My role in our group is that of leader/manager. Throughout the progress of our project, I have been the one to set guidelines and deadlines for completing the various group assignments and tasks on time. I have also been responsible for making sure that all group members stay on task and contribute equally to the group effort. I also have been responsible for contacting the director of our organization of choice in order to get information and relay it to the rest of the group. For each assignment, I was the one to assign each group member a specific task or part of the assignment that would contribute to the overall group assignment. Also, for each assignment, I was the one to put everyone’s work together into the group’s final draft and then send this final draft to all group members for further proofreading. Overall, I feel that I have put much time and effort into ensuring that our group project be successful.
On this note, I believe that our group project has proven to be very successful. The website that we created in order to help our organization of choice gain more notice and thereby more support and funding has proven to be quite effective. We have received positive feedback from members of our target audience and the director of the organization herself. For the most part, I believe that our group has worked together well. Despite the fact that there has been one member of our group who has produced poor work that seems to lack much, if any, effort and has had problems with adhering to designated deadlines agreed upon by the group, I feel that the steps taken in completing the project have gone very smoothly. The group, throughout the project, has been able to work together respectfully and without any conflict to produce quality work in a timely and efficient manner.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Blog Assignment 7: Editorial
The idea that being super thin makes a woman beautiful, happy, and successful has become a staple in American culture and other western-influenced cultures. Even with the recent push to promote average women as the new definition of beauty, many media agencies continue to hold onto the old idea of “thin is in.” A prime example of a form of media presenting such narrow-minded, old-fashioned ideas is models.com. All of the models exhibited on this website are the stereotypical stick-skinny models that we are all used to seeing on the covers of magazines, on television, and on billboards. I think that it is time that we stop thinking with such a shallow mindset and change the definition of beauty to a more realistic concept.
For too long, young girls have been subjected to and forced to believe the idea that they can only be considered beautiful, liked, and useful if they are perfect---super tall, super thin, long hair, big boobs, young, and tan-colored skin. It has long been the impression that if you are anything other than these things you are not beautiful or worthy of being represented in the media. Every year, thousands of young girls go to unthinkable extremes to try to obtain the body image that the media portrays as “perfect.” These extremes include everything from excessive dieting and exercise to anorexia and bulimia. This is not to even mention the increasing number every year of young women under the age of twenty-one that are getting plastic surgery to try to achieve this “perfect” body image. Millions of dollars are spent each year in America alone by women of all ages who are trying to gain the ideal “Barbie-doll” body.
I firmly believe that it is time that we unite to take a stand against succumbing to the belief that beauty is only defined by what we see in magazines and on television. We should do it for all of the young girls and women who have ever succumbed to the pressures of such media images and harmed themselves trying to gain “perfection.” There is no one definition of beauty, and I think that we should reinforce this idea in every young girl to ensure that they do not grow up believing the same outdated, unobtainable idea of what beauty is that so many of us have grown up believing.
*Reasons for Rhetorical Situations Used in This Editorial
I chose to address the issue of thin being the only idea of beauty in America and other western-influenced countries because I believe that this is always a relevant issue as thousands of young girls each year are subjecting themselves to extremes in order to obtain this idea of beauty. Even though there seems to be a new push to portray average women in a positive and beautiful light in the media today, it still seems that whenever you turn on a television or open a magazine there are model-thin women dominating the screen and pages. I also felt that people all over the country would be able to relate to this topic since it is such a widespread epidemic in America. I really tried to write to an audience of people, mainly other young women, who are just as tired as I am of the portrayal of women in the media. I tried to use words like “we” in order to make the editorial more personal and try to unite readers in my cause. I also tried to use descriptions like “perfect” and “Barbie-doll” to show how ridiculous the common idea of thin being beautiful is. Furthermore, I tried to use roughly estimated statistics to draw on the readers’ emotions and further spark their enrage over the issue. Also, I believed that these estimated statistics would resonate with readers who like hard evidence and figures.
http://www.models.com/
For too long, young girls have been subjected to and forced to believe the idea that they can only be considered beautiful, liked, and useful if they are perfect---super tall, super thin, long hair, big boobs, young, and tan-colored skin. It has long been the impression that if you are anything other than these things you are not beautiful or worthy of being represented in the media. Every year, thousands of young girls go to unthinkable extremes to try to obtain the body image that the media portrays as “perfect.” These extremes include everything from excessive dieting and exercise to anorexia and bulimia. This is not to even mention the increasing number every year of young women under the age of twenty-one that are getting plastic surgery to try to achieve this “perfect” body image. Millions of dollars are spent each year in America alone by women of all ages who are trying to gain the ideal “Barbie-doll” body.
I firmly believe that it is time that we unite to take a stand against succumbing to the belief that beauty is only defined by what we see in magazines and on television. We should do it for all of the young girls and women who have ever succumbed to the pressures of such media images and harmed themselves trying to gain “perfection.” There is no one definition of beauty, and I think that we should reinforce this idea in every young girl to ensure that they do not grow up believing the same outdated, unobtainable idea of what beauty is that so many of us have grown up believing.
*Reasons for Rhetorical Situations Used in This Editorial
I chose to address the issue of thin being the only idea of beauty in America and other western-influenced countries because I believe that this is always a relevant issue as thousands of young girls each year are subjecting themselves to extremes in order to obtain this idea of beauty. Even though there seems to be a new push to portray average women in a positive and beautiful light in the media today, it still seems that whenever you turn on a television or open a magazine there are model-thin women dominating the screen and pages. I also felt that people all over the country would be able to relate to this topic since it is such a widespread epidemic in America. I really tried to write to an audience of people, mainly other young women, who are just as tired as I am of the portrayal of women in the media. I tried to use words like “we” in order to make the editorial more personal and try to unite readers in my cause. I also tried to use descriptions like “perfect” and “Barbie-doll” to show how ridiculous the common idea of thin being beautiful is. Furthermore, I tried to use roughly estimated statistics to draw on the readers’ emotions and further spark their enrage over the issue. Also, I believed that these estimated statistics would resonate with readers who like hard evidence and figures.
http://www.models.com/
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Blog Assignment 6: Beginning the Job Search
After researching various job openings at numerous online sources for job openings, I was able to narrow down my options to just four job openings. While none of the jobs are my ideal or dream job, they are all jobs that I could see myself applying for in the next several months to a year. These jobs include a medical office receptionist, a retail store manager, an assistant restaurant manager, and a business office receptionist. While all of these jobs require little or no experience and a minimal education level (high school or equivalent), all of these jobs seem to be looking for their own specific qualifications and skills.
Retail Store Manager
The position of retail store manager requires the following skills and abilities: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience; minimum of five years retail management experience; ability to work at least 45 hours per week; excellent organizational, communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills; basic English literacy and math skills; and basic PC skills.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88761468
Medical Office Receptionist
The position of medical office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: multi-tasking; flexibility; telephone skills; customer service; time management; organization; attention to detail; scheduling; word processing; professionalism; quality focus; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://www.employmentguide.com/jobdetails.html?JobID=5938669
Business Office Receptionist
The position of business office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: verbal and written communication skills; professional personal presentation; customer service orientation; information management; organizing and planning; attention to detail; initiative and reliability; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88735826
Assistant Restaurant Manager
The position of assistant restaurant manager requires the following skills and abilities: customer service skills; multi-tasking; High School Diploma or equivalent; reliability; and attention to detail.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J8E65Q77XMPWL7XWWGN&siteid=cb_emailjob_US&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=2ce6e25a63f24e3f94f7c6b730d7ef64-332099588-RC-4
All of these jobs seem to require that applicants be good at time-management, be reliable, and have good oral and written communication skills. These are all skills that I possess. For the past two years, I have been a full-time student taking at least seventeen credit hours each fall and spring semester and at least ten credit hours each summer semester. Meanwhile, I have done a six-week externship at a medical hospital and hundreds of hours of community service all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I think this accomplishment demonstrates my time-management skills, reliability for consistently doing a good job, and organization. The fact that I have worked with others in several groups in both educational and professional settings and have produced efficient and quality work in these groups shows that I have good communication skills. Over the last two years, I have had to work in peer groups for several classes in order to complete assignments. All of these projects have turned out very successful. Also, I have worked with others as a student volunteer to perform services to the community, and all of these projects have gone very smoothly.
Out of these four jobs, I feel that I am most qualified for the medical office receptionist position. I have worked in a secretarial position as a volunteer, and I have pretty good knowledge and understanding of how to perform the office tasks required of receptionists. Also, I am accustomed to working with others in such an office setting. Furthermore, because of my science background and interest in one day working in the medical profession, I am familiar with many of the medical terms used in medical offices. In order to ensure that I am taken seriously for the position of medical office receptionists, I would be sure to emphasize these skills, attributes, and experiences on both my resume and in a cover letter to accommodate that resume.
Retail Store Manager
The position of retail store manager requires the following skills and abilities: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience; minimum of five years retail management experience; ability to work at least 45 hours per week; excellent organizational, communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills; basic English literacy and math skills; and basic PC skills.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88761468
Medical Office Receptionist
The position of medical office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: multi-tasking; flexibility; telephone skills; customer service; time management; organization; attention to detail; scheduling; word processing; professionalism; quality focus; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://www.employmentguide.com/jobdetails.html?JobID=5938669
Business Office Receptionist
The position of business office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: verbal and written communication skills; professional personal presentation; customer service orientation; information management; organizing and planning; attention to detail; initiative and reliability; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88735826
Assistant Restaurant Manager
The position of assistant restaurant manager requires the following skills and abilities: customer service skills; multi-tasking; High School Diploma or equivalent; reliability; and attention to detail.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J8E65Q77XMPWL7XWWGN&siteid=cb_emailjob_US&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=2ce6e25a63f24e3f94f7c6b730d7ef64-332099588-RC-4
All of these jobs seem to require that applicants be good at time-management, be reliable, and have good oral and written communication skills. These are all skills that I possess. For the past two years, I have been a full-time student taking at least seventeen credit hours each fall and spring semester and at least ten credit hours each summer semester. Meanwhile, I have done a six-week externship at a medical hospital and hundreds of hours of community service all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I think this accomplishment demonstrates my time-management skills, reliability for consistently doing a good job, and organization. The fact that I have worked with others in several groups in both educational and professional settings and have produced efficient and quality work in these groups shows that I have good communication skills. Over the last two years, I have had to work in peer groups for several classes in order to complete assignments. All of these projects have turned out very successful. Also, I have worked with others as a student volunteer to perform services to the community, and all of these projects have gone very smoothly.
Out of these four jobs, I feel that I am most qualified for the medical office receptionist position. I have worked in a secretarial position as a volunteer, and I have pretty good knowledge and understanding of how to perform the office tasks required of receptionists. Also, I am accustomed to working with others in such an office setting. Furthermore, because of my science background and interest in one day working in the medical profession, I am familiar with many of the medical terms used in medical offices. In order to ensure that I am taken seriously for the position of medical office receptionists, I would be sure to emphasize these skills, attributes, and experiences on both my resume and in a cover letter to accommodate that resume.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Blog Assignment 5: Group Brainstorming
In our group, my role is that of leader/manager and point-of-contact person. As of yet, I feel that I have contributed much to our group and our project. I researched many nonprofit organizations and report my findings back to my other group members so that we might all decide upon an organization to choose for our project. I then helped to assign individual tasks to my group members in order to get work with our group memo rolling. I set deadlines for the completion of these tasks in order to ensure that the assignment was completed efficiently and on time. I also contacted the director of the organization that our group chose and visited the site of the organization in order to meet the director and get more information. Furthermore, I helped to construct the final layout of the memo by putting everyone’s work together in the appropriate format.
I can see several different directions in which our project could go. For one, I think that we could build a website that honors and highlights the accomplishments of the organization we have chosen. My group members and I all agree that the organization that we have chosen is a very positive influence on the city of Hattiesburg. Another possibility for our project is that we could create a website that tries to get the organization that we have chosen sponsorship or grants. We could highlight what the organization does while discussing the organization’s need for funding. We could use the persuasive writing skills that we have learned in this course to convince other organizations to donate to our organization. We could also use these persuasive techniques to try and recruit volunteers for the organization. A third option is that we could create a website that tries to attract youths who might be looking for an after-school program and outlet to express themselves through art, get tutoring, or get moral support. I think that all of these options could result in a successful project for our group. Hopefully, we can find a way to combine all of these options.
My group members and I all communicate quite well with each other. We communicate through facebook and email. So far, it has been pretty easy to get in contact with everyone and everyone has been really supportive and considerate of each other. We try to divide up work into individual tasks of equal and fair quantities. So far, this has worked quite well. By assigning individual tasks, it makes the completion of our overall group tasks much less confusing and much simpler as each group member can focus on one particular aspect.
Besides improving on the writing skills that we have discussed in this course, I feel that this project will help us learn how to efficiently complete tasks in workplace settings where we would be working with others. Because everyone in our group seems to be very willing and eager to do his or her part, I believe that our group project will be very successful. I think that we can do a really good job and create a website that does the organization that we have chosen a real justice.
I can see several different directions in which our project could go. For one, I think that we could build a website that honors and highlights the accomplishments of the organization we have chosen. My group members and I all agree that the organization that we have chosen is a very positive influence on the city of Hattiesburg. Another possibility for our project is that we could create a website that tries to get the organization that we have chosen sponsorship or grants. We could highlight what the organization does while discussing the organization’s need for funding. We could use the persuasive writing skills that we have learned in this course to convince other organizations to donate to our organization. We could also use these persuasive techniques to try and recruit volunteers for the organization. A third option is that we could create a website that tries to attract youths who might be looking for an after-school program and outlet to express themselves through art, get tutoring, or get moral support. I think that all of these options could result in a successful project for our group. Hopefully, we can find a way to combine all of these options.
My group members and I all communicate quite well with each other. We communicate through facebook and email. So far, it has been pretty easy to get in contact with everyone and everyone has been really supportive and considerate of each other. We try to divide up work into individual tasks of equal and fair quantities. So far, this has worked quite well. By assigning individual tasks, it makes the completion of our overall group tasks much less confusing and much simpler as each group member can focus on one particular aspect.
Besides improving on the writing skills that we have discussed in this course, I feel that this project will help us learn how to efficiently complete tasks in workplace settings where we would be working with others. Because everyone in our group seems to be very willing and eager to do his or her part, I believe that our group project will be very successful. I think that we can do a really good job and create a website that does the organization that we have chosen a real justice.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Blog 4: Defining Your Website's Objectives
In order to help students decide on a major, many colleges and universities create pages on their websites with details about the different majors that they offer. Also, in order to increase enrollment in their specific departments, many department leaders create web pages through their universities and colleges with information about their department in an attempt to persuade students to join their departments. While many of these web pages are quite effective, many are not. An example of an effective web page compared to an ineffective web page is the biology web page for Carlton University compared to the biology web page for the University of Delaware.
The biology web page for Carlton University is a very effective web page. It is persuasive and interesting; includes informative, helpful, and interesting content; and is easy to use. This web page gives a lot of informative and interesting information about the biology program at Carlton University, including information about the program’s faculty members, students, facilities, class sizes, and opportunities for involvement on campus. The web page also gives information about the types of career opportunities that a person can pursue with a degree in biology. The content is written and presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. The content is divided up into sections of interest with subtitles for quick reading, browsing, or skimming. Also, the text for each of these sections is short and concise but informative. The text makes majoring in biology seem fun and interesting by discussing the flexibility and variety of topics that biology covers. It makes it clear that no matter what one’s scientific interest is there is a topic in the biology major that covers that topic. Furthermore, the web page has a bright and attractive header and pictures. In order to make the page even more effective,
I would suggest adding links for more information concerning career opportunities and opportunities for involvement on campus and getting rid of some of the empty gray space that surrounds the page.
On the contrary, the biology web page for the University of Delaware is not very effective. While the web page does a good job of presenting a lot of information and links regarding career opportunities available to those holding a biology degree, the web page does not give any information on the opportunities for involvement available on campus or any information about the biology program on campus. Also, while the design/layout of the content is easy to follow, there is nothing to attract or keep the readers’ attentions. The page has absolutely no color or pictures and there is an expansive amount of white space. While the text is well divided up into titled sections for easy and quick viewing, the text does not really say much of anything at all or give any real information. This web page could have more color and pictures, less white space, and more information about the actual biology program at the university.
When creating a web page for recruiting students to join a major, it is the web creator’s job to spark the interest of prospective students in biology by persuading them of the benefits of majoring in biology. People who visit such web pages are students entering college or already in college who are still undecided about a major. In order to effectively recruit students to major in biology, I would create a web page that is fun, informative, persuasive, easy to use, and interesting. When researching a major, students try to answer the following questions:
1. Is the field of study interesting?
2. What type of job can I get with a degree in this area?
3. What opportunities will this major present to me while still in college?
4. Is this a popular field of study?
5. What topics will I be studying under this major?
When looking for answers to these questions, most students will seek answers on the internet from university and college websites and from other students who are already in the major in which they are interested. When searching for these answers, most students will skim read web pages¾looking for key terms and subtitles related to their questions. With this in mind, I would use bold subtitles and write in concise statements with bullets when creating such a web page. Students want to be able to find the information for which they are looking quickly, and subtitles and information in the form of concise bullets makes finding specific information easier. For those readers that may be skeptical about the accuracy of the information on my page or that may want more information, I would include links for more information. It is the web page creator’s job to make sure the readers feel informed and not skeptical. Most of the readers that visit a web page for recruiting students to join a major will probably have little or no information about that major. Therefore, it is safe to say that these readers’ knowledge and understanding of terms related to these majors is limited. Thereby, information on the web page should be written in such a way that the common person can understand.
In order to spark the interest of readers as they are searching through thousands of related web pages, I would use a page layout and font that is easy to follow and read but also try to be creative and incorporate some color to the page. These techniques will increase the usability and persuasiveness of the page by making the information seem more accurate and professionally constructed. When creating my web page, I would include the following information: a general overview of what biology is and topics that it encompasses, job opportunities, opportunities for involvement in college (research, study abroad, etc.), and reasons that biology is a “cool” subject to study.
When creating a web page recruiting students to join a major, one’s writing can be limited by bias. A web creator recruiting for a particular major will write from his or her perspective, which is biased toward his or her individual interests. In other words, a person who creates a site promoting biology will probably write in such a way that makes biology seem interesting to others who may already be predisposed to like science. After examining the web pages discussed above, I learned to be concise but informative in my writing of the text to put on my web page. I also learned to be as creative as possible and avoid having excessive white space on my web page.
http://www.udel.edu/CSC/bio.html
http://www2.carleton.ca/biology/prospective-students/undergraduate/why-study-biology-at-carleton/
The biology web page for Carlton University is a very effective web page. It is persuasive and interesting; includes informative, helpful, and interesting content; and is easy to use. This web page gives a lot of informative and interesting information about the biology program at Carlton University, including information about the program’s faculty members, students, facilities, class sizes, and opportunities for involvement on campus. The web page also gives information about the types of career opportunities that a person can pursue with a degree in biology. The content is written and presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. The content is divided up into sections of interest with subtitles for quick reading, browsing, or skimming. Also, the text for each of these sections is short and concise but informative. The text makes majoring in biology seem fun and interesting by discussing the flexibility and variety of topics that biology covers. It makes it clear that no matter what one’s scientific interest is there is a topic in the biology major that covers that topic. Furthermore, the web page has a bright and attractive header and pictures. In order to make the page even more effective,
I would suggest adding links for more information concerning career opportunities and opportunities for involvement on campus and getting rid of some of the empty gray space that surrounds the page.
On the contrary, the biology web page for the University of Delaware is not very effective. While the web page does a good job of presenting a lot of information and links regarding career opportunities available to those holding a biology degree, the web page does not give any information on the opportunities for involvement available on campus or any information about the biology program on campus. Also, while the design/layout of the content is easy to follow, there is nothing to attract or keep the readers’ attentions. The page has absolutely no color or pictures and there is an expansive amount of white space. While the text is well divided up into titled sections for easy and quick viewing, the text does not really say much of anything at all or give any real information. This web page could have more color and pictures, less white space, and more information about the actual biology program at the university.
When creating a web page for recruiting students to join a major, it is the web creator’s job to spark the interest of prospective students in biology by persuading them of the benefits of majoring in biology. People who visit such web pages are students entering college or already in college who are still undecided about a major. In order to effectively recruit students to major in biology, I would create a web page that is fun, informative, persuasive, easy to use, and interesting. When researching a major, students try to answer the following questions:
1. Is the field of study interesting?
2. What type of job can I get with a degree in this area?
3. What opportunities will this major present to me while still in college?
4. Is this a popular field of study?
5. What topics will I be studying under this major?
When looking for answers to these questions, most students will seek answers on the internet from university and college websites and from other students who are already in the major in which they are interested. When searching for these answers, most students will skim read web pages¾looking for key terms and subtitles related to their questions. With this in mind, I would use bold subtitles and write in concise statements with bullets when creating such a web page. Students want to be able to find the information for which they are looking quickly, and subtitles and information in the form of concise bullets makes finding specific information easier. For those readers that may be skeptical about the accuracy of the information on my page or that may want more information, I would include links for more information. It is the web page creator’s job to make sure the readers feel informed and not skeptical. Most of the readers that visit a web page for recruiting students to join a major will probably have little or no information about that major. Therefore, it is safe to say that these readers’ knowledge and understanding of terms related to these majors is limited. Thereby, information on the web page should be written in such a way that the common person can understand.
In order to spark the interest of readers as they are searching through thousands of related web pages, I would use a page layout and font that is easy to follow and read but also try to be creative and incorporate some color to the page. These techniques will increase the usability and persuasiveness of the page by making the information seem more accurate and professionally constructed. When creating my web page, I would include the following information: a general overview of what biology is and topics that it encompasses, job opportunities, opportunities for involvement in college (research, study abroad, etc.), and reasons that biology is a “cool” subject to study.
When creating a web page recruiting students to join a major, one’s writing can be limited by bias. A web creator recruiting for a particular major will write from his or her perspective, which is biased toward his or her individual interests. In other words, a person who creates a site promoting biology will probably write in such a way that makes biology seem interesting to others who may already be predisposed to like science. After examining the web pages discussed above, I learned to be concise but informative in my writing of the text to put on my web page. I also learned to be as creative as possible and avoid having excessive white space on my web page.
http://www.udel.edu/CSC/bio.html
http://www2.carleton.ca/biology/prospective-students/undergraduate/why-study-biology-at-carleton/
Monday, June 21, 2010
Blog 3: Website Evaluation
While the Chris Brown fan site “Chris-Brown.us” provides very up-to-date and very informative information about Chris Brown, the international music sensation and award-winning R&B singer, the site could definitely use some improvements. The site is very well decorated and has highly accurate information. However, I think that several of the site’s design features take away from the site’s effectiveness and persuasiveness. Also, I feel that the site could be easier to utilize by making simple and small changes to the navigation tools. In order to improve the site’s usability, effectiveness, and persuasiveness, I suggest making either or both the font of the site’s text and background darker, making the text larger in font, and making the navigation tools more obvious and distinguishable from the site’s other text.
The purpose of the fan site is to provide to fans accurate information and updates about Chris Brown. While the site accomplishes this purpose by providing such information, the effectiveness of the site is diminished by slight flaws in the site’s design that make it somewhat difficult to use and navigate. The font is too small and too light in color. The small, light-colored font is difficult to see, especially placed on such a light-colored background. I think that if the font were larger and darker and/or if the background were darker, the site would be much more effective in its purpose of providing information about Chris Brown. By increasing the size of the text on the site or making the text or background darker, the text would be easier to see and read. Also, I think that by making the font larger and the background darker viewers of the site would take the site more seriously. By giving the site a more serious look, the site would thereby seem more persuasive as the information on the site would then seem more accurate or factual. Using bolder colors usually connotates professionalism whereas using lighter colors connotates amateurish.
The navigation tools could be a little more obvious. Instead of being placed in the middle of the page where they blend in with the rest of the information on the site, the text of the navigation tools could be larger in font size and placed more towards the top or side of the site where they would be easier to see and distinguish from the rest of the text on the site. By placing the navigation tools in the center of the site, they are easily lost amongst the rest of the text on the site. I think that by placing the navigation tools in a place where they will standout from the other text on the site the usability of the site would be improved. The most effective websites place their navigation tools on the top of their sites or along one of the sides of the site towards the top to the site. From these areas, the navigation tools can be easily distinguished from the rest of the text on the site. Thereby, by improving the usability of the site, the effectiveness of the site would be improved as it would be easier for viewers of the site to find the information for which they are searching.
The Chris Brown fan site “Chris-Brown.us” is already a beautifully decorated site with informative and accurate information. However, a few minor changes could easily make the site better¾more effective, persuasive, and usable. By increasing the font size of the text on the site, making either or both the font and background darker, and making the navigation tools more obvious, the site could easily hold its own with any multinational site run by dozens of employees.
http://chris-brown.us/
The purpose of the fan site is to provide to fans accurate information and updates about Chris Brown. While the site accomplishes this purpose by providing such information, the effectiveness of the site is diminished by slight flaws in the site’s design that make it somewhat difficult to use and navigate. The font is too small and too light in color. The small, light-colored font is difficult to see, especially placed on such a light-colored background. I think that if the font were larger and darker and/or if the background were darker, the site would be much more effective in its purpose of providing information about Chris Brown. By increasing the size of the text on the site or making the text or background darker, the text would be easier to see and read. Also, I think that by making the font larger and the background darker viewers of the site would take the site more seriously. By giving the site a more serious look, the site would thereby seem more persuasive as the information on the site would then seem more accurate or factual. Using bolder colors usually connotates professionalism whereas using lighter colors connotates amateurish.
The navigation tools could be a little more obvious. Instead of being placed in the middle of the page where they blend in with the rest of the information on the site, the text of the navigation tools could be larger in font size and placed more towards the top or side of the site where they would be easier to see and distinguish from the rest of the text on the site. By placing the navigation tools in the center of the site, they are easily lost amongst the rest of the text on the site. I think that by placing the navigation tools in a place where they will standout from the other text on the site the usability of the site would be improved. The most effective websites place their navigation tools on the top of their sites or along one of the sides of the site towards the top to the site. From these areas, the navigation tools can be easily distinguished from the rest of the text on the site. Thereby, by improving the usability of the site, the effectiveness of the site would be improved as it would be easier for viewers of the site to find the information for which they are searching.
The Chris Brown fan site “Chris-Brown.us” is already a beautifully decorated site with informative and accurate information. However, a few minor changes could easily make the site better¾more effective, persuasive, and usable. By increasing the font size of the text on the site, making either or both the font and background darker, and making the navigation tools more obvious, the site could easily hold its own with any multinational site run by dozens of employees.
http://chris-brown.us/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Blog Assignment 2: Analyzing a Rhetorical Situation
When I took botany last fall, I was asked to read and provide a summary for an article that had been published in a scientific journal. The article was about a family that was being forced to sell the mushroom farm that had been in their family for four generations because the family’s neighbors complained so much about the manure odor permeating from the farm that the county declared the farm a nuisance and condemned it as a potential health violation. Since the article was published by a scientific journal, it can be surmised that the article was targeted to an intellectual audience of readers interested in the various fields of science and science-related issues. The particular journal in which the article was published covered an array of scientific topics including scientific dilemmas and discoveries.
Based on the author’s word choice, it can be seen that he assumes that the readers will be of at least minor intellect and be interested in current dilemmas plaguing today’s scientific community. However, it is apparent from his style of writing that the writer does not assume that readers have a strong background in or knowledge of science concepts. The author uses a sincere, serious yet not cold or mundane tone. When using words referencing fundamental scientific concepts like photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and the water cycle, the writer provides a basic definition of these concepts. This is because readers who do not have any sort of background in or basic foundation for general science concepts may not understand what the author means.
The author’s purpose in writing the article was to promote awareness about the recent animosity shown to many farmers nationwide and disregard for their services and to generally educate readers about mushroom farming. It is clear from the writer’s choice of words like atrocity, injustice, and misfortune that he uses when discussing the dilemma that the family faces that the author is highly troubled and upset by the issue. The article was written at a time when farmers in the U.S. were facing many problems including drought, increased costs of production, and agriculture-related health concerns involving salmonella. It is plausible that the writer felt compelled to write the article in response to the farming crisis in order to offer insight into farming from a scientific perspective and thereby encourage support of farmers. He uses statistics to reference other similar cases across the country in which farmers have been driven off their land for one reason or another. By discussing the benefits that such farming as mushroom farming has on the environment and soil, the writer seemingly aims to show why farming is important by educating readers.
I believe that the author did a pretty good job of accomplishing his purpose. After being assigned to read the article, I certainly gained a greater respect and appreciation for farmers in general and I know that many of my classmates did as well. The article showed how beneficial the work of farmers is not only for the purpose of food production but for environmental benefits as well. I think that the writer could have made the article even more effective had he given the reader more intellectual credit and not explained basic fundamental concepts of science like photosynthesis. Many readers might have seen this as patronizing. Anyone who reads an article in a scientific journal will presumably have some background in and knowledge of simple science concepts. However, it can be argued that the writer’s assumption that not all readers would have a foundation in science makes the article more comprehensively accessible and interesting to a wider range of readers and also shows that the writer does not stereotype readers of such articles as geeky science people.
Based on the author’s word choice, it can be seen that he assumes that the readers will be of at least minor intellect and be interested in current dilemmas plaguing today’s scientific community. However, it is apparent from his style of writing that the writer does not assume that readers have a strong background in or knowledge of science concepts. The author uses a sincere, serious yet not cold or mundane tone. When using words referencing fundamental scientific concepts like photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and the water cycle, the writer provides a basic definition of these concepts. This is because readers who do not have any sort of background in or basic foundation for general science concepts may not understand what the author means.
The author’s purpose in writing the article was to promote awareness about the recent animosity shown to many farmers nationwide and disregard for their services and to generally educate readers about mushroom farming. It is clear from the writer’s choice of words like atrocity, injustice, and misfortune that he uses when discussing the dilemma that the family faces that the author is highly troubled and upset by the issue. The article was written at a time when farmers in the U.S. were facing many problems including drought, increased costs of production, and agriculture-related health concerns involving salmonella. It is plausible that the writer felt compelled to write the article in response to the farming crisis in order to offer insight into farming from a scientific perspective and thereby encourage support of farmers. He uses statistics to reference other similar cases across the country in which farmers have been driven off their land for one reason or another. By discussing the benefits that such farming as mushroom farming has on the environment and soil, the writer seemingly aims to show why farming is important by educating readers.
I believe that the author did a pretty good job of accomplishing his purpose. After being assigned to read the article, I certainly gained a greater respect and appreciation for farmers in general and I know that many of my classmates did as well. The article showed how beneficial the work of farmers is not only for the purpose of food production but for environmental benefits as well. I think that the writer could have made the article even more effective had he given the reader more intellectual credit and not explained basic fundamental concepts of science like photosynthesis. Many readers might have seen this as patronizing. Anyone who reads an article in a scientific journal will presumably have some background in and knowledge of simple science concepts. However, it can be argued that the writer’s assumption that not all readers would have a foundation in science makes the article more comprehensively accessible and interesting to a wider range of readers and also shows that the writer does not stereotype readers of such articles as geeky science people.
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