Considering Genre

After doing a lot of searching for sources and researching for this project, it is time to pick the actual format that I am going to be using.  

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1. What genre are you going to commit to for Project 1? Why?

For the first project I have decided to go with the video project because I think the video project is going to be the most fun, and I have some ideas that will make my video essay a good one.

2. What genre conventions from your chosen genre are you planning on developing during next week's Production phase? What do you plan to do with the genre conventions that will help you accomplish the purpose of the project most effectively?

My plan is to find some relevant, humorous video clips to splice together throughout my video essay.  I also am planning on doing a voice-over in a casual tone.  I plan on using the video essay's genre conventions to display my information in a concise and funny way.  This will make the purpose of my project apparent while still keeping the viewer entertained.

3. How are you feeling about Project 1 going in to the Production phase? What challenges do you anticipate next week as you create content for the project?

I'm feeling pretty good going into the production phase.  The most difficult challenge that I will be facing is going out to get camera equipment and a microphone.  I'm hoping that I keep myself organized enough so that the video creation/editing process is smooth and quick.

Cluster of Stakeholders

For this post, I created a mindmap of the various stakeholders who are involved in the controversial subject of genetic engineering.  I explored the two sides of the argument, those who are for genetic engineering and those who are against it.  Each stakeholder listed is given their reasoning for being on their side of the argument.



Link

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Evaluation of General Sources

Gathering credible and useful sources for a project can be a daunting task.  It is important to go through a set of checks to make sure that a source is okay to use.  In this post I am going to be evaluating two sources related to genetic engineering.

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Source #1:  "Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering" via Conserve Energy Future.

URL:  The URL for this source is a .com which implies that it is a commercial site.  While this may give the source some credibility issues, the nature of the site (education about being green), makes me believe that the information is credible.

Author:  The author is a guy named Rinkesh Kukreja who is a researcher in the field of conservative energy.

Last Updated:  The post doesn't display when it was last updated, but I can assume that it is relatively recent since the entire site has only been around since 2009.

Purpose:  The purpose for this source is to inform the reader on the pros and cons of genetic engineering.  There doesn't seem to be any other agenda besides spreading knowledge.

Graphics:  There is a picture which is an example of genetic engineering on tomatoes. 

Position on Subject:  The source appears to be non biased because the author is just trying to spread information about genetic engineering.

Links:  The source does provide various links to other sources for further research on the subject of genetic engineering.  

Source #2:  "Exploring Two of Engineering's Most Controversial Ideas" via ImAnEngineer.

URL:  While the URL is a .com, the site is dedicated to engineers and engineering issues that it is safe to assume that the source is most likely credible.

Author:  The source doesn't provide a specific author, but all of the posts on the site are made by engineers.

Last Updated:  The source doesn't provide a specific date, but the source is relatively new because the site has recently been created.

Purpose:  The purpose of the source is to inform the reader about a couple of controversial engineering issues, one of which being genetic engineering.  There doesn't seem to be a specific agenda besides the site's overall goal of getting people to join the ImAnEngineer initiative. 

Graphics:  There are a couple of pictures that simply illustrate engineers in action.

Position on Subject:  Like I previously said, there doesn't seem to be a specific agenda or bias.

Links:  The source does provide ways for the reader to continue learning about the subject as well as other engineering topics.  The one bad thing about the source is that it is lacking citations.  However, the writers of the article are engineers themselves which provides a bit of credibility.

Reddit and What I Found There

Reddit is a great site that contains many different types of people and places for discussion.  I researched Reddit for subreddits pertaining to my major, and am going to discuss what I discovered in this post.

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1. What kinds of things do people in the Reddit forums seem to be arguing about, debating, disagreeing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in the Reddit forums.

I found the /r/programming subreddit to be the most active forum related to my major, and then I scanned all of the top post of all time from there.  The first thing I noticed was how big of a range the various threads were about.  Some posts were about fun things such as a website that was coding itself live, while another post was about how an important figure in coding has died.  It's hard to give an exact explanation of the type of stories on the subreddit because the subreddit is full of any and all things related to programming.

2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting debates/disagreements you found in the Reddit forums? Hyperlink us to the two different Reddit threads and explain why you found those debates interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.

One of the more interesting threads was in a post about what programmers should not say to beginners.  The reason this thread interested me is because I am a beginner programmer myself, and it is eye-opening to see what experienced programmers have to say about/to beginners.  Another interesting thread was in a post titled "Programming Sucks."  The people in the post are discussing a hyperbolic article that explains why programming sucks.  This thread interested me because again, I am an aspiring programmer, and it is cool to see the potential suckiness that might come with the job.

3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening in the Reddit forums? Were the people in those forums talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

From what I read on Reddit, I get an impression that programmers have a brotherhood sort of thing going on where they are able to make fun of themselves and intelligently discuss programming at the time.  The people on the subreddit talked how I would imagine, intelligently but with a good amount of humor.  What stood out for me is how little I knew about what the people were talking about.  As a beginner programmer, this shows me that I still have a lot to learn.

Evaluation of News Magazine Stories

Online news magazines can be a great way to find current and past information.  This post is going to look at a couple of these stories and analyze their arguments.

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Story #1:  "Here's How Hard it will be to Unpoison Flint's Water" - Wired.

1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about? Explain concisely, but with specificity and precision. Name specific people, places, things, events, dates, times and/or other identifying details.

The debate/argument in this story is about how the state of Michigan is arguing that it can only get Flint, Michigan's water problem fixed in nearly 15 years, while the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters are saying they can get the job done in 2 years but they need the funding.  Flint, Michigan has been under a water health crisis for a few weeks due to poor political management by the state and governor Rick Snyder.

2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why do they evoke feelings of sympathy from you?

The most sympathetic characters in this story are the people of Flint, Michigan, who are living without access to running water due to the unsafe lead levels in the city's water.  I am sympathetic towards the people of Flint have done nothing to deserve what is happening to them.  The people are being forced to take baths with bottled water which is terrible.

3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?

The least sympathetic character(s) in this story are Michigan governor Rick Snyder and other politicians in Michigan.  It is due to these politicians and their decisions that led to the Flint health disaster.


Story #2 "Millennials' Political Views Don't Make Any Sense" - The Atlantic

1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about? Explain concisely, but with specificity and precision. Name specific people, places, things, events, dates, times and/or other identifying details.

The argument in this story is that the millennials (people between 18-29)  do not know much about politics, and are wholly wishy-washy.  The article brings up various polls and surveys taken by millennials and analyzes how little political knowledge the results of these polls show millennials have.

2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why do they evoke feelings of sympathy from you?

The sympathetic character in this story would be moderate, non-millennials.  They are involved because they have to deal with the misguided political decisions that millennials make.  They evoke feelings of sympathy because after seeing what the millennials believe in, it makes me feel bad that other people have to deal with these sketchy political decisions.

3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?

The least sympathetic character in this story would be the millennials.  The millennials are young adults between ages 18-29, and are the main focus of the story.  It is easy to not sympathize with them because the entire article is just pointing out the flawed way of thinking the millennials have in regards to politics.  On a little side note, it is kind of startling to see how many millennials want socialism.

Twitter and What I Found There

Twitter is an interesting collection of different perspectives and information that it is nearly impossible to ignore.  It can even be used to find a group of people within an occupation so that you can hear from people who do the same kind of work as you.  For this post, I am going to explore twitter for feeds about computer and software engineering and relay what I find.




1. What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in these Twitter feeds.

When I initially searched twitter for information about software engineering, I got a huge list of job offers for software engineers.  This isn't really a story but I found it reassuring and amusing that the main thing people talk about in regards to software engineering is getting jobs.

In terms of what people are actually talking about, I found a couple feeds that were memeing about how difficult it is being a software engineer in a humorous way.  For instance, they were visually displaying what it  is like being a software engineer, starting with happiness and slowly proceeding to become agitated and full of rage.

Other than that, there really isn't too many "stories" about software engineering that I could find on twitter besides various accomplishments of people and tidbits about what software engineers actually do,

2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting conversations or stories you found in the Twitter feeds? Hyperlink us to the two different Twitter feeds and explain why you found those conversations interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really 

Like previously stated, I couldn't really find that much raw software engineering content outside of job listings.  However, I did find the Stanford Engineering Twitter page to be informative and actually active.  The Stanford page discussed a lot about engineering and provided links to interesting discoveries or cool aspects in the engineering field.  One feed that I had a good laugh at and actually thought was interesting was a post and conversation by twitter user Heather Rivers.  I talked a little bit about this in response to the last question, but I really did find it funny how Heather illustrated the software engineering mindset as time goes on.

3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening on Twitter? Were the people in these feeds talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

The main impression that I got about my discipline was that there is always a high demand for the talents of a software engineer.  The conversations that I was able to find were really how I would imagine software engineers to be: qwerky and full of memes.

Evaluation of New York Times Stories

Many sources of news craft their stories so that they are almost like literature, containing "main characters" who are central to the stories' plot.  There are usually the protagonists of the story and a villain, who are in some sort of disagreement.  To entertain this notion, I analyzed two stories from the New York Times and picked apart their skeletal makeup.

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Story #1: "Payment Processor to Stop Working With Daily Fantasy Sports Clients"

1. Does there seem to be a "main character" or "protagonist" to the story? If so, who is it and how are they the "center" of the story? If not, are there any important or central characters in the story at all? What role do they play?

There does seem to be a couple main characters to the story.  The protagonist would be Vantiv Entertainment Solutions, and the antagonists would be the daily fantasy sport sites FanDuel and DraftKings.  Vantiv is the center of the story because the article is about how they are no longer processing transactions for said fantasy companies.

2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.

This story doesn't seem to have a specific setting, because the actions undergone in the story were able to happen through online communication.  There is some mention of Texas and New York because they are important customers of the fantasy sports sites.

3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?

The disagreement would be between Vantiv and the fantasy sites, because Vantiv has decided to stop handling transactions for said sites.  This decision was made due to the increasing controversy over whether or not these fantasy sites are legal or are online gambling.  There is a lot at stake for the fantasy sites, because Vantiv is a major processing company for the fantasy sites' funds, and without them, there is nothing to handle the millions of dollars that are going through the fantasy sites.

Story #2: "Vaccine for Zika Virus May Be Years Away, Disease Experts Warn"

1. Does there seem to be a "main character" or "protagonist" to the story? If so, who is it and how are they the "center" of the story? If not, are there any important or central characters in the story at all? What role do they play?

There isn't necessarily a "main character" to this story besides the Zika virus itself, but there are a number of researchers and scientists whom we hear from that are important to the story.  

2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.

There isn't a specific setting, but the article is about how the Zika virus is spreading throughout the Americas.   This setting is important because it illustrates how the Zika virus is dangerous and  a vaccine needs to be found.

3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?

There isn't really a disagreement or a debate in the story, but there is conflict between the Zika virus and researchers who are trying to engineer a cure.  There is a lot at stake for the researchers because the Zika virus is rapidly spreading and is dangerous.

Course Project

The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

This semester of English holds a lot in store in terms of major projects.  The major projects don't seem like they will be terrifyingly difficult, but they will certainly require a good deal of preparation and work.  It will be interesting working with genres that I haven't ever touched in an academic environment!

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1.  What are you most confused by or nervous about in regards to the four major projects?

I wouldn't say that I am confused about anything in the four major projects, but there are some aspects that make me nervous.  The main concerns I have are with the research involved and the two interviews required for the rhetorical investigation.  These aspects just seem like a major hassle that will take time.  For instance, for project one, it will most likely be difficult to come up with a recent controversy to write about in my field (software engineering).

2.  What are you most interested in or excited by in regards to the four major projects?

I am most excited by the new genre types that I will be able to dive into!  I enjoy the idea of making an entertaining video and podcast.  It'll be a new experience but it will be fun to display my sense of humor and creativity.

3.  Based on your understanding of the major projects, what are the elements of this course that you have to plan ahead for? How will the coursework described in the four project assignment sheets challenge your time management skills this semester?

The major elements of the course that will require planning would be the research aspects of the projects as well as setting up the interviews.  I feel as though once I get an understanding of what I will be making my project about it shouldn't be too difficult to power through everything else.  In regards to the interviews, it will take some planning to set up the interviews with professionals who have busy schedules.  The coursework will force me to progressively finish my work at my own pace because of the way the due dates work (a lot of work is due on one due date).  I happen to like this independence that allows me to be an adult about my work and finish it when I can, as long as I get it done.

4.  How has your past English coursework in high school or college prepared you for the challenges of this course? What skills will you bring into the course with you?

My years of AP English will help me in terms of syntax, organization, and style.  Furthermore, the creativity I was forced to develop in AP will be highly beneficial for the course projects.  This will be my first English class in college, and I have only had to write two essays thus far that was for a gen ed course.  For the skills i am bringing into the course with me...I would say creativity, maturity, and general problem solving.   

5.  Do you have any questions about the four major projects that haven't been answered by the assignment sheets? What do you still want to know?

I personally don't have any remaining questions about the four projects because all of the information has been clearly laid out.

Reflection:
One of the main things I picked up on from reading my peers' blogs is that the fear of procrastination is not solely mine.  This gave me reassurance because I know that everyone is having the same ideas about having to plan ahead and not put off work till later.  One thing that I found interesting was the different reactions to having to do visual and audio projects.  Some people were excited about it while others were nervous.  It was cool to see the contrast of the different types of people in the class.  The main takeaway I have is that mostly everyone is looking forwards to trying out these new genres and it will be a fun experience for all!

I commented on Benjamen Meyer's and Gabby Dietrich's blogs.

Investigating Genres

The Video Essay

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1.  What purpose(s) does this genre usually serve?

A video essay is usually intended to inform as well as entertain an audience.  A video essay differs from traditional genre forms because it is better suited to capture the attention of its intended audience through visual cues and production.

2.  Where, how, or in what context do readers usually find this genre?

Video essays can be often found on websites that congregate all different kinds of videos such as Youtube.  Audiences can find this genre through general searching and discovering videos that pique their interests.

3.  Who is the typical audience for this genre?

The typical audience for video essays would be the younger crowd-- kids, teens, and young adults.  This is because video essays are able to capture the attention of these younger viewers in an easier manner than say, a traditional written essay.

4.  What are some of the key features or characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?

Some of the key features that make video essays unique are the manner in which they combine both audio and visual techniques to get their points across.  All of the other genres only contain either audio or visual elements, not both.  Another key characteristic of video essays is that they are able to connect to the audience to the speaker in an effective manner.  Many video essays contain the narrator speaking to the camera, which gives the audience an idea of who they are listening to and whose video they are watching.

5.  Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.

A video essay is a genre that combines both audio and visual cues to create content that is engaging and appealing to its audience.


Reflection:
One of the things I learned from reading my classmates' blogs is that there are writers that are similar to me and writers that are not.  I found blogs that contained the same format as mine, with questions and answers, and I found others that were written like a more traditional essay with paragraphs.  However, seeing my peers' posts put me at ease because the general content of everyone's blogs was similar to mine.  This let me know that what I have been writing has most likely been correct and up to standards.  What I learned about my writing style is that it lends itself to being easier to follow and read.  Having the questions followed by the answers in a clearly separated manner makes reading the blog simpler and more efficient in my opinion.

I commented on the blogs of Benjamen Meyer and Brady Thomas.

My Writing Process

It's Not Due till Next Week

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Being able to recognize what one's writing style is is an important trait of being a successful writer.  In the textbook A Student's Guide to Writing, four questions are posed that allow one to use meta-cognition to think about their own writing style.

1.  What type(s) of writer do you consider yourself to be?

I would personally consider myself to be a procrastinator, but I do possess some traits of being a heavy planner once I actually begin to write my pieces. 

2.  Does your writing process include several of the above approaches?  If so, which one?

My writing process heavily dips in the procrastinator pool in that I almost always delay my writing to the final few days, or sometimes even the day of, that the project is due.  However, I wouldn't justify this by saying that I work better under pressure, but rather I feel as though I am capable of churning out good content in a day or two.  In terms of having traits of a heavy planner, when it comes down to actually write, I will usually plan out everything I am going to write from paragraph to paragraph in my head before I begin.

3.  Does your writing process seem to be successful?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?

I would that my tendencies to plan out my work before beginning to write is successful, but the fact that I heavily procrastinate is not desirable.  Heavy planning is very effective in making my work having  a strong focus on the intended topic as well as being well organized.  The strengths of procrastinating is that it benefits my in my head planning because I finish the work in a short time, meaning I won't really forget too much of what I have planned.  The weakness of procrastinating is that it adds a lot more stress on me than there would be if I had not held off my work.

4.  Do you think it might be beneficial for you to try a different approach?  Why or why not?

I certainly do think that switching up my writing process would be beneficial.  I think that it would be helpful to write down my ideas instead of keeping it all in my head as well as starting the work far ahead of the due date so the stress doesn't hit like a truck!

Feel free to answer these questions yourself and let me know about your writing process!