Monday, May 11, 2009

To be honest i don't really recall any of the specifics of the original class outline. However, I do remember that the original appeared to be very similar to the english 1A course outline, in the way that it seemed very uninteresting. I really enjoyed this revised class. I was able to actually be interested in the class and the topics that we were assigned. Although the topics were not exactly what I am interested in, they where a welcomed break to the dull topics. As far as anything that needs to be changed goes. I am not very sure. I believe the way things where was fine. Oh! Actually if i am correct a few of my peers didn't seem to like the idea of not knowing their grade. I happen to be olbivious to any of my grades until the results are posted at the end of the semester so it doesn't bother me personally too much. The Clark classroom was fun. I actually looked forward to going to class in that classroom. I have never really looked forward to going to any of my english classes before. The Clark classrooms allows me to feel trusted. I am given a computer and the teacher is trusting me to not be distracted by it or make the computer crash. Overall i really enjoyed this class. I like the idea of the blog posts and especially that we can revise our essays until the end of the semester.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Random post

I don't know if you guys have noticed but it is a whole lot easier to do research while writing the essay. It seems, since you know what you are going to write down it becomes easier to search for that certain subject.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

assessing assessments

The one and only resource that i must definitely get is my book reference. I have yet to find a book entry or chapter that will help me in some way. I believe it will become easier to find a book if i could finally decide on what my focus will be. As for my othe resources i might have to redo a couple if i finally decide on my focus and realize that the article i assessed will not contribute to my essay in any way.

I believe to have assessed my resources effectively. Although some could have been assessed more thoroughly, the majority of the resources do seem promising in being able to prove my point. Although my point is undecided the resources are closely related to what my focus may be.

resources reflections

I found most of my resources through Google and Google scholar. With Google it is easier to find resources that are trustworthy. It always seems that the bigger companies with the most reputation tend to come up first on searches. I also used the library's online catalog to try and find a journal. I also contacted some of my friends through email for the interviews.

The research has altared my original idea by completely changing my topic. I had planned to write about security and pirvacy in social networking sites. Now i am considering something gears more toward how the sites themselves affect people and culture or how people are affected by the internet. I am still a little uncertain about the actual main focus.

-fosho

Monday, April 20, 2009

journal assessment

Internet addiction: college student case study using best practices in cognitive behavior therapy.

Publication: Journal of Mental Health Counseling

Publication Date: 01-OCT-01

Author: Hall, Alex S. ; Parsons, Jeffrey

The Journal entry i would believe to be a credible source for the fact that the entry is in a journal but i do have some doubt as to the information provided.My doubts are based on the issues with the given information that is also stated by the entry itself. The entry states that the information i based off of "
limited scientific research and competing or poorly defined constructs ". Another reason for doubt is also because of the publication date of 2001. The entry is old but none the less does provide useful information.

It speaks of disorders that are caused by internet usage. Not only does it provide a description of the disorder but also presents a list of criteria that an individual must meet in order to be diagnosed with one of the disorders. The info could be useful if i decide to do the essay on the subject of how sites affect our personality or our daily life, still undecided on my topic actually. ugh

Interview assessment

I interviewed Mr. Nghiem because he is a first year college student who uses both facebook and twitter. He also happens to be very opinionated and descriptive about his thoughts making it easy to understand him than it is other people.


Juan Carlos Ulate: Which do you prefer Twitter or Facebook? Why?

Viet Nghiem: I do like Facebook better, but perhaps only because I've had more time to use it. Heck, it even has includes the same 'main' feature of twitter. That is, you can 'shout' what you want to other people. I think the distinct difference is that since Twitter makes these sporatic, nonsensical shout-outs to nobody in particular the showcase, it seems that much more important. Facebook, on the other hand allows a whole lot more interaction with people you choose to interact with. I think the viral YouTube video "The 'Twouble' with Twitter" really sums it up (in a rather satirical manner). You're basically just shouting into the internet and hoping that someone finds your random thoughts and musings about lunch interesting. No, I don't need to know about how rude the cashier lady was to you today, nor do I need to know how adorable your fwuffy-wuffy snoogly-woogly dog is. Yeesh.

JCU: For what reasons do you use Facebook and or Twitter?

VN: What, people don't just use things things to follow a trend? I'm (almost) ashamed to say that's why I even made a Facebook account. In the end, though, I keep using it because it's a way to interact with people I know and meet. It's a sort of 'level' of aquaintance with a person, like how you might add someone on facebook but not give them your phone number, or you might give them your phone number, but really only text them, etcetera etcetera. I suppose it's up to the degree of your personal... world? (I can't find a term that fits it right) that you're allowing them to enter. Facebook adds another layer.

JCU: What is your favorite thing about these sites?

VN: Since I'm particuarly biased against twitter, I'll just keep going on about Facebook. Facebook, in a way, lets you be almost-kinda-friends with someone. People go "okay here's how I'm going to describe myself in terms of pictures I post up, in terms of what I list as my "faves", in terms of fun or practical applications, in terms of how I'm commenting on other people". They say that, and on a certain level expect the same thing out of your facebook page. I think it boils down to "Facebook is a way of describing yourself to others without all the awkwardness of having to actually describe yourself to others. Here's all the shit I do and like. Ya wanna be my friend???" (Admittedly, Facebook allows me to compensate for my unrefined people skills).

JCU: Have you ever felt like your privacy has been compromised by using these sites?

VN: I don't think that my privacy is violated, per se. I very well know that I'm putting information on the internet, for cryin' out loud. It's like putting up a personal billboard on the side of the world's busiest interstate. People are voyeuristic on the internet, it's just the unpersonal and faceless nature of the web. Anyone using a social site should take heed of the fact that they're doing things and passing out things and saying things where anybody could find it if they looked hard enough. I mean, there is a whole internet subculture of finding people's personal information or emberassing materials and mocking them mercilessly. I'm not justifying being a creepy internet stalker, but people should always be conscious of what they're gonna put up on that giant billboard.
JCU: Would you ever consider discontinuing the use of these sites?

VN: Recently, Facebook made some visibly unpopular changes to things like their image and privacy policy as well as their data-gathering algorithms (they use information you put on your page and the apps you use to 'market' specific ads to your IP adress and facebook account). Specifically, a policy stated that any image uploaded by Facebook could be used by the company, effectevly saying that they 'owned' them. I know that a lot of people use Facebook to showcase their photographic work, and this was a serious problem in terms of "hey wait a minute, you're not allowing us to keep rights to our work simply because you're hosting our images?" Personally I found it offensive that they thought they could use user-made work as a way to make revenue. I think they did indeed adjust that by-law, but if they ever tried doing something like that again, I would definitely quit Facebook, or at the very least remove my work from it.

JCU: Would you say that Facebook distracts you from school work?

VN: Oh man, when DOESN'T it distract me from my school work?

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Magazine assessment

Hamilton, Anita. " What Facebook Users Share: Lower Grades." Time 14 Apr 2009: Print.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1891111,00.html

This article is from a reputable magazine which makes it a source that i would trust. Magazines such as Time magazine are known to always give trustworthy and well research content. In this case the content is backed Surveys done by college professors who posted their finding publicly and could face ridicule and in the worst case be fired from their positions if the information was false. As for the usable content in this article is the results that show that students who use facebook have lower gpa's when compared to students who do not use the site. It can help me show how sites such as facebook affect youth by being a source of distraction.