Web Argument Reflection Blog

The web argument was probably the easiest of the papers. It was a lot of the same information from my last paper except I was able to voice my opinion and make a claim. The purpose is to inform people on the battle between PC and Mac computers. Everyone has their own opinion and mine is just another one to help people make a researched decision when deciding on a computer. My topic is still relevant because people are always buying computers. I came up with it becasue I am intersted in buying a Mac and I wanted to know more about it. I organized it the same way my other papers have been. It is neat and orderly. People can browse from page to page without any problems. It is creative with backgrounds and readable font. I am proud of myself for figuring out how to be a little bit more creative and computer savvy with macromedia. I was taught how to add layers to make my page a little more interesting with backgrounds, text boxes, pictures, and a cooler navigation bar. I think I could have found better sources if I had more time. I would have found statistics and more factual knowledge nobody knew. This time I had better technical knowledge so I am pretty satisfied with that. I think overall my webargument was put together well. There is always room for improvement, but that would probably be another semester of this class! =)

Web argument

My web argument question is, why would somebody choose a Mac over a PC. I plan on answering it with the claim that peoples lifestyles play a big part. I am going to talk about what stereotypes the computers portray. I am also going to talk about brand loyalty and information like that. I will try to find out why people make the choices they do. I will support my claim with fact, stats, examples, and expert opinions. All of those types of evidence are neccessary because they would be able to prove or sway an argument. People will always argue about things they don't believe, but if I have good sources they cannot really put my evidence down.

My most recent argument

A few days ago my mother and I got in an argument about money. I am going to Robert Morris in Chicago next year and cost to go to school and live down there is a bit on the expensive side. My parents think that it is fair to help out and start saving money so I can help with the expenses. I agree in with that, but I am a teenage girl that likes to shop. I work in the juniors department at Carson's. I get paid decent there, but I like to spend my paycheck before I even get it. I buy clothes all the time. When I am at work I am always picking out my next thing to buy. My mom has been telling me to stop buying stuff I don't really need. Sometimes she doesn't care and other times we get in huge arguments. I understand that I need to be saving money, but I also think its my money and I can do what I want with it. Yesterday there was a sale on the coach and dooney and burke purses, which never happens and so I bought something and when my mom saw I bought it she flipped out. My argument is that I will start saving but those purses are never on sale. Since I work there now I should take advantage of it. My mom didn't agree and yelled at me. She says that I don't get how important it is to save money. I know that I have to save money, but I just think things like college will be paid eventually. I am not the only one that has to pay for college. I am alot more well off than a lot of people. In the end I agree with her and i will start saving. Saving money isnt something i like to do though.

MAC vs. PC reflection

The multi-modal project was a lot more work than the last project. I had to make a lot of choices while I was doing this project. Some choices I had to make were how I was going to inform the reader, the subtopics I was going to use, and how I was going to set it up. This paper was supposed to be an informative paper so I just wrote the information I would like to know if I were purchasing a Mac or PC computer. I got to add in my personal experiences with the topic so that helped inform people about what I know. I am not finished with my project at this point in time so I have to say I think I could have spent more time on getting everything together faster than I did. My page is nice; I like the way it looks. I decided to clearly divide up my pages so the reader gets clear information about the Mac and the pc separately. My introduction and conclusion both kind of bring together everything. The purpose of my project is to help consumers make a decision on which computer they want to purchase. The battle between the PC and MAC has been going on for a long time. It is a war that is similar to the Pepsi vs. coke war. The two types of computers are so closely related that sometimes it hard to pick out the differences and better features. It all comes down to personal preference with this topic. I don't think either computer is better than the other it just matter what you like best. Like i said I am not done with my project yet so my design is going to be altered a bit more. I plan to add my PowerPoint to help my topic and a few pictures. The organization of my project is done well. People viewing my project can easily navigate around the pages. My links all work right now so people can get from one page to the next with no problems. I think my topic is well design for a web reader because it is a topic a lot of people have to decide on and it informs them about the two computers. I think since I separated my points about each item it makes it easy for the reader to keep the information clear. I am proud of my organization on this project. I think the final product will be good. If I had better technical knowledge I would definitely just make my page a little more interesting. All I know how to do is just a font, font color, and background color. I think my selection of research is good because it is the kind of things I look at when purchasing a computer.

To view my podcast click the link below. My podcast topic is about the battle of Mac vs. PC computers.

http://student.calumet.purdue.edu/~szarak1

Topic Proposal

In the world of technology, there are a millions of topics to talk about for this paper. My topic proposal is for the ongoing battle between a PC and MAC computer. They are also known as a personal computer and a Macintosh, Apple computer. I, myself, am a consumer that wants to know some of the answers to questions people have. I own a PC right now, but am looking to buy a MAC computer. I have heard different things about both, but still haven’t looked too much into the topic. With my topic people can get some research and one more opinion about the two rivalries. There are a lot of questions I can ask to move my research along. Some questions I would ask myself are; What they stand for, What are the differences, Who buys these computers, Is cost a factor, Does one have more features than the other, etc… The questions can go on and on. I would ask the question, who buys these computers, to find out if there is a specific stereotype that goes along with each computer. I want to know information on these two computers to help make a decision for myself a long with informing other people about them.

reflection essay

My hypertext essay was developed with the article, “Never Ending Friending,” by Fred Gooltz. The article in my mind was about how social networking keeps our relationships long lasting. It also kind of contradicts that thought and talks about how technology ironically seems to isolate us from society. Some of the rhetorical devices used are words like face book, MySpace, relationships, long lasting, team-building, etc. Most of these words have the thought of bringing people together. How are these terms of social networking isolating us then? Even though these means of communication are keeping us in touch they are also making us very independent from society. The computer and other technologies allow us to get all of our communication done over the internet instead of doing it by personal contact. Not having the personal contact all of them time keeps us from really getting to know one another. People can be friends on the internet without even meeting in person. I think the thought of “Never Ending Friending” means that the internet allows us to form long lasting relationships sometimes with complete strangers. Websites like Facebook and Myspace allow us to keep a friend for life whether we talk to them in person or not.

The purpose I had while making this hypertext essay was to get to the point. I think it could have been a lot better with more time and more technological knowledge. I don’t know how to use Dreamweaver to its full advantage. I just stuck to being organized rather than creative. I am just glad that I figured out how to make all the links. I probably could have gone more in to depth with some of my responses. I was kind of confused about how much information I was supposed to include though. I think I was more worried about figuring out how to put together the hypertext essay instead of focusing on the material. I don’t really know if I made my point that clear. I think I could have done better research, but I did what I thought was the right idea.

The first website I used for the hypertext essay was ClickZ.com (http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3569616). The response I wrote was about relationships formed over technologies. This website helped me because it had some good qualities. The author of the article was stated so it is qualified for authority. As far as accuracy goes it is a blog so it might be the authors opinions, but most of it can be cross referenced. It is kind of dated information. The article was written in December of 2005, but they are talking about the future so it is still kind of relevant just not updated. The article is relevant to my topic though because it talks about how advertising on the interenet will grow in the next few years. The currency kind of goes hand and hand with how relevant it is.

The second website I used was Ezine.com (http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Technology-Isolating-Us-From-Friends-and-Family?&id=146444). The response I wrote for this one was about how the interent is isolating us from society. This websites accuracy was pretty relieable because it can be cross referenced. The relevance was good. It helped me out with my response because it is about technology isolating us from people. I don't really know if it is current or not because there is no dates on the website. The author is listed on the article's page.

The third website was wilsonbanwell.com (http://www.wilsonbanwell.com/articles/general_interest/about_internet_relationships.htm) My response was about people wanting to form long lasting relationships. I don't know if this is a really reliable website. The author is not listed, but you can contact the writers. The website is not current! The last time the website was updated in October of 2004. I think the information in it is relevant to my topic, but it may not be reliable. It seems to be pretty accurate; I would trust and use the information.

Those are the three sources I used for my hypertext essay. Each of them had their good qualities, but they also were missing some qualities that make a good website. The currency, objectivity, accuracy, and authority are important qualities for websites. They all help back up any kind of research stated in a paper for class.

Technology and I.....

Technology is apart of my everyday life. On a daily basis I use light, my car, computers, ipod, microwaves, cd player, running water, my electric tooth brush, curling irons... and the list can go on and on. I could not go a day without using some type of technology. Its even hard to just use one piece of technology at a time. When I am in my room I usually have the tv, computer, lights, cd player, and my phone on. I could eliminate some of those, but why should I. I can multi-task as much as I want. It definitely makes life a whole lot easier. These days, life practically demands technology. It would be really rare to find someone that only does things by hand or candle light. If technology wasn't apart of my life, it would take me a lot longer to do certain things. I wouldn't have this class and I would still be writing with pen and paper. Pen and paper are not even a neccessity these days. Everything can be done through some type of technology.

Cyberculture...

Cyberculture is something that has been apart of my life for quite a while. I think the older i get the more addicting it gets. I do not live and breathe on the computer, but i always find myself on it more than i should be. I was introduced to it when i was about five. That was when my parents brought home our first computer. I wasn't really into the computer when i was little. I used the computer and internet to play games and that was really it. As I got older I was introduced to AIM, AOL instant messenger. I guess that's where I was really introduced to cyberculture. Then as the years went on i started using the computer more. I now use aim, myspace, facebook, various games websites, itunes, online banking, etc.

I like using the computer and internet mostly for keeping intouch with my friends. All my really good friends went away to college so the interent helps me stay up-to-date with them. I wouldn't really say I use the computer to start relationships with people I don't know. I just think that is creepy. I only talk to people I know in person usually. Facebook and Myspace are two websites that make it easy to talk to strangers. I just don't find a point in it. AIM, facebook, and myspace allow me to instantly talk to my friends and thats what I like about them.

The computer is so hard to get away from these days. Sometimes it seems like our world could not live without the computer. I has become such a huge part of our lives. I have mostly good things to say about the computer and cyberculture world, but there are some negatives. I said at the beginning that you could call me an internet addict. I hate that sometimes. I can't go a day without being on the computer. When i don't go on the internet i feel so disconnected from the world it seems. Everyday I check my myspace, facebook, and AIM about 20 times a day! It is quite annoying. So while it is quite useful most of the time, it has its negative sides!

"Popular Culture"

Popular Culture is apart of everyones lives. People are bombarded by popular culture on a daily basis. Around every corner people are reminded about the newest trends in society. Popular culture includes things like clothes, fashion, diets, technology, religion, etc... It is pretty much having or doing the latest fad among people in society. It can be a way of life chosen by the following of various friends, celebrities, and technology advances.

Popular Culture has definitely shaped my life to a certain extent. I am always reading up on the newest styles and most popular fads. I watch TV and read a lot of magazines to keep myself up to date with that kind of stuff. I definitely find it hard to stay away from being apart of popular culture. If i had more money i would probably be a popular culture icon! I do try to wear what is popular and have the newest things. I have to say my fashion and music are not always influenced by popular culture though. I do buy clothes and listen to music that everyone else likes, but I also have a sense of my own style and tastes. I really like listening to music that not a lot of people listen to. I also just wear whatever is comfortable. I do not really have the money or care to spend a ton of money just because everyone else does.

I wouldn't really say my friends are shaped around popular culture. I hang out with my friends because we have fun together and have a lot in common. I wouldn't really care if they didn't have the latest trends or the newest cell phone or something. We do follow random things that a majority of society likes, but we do our own thing too.

I think my generation is the definition of popular culture sometimes. There are so many people that let popular culture completely run their lives. Like I said, If I had more money I would probably be influenced by more. A lot of people in society today thrive off of the newest trends. Nobody wants to be left out so they wear the latest fashion, have the newest technology, and listens to the newest song or music group. It is hard to keep up sometimes because the "newest thing" changes everyday. But, everyone is influenced by popular culture in one way or another.

Hello!

Hello! My name is Katie Szara!