I mean, not going to lie...I rock at those two games (and of course I'm the greatest singer for Rock Band) but I'm not one to sit around and play video games or computer games for needless hours at a time, I don't have that kind of time to spend.

However while reading the intro, Scott Adams speaks, and this part that I don't really know what to name, I was kind of confused to say the least. I even read Dani's entry on the subject before writing this post but I feel that she's covering more than just a reading response because of the other classes she's taken before this class that can help her out.

Anyway, this should be interesting, it's sure to get a laugh out of it eventually if I do it all right.

Like any portfolio the basics are Coverage, Timeliness, Interaction, Depth and discussion 0 here's how I fit in this time around.

Coverage - I missed two entries during the Kilian cycle of readings. I don't believe in going back and doing them, because the class discussion time has past, the ideas have been blogged about, I missed it. My fault, clearly - but going back to make up for it now seems pointless to me. Other than those two, I got them all.

Timeliness - I actually did good on this one for once. I got at least five entries in on my standards of timeliness, which is actually more strict than Jerz's timeliness standards, so I feel like that is something to be decently proud of.

• Familiar
• Orientation
• Daughter
• Blender
• Applause

Interaction - This is where I'm a little disapointed. I thought that I would get many more comments than I did, though I got the ocassional comment here and there, I feel that some of them were just to fill the requirement and some were just lacking. But here are entries that I'm going to be decently happy with.

• Daughter -Though it got some comments, none were from classmates or peers.
• Blender 
• Womanhood

Depth - Usually this section is not one of my strong points, but I think it will clearly stand out from the crowd this time around. I don't know if I meant to (I doubt that) but I got deep this time on a lot of entries and I'm pretty proud of that too I guess.

• Daughter
• Orientation
• Majors
• Blender
• Womanhood
• Literature
• Analyzing
• Faith
• Newbie

Discussion - Like Depth, I think I did pretty bag-up in this section too, which is unsual as well. I not only left good comments but I linked to classmates blogs in my on entries as well.

Where I gave comments for further discussion

• Jed's Bipartisian
• Andy's Blender
• Dani's Literature
• Anne's Body

Where I linked to others on my blog

• Daughter -links to Andy's Voting
• Blender - links to Andy's Blender
• Chasing - links to Jackie's Maze 

To sum it up, my blog gets, in my opinion, more professional and people shy away. Hmm...

In one of Dr. Jerz's blog entries, Kilian actually saw that we were discussing his book all over the web and whether we all paid attention or not, we critiqued him shamelessly through the assingments and never thought twice about it, until a comment from Kilian showed up on Jerz's blog. (Welcome to online writing, friends - nothing can be hidden from anyone.)

Knowing this, I tend to think about what I write before I just throw out a rant on this blog. There are different times and places for that. I learned during freshman year it's not always best to put you initial reaction to a reading right on your blog, it just doesn't make you look good in the wrong run - and now I'm okay with showing that entry because I can say that I'm not like that when I write, sure I voice my own opinions, but I never just sloppily throw them into an entry.

That being said, let's look at Kilian. These are the entries I blogged about his book.

1. Well that sounds familiar
2. Orientation: Web-Style
3. Don't go green and proofread
4. My majors agree?
5. So I'm a "Blender Blog" too...
6. A round of applause for eight, please

Alright, so in a lot of these entries, because I'm self-centered at times, I just wrote about how I could fit into the readings and how I related to them. However, through them you can still see what I liked and disliked about Kilian's book.

In entries numbered 1 and 2 I refer to parts of the chapters as "duh moments" meaning "well duh, Kilian, that point is obvious," now even though that sound critical, I feel that Kilian HAS to have that in the book because not everyone has had the experience of growing up with a computer, or more than one computer in their house like I have. Kilian needs to leave these "duh moments in there" for the fourth edition of this book because there are still people out there that will be reading it that have not had that experience that I've had, Kilian needs to relate to his reader and some of his readers will need that help in there.

In entry numbered 3 there is really not much to talk about, I did a cop-out entry for that chapter. However, number 4 shows a decent entry about relating to your audience. NO MATTER WHAT this chapter needs to remain as is. Though it was difficult for our class to cope with because we are not geared towards making corporate websites, someday we may need to and I think this book is focused on people out in the businesses writing for the web, more than it is college students learning the ropes. (I may be wrong.) The only thing that I could see being changed in this section would be to add a sidebar or something that also gives the same kind of basic run down of rules for people that are not writing for corporate websites, to cater to the audiences of other kinds of web writing.

 The entry numbered 5 was sparked from another student's blog, which sparked an entry on Jerz's website, which is actually the entry that Kilian commented on. Clearly, we need to talk about this. Again, I feel that we are not the target audience for Kilian's book because of this, the categories he divides blogs into makes sense; however, if the goal of the fourth edition was to reach a wiser audience, Kilian should take into account the way that Andy and I showed that we could fit into more than one category and did so very easily. Obviously, I'm not out in the "real world" yet and I don't know if corporate web-blogs are "blender blogs" as well, but I'm going to guess that they are not. So, Kilian, if you were to revamp this section, give a little shout out to my boy Andy and add some of the ideas that he brought up in hi entry.

The final entry I did about the Kilian readings was on chapter eight being wonderful. Though in the entry numbered 6 I do not elaborate on many of the points Kilian brings up, I do appluad that chapter for its blunt way of putting some difficult issues. I feel that more and more people/including writers are shying away from the issues and in doing so, are only making the problems worse. I like that Kilian brings up the "not so fluffy- stuff" because it shows that he's a true writer, a writer that is willing to put his work on the line, so others can grow and learn from it. Very nice, sir - don't change this section unless there are more facts to add or a more blunt way to put it.

Like I said, overall, Kilian's book was a good read. Though some things were "duh moments" and some were over said, other sections can be improved by slight changes and some sections were great as is. Writing for the Web 3.0 was easy to read, through Kilian's professional yet fun and upbeat writing style that grabs onto and keeps the reader's attention and I'm sure with a few minimal changes, Writing for the Web additions after this one, will only get better and better.

First talking about the visual style of the words, on the index page of "Faith" the viewer can see that the typeface of the words and the illustration is imminent of what older versions of the Bible looked like. Also, the viewer can see that the word "Faith" is in a different type face than the other words, on the main page.  Faith is in a typeface that looks similar to those that were commonly used in older versions of the Bible, as well and with that Bible typeface look, gives Kendall the ability to show the common idea of faith relating to the Bible and how Christians are able to have faith in something that is not scientifically proven or that is always logically sound. With this tie to the Bible, we can see that Kendall is referring to that out on a limb, all or nothing, kind of faith in his electronic literature.

Furthermore, the animation of "Faith" shows the poem in five stages; the first stage shows the word "logic" continually falling down, hitting off of the word "faith" and then falling off the page, next the viewer sees the sentence "logic can't bend this," through this animation and view of this first sentence, the viewer sees that Kendall views faith as a higher faculty than reason, or logic. By using the line "logic can't bend this," (this meaning faith) shows that Kendall feels that faith is stronger than logic and logic is unable to shake (or bend) faith.

Along with the animation of the first stage; the animation of the second stage adds words to the first sentence to make a more developed idea of logic being less powerful than faith. The next stage adds even more words to farther this idea, but to do so, this time the words are not just added to the text that was there. The new words bounced and blinked on to the screen, in to place and they stretched out some words to add more letters to make new words and more sentences. Along with that, the next stage shows more words being added by fading them in, but all the while still enforcing the same idea that faith is higher than logic.

In the fourth stage, the viewer sees the line "off the rocker," and the word "leap" take the form of the action they create. "Off the rocker" tilts off the straight lines that the animation has formed and the word "leap" grows to take over the page and then leaps off the page. The final stage of the poem is all of the text falling to the bottom of the page, but leaves the sentence "just to sum up:" left, as the title, "Faith" falls as well, landing on top of the other words leaving the viewer with the final sentence, "just to sum up Faith."

Along with the use of animation, electronic literature is able to use audio to make the text more relatable and interesting to the reader. This use of audio sounds like what random keys on a church organ would sound like if someone was just playing around on it. The audio being that of a church organ that is typically used during worship services, reinforces the point that Kendall is relating his poem to the faith Christians have in the Bible. Also, the audio use of chimes in this electronic piece of literature furthers the point of the church's use of musical instruments during worship because many churches use chimes to start the services and during special occasions, use chimes as an addition to the use of music in worship. Another form of audio that is most prevalent in the second stage is that of the harp. The harp is another tie to the Christian faith belief because in some Christian art, harps are used in pictures of angels to show harmony and peace.

Through this use of Kendall's choice of word style, animation and audio in his electronic literature, the viewer is able to understand the idea of the poem, "Faith" being that faith is stronger than logic. Though the use of logic is meaningful in some instances, through Kendall's poem, we can see that though faith does not always make the most sense, it feels right and leads us to some of our best conclusions. The way Kendall used word style, animation and audio in this piece, we not only are led to read the text to understand the idea, but also read everything else that goes on, on the screen to get the full meaning of the word and Kendall's definition of faith.

As I began to investigate Faith by Robert Kendall a little closer than before, I thought that I would start with some definitions.

Faith: confidence or trust in a person or thing, belief that is not based on proof

Logic: the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference

Beginning the poem with the line "logic can't bend this..." Kendall shows that through out this piece of literature, there will be this out spoken battle between faith and logic. Kendall brings this message out in his poem, while it has always been a message that is portrayed in every day life as well.

There has always been a great debate with faith and logic. Some people saying that not everything can be based on logic, that some things just have to be left up to faith; while others say that everything has to have a logical explanation. By starting the poem with "logic can't bend this," Kendall is able to say that logic cannot explain faith, nothing can, faith its own element and is unable to be measured against something else; it has to stand alone to make a point, or to have some meaning.

As the poem and animation continues, the idea that faith is immeasurable and not able to be compared to anything else continues through, not only the use of the written word, but also the way the text presents itself onto the page. The line that mentions, "off the rocker..." not only comes up as visually appealing but also calls attention to that line and the idea that someone that makes all decisions solely on faith may be the same.

At the end of the poem is the final idea. Leap. Leap and faith have been in common use together ("leap of faith") and that shows as the word leap grows, eventually taking over the page and the other words begin to fall down, while leaving the words just, to sum and up, still on the on the page. As the word Faith falls into place the viewer sees the final sentence being, "just to sum up Faith," as though the animation, noises and words have summed up the definition of the word while the poem played out on the page.

1. Faith - Just like in real life, faith and logic are clearly not the same thing and one is unable to become the other. At the beginning of this electronic literature example, faith resists the word logic and in doing so forms the five different elements of this poem. Each time the element that comes next always forms through the use of the other elements means. The text either stretches or condenses to let the rest of the text for the next element take over and become a new idea, in the end showing what faith really is. (I liked this one because it takes an old as time word, faith, and puts a new and dramatic twist on it.)
2. Code Movie 1 - Using the idea of coding to make something on a computer work and kicking it up a notch to show the viewer the different aspects of coding and how you can manipulate it so that it works for you. This Electronic Literature doesn't actually use any words until the very end and is able to show that the hexadecimal code of JPG images as a signifier by itself. (This one was really interesting and I hit "play again" over and over because it was so fun to watch and pick up on different things each time. It took an idea that not too many people understand and made it really fresh.)
3. Inanimate Alice, Episode 1: China - This piece of Electronic Literature is a young girl telling of her life and her day as she goes through it, through her "ba-xi" her source of technology and communication. Though it tells of a story that is about her family being uneasy and her father going missing, the young girl is still calm with her ba-xi and does not worry about the situation at hand until her ba-xi is taken away. Showing how much technology is becoming more and more important to people, especially children, today. (I enjoyed this a lot because it held my attention to continue on because it was through the child's perspective, which is a not so common way of looking at things. Even though I'm confused by the ending, I loved the story and how it was told.)
4. Dawn - Combining audio, photographs and text to display personal thoughts about a dying father and religious and philosophical statements through a poem, all while displaying beautiful nature scenes and crackling sound. (This was sweet and simple, I liked that it had a relaxing and calm feel to it, even while hitting you with some tough and ideas that would require some deep thinking.)   

Nice. This chapter showed me a lot of what I'm doing right and wrong and how to improve in both aspects. I liked that it could make sense for a small or large scale of a student paper and also points out some things that the Setonian can work on.

Being an editor is actually easier than I thought it would be last year when I took on the position, but there are always times that I know I'm not at my best just because I'm a student before I'm an editor and that comes in to play during some production weeks. (Like the one that is going on now.)

Anyway the point is, for our reading out of The Elements of Online Journalism the part that struck me the most was the part about advertisements

"Ads should not take over the content of your page. Banner ads should be placed either on top, bottom, or the right side of the screen."

I don't really see this as becoming that big of a problem with the Setonian Online, but I think that is one thing the print version is terrible at. I have to admit I despise a half page ad, no matter who it is from and where it is in the paper. I understand the need for them, but I hate them. Umm, I'm done ranting.

My feelings:

This website was very interesting; the way that Shelley Jackson wrote made me want to keep clicking and keep learning about her. I liked that the stories didn't go in order of how they happened in her life, which it would have had to if it were a novel. Hypertext makes writing raw, I like it. (When I'm older and bolder I might think of doing something like this as well.)

Close Reading:

In Shelley Jackson's "The Body" she is able to show people a sense of self-acceptance through discovering her own body, instead of comparing her body to those of models and actresses that teenage girls are so often told to emulate.

With the use of hypertext, Jackson is able to let the reader take the first step in where the journey of her body will begin. (I chose the tattoo.) Through reading about that chosen section of her body, the reader is then led to chose another part through the words that seemingly describe a different section of the body, and are led throughout, not only Jackson's changing body, but also through her childhood to womanhood. (Just to note: I hate the word womanhood, lame word, I couldn't think of another word that fit.)

Unlike any other form of writing about the changes that a girl goes through while growing up, Jackson is able to show her readers a way to travel to the different areas of her body and her life by linking to different parts of the body, to let the reader choose their own path. In this way, the reader is able to experience Jackson's experiences as they come, instead of in chronological order.

As the reader is led through Jackson's body and life, they are able to see into a different set of eyes on the issue of how a teenage girl and ultimately how women should look, according to the public's eye. These days, girls are told they have to look and be a certain way and as the reader is on Jackson's journey, those limitations for girls are destroyed by one woman's view of her own body. Through Jackson's ability to accept her shoulders, arms,leg hair, and her lack of hips, along with the rest of her body's unique aspects, she is able to show girls going through the "not pretty enough" struggle that image shouldn't matter. 

My feelings:

I always want to be the one in the class that figures this stuff out, so I literally followed it through until I had clicked on all of the links. It got me nowhere. The University of Yellow Wallpaper confused me like no other. (I did skim though some of the pages though, so that could be a factor too.) Needless to say, I was led in circles for a good while.

Reading this reminded me of those mystery books where at the bottom of each page it says "continue reading or go to page (insert # here)" and the story is able to pick up either way and it makes sense in whichever way you take it. Though this didn't make complete sense, it reminded me of that because you choose where you go and which story path you are taking.

Close Reading:

Caroline E. White, author of The University of Yellow Wallpaper, puts hypertext to work in her book online, allowing the reader to take their own course through the book and the site as they chose which phrases to click on and which paths to take through hypertext.

Though readers will fall upon some of the pages more than once, the story is able to continue through the use of different hypertext that is shown on most of the pages of text. A main theme that reoccurs throughout the reading is the present time, and the present time being a gift to those who notice it.

Through the use of hypertext and linking to certain pages, White is able to show her readers the present time more than once and target that point home while the reader again and again stumbles upon it.

PS - bonus points for the first person to say who sang the words of my title. 

• words with complex, or multiple meanings
• the elements of persuasion
• how to be persuasive
• legitimate appeals
• propaganda
• analyzing other websites

I liked this chapter because it brought up all the types of things that people do not usually want to talk about. I really appreciate that Kilian is not afraid to tell his reader's what they really need to know. I enjoy it a lot when a writer is not afraid of what they know and what they want to say and just let it out there in their work, so that it makes them more credible and their readers more informed.

Kilian does this through out the text but especially in chapter eight, he brings up the "non-fluffy issues" that not all writers would immediately bring up. Well done, sir.

So before writing my own blog and before even reading the text; I read Andy's entry about Chapter 7 in Writing for the Web 3.0 first. In his entry he came up with the idea of a Blender Blog, which is a mixture of all of the categories of blogs that Kilian writes about in his book.

Andy's idea was that we as students do not always fit into one specific category of blogging because our blogs are a mixture of different things as they are and need to be categorized in that way. (Kind of like throwing all of the categories into a blender and getting our blogs when you're done mixing all of those categories together.)

I like this idea a lot, so I'm stealing it. (But note that I give credit where credit is due...Andy.) Moving on, I think my blog fits into each of these categories in different ways, here is how:

The Personal Blog

• Kilian writes that a personal blog could be written either introverted or extroverted. And like I am in person, I think my blog is as well. I tend to be more extroverted, but often I am introverted as well, without really meaning to be. I feel that my blog is like that as well. Sometimes I'm all about letting whoever my reader is, come into my world, my life and other times I'm doing something as an assignment and I don't put my face, or my life experiences into it.
• I like to make my class blogs grab the reader, also making my blog altogether my personalized.

Job Blogs

• Kilian writes that a job blog is a focus on events at work. I can take this in two ways.
• Currently I'm a full-time student, so my homework is my job. So my blog could go under this category because of that.
• Also, I am now a writing/web design intern for the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education that is on campus and for them I do a lot of blogging under my own name, so since that is also part of my "job" my blog can fall under this category.

Specialist Blogs

• In Kilian's book, he says that this category is a "community of interest," and I took that meaning the same way Andy did; as in our current class.
• So my blog is in this category because sometimes I am blogging for EL236 - a community (class) that is interested in Writing for the Internet and also for EL200 - a community (class) that is interesting in the New Media Journalism major, and my blogging is based on the current interests that are developed in each of those classes.

News Blogs

• "A news blog may be part of the online service of a print newspaper or a broadcaster's website," (127).
• Though I do not directly put my work onto the Setonian Online, you will see that I have contributed to that blogging site through my work with the paper version of the Setonian.

Advocacy Blogs

• Kilian writes that advocacy blogging is arguing a case for a group, movement or philosophy.
• Though I do not feel like I am arguing while doing so, when I blog for the Admissions Blog for Student Ambassadors, I am advocating to prospective students why to come to Seton Hill and what I like and what I go through day to day here at SHU.

So sorry, Kilian, but like most things I don't fit into one select category. 

Through the moving up into a new class this year, I can see that I have easily changed roles. Last year, I was the do what everyone needs freshman, now I am the help the paper as best as possible sophomore. Through this I have gained some "buddies" with new students that want my help and upperclassmen that know they can count on me.

Also, through my first year at SHU I tried to became as involved as possible and the Setonian has helped me to do that networking a lot easier. Through the Setonian I am able to interview people and get to know about different things on campus, before they happen, or in depth that other people that don't even know about. This has really helped because I can take what I'm doing in clubs and make those into story pitches and also, get to know more people so story ideas come easier to me because I know more about my campus through them. Which is a great feeling.

In Media Lab this time around we are using a grea book, The Student Newspaper Survival Guide, and even though some of it is old news to most of us, because we've been in this program for awhile now, it is a great tool to have and use for the Setonian. I wish that in EL227 - Newswriting we had this book, because it would have been much more helpful then, with that class being focused on the introduction to Journalism, but it is still useful now because it can give us tips and pointers that we might be over looking.

Now I feel like the paper version of the Setonian is under control and we all know where we fit in and what we can do to make it better. I think that now we need to focus on revamping the Setonian Online to be just as good as the print version.

Chapter 6 - The Lifestyle pages

• "...more than any other second, the lifestyle pages in a student newspaper should be relevant, edgy and fresh." Though the Setonian does not have a set aside section for the "lifestyle pages" I think that the entire paper can serve as this purpose and that every page in it should be relevant, edge and fresh.
• Confessions of a sex columnist. This would be an interesting column in the Setonian, a Catholic University's newspaper. I think it would certainly bring in more readers, but I don't know if that's all we're looking for. And even though when my roommates and I took the Facebook "Which Sex and the City Character Are You?" quiz, I ended up with Carrie...I don't think I could sanely hold this position down.
• "Finally, read, read, read. Read The New York Times. Read The Washington Post. Read Smithsonian magazine. Read People. Read everything." I think this is a great quote from Josie Roberts and something we always have to remember.

Chapter 7 - Sportswriting

• "Good sports stories not only inform and entertain, they help build a sense of community on campus." I like this quote because it makes me feel like my current position on the paper isn't worthless. Sometimes I feel like Sports Editor of the Setonian means nothing because a good chunk of the staff doesn't really care about sports or the section. But this quote makes it feel like it's all worth it, because sporting events make community, we report that and make a better community.
• Sports Profiles. I just did my first sports profile on one of the football captains, Andrew Demase, whom I've actually known for quite awhile. I really enjoyed writing the profile because it showed not only whoever picks up the paper a different side of him, but it even showed me a different side of him.
• "...post game stories on your newspaper's Web site. Brief reports on games and with photos..." Why didn't I think of this before? I think this would be a great idea, especially because the Setonian does not come out that often. Not only would this be good for the Sports Section, but it could also be helpful for the Setonian Online.

Chapter 8 - Arts and Entertainment Writing

• "If your arts and entertainment section is any good, the savvy students will depend on your paper to find out what's hot and what's not." I think the Setonian has this covered.
• This section of the book was relatively short and I really think that the Setonian has this section down to an art. (Ha, lame pun.)

Chapter 9 - Opinion Pages

• Like the Arts and Entertainment section, I think the Setonian has enough opinion section to go around as well. We've got this covered.
• Writing an Editorial. "It's easy to have an opinion; it takes hard work to have a reasoned opinion." "Before you site down to write an editorial, gather your facts." I think this is helpful to any opinion or editorial writer, it's not as easy at it seems. I'm sure that we don't have that big of a problem with this in the Setonian, but it's always good to keep this in mind when writing.

The end.

"There are two levels of a multimedia story: Basic and advanced. The basic level includes a headline, text, picture, graphic, and related links. The more advanced level carries the following added features: audio, video, slide shows, animation, interactive features, and interactive games."

Right now I feel like the Setonian Online is in the basic stage, but I think that very soon we can move that to become at the advanced level. Currently, there is little "life" on the online version of the paper, which makes it, to me, just the paper online. I think that the idea is to get it to be something extra, like an added bonus onto what we already have. Though Jeremy has done a great job of updating the online version, it still needs something.

The paper version of the Setonian is pretty damn good, if I say so myself and I know we have the talent and the right students to bring the online version to be just as good.