It's the Last Call for...Blogging

It's about that time, when Ricks starts flashing their lights, and Skeeps (poor Skeeps doesn't have their own website) puts on their shiners to drive out the crowds. It's approximately 1:55 and the night has come to an end. With only a couple more days left of actual "class" before finals start to kick in, the last call for blogging has begun. 

Oh blogging! It's been fun, but all good things must come to an end. Of course this blog doesn't really have to come to an end, but for the sake of devoting my time to more productive matters, such as 

becoming the best graphic designer, it's time to close up shop. 

In my last couple of posts, I began to reflect on what new media is, my relationship with new media, 

and lastly what I have truly learned in this course. In this very final post, I think it is only appropriate to continue this conversation, and perhaps come up with some final insights on the topic of: NEW MEDIA! I am dedicating this final post to New Media partly because I am supposed (guidelines for Blog Post #10), partly because New Media is going to be part of my future endeavors, partly because New Media is the "it" thing right now (TWITTER, tweet, tweet), and partly because this is what this blog is entitled... "New Media... Just Blog it."

New Media...Just Blog it....

Blog it!

After watching Epic, the video segment on Google taking over the world, I feel like I

 am supposed to be scared about new media, but I'm actually really not at all. Maybe becaus

e I already watched this video for a Communications class (I can't remember which one?).  I mean this is life, new media is life, it is the future, and I am more than fine with that. I am not

 necessarily "happy" about how the New York Times might become endangered, according to the futuristic minds of Epic's writers, and to its dismal sales in real life, but there is nothing to be done about it. Everything goes in waves. There are trends that sweep the world by storm, and then disappear just like that. Does anyone remember pogs?

Media conglomerates have ruled the world far before Google designed its homepage. Referencing back to Communications 361, with professor Russell Nueman, there are 5 different companies that own the world's media. 

1. Time Warner (AOL)

2. Disney (ABC/ Buena Vista motion pictures)

3. NewsCorp (Fox)- Rupert Murdoch

4. Viacom- Sumner Redstone

5. Bertelsmann

and in a close 6th: General Electric (NBC)

So would I be surprised if Google takes over everything (more 

specifically information), not really. It doesn't even matter if Google does succeed in this fete, it;s already being done (just not everyone is aware of it yet, or not so aware of it). The aforementioned companies are closing in on their new media acquisitions, and so the 5 media conglomerates are being transformed into the 5 "new" media conglomerates. Not so surprising, well at least for a Communication Studies major like myself.

New Media....Just Blog it

But, new media doesn't just allow major corporations to monopolize the information airwaves. New media allows people like you and me, to write their own blog, create their own podcast, and  design their own website. So it is irrelevant who owns what service or which company is being bought out today, because it is individual who rules. I produce my own content, and there is no filter, editor, or gatekeeper of information telling me what I can or can't create. New media facilitates the many-to-many module. "Many" produce new media content, and "many" more sort through youtube videos, and scavage the Internet for user-generated content. It's a free-for-all out there, anyone can get a piece. 

Although, anyone can be self-proclaimed new media-guru, some are better than others. Correction: some are more legitimate, credible, and thought-provoking. Of course it is a matter of opinion, on what you prefer to read, listen to, or watch, but there is quite a range in talent out there on the Internet. But, where do I fall into

 this spectrum of very good- good-not so good- average- bad- very bad? Perhaps I have taken some inspiration from the course-evaluation rating scale,

 but my proposed question is for real. Am I "good?" Or could I possibly be"great?" Of course I couldn't be "great" that wasn't even an option! Duh.

Perusing my old posts, I think I have progressed as a blogger throughout the semester. Writing a blog was something of a mystery to me, and it still is. Especially, because this blog is an "academic blog" (check out my older posts, I don't want to get into that discussion again), the lines of what to write about, and what style to write in are still hazy. But, I have broken out of that confused state, and embraced what I know: I write about me, what I think, and what I am up to. A little self-consumed, you might say? Well, of course it is, but a blog is about what the blogger thinks. The whole point of blogging is to share different opinions and perspective on subjects, and to create a forum for discussion. I hope I have accomplished this goal

 somewhat over the last couple of months.

New Media...Just Blog it

As this post comes to a close, I ask you are in we in the midst of a revolution? Has the 21st century brought about not only the worst economic recessions in years but also a new media revolution? As "What Sort of Revolution" claims, we are in revolution. Its nuts to say that 

we are in a revolution, but how can you say that while we are still in it (if we even are?). Its totally nuts, but its also totally new media. New media is in the now. You have an urge to say something, you go ahead and say it. So, today sure I think that we're in a revolution, and new media is that revolutionizing force. Maybe in five years I'll revisit this blog and think: wow that wasn't a revolution, but this is.

New Media...Just Blog it

Blog it

Blog it 

Blog it

club lights image retrieved from:www.myspace.com

thinking image retrieved from:school.discoveryeducation.com

5 image retrieved from: www.archetypeshardware.com

crowd image retrieved from: www.worldofstock.com

revolution image retrieved from: www.myspace.com

And it comes full circle: back to interactivity

It seems like yesterday when we were discussing what constitutes new media. Back then, our class neared towards the consensus that new media had to indeed be interactive. But, as we revisit this subject once again, does interactivity seem all that innovative? It's like when you discover something for the first time, and it seems amazing and totally revolutionary until all of a sudden it doesn't anymore. Is interactivity all that wild, or is it just a jaded talking point? I'll let you decide that one.

But, I think interactivity is still pretty cutting edge and still pretty cool. In returning to our roots of old versus new media, interactivity gives new media a total step up from let's say radio, tv, etc. I like to think of interactivity NOT as Manovich puts it (sorry Manovich!), but as James Milward does in "SXSW Interactive: A Panelist's Perspective."  What Milward puts in parentheses is what I took as one of the most crucial definitions of the concept of interactivity: "( or stories that the viewer could affect, choose or change the plot)". Perhaps my celebration of these parentheses phrase is somewhat skewed by the interactive adventures I went on afterwards, but who cares. I think Milward does a better job of getting across the idea of "interactivity" versus what Manovich does with all of his philosophical jibbering.

Oh and by the way, if you were wondering (I definitely was) tautology, according to Wikipedia, is "repetition of meaning, using different words to say the same thing twice, especially where the additional words fails to provide additional clarity." Well now that I have looked up that definition, Manovich makes some sense, and I am pretty happy that I can add a new word to my vocab last: tautology. 

Back to interactivity!

The subservient chicken was surely a treat, until I got bored of typing different things into the text box. First I typed in jump: the chicken jumped. Then I got a little more creative and typed in jumping jacks: the chicken flapped his wings. The I got restless and told the chicken to sit: he sat. Hmmm alright that was fun for a little, but how did that really sell more chicken at Burger King? Maybe I'm not hip enough, or maybe I'm just not a fast food junkie and can't understand the saturated fat lingo? Either or: I am dumbfounded.  I just can't figure it out, and so I left the site, satisfied that I could tell a chicken what to do and he listened but slightly confused because what was the point of that silly exercise? It was fun though, to have the chicken do whatever I told it (or typed it) to do, more than I can say for how my dogs behave!

Next stop: Dove. I must admit, I really dig Dove

ads, and I even buy their products (so that really says something)! But, actually its because I've been brand loyal since a very young age (I've been using dove bars of soap since forever), but to make the advertisers feel good, let's just say I was swayed by the imagery. Recently there has been an ad circulating where a girl is in the shower and she uses a scented body wash and the experience is invigorating and I get to see the cosmic practices at work! But, "Waking Up Hannah" did not have the same effect on me. It was entertaining at first when Dove (or the Barbarian Group) provided me with a segment featuring Hannah going out and losing her bag and her keys. Been there done that! Actually I thankfully didn't lose my keys (or purse for those non-east coasters) but I lost my ID which was even worse back in the under 21- days of my youth. But, then the fun part: I got to pick what happened to the rest of the story and ironically that is exactly when it went downhill. 

I couldn't remember what scent correlated to what personality and I just randomly picked one. Then, as the clip began I tried to think about what "personality" it was. Anyway, she woke up and the body washes appeared and I'm thinking that she was going to take a shower or something, but I guess I missed that part, because she went the whole day without even changing her clothes (besides the addition of a little jacket). Isn't this supposed to be a body wash interactive video? And the worst part was was that she had a blind date the same day! I don't mean to sound like hmmm idk what word to choose (I'll let you fill it in) but I was repulsed, especially because this was a Dove clip! Of course the message was that Hannah was "confident" with who she was, but does that really mean that you don't need to take a shower before you have a date! 

Oh my, I hope not! I still will buy my Dove body wash though.

Lastly, I checked out the Samsung link and I selected my icons and waited for the story to unfold. The video began, and then buffered, and began and then buffered. I decided to click out after the 3rd or 4th time. This buffering business also went on during the Dove interactive story. Buffering is really annoying, and the bottom line is that whomever is going to go to a company's website, has to be extraordinarily interested in the content or they are not going to sit patiently and wait for everything load. If a brand is going to upload interactive content for viewers it must be fun and interesting, but most of all convenient! Who really has time to sit at their computer all day to what for something to be "buffered?" Especially, when you know in the back of your mind that whatever is being buffered is trying to sell you something...

circle image retrieved from: www.collinatorstudios.com

Milward image retrieved form: www.flickr.com

subsurvient chicken image retrieved from: www.culture-buzz.fr

waking up hannah image retrieved from: www.culture-buzz.com

buffering image retrieved from: www.whatismaxcast.com

From procrastinating to embracing: My relationship with my podcast

As the final version of the podcast nears the due date, I am picking up the pace drastically. At first when I first learned about our enhanced podcast I was really excited to get to work on it. I was especially excited because I had garage band on my computer and I had yet to fiddle around with it. But that was in the beginning, and way before I actually even started by draft.

When I began writing my draft, I became extremely frustrated. I was trying so hard to create a balance between descriptive language and actually telling a story. I found myself piling on the adjectives and flowery language instead 

of getting to what I really wanted to say. Thanks to my critique partners, I straightened myself out and got back to what the podcast is supposed to be about: my relationship with technology. After completely revamping my draft I think that I am getting closer to accomplishing the goal of this podcast.

I was reading my draft to my mom Monday night and she actually enjoyed listening to it. 

She said that I kept her attention the whole time, which is pretty impressive because sometimes I lose her from the get-go.  From that moment on, I became motivated to work on my podcast more and more. After finishing my draft, I went straight to editing my music and looking for pictures to compliment my text. I became excited that I could possibly produce a successful podcast, instead of a boring one that listeners don't care to listen to. Of course my mom is a biased audience, because she is obviously interested in what I have to say (most of the time, except for boring papers on an unusual topics of course), but I think that my podcast has a definite audience appeal (or at least I hope so!)

I try to make my language suitable to listeners ears, while supplementing it with interesting details. I think I am on my way to producing a finished product that is better than what I had originally expected when I first started writing my draft. I hope everything goes to plan and that I am proud of my final version. Tonight, I will try my second attempt at recording my voice, and hopefully I will be more pleased with this version than the last one.

I think technology requires a lot of practice, and if you are willing to put in the time and effort learning a new program, producing a podcast, making a website, or writing your very own blog, they can all be very gratifying experiences. Its thrilling to step back from it all for moment and realize that I created this!

turtle image retrieved from: www.bradftizpatrick.com/store/images/products

race car image retrieved from: www.imageenvision.com/sm/0012-709-0421-2732

finish line image retrieved from www.leehansen.com

Garage Band is fun

So this afternoon I was fiddling around on garage band, and it was just so much fun (and easy to use). First, I dropped in my WAV file that I had recorded for this past Tuesday's class. Although I was unimpressed with my first draft, I was however impressed of how I mastered the Marantz, and managed to transfer it onto my computer and then successfully drop into garage band. Technology is getting amazing, at least until after I figured out how to learn garage band and that I realized that I plugged the wrong wire into the wrong transmitter device thing.

I think part of the reason I enjoyed garage band so very much (besides that I knew how to use it) was that I got to drag all of my own songs into my podcast. As I had said in earlier posts, I am a class rock aficionado, so when the day came to choose my audio elements for my podcast I was all over it. Ironically, I have yet to perfect my written draft, but I have jumped the gun on my audio. Probably not the best decision, but I know that when I have my creative juices running I should definitely take advantage of them. When it comes to music, they are also flowing or running or ya...

After pressing the down arrow key and gliding through my iTunes library I decided to switch over to Delia's blog and see what was on the agenda for the blog post etc. As we were advised, I listened to the three assigned podcasts. Below is what I thought of each:

"Scared" by John Biewen 

This clip automatically drew me in, and then it subsequently freaked me out. Let me explain. He starts describing how love is physical, and then he mentions thighs, and then a baby makes a sound. Kinda freaky! I continue to listen...The music starts, it reminds me of the itsy bitsy spider (which I'm pretty sure it is but can't say for sure). The narrator's voice is interspersed with Harper (the daughter) speaking and as the clip progresses she matures and so does her voice. There's a depressing vibe coming from the music. Although I adore the "itsy bitsy" there is just something off about the key, its deeper than usual. The "itsy bitsy" deeper tone coupled with him calling Harper "girl" and lines such as "in which her body was never for you" freaked me out throughout the podcast. "Sacred" was definitely scary for me, especially when there was a break with silence. I guess you can say that Biewen effectively used audio effects to evoke this "scary" emotion in the audience. 

Next....

"In a Bubble (Quiet Kids)" by Hillary Frank 

This piece was ironic. These self-proclaimed quiet kids are actually articulate on the tape. Besides for one boy, the rest of the bunch sound like normal teenagers. Their tone and speaking voices don't match what they are saying, which is in fact that they are "shy" kids. As the clip progresses a girl talks about how others might wrongly perceive her quietness as her judging others. Then, with that said "the others" join in on the audio. There is a noisy background filled with children and bells going off to match what the student was speaking about. The background sound paints a precise picture of what the students are describing. Together, both the oral + the sound, equal an easily imagined scene.

Lastly....

"Lost in Translation" by Iswari P. Pandey

After listening to the two prior clips by Americans, I was caught off guard by Iswari. It was hard for me to pay attention to what he was saying, especially because he was not enthusiastic nor did he put any emphasis on certain words or phrases. I felt like I was listening to a tape on loop, with an unfamiliar voice, where his words just blurred together and I couldn't make anything out. Then all of a sudden there would be a burst of music. After that quick burst of classical music, Pandey continues on with his dialogue and then once again a song. This pattern continues with short clips breaking up the monotonous voice. I wasn't a fan (if you can't tell) but I thank Pandey for adding those clips because they kept me on my toes throughout the podcast. I became almost consumed with these little bursts of audio energy. Instead of listening to Iswari, I waited for what strange clip would play in between. Successful usage of audio? You decide.

images retrieved from:

Garage Band: htttp://faculty.umf.maine.edu/%7Eoverallt/melwebquest/guitar.jpg

John Biewen: http://www.civicframe.org/img/board/bigpics/John_Biewen.jpg

Hillary Frank: http://www.ctools.umich.edu

Iswari Pandey: http://www.wrt.syr.edu/newsarchive/pandey/pandeyccr.jpg

I don't want to dump "new media"

Now, with just a few weeks until the semester ends, and I am officially a graduate of the University of Michigan, I would like to take some time out to reflect on what I have learned throughout my four years as an undergrad student. I've studied everything from astronomy, economics, to the history of religion in Spanish, to the environment, and way too many classes on the 60's. But, since this is indeed a blog about new media, I propose that it is only correct that I give a mindful account of my progress as a student of new media technology.

I look back at the beginning weeks of this class (when it was actually a comfortable temperature in our classroom versus the suffocating heat that we experienced the other day) and I have to say I have come a long way. Remembering those discussions on what is "new media," brings a comical smile to my face. I can't say that I'm smiling because I can give you or even myself a clear,

concise definition of the term, but I know that I am beginning to wrap my mind around the idea. I have also come a long way from my first week of blogging when I learned the hard way that you apparently can't type your blog in a word document and copy and paste into your blogger screen ( I'm still smiling about that one!).

It's pretty cool to say that I have my own blog, and I made a website on traveling to Barcelona, and now in the final stretch of the semester I will be working on my very own podcast. I pride myself on these accomplishments (even if I'm not exactly proud of all of my finished products). I know that I am really getting at the heart of this new media reality that is seemingly going to represent the future in Journalism, news reporting, entertainment, and everything else that happens in the world.

Everything that we do/have done in this class is so "in" right now. Not to say that a learning experience can be passe or en vogue, but it's totally true! Watch out you just might see a podcast strutting down the runaway (just kidding, that was kinda lame). I am learning about something that is happening today, and that is happening tomorrow, and not just facts and tid-bits on some event that occurred decades ago. Of course history is important, and the future is dependent on the past events, I would just like to note that there is something to be said about learning about blogging and podcasting, when the a large portion of the population doesn't know what either is.

New Media Writing has opened up a whole world to me. Of course I've heard of podcasting and blogging before, but I have to admit that I really didn't know much about what went on with either of  them. I had never read Andrew Sullivan, or clicked onto the Huffington Post, or listened to a "This American Life" podcast. I was technically a new media virgin (except for that one time that experimented with Perez).

I hope that after this class wraps up I will continue my relationship with new media technology. I don't even need to say that, because new media has become a part of my life, as it is becoming a part of everyones'.  At the end of every semester I gleefully dump all of my scribbled notes, and doodled binders into the big dumpster behind my apartment building. I usually don't want to savor the memories of studying for tests, and writing 15 page papers, I just want to get rid of them and everything that reminds me of them right away! But, this April this certainly won't be the case with my new media materials.

Why? Well, number one is because I don't have a binder for this class. Number two is:  you can't just "throw away" a blog, a podcast, or website. These three new media productions are alive and not just filed away under all of my other books. I can't escape my new media creations, and I don't think I am ready to let go of them either. 

images retrieved from:

graduation: http://www.cardinalspellman.org/pics/graduation_cap.jpg

smiley: http://www.jester-records.com/images/SmileyFace.jpg

runway: http://www.mcstudios.com/image/pro_stage.jpg

dumpster: http://tvgasm.com/newsgasm/dumpster.jpg

New Media: Journalism's savoir

Sitting on the floor in the back of the Hussey Room of the Michigan League, I thought to myself wow either the blogosphere is brimming with fans or everyone is just here for extra credit. Whether it was one or the other (or both), I think that Professor Warner's lecture was extraordinarily applicable to me as, as a Communications major and someone with a future career in advertising. I found Ms. Warner especially intuitive, but I think part of that opinion stems from previous lecturers she has given. 

Last year, I had taken a class with Fara on Trends in Journalism, and in our first class meeting we spent an hour and a half discussing Paris Hilton. Ms. Warner knows that the future of journalism is not in one area (i.e. straight news) but it is in gossip entertainment, because Ms. Hilton makes it that way. Paris Hilton is a marketing genius, who has the media wrapped around her "thats just so hot" finger. She uses her celebrity to make money, and gives into the paparazzi (she actually give them a list of her day-to-day itineraries). Professor Warner allowed our class to learn about Journalism (how to write a newspaper article, marketing pitch, and press release) but she also facilitated a course that was immersed in today's world of Journalism, marketing, and advertising. Journalism has evolved into a new form, one in which in includes stories on Paris Hilton of course. Ms. Warner, continued her argument in her lecture this past Wednesday. Although she didn't talk about Paris, her discussion certainly was focused on the future of Journalism.

The future of journalism is in new media, 

specifically in blogging, social networking sites, and websites that seek out journalists (such as www.spotus.com).  Why? Because newspapers are seeing a serious decline in readership, and an even more sharp decline in advertising revenue. The new breed of journalism lives in the new age of Internet portals. But, as Fara warns, although thousands of new blogs have been created within the past 5 years or so, Journalists have been fairly unsuccessful in profiting off of the new format. There needs to be a new business plan, for Journalism to thrive, but it seems that nobody has yet found the magic solution to the problem. Yes it is known that new media is where the audiences are at, but how do you make money off of that?

On Thursday, The Daily wrote a review of Professor Warner's lecture. Ironically, I began my blog with the same opening line: ...."in the Hussey room of the Michigan League." Annie Thomas, who authored the article, summarized Ms. Warner's lecture as "optimistic," despite Journalists continuing to lose their jobs. Ms.  Thomas' article is totally unlike mine. Hers includes quotes, mine is absent of them. Her article is available in print, and mine is only available online. (the differences continue on....)

But yet that is exact point of new media. It is supposed to bring a new future to Journalism, and I happy to say that I am contributing to that transformation. Ms. Thomas' article is perfectly written (and mine is probably not so perfectly written) but who cares, because my blog is also available to whomever wants to read it, and that is pretty cool!

images retrieved from:

Fara Warner: http://www.michigandaily.com/files/blog. jpg

Paris Hilton: http://www. bbc.co.uk/blogs/aceandvis/paris-hilton-001.jpg

Dollar sign: htttp://www.spahp2.creighton.edu/oasa/Leadership.aspx

Back to Blogging

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, and I feel as if I am starting anew with my blog. Its strange to think that even though I've been consumed with other things (i.e. "Vamos a Barcelona") that my blog continues to live on. Very bizarre. As "spring ahead" just occurred Sunday morning, you can say that time is on my mind.

                                         

Without much further ado, my comeback post will be dedicated to my very first podcast listening experience, which featured Ira Glass and his "Plan B" segment aired on "This American Life." 

As I was lying in my bed on Saturday morning, I wasn't yet ready to go to the library nor was I in the mood to watch mindl

ess t.v. So it occurred to me this would be the perfect time to listen to the "podcast." Listening to the first five minutes of Ira's podcast in class, wet my appetite for more and so I unplugged my laptop and plopped it atop my pile of blankets.

As my listening experience got underway, I kept thinking to myself, this is so great. I am being entertained, able to relax, do an assignment, and reflect on life choices all at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking! Not to make myself out to be a lazy person (everyone is allowed to lie in their bed sometimes and veg out),  but listening to a podcast was actually extremely ideal for the entertainment I was looking for. Its strange to think of homework as entertainment, but that's what listening to Ira's podcast was for me.

Writing this blog post right now has led me to question, why I don't download these podcasts to my ipod? I really should. On my w

ay to the grad (where I am writing this blog post) I had the usual a.d.d. with my shuffle feature. I didn't want to listen to anything that came on! I listen to the same music all day long: at my computer, in my car, and walking around campus. Do I honestly need anymore classic rock? What I really should've done is download some more podcasts now that I'm thinking about it....

But, maybe I just liked this particular podcast? It can be quite possible, and before I put all of my eggs in one basket, and proclaim that I am a podcast aficionado, I should really test out some other options.  In the interim of starting this blog post and finishing it (which I hope to do soon) I set out to find some other podcasters.  I sat at my google homepage for more than 3 minutes (o.k. it was more like 2) thinking about who exactly to google and for what podcast? I really had no idea.

To help with my search, I decided to start from the beginning: what is podcasting? Podcasting (check it is symbol to the right in purple)

is a broadcast, that is downloadable from the Internet, and then can be played on a portable device. I then realized that I really don't listen to "broadcasts" in general. Sure I listen to music, but not to a particular talk show host. My parents are actually the ones who fall into the talk show host audience (my mom listens to Joan Hamburg and my dad listens to Howard Stern). Basically, my realization is that if I am going to cross over to the podcasting audience, I need to talk to other podcast listeners and find out who is a "must-listen." I googled "recommended podcasts," and then I x'd out before the results appeared (I just had a bad feeling about the idea of searching for recommended podcasts, as if the were restaurants).

I feel like this post was a refreshing switch up. I didn't have to write about anything in particular, but wrote about my thoughts and feelings on podcasting. Although as I finish this post, I have this nagging feeling that I really should have talked about Ira Glass and "This American Life" a tad bit more (since I did "dedicate" this post to him) but my thoughts just flowed some place else as I began typing away. I also have this uncomfortable feeling about not writing about "Plan B" because I really genuinely liked the broadcast, and I didn't let you fellow bloggers why! One more reason why I feel uncomfortable about my lack of writing on "Plan B" is because I took over 2 pages of notes on the over 50 minute broadcast!!!

Perhaps, those 2 pages deserve their own post?.... After thinking, well that just doesn't seem very natural and hence it should remain absent from the blogosphere.

Question: Blogging is back, but is it here to stay? 

Answer: Until the end of the semester it is!

image citations:

1. www.lca.org.mt/userfiles/image/calendar.jpg

2. http://alloveralbany.com

3. htttp://i.i.com

4. www.studiodaily.com

Jello Jiggles and Betty Doesn't Know What She's Cooking

       And the battle for best website begins....

Jello.com and bettycrocker.com will compete on thr

ee factors. These three factors are:

1. Content: Content is a combination of audience and argument.

Every website has an intended target audience. In order to appeal to the target, website features, such as design, text choices, background should be reflective of your target's interests.

Argument is the equivalent of the website's thesis. The argument for a website acts to persuade the audience to take action, or share an opinion. While, the purpose of a website is what the website wants their audience to do after looking at the site.

2. Web Architecture: Web Architecture is the navi

gation and organization of information.

A site does not appear out of thin air. The creator puts tho

ught into how to build the site. There are multiple layers in one site, and the creator needs to make sure that the visitor can easily move around the site to get where they need to go.

3. Design: Design includes color, typeface, and layout choices. 

These three design elements contribute to the website's overall argument. Color

 should be closely aligned with the argument's "mood." Color choices should not distract the viewer, and should provide for easy viewing. 

Typeface should be limited to two or three different fonts, as to again make it easy for the viewer to read. Layout choices should remain consistent throughout the entire website.

Now that I have briefly outline the three criteria in which we will be judging two websites on, let me know re-introduce the competitors.

              In the right hand corner, we have....

In the left hand corner we have....

Jell-O:

1. Content:

Jell-O's target audience is consumers who are on a diet on want to satisfy their sweet tooth. These are health consciousness individuals, probably women, who are looking for fun ideas to incorporate healthy snacks into their diet. Its hard to be on a diet, and Jell-O tells its target that they can still indulge on low calorie Jell-O snacks. How can I tell? Because of Jell-O's tagline: "Every Diet Needs a Little Wiggle Room."

As mentioned above, target audience is intertwined with argument and purpose. Jell-O's argument can be summarized through their tagline as well. They are arguing that Jell-O is the perfect snack for when you are on a diet. Their products are even broken up into different categories based on calories, and sugar content. For example, you can "satisfy your sweet tooth" with a 10 calorie Jell-O snack. The purpose of the site, is for consumers to buy Jell-O snacks.

When someone visits Jell-O site, they know exactly who Jell-O is targeting, and what their argument is.

2. Web Architecture:

You enter the site through Jell-O's homepage, which has three different tabs located on the top, in addition to a "search" bar. The tabs are labeled "products," "recipes," and "explore Jell-O." Once you click on a tab, for example "products," the user can choose from other subpages, such as "Jell-O Gelatin," "Jell-O Pudding," and "Jello-Flavor Finder." The same is true for the other tabs. Whenever  clicked on a subpage, for example "Flavor Finder," the three tabs remained a t the top of the page. I could also click on the "Jell-O" to return to the homepage. There is also a site map at the bottom of the page, if the user chooses to navigate the site that way. 

3. Design:

This is Jell-O's best asset. First, I would like to mention that Jell-O is known for its wiggle, and its site incorporates this. When you move your mouse over an image it wiggle for you! The color choice is reflective of the brand, because Jell-O is indeed red. Typefaces are animated, but yet still easy to read. There are three different fonts that appear on the homepage, but the rest of the website is consistent in its main font choice. The website's layout is very well balanced. 

Betty Crocker:

1. Content:

Betty Crocker's target audience is people who cook and bake. But, unlike Jell-O's website Betty Crocker does not just feature one product line, it features many different ones. When I first visited the homepage, there was a Turkey-Pineapple salad, but then two minutes later I checked back and saw that the salad had transformed itself into chocolate? So after doing some more browsing, I realized that Betty Crocker offers more than cake mixes and brownie mixes. Betty Crocker does dinner ("cooking") and desert ("baking"). There is also an emphasis on ease of use and convenience. Betty Crocker's target thus are people who like to cook, but dont' like to spend all day preparing a meal.

Betty Crocker's argument is its tagline: "Expertise from our kitchen to yours." This further supports who their target audience is. Every meal or desert that is advertised is also accompanied with a quick and easy recipe. 

2. Web Architecture:

Since Betty Crocker is such a varied site, it has many more pages and subpages than Jell-O. Compared to Jell-O's three tabs plus a search bar, Betty Crocker has eight tabs plus a search bar. It is only when you click on one of the tabs that you can access the subpages. There is no drop-down menu like Jell-O's site. The main tabs do however remain on each page, and I can click on "betty crocker" to return to the homepage.

3. Design:

This is perhaps the websites worst attribute. There is way too much stuff on each page!! On the each page (including the home page) there are four different sections. Unlike Jell-O who's one main page was broken into smaller sections, Betty Crocker's pages actually have four separate pages in one. I want to stress that the content is unrelated as well. For example, on the right side of the homepage you can subscribe to the newsletter, become a member, and participate in the kitchen poll. On the bottom of the page you can read a blog-esque section. In the middle of the page you can get the recipe of the day, cookie mix contest info, and peanut butter recall info. And, finally at the top of the page, a rotating recipe is featured. Although there are only two main colors (red and blue) all of the content's images are too distracting. Since, there are so many different sections located on one page, three different typefaces are used to distinguish them. Although three typefaces are okay, more than three gets you into trouble. Since Betty Crocker is already doing poorly on her layout, she should play it safe on her type choices.

So you might have guess it.... the winner is Jell-O!

Jell-O keeps it simple, while Betty Crocker piles it on. The best bet in website design it too keep it simple, let your user navigate through content easily, and make sure the user knows what your site is about. Jell-O is successful on all three of these. Although BettyCrocker.com is not necessarily the worst website, she has a long way to go to compete with Jell-O . 

Adam and Andrew

There were a lot of babies born on Tuesday, February 3rd. Some were White and some were African American.

Meet Adam...

Meet Andrew...

or

 Meet Andrew...

Meet Adam

Adam and Andrew grew up on the same block.

They lived right next door to each other actually.

 Adam and Andrew became great friends.

Andrew and Adam went to the same high school.

Adam is going to Yale. Andrew is going to his state school, the University of Michigan.

They had identical High School transcripts....

There were a lot of babies born on February 3rd, some were White and some were African American.

After finally completing my post, my biggest challenge was getting the images to be in the spot I wanted them to be in. Once I inserted another image, the image that I had already placed would move to another spot, or disappear altogether. As I was doing this post, I kept thinking about how much I would like to be taking these pictures myself. Unfortunately, I do not have the time nor the resources to have done that so I was forced to rely on Google images. Google images for the most part is great, but for my post I was looking for very specific images to convey a very specific message. A lot of the time, I would find an image that has a text written over it for copyright issues. Finding images was very time consuming. From the beginning I wanted to do a post on Affirmative Action, and portray it from a different point of view. My argument is that Affirmative Action should not be based on race alone. The story of these two boys is an example of how race should not allow advantages for one individual versus another individual who has the same credentials. I named the boys Adam and Andrew to show the extreme similarities between the two  (both had names that started with A, both grew up on the same block, etc.).  I never tell my reader who is Andrew and who is Adam. I do this on purpose to keep the reader guessing, and to show that Affirmative Action is inherently unfair, because these two boys are equal, and no different besides for the color of their skin. As Berger argued, photographs are isolated bits of time. In my post I try to create a continuous history for my two characters, starting at birth, and ending at college to show that photos can indeed tell a full story when ordered in a particular way.

Could I have a thing for Geek Dad?

After browsing through the various blogs that were posted for this assignment, I confess that I absolutely was most intrigued by Wired's Geek Dad blog. It was extremely surprising too me, because as a gossip enthusiast (who watches E! every single night without avail at 7 pm to catch E! News) I was expecting to fall head over heels for Perez Hilton's blog. But, apparently this was not the case.

I have visited Mr. Hilton's blog on a 

previous occasion, just briefly passing through between checking my mail and hopping on over to the New York Times front page.  I browsed a few pictures, didn't read any of the posts, and quickly left neither satisfied nor unsatisfied. Basically, I wasn't expecting anything, except for a quick gossip fix mid-day. But, as I spend more time on P. Hilton's site (and that would be Perez and not Paris) I'm really just not feeling his vibe. For one thing, his notorious bad mouthing blogging style has really shown its true colors. 

As Perez welcomes his readers to his site, which he entitles "Hollywood's Most Hated Web-Site," his intentions are not to provide gossip, but to provide it in a way that basically embarrasses, makes fun of, or puts any celebrity to shame. Hence his first post of today, is e accusing Kanye West of being gay or bisexual, a very touchy matter that is not dealt with much sensitivity. Hilton's style is further illustrated in his doodles, in which he pens comments, hearts, and even highlights Jessica Simpson's.... I can't even bring myself to say it. Anyway, his tone is flirtatious and provocative, but you don't even necessarily need to read the short, quick, posts because the pictures basically say it all. But, maybe that is Hilton's intention (since the pictures do canvas almost the entire page). In the world of celebrity blogging, images can be much more powerful, than a snide comment or a snarky remark. A titilating title and a blown up picture of whoever with a doodle is all you need for a little controversy.  In an interesting twist though, Hilton doesn't only blog about Hollywood, he is also blogging about current events, such as unemployment and the recession. I think Perez should just stick to what he knows best, which would be antagonizing celebs for the guilty pleasure of his readership.

Now, onto blog number two. Numero dos appears in the lifestyle category, specifically food. I was first intrigued by the description of the blog, because I never know what to eat for dinner, EVER! So... I click the URL in hopes of this blog being my savior from countless nights of wondering what should eat. But, unfortunately I was not impressed. Sure, the blog does what it says it will do, and that is provide people with dinner ideas. But, it wasn't exactly entertaining or inviting to the reader. First of, there was not one single picture on the page!!!! When you think of a traditional cook book, I think of recipes coupled with elaborate images. But, when I think of a cook book online, I definitely think of images, because why not take advantage of what the digitality has to offer???? It just looked plain boring! In regards to the language, each blog started off with a brief conversational introduction of what the author was doing that day or whatever. But, what the author had to say was not exactly what I really wanted to read about when I looked for a recipe. Each of the recent posts began with an

 apology for not writing, and then a complaint, and none of it was uplifting. And then.... ta dah what I came for...the recipe! The recipe was dry, simple, easy to follow, and the author did offer tips. I think that this site should try to stay on topic and focus on the food and

 not on feeling, and possibly spice it up with a picture or two!

Even an inexperienced blogger like myself could pop in a pic or two (well it might actually be the only thing I can pop in but that's ok....I'm a self-proclaimed beginner)

And now, onto my favorite blog, which appeared in the science/technology category. First off, my expectations were not extremely high for this post. What could Geek Dad possibly have to say that I could be interested in. But, I was wrong. I would like to first compliment Geek Dad (or Dads) on their tone. Every post that I read was had a nice balance between professionalism and casualism (is that a word???...I guess not!). They were never too pretentious, nor were they totally informal. After reading Perez Hilton's "shiz" and whatever, and the food blog's boring posts, Geek Dad was a nice return to reality, because I think that this is the way people really should blog. Of course every subject lends itself to a unique tone of voice, but Geek Dad is blogging on a range of topics, and they manage to be consistent with their language. All of the posts had either a picture or an embedded video, which kept me focused on each of the posts. Once I see a really long, text heavy post (I know I'm a hyprocite because I am writing exactly what I don't like to read)

I usually don't really want to bother reading it at all. But, Geek Dad used images extremely well. I think I was also drawn to the Lego Mario, because it brought me back to my own childhood. I used to play with Lego's and play Nintendo all the time when I was younger, and those images provided me with a nice trip down memory lane. Even the rainbow cake was exciting (and trust me I am not a food enthusiast by any means!) Also, the post about Diet Coke cans exploding was relevant to my life. As a person who drinks at least a can of Diet Coke a day, this is pretty useful knowledge for me!

Bottom line, a good blog (for me) needs to be applicable to my life, written in a non-offensive tone, and have a nice balance of text and images.

And now...after a lot of rambling I think I have finished my very third blog post. Not only is this my third blog post, it is also the only post in which I think I have accomplished what I am supposed to being doing while I am blogging. I (think) am supposed to facilitate a conversation between my readers and I, and I hope I have accomplished this! But, of course I will let my readers comment on what they think.

On Academic Blogging

After looking through the academic blogs provided in the Ctools folder, I have seen one consistency between all of them: the bloggers are  are all self-proclaimed academics. "Bug Girl's Blog"  is written by a Bug Girl who has a PhD in Entomology, who was once a Professor. "Observations on film art and Film Art," is written by a Professor of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, David Bordwell. "A Walk in Words," is written by Lauren Payne, who so discreetly mentions that she has earned an MA in Linguistics and a BA in Journalism.  You get the gist...

Although, these blogs are all written by academics, they all do not reflect 

the same blog prototype, or necessarily a blog at all in my opinion. My opinion might not matter to you, or to other people who may read this blog, but it is inextricably linked to the idea of blogging. According to Andrew Sullivan, blogs allow a once-private space to be transformed into a public arena that is built on the idea of celebrating expressiveness.  

Before I return back to analyzing the academic blogs, I would like to refer to Andrew Sullivan' thoughts on blogging in his article entitled "Why I Blog." According to Sullivan, bloggers live on the edge, in a risque-writing style way.  Sullivan writes:

"We bloggers have scant opportunity to collect our thoughts, to wait until events have settled and a clear pattern emerges. We blog now- as news reaches us, as facts emerge."

But, if you compare the academic blogs, not all of them evoke the same timeliness that Sullivan talks about.  The "Just Blog It" writing style appears to be  the essence of blogging, and it is missing from quite a few of the blogs that I have looked at for today's post.

For example, lets take a look at David Bordwell's blog. Is this a blog at all? Well, first off he has "David Bordwell's website on cinema" as the header of his blog. Controversial? I think so. But, he does

 however denote a "blog" tab, so it leaves the reader to wonder what exactly is this massive collection of text? Let's dig deeper. 

On his blog, at first glance, there is ridiculously long post that resembles an online encyclopedia versus an online diary aka a blog. There is an inordinate amount of text, which when read is very well put together and thought out. Bordwell didn't merely just conjure up his thoughts and type away, he assembled them in a well-thought out manner. 

Switching to "Bug Girl's Blog," it looks nothing like Bordwell's. Bug Girl is obviously into short, quick, and quirky posts that can be read in approximately 2 seconds. She relies heavily on pictures, because her subject of bugs relies heavily on images.

Who is the real blogger? The text-heavy guru or the image crazy Bug Lady or Bug GIRL (I guess she prefers to be youthful?)? I am going to argue that Sullivan's argument of timeliness might not stand as the best detector of what reflects the blog genre. Especially because many subjects require in depth research. Maybe Bug Girl can rattle off quick anecdotes while Bordwell needs more text and more time to elaborate on his points.

One thing for sure is that we do know that these bloggers are academics. 

An Introduction to New Media...Just Blog It

Since this is my very first purely text-based post on my blog, which is entitled "New Media...Just Blog It," I would like to take some time to discuss my title, my ambitions for my blog, and the concept of academic blogging.

Since my blog was created purely for SWC 200, Writing for New Medial the Interplay of Text and Image, is not like any other blog. "New Media...Just Blog It," is not about my life, nor is about my interests, hobbies, what products I use, or what types of dogs I have. On the typical blog, one might find any of those random, but perhaps interesting facts (depending on the viewer's opinions of course). There is a general consensus surrounding what is a blog and what is not a blog, and before I continue this discussion of what is not a blog (or has questionable implications of being a blog), I must attempt to solidify what truly is a blog.

The definition of the term blog lies within its semantic meaning. According to Andrew Sullivan, the word blog is deducted from two words web and log. There are many different ways of conceptualizing the formation of the term "blog;" the idea can further be explored in my prior post entitled "The Origins of 'Blog.'" But, on a different note, Sullivan delves into what weblog means. After a much arduous discussion unfolds of the ancient significance of what a "log" was, a less archaic definition arises of what a blog is.

Here is a quick summation of Sullivan's article. A blog is entirely based on a quick, out-loud thinking, and writing in real-time. It is a diary that is meant to be shared with other people versus the standard definition of a diary (which is meant to be kept private). A blog is unedited, causal, and takes on an informal tone. Blogging, takes an individual's private life and makes it a public matter, on an individual's own will.

If you are interested in looking at Andrew Sullivan's article....http://www.theatlatnic.com/doc/200811/andrew-sullivan-why-i-blog

After reflecting on Sullivan's article, I decided to name my blog "New Media...Just Blog It." But, what I have just written is a mere contradiction. Blogging is not supposed to be well though out. Rather, it is supposed to be spontaneous and spur of the moment. So, even before I began writing this post I was already faced with the enormous obstacle of writing a blog, for the pure purpose of an assignment, and not on my own free will or free time. I will return to this idea in my next paragraph, which will be devoted to the concept of "academic blogging." But, the title of my blog tries to counteract the lack of free-writing on my blog. "Just Blog It," is reminiscent of Nike's  campaign "Just Do It!" The entire concept of blogging revolves (or should revolve) around the "Just Do It!" mentality, and I hope to accomplish some of that in my blog on new media.

As I have said above, I am writing this blog for an academic purpose, so therefore does this post in its entirety constitute an academic blog? According to the SWC 200 syllabus, my professor Delia DeCourcy writes that an academic blog is comprised of my "weekly blog posts," which "will be a place where [I] will think about the readings, evaluate new media examples, and grapple with ideas of the class." There seems to be a tension between the two words, academic and blog, and I am not sure if they necessarily fit together; this is one dilemma that I will continue to explore throughout the course of the semester. I have also posted a visual demonstration of the dilemma of academic blogging under the post entitles "Academic + Blogging= Academic Blog?"

Since I an academic, blogging about academia, does that mean that "New Media...Just Blog It," is an academic blog?

You decide.

As I prepare to finish writing my very first post for "New Media...Just blog It," I wonder if I am supposed to edit and re-read my post, or am I supposed to walk away from my computer, satisfied with the writing that I have just produced? I wonder?

Actually, I did just re-read my post.

But, why? Because this is post for school?

 I wonder?

An Introduction to New Media...Just Blog It

The Origins of "Blog"

weblog

web log

we blog

blog

Academic + Blogging= Academic Blog?