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.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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.
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?
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?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
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.
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.
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