I really can’t believe that I am actually blogging even though we no longer have class. I never thought I would actually enjoy the whole bloggoiong idea, but I find myself wanting to discuss the new issues that we are dealing with in our class and how different each one is and how they actually relate in the end. Blogging isn’t as bad as I thought it was and I guess thats good thing…haha. Who would have thought?
Issues in Writing October 15, 2007
It is very interesting to go from such an advanced form of writing too learning about what writing actually is. In our first day of our second module we were told to write, yea actually WRITE not type..haha, a list of why we write and why we study writing. It is interesting to see where writing comes from and its actually history after learning about its actual present and future that we are actually involved in today. I have realized that our generation is a more laid back environment. We don’t like to work too hard and we would rather be able to complete tasks in seconds rather then actually taking the time out to think through the writing process. Of course we hate doing revisions, our minds are use to the theory, when its done it’s done. Hopefully throughout this new module we will better understand what it means to write and how writing is used everyday and how it is actually an extremely social process.
The “Collective Unconscious of Mankind” October 2, 2007
The chat log that was most interesting to me was the Reality and Identity Group 3. They brought up a lot of points in their conversation that were very intriguing and worth mentioning. One of the statements that really grabbed me was Be Smith’s reference to the internet as the “collective unconscious of mankind”. This could not be more true. From my own interpretation, he is basically saying that when we post things online we do it almost unconsciously, without a thought or care that other people may be reading them. We use the internet (mostly blogging) as a digital diary where we can let our opinions, beliefs, fears, and even deepest secrets seep into another world; a dangerous world where everything is at stake, up front, and ultimately, permanent. This is similar to papers we hand in to professors expressing our beliefs on a particular topic. However, it is very very different in the sense that only the professors will be reading that paper, whereas online their will be more people perusing through our thoughts.
The group goes on to discuss how people tend to share things on the internet that they wouldn’t usually say. They feel safer because they aren’t in direct contact with the people they are communicating with. With the internet, we are communicating with the whole world; anyone and everyone. That, to us, sounds OK because “everyone” is doing it and that is where the “collective” part of Be Smith’s comment fits in. The internet is basically everyone’s diary. So, having said this, when we look at things like authorship a question arises of who is the true author. In some sense, we are all authors, publishing stories that are stocked in a global, digital library where not even a library card needs to be swiped or a dime needs to be spent in order to review someone else’s work. Ultimately, considering the openness off the internet, it is important that we become more conscious of what we are posting on certain cites, considering it is impossible for it to be completely erased. It isn’t like a written diary where you can write your entry, lock it with a key, and keep that key safe; in reality, the diaries we contribute to on the internet are forever and indefinitely open. -Amanda
Myspace vs Facebook October 1, 2007
Over the past few years facebook and myspace have grown traumatically. Practically every student has one or the other or both. I know I have both and many of my friends do too. Myspace and Facebook have many differences. I had a Myspace first only because a lot of my older friends had had them and they just looked cool. After getting one I realized it was great time consumer. You can decorate your page with whatever you want. There are millions of sites that can give you codes for so many different aspects of color designs or other aspects to access on your profile. Another aspect that I loved was the fact that you could leave comments on friends walls and comment on funny pictures that were on their pages. I never worried about meeting people I didn’t know because I just used it for fun. Today that has changed. Too many young people are now on myspace looking to find new people to talk to. There are too many creepy people who will say anything to meet young girls and boys. Myspace is good for bands and other celebrity’s to network with their fans and what not but their needs to be more privacy so that the younger generations still has limits within this technology.
I feel like Facebook is much different then Myspace. I did not get a Facebook until I was a senior in High School because a lot of my friends that had went away to college had one and it was a great way to stay in touch. I used it more when I had chosen a college and wanted to see who else would be attending that school. It was a great way to meet new people and see who you would be spending the next four years of your life with. It also is a great way to stay in touch with friends at home who are at different colleges. There are different networks within the system that allow for privacy. Privacy has increased in allowing students to block access to faculty and staff who may get them in trouble with the system. This is extremely important. Besides privacy and use, facebook gets to the point without all the flashiness of Myspace. It has gotten more in depth with all the applications you can add to your profile but it is a lot different.
In the end I think Facebook has more of a purpose then Myspace does. Too many younger kids are getting myspaces to be cool but they are also using it for meeting people who in the end are not people parents would want them to be getting involved in. As technology continues to grow these sites will upgrade gradually and get more involved in peoples lives. Which one do you think is more dangerous or will be in the future?
-Lisa
Reality and Identity Chat from Group 3 September 30, 2007
There were two main points from this chat that I thought were extremely interesting. The first one being the fact that people are relying too much on the Internet. I feel as though this an extremely true statement and as stated in the chat, people are even using the computer to do things as easy as food shopping. As technology is continuing to grow people are going to take advantage of everything that is offered to them. Unfortunately this becomes a bigger problem. People are relying too much on the Internet. For one thing if people continue to think that computers can do anything that they want them too as stated in the chat, “people won’t leave their houses anymore”. The Internet and computers are not a realistic life saver. Computers crash and although they can be fixed they can’t be totally relied on. If people continue to live off the Internet more and more of this country will become obese and their will be more problems then we need to deal with at this point in time.
Another aspect of the chat that I thought was a little scary was the fact that anyone is capable of using the computer. It’s interesting to think that in reality nothing is ever really private once it is put on the Internet because so many people can find ways to gain access to anything nowadays. It is unfortunate to think that their are so many creepy people out their trying to steal identity’s and other aspects of peoples lives. As stated in the chat, even things that are deleted can be found almost anywhere on the Internet. Technology has advanced so much in the last few years that smart people who know their ways around computers can find anything they want whether it be private or not their are leaks within the system. Hopefully as time passes the Internet will be able to fix these few unfortunate kinks and people will realize that the Internet isn’t yet as reliable as people make it look or actually would like it to be.
-lisa
Second Life September 29, 2007
Another type of writing space that I was introduced to in one of my other teaching classes is Second Life. Second Life is a place where you can totally change your identity. With this you can become a totally different person and have a totally different name. Second Life allows you to chat with other people who are in the system without knowing who they are. You can be totally anonymous and say what ever you feel without being judged.
In some ways Second Life is a great concept that technology has given us. It allows people to say what they feel without the pressure of others knowing where it came from. It is an interesting way to meet face to face with others who could possibly be in another country so to speak. Unfortunately like all other networking sites their are always downsides. You never know who you are talking to and people are able to change their appearances to trick others into thinking they could be great matches. Second Life is a new and interesting writing space that people should get aquainted with to see where technology has brought us today.
-Lisa
Class Overview September 28, 2007
Class this morning was a really neat experience. When first hearing that we would be chatting on the computer instead of having a class discussion, I was wondering what the point of that was. Automatically, I came to the realization that having a discussion in a chatroom with other classmates opened up a world of possibility. Instead of having to raise your hand to share your thoughts, everyone could be talking at the same time. Also, it allowed us to withhold our identities and create a different name, so other people wouldn’t know who exactly they were talking to. Not only this, but the class went by so much faster!
My group focused our conversation on authorship. What is that exactly? I would come to the conclusion that it is the writing one produces and claims ownership to. On terms of authorship on the internet, that is a bit of a different story. With so many people blogging anonymously these days, sometimes it is hard to tell who a true author is. If people blog anonymously they are risking the chance of someone else stealing their work and claiming it as their own. With the digital world producing so many possibilities, it is hard to come up with a clear cut definition of what authorship really is. What does authorship mean to you?
-Amanda
I Write. September 28, 2007
At the long-awaited conclusion of DeVoss’ article, “Why Napster Matters to Writing”, reasons are given as to why people write:
“People write because they want to interact, to share, to learn, to play, and to help others. They engage others for connection, compatibility, love, sex, desire, self-fullfillment (or egomania), the thirst for justice, the thirst for freedom, out of boredom, out of need for interaction, to make their lives more comfortable…”
This got me thinking. I am a Writing Arts major. When first applying to Rowan I declared undecided because I was torn between education and journalism. After taking some education courses, I found that I really do want to be a teacher. My College Comp I course, though very challenging, was the most writing-intensive course I have ever been involved in. The articles we read and topics we wrote about were very intriguing and even though it was difficult to master, I was always pleased with the final drafts of my writing. I was writing at a level I didn’t know I was capable of achieving. Reaching desired goals on terms of grades, I found self-fullfillement. My professor was very informative and thus I requested her for College Comp II. So what am I rambling on about here? I have always had a desire for writing, and for conquering seemingly difficult tasks. That’s why I came to declare Writing Arts as my dual-major.
On more personal terms, I write because I can. I write because I want to. I write because I have to. I write because I need to. I write to relieve stress. I write to remember. I write to study. I write to inform. I write to understand. I write to vent. I write to impress. I write for the fulfillment I feel after producing something valuable and worth reading. Ultimately, I write for me. So far this course has introduced me to ways in which I can write freely, publish my own thoughts, and receive feedback on my own written words. Stories of bloggers being recognized for blogs they post provide me with the motivation to start doing the same. I can write what I want, when I want, at the convenience of my own home. This suits me perfectly, since my main profession will be in teaching. I don’t know what I want to do with writing when I “grow up”, but I do know that it is something I will always have a desire for. With the advancements of writing in digital spaces, who knows what I will get myself into. Whatever it may be, I am looking forward to it.
-Amanda
Hey guys September 26, 2007
I spent the entire weekend trying to figure out what to do with this page. Anyway I did read the article “A rape in cyberspace.” It was pretty strange. I felt I was reading a sci-fi novel. No way this could be a real scenario. But it is. I think it crosses a lot of greyish lines. For example when a physical rape takes place, a lot of times the woman is blamed or accused of lying. I felt that a lot of that was going on in this article.
My First Blog! September 26, 2007
Hey my name is Lisa and I am an Elementary Education/Writing Arts Major. This is my forst blog ever and I definately have to say this is an interesting assignment. I think blogging in general is a weird yet interesting idea that people have come up with. I mean, I think it’s great that people are able to post their opinions and hope that other people share the same view or have another side of ones view. It is also a great way to meet new people with the same interests or even learn about others interests. I for one after researching blogs may actual look into it when I get to be a teacher. As a teacher it is important to understand what you want to do in the classroom and how you are going to incorporate your own goals and feelings within the job. Blogging is a great way to find out ideas of what other teachers around the world are actually doing and and find out similiar problems that others have so that I wont feel alone. It is a great place to find new activities and solve problems that might occur within the classroom with other teachers opinions and views.
As great as blogging sounds there are some downfalls to it. For example, I would never be one to blog about my life as a whole. Although many people do want to share their hopes, dreams, and activities, I would never read one or write one myself. Too many creepy people get involved in blogs and stalk people out and don’t understand the dangers of what blogging could cause. Nobody should be stupid enough to put all their information online for the world too see. Unfortunately as I am writing this I think about other sites that people use that are doing just that. Facebook is an excellent example of this. People need to learn how to keep most information to themselves or else they are just asking for trouble.
