'd like to attract. What types of things do you imagine this audience would like to see and read? What would they not like to see?
The audience is pretty large because most people, provided financial/family situations, have probably had encounters with gifts they've received that they haven't liked or have been very comical. I think that in some cases, pictures of the gift would embellish the post so that readers could see the physical object and not just have to picture it in their minds.

Personality: Describe the style that you'll be aiming for in both the writing and design of your blog. How will it rhetorically support your blog's concept and focus?
I'll probably be aiming for a comedic style in recounting memories of gifts given or stories from others who have received unusual gifts. I think that this will support the blog's focus because the idea is about gifts that were unusual, so reading about it should make readers laugh or roll their eyes.

Based on all of your above answers, list a few potential titles for your blog as well as a few potential post ideas.
Strange gifts, Things my grandmother gave me, Unwanted gifts..., Thanks...?
1. actual gifts that i've received that were strange/unusual
2. gifts received by people that i know
3. coming up with funny items that shouldn't be given as gifts and why

Response to Suzanne Stefanac reading

In order for an enthusiast blog to be a success, Stefanac shows that it should follow certain guidelines. While it is important to blog about a topic of interest or an obsession, it is just as important to engage the readers by writing regularly, being relatable, and showing personality in every post. She gives the example of one blogger, Mr. Jalopy, as someone who is largely followed.

Although I personally don't have an interest in machinery, I can see how readers with this hobby would be drawn to Mr. Jalopy's page. It seems that he makes his posts interesting and relatable by including little stories and memories that readers may be able to connect with. These little blurbs also make the reader feel like they're learning about Mr. Jalopy and even forming some sort of aquaintence.

This article was helpful in understanding more of the foundations of enthusiast blogs, how to get started and the importance of making the blog focused. Using excerpts from Mr. Jalopy's blog and an interview, Stefanac showed that anyone can create a blog, but in order for it to be a source where return and continue to read, there must be personality and persistance.

Response to Rebecca Blood reading

Weblogs are a fairly new outlet of writing, starting in the late 1990's growing quickly from only 23 existing in 1999 to thousands. Since many people started websites allowing anyone to read other blogs and create their own weblogs, it seemed to be a new fad. It is interesting how the creation of a blog started with only those people computer-savvy enough to create their own website. It is interesting how this phenomena became a form of online community with authors of different blogs referencing eachother, adding links to friends' sites and being able to host ongoing discussions or arguments at length.

Another interesting point that Blood discusses is the difference between different weblog-creation sites. "Blogger" allows the writer complete freedom in regards to formatting and content, writing as in a journal, whereas "Metafilter interface" has a more strictly structured setup with multiple boxes that must be filled. As Blood suggests, I agree with the thought that newcomers to the world of blogging would find the journal-style, open blog more appealing than the filter-style.

It is also interesting that through creating and the upkeep of a weblog, anyone might find new interests or connections in their lives that may not have been so apparent before entering this world. Writing in this environment would probably allow most people to become more comfortable and confident in their writing and/or ideas as Blood suggests. I think that this form of journal-style writing would definitely push writers to become more involved in their surroundings and more connected with others than they would have been if they were writing, instead, in a notebook.

Overall, Blood is very optimistic about the opportunities and benefits that could come from being involved in the weblog community. While they are all unique and expressive, she also brings up the good point that in excess, they may be overwhelming. I think that once you are involved in the blogging community, creating your own blog and learning what others are contributing, then in time you will find your own dent in the community with others who may be writing with similar interests.