E-Rhetoric Blogs

final blog

2005-02-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

well here's the last blog for the quarter, and to sum it all up, i don't think i will be blogging ever again... i have nothing against blogging it's just not something i want to do. however, that's just my opinion, and i do think they are useful in many different respects. i can see why they have caught on in today's society, especially for those individuals who like to be introspective. but isn't this just a stereotypical web blog, one that is essentially nothing but diary entries? if there's one thing i've learned while blogging/learing about various blogs, it's that today's blogs are not simply diary entries. they are growing into worldly applications for business, school, sports, even games. which brings me to my next point about blogs. they can be extremely useful for those wishing to do research on something with which they may be unfamiliar. in my case, i stumbled upon a blog for massive multiplayer online role-playing games, which was applicable to my hypertext project, as this is my topic. since i have no experience playing the games, this blog gives me the thoughts of several MMORPG players, as the blog is free for people to post their thoughts on certain issues. i'm sure blgos like this exist that are applicable to many other people as well, whether they be for academic, professional, or leisurly needs. thus, my opinion on blogs really hasn't changed since i started blogging, as i'm still somewhat uninterested in pursuing them for myself. however, i have learned a lot about what today's blogs really are and i am confident they will see nothing but growing use in the future.

2005-02-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.joeskopec.com/poems.html

best of presentations

2005-02-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

one thing i was fairly impressed by in this class was the effective use of powerpoint... there was rarely (if at all) an instance in which someone was reading directly off of the slides and not looking at the audience... i really like nick's presentation where he used his technological skills to show us what happens when you install software and don't read the fine print with respect to toolbars and other things that come with it... i also liked how evan used actual screen shots of registration pages on partypoker.com and of what the poker sites actually look like when you are playing on them... dan's cyberpunk as also good cause he used a film that a lot of us could relate to... great job as whole!

blog 5 - wikipedia.org

2005-02-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

while i haven't spent hours scrolling through wikipedia.org editing and reading about new and fascinating subjects (yet), i do have some experience with the site, primarily through a friend of mine sending me links of totally random things that i would never dream of searching for. however little experience i have with the site, however, i know enough about it to support what it does. i really like the idea of people doing something useful on the internet and trying to help increase everyone's knowledge, no matter how trivial of a subject it may be. i also like the fact that one can edit anything they deem to be wrong or anything they want to add something to. this makes wikipedia a type of virtual community, with people comfortably sharing information about their areas of interest. wikipedia's efforts to keep the site clean is another feature that is key to its self-sustainment over time. i wonder if wikipedia will ever replace traditional encyclopedias as a whole. i can see how people may not think certain threads are written by a credible source, but then again wikipedia prides itself on the fact that people go to extensive lengths to make sure their information is correct. will teachers that encourage students to shun the internet in researching embrace wikipedia? will wikipedia ever become TOO big? onl time will tell.

blog 4 - internet addiction

2005-02-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

while this article was very good and hit the nail on the head, so to speak, my only problem is that it's 5 years old! if the author of this thought internet addiction was bad THEN... what about NOW??? the porn sites are more rampant than ever, you can learn how to build a bomb just about anywhere, and online gambling has soarn to incredible popularity heights... and if that was enough, c0llege students now have "thefacebook.com" to waste even more of their time! i can't agree any more with the article, internet addiction is a real problem... and not just for those who are medically considered to be "addicts", but also for those who merely work at their computer... i myself find much of my day is spent at the computer screen because i am able to work, talk to friends whom i'm trying to stay in contact with, and play whatever games i may be interested in... and on top of it all, i even have a TV right here too so if i get bored i can watch TV!! now i'm a very active person and use much of my time in front of the computer as down time, but it has shown me just how powerful this stuff really is...

presentation #2

2005-02-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

my second presentation will be similar in structure to the first, as i will focus on the oral component and use speech more than powerpoint. i plan to update the class on any new information i have found regarding my topic as well as information i may have left out on the first presentation. i still have to do some more research before i can confidently give the second presentation with new, updated info.

blog 3 - hypertext

2005-01-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

the idea that print media will one day vanish from this earth is absolutely absurd. i agree with the author in that electronic print is starting to appear in places where it was once foreign, but book will never be replaced. the fact that amazon.com and "barnes and noble" still have successful stocks on wallstreet is just oneindication that books are still going to be the primary form of reading for quite some time. i also want to offer a differnet perspective. many people treasure books as much for the stories they tell as for their "priceless" value, that is many avid readers will hold on to "classic" books by famous authors. people have personal libraries that contain thousands and thousands of dollars in books, illustrating their desire to hold on to timeless novels and volumes of information. if the author were correct, as soon as electronic print took over there would a mad scramble for books in their purest form: print. people would collect them as future antique items, and readers would crave the thought of "curling up with a good book". the demand for books would be so high that their life off the market would be short lived. granted these are "economic" reasons to disagree with mark b's article, but they are still valid. sorry mark, books are here to stay.

blog 2 - research proposal

2005-01-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

a preliminary idea i have for my research paper at this point is to look at the effect of violent video games and try to find out if they relly do have an impact on behavior in the future. there is evidence that supports both sides - that games do and don't affect future behavior - but there is still no for sure answer. it seems logical that if a child is exposed to a lot of violence he/she would be more violent when they are older, but this is not always the case. so my first idea is to try to get to the bottom of this issue. however my second idea is the one i am leaning towards the most and that is to examine the effects of massive multi player online games such as everquest. these games are becoming increasingly popular and have affected millions of people worldwide. we read a little about these games in my comm 1 class last quarter and i was very interested in our discussions revolving around the idea that these games, while incredibly unrealisitc, are just the opposite for those who play them. if i choose this topic i will argue that these games are indeed real for those who play them, as one is able to forge relationships and even use currency in the games. i am very interested in this topic and there is a good chance i will pursue it further.

blog 1

2005-01-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

well this is my first time using a blogger and i must say i am somewhat interested in seeing how this turns out when all is said and done... i'm assuming it's similar to a diary only we're keeping it for things related to our assignments, maybe some personal info as well... i've always wanted to keep a day-to-day reflection type thing but never did so this is the perfect opportunity... that's really about all i have for now... we'll see how this goes!