CoreyStruss

As We May Think

"But there are signs of a change as new and powerful instrumentalities come into use."

I too, agree that this article was inconcise, boring, and drawn out. I would say that it was like a sandwich! It was one idea, as the meat, and everything around it were the two thickest slices of texas toast to ever be known to man.
Bush was right that technology was on the verge of a revelation. Things were happening that could only lead to one thing: A Technological Revolution. Okay, good observation, Vannevar Bush. This technology would be frowned upon as it broke the plane of the population, because it would seem useless. Yet, it was almost as if the author knew this uselessness would pass, and the technology would be accepted in society.
That is the point that I got from the paper. She could have minimized the essay to about 1.5 pages. It was not concise, and at some points, the points she was making weren't even clear. That's two strikes, Vannevar. Watch out.
I think someone needs to tell her that big words ≠ good writing. This paper boggled my mind. Technology, in 1945, was hard enough to grasp. Why write this paper using vocabulary that would only further confuse us? I think that's three strikes. You're out, Vannevar Bush. (Nice name, by the way...) bahaha.

Posted by at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Creating a Web Page with HTML

Chapter 2

It is now safe to assume that I am afraid of HTML. Even though I took a class in high school and did really well, I am shaking in my boots right now... but ya know what? I shook in my boots when we had to write our first agenda item(s). And now I breeze right through them... AND HAVE FUN WITH THEM! :) I have a feeling that it is only a matter of time before I pick up the basics of HTML, and begin to have some real fun with it. I think I just have to get used to the multiple files thing. I forgot all about the Cascading Stylesheet, so it kind of shook me up when I did it again.
I really think that the group site will help me and Mike P. out. Once we are on the right track, I can't wait to express myself through an online document and have people see me. Making a web site is like writing a novel and having it published for the whole world to see. That is where I want to take my life, so this is just the start! (Once I actually understand HTML <.<)

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"Simplicity saves attention"

The book "Hot Text" seems to really care about the audience. Web site creators should have them as their top priority as well. Chapter 3 deals with the words that you should use when creating a web site. The info should be thorough and clear, without making the reader confused - - - "Big Words ≠ Good Writing" - - - The book really emphasizes this in chapter 3.
In chapter 4, the book suggests that you need to realize who the audience is. Listen to what they want, and distribute the information out in a concise way. The audience is the most important part of Internet composition. You could have the best website in the history of ever, but if the audience is turned off by it, no one will ever know that it is the best website in the history of ever. I think that the following quote by John Steinbeck summarizes it all;
"Your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person- a real person you know, or an imagines person- and write to that one." - John Stenbeck

Posted by at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Online Projects: What You Should Know First

"Coding/Designing is not Writing."

It relieves a huge amount of stress knowing this, Dr. Jerz. I am like a deer in headlights when it comes to HTML coding. Writing, well, thats another story. It's what I love to do. Knowing that coding and designing is not the main thing you are looking for makes me feel glorious. I know that I can do well in this course, as long as the writing is what counts. Now, I can focus more on my online composition, rather than coding and designing. I will still try my best to master the art of HTML, but for now I will go run 10 miles because I am overjoyed. :)

Posted by at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Top 5 Web Conventions

"Frames Suck." - Dr. Jerz

These conventions will really come in handy when creating our websites. I feel that I should elaborate a little on the "use graphics sparingly" tip. Graphics, are good. Too much, is bad. The websites where your mouse cursor changes to an image is ridiculous. I am always like "I want my cursor back, dammit!", so I leave the website. Also, not everyone has cable/DSL. This makes it tough to get to the meat of the page (the information) if there is so many things flying around everywhere, using bandwidth. I also hate the huge, unneccessary pictures on a page, that would make a good wallpaper on my computer. These take soooo long to download, and eats up alot of my connection. If I am doing multiple tasks at a time, then this could take up to 2 minutes to display. I don't usually have that time when I'm on the internet. I like to "get in, get out, and get going" *GetGo is a registered trademark of Giant Eagle(r) * I want my information, and I want it now!

Posted by at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Reading on the Web

"Concise text with about half the word count as the control condition"

Web site should be short and concise, with links leading to detail. If I click on a website that I want to navigate, I want the general idea on one page, but I also want the option to click on links, that will lead the general idea into further detail. A good site is RottenTomatoes, which is a movie review website. On the main page, it has the review score that the site has given the movie. But when clicking on the movie, you get a detailed analysis of how it got that score. If I am about to see a movie, I will click on the analysis, but if I am just wondering how good a movie is, I will just scan the score of the film. This makes me realize that internet writing is so different than books or magazines. In a book or magazine, I would probably read the whole review regardless. But, with online writing, there is a choice on *how* much I want to read. It makes it more time-efficient.

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Stupid UseNet newbie.

"I have never posted before, and I hope that I am doing this correctly. This is in response to the questions about the dates of the birth of the historical Jesus of Nazareth."

Yikes Dr. Jerz. You were a n00b. Oh well, you seem to have a grip on things now. And thats the way I approach this class. I hope to use this blog for all the time I am here at Seton Hill, and maybe even past that. I started this class as a noob, but am quickly picking up on things. Reading people's blogs, posting my own, and commenting have really helped me understand a lot of this technical jargon. Thanks Dr. Jerz. I was once like you, but we have both moved on from our noobiness. Three cheers for us! :)

Posted by at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Your thoughts on a permanent public record

"When you're using them, these digital media seem like Post-Its," he observes. "Actually, they're chiseled stone tablets that will never wear away."

Double yoi. This online paranoia is getting to me. I should be careful about what I post in these blogs. Otherwise, I like speaking my opinion. There is nothing on the internet that I am ashamed about. It makes me, me. But with other people, this can't be fair. Any misdemeanor's or blemishes on their record can be seen by anyone. I don't like that. People have a certain amount of privacy, and this is invading it. It seems like anyone who delves deep for this personal info shouldn't be trusted. It is a sneaky way of finding out stuff that some shouldn't know. I want to be able to voice my opinions on the internet, without the fear of a potential employer casting me out because of it. I am Corey Struss. I am entitled to my views, and not be shunned because of it. Thats what being a human is all about: Making an impact on this Earth, and not having to fear the consequences.

Posted by at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Eternal September

"Thus, from the point of view of the pre-1993 Usenet user, the regular "September" newbie influx never ended."

AOL was just a fad. It is over now. They taught non-computer savvy people to use the internet, and did a poor job of it. Better things have come along now. It is just like any other fad. AOL will just slip into the ocean of technology, and get overshadowed by something bigger and better. I have a question though. Why was UseNet so possible in universities and colleges, but it wasn't as likely in homes until the late 90's? Was it because of technology that it moved into households?

Posted by at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently Unearthed E-Mail Reveals What Life Was Like In 1995

"It's safe to assume that 1995 was a terrifying and confusing time, and they must have struggled to make sense of it all." Are you kidding me?

I don't really think life was very different just 11 years ago. I still e-mail people asking them questions if they are going to an event, etc. In my e-mails, I also mention my inexperience with the system, because I am unfamiliar with it. Just because they didn't use smiley's and emoticons, doesn't mean that they are prehistoric. It's kind of like comparing a person in the early 20th century reading a book, to now. Just because they didn't have audio books, doens't mean that they are prehistoric. It's not like the e-mail talked of using manual sewing machines, and cooking over fires. It was only 11 years ago. Life hasn't changed that much since.

Posted by at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Friendster lost steam. Is MySpace just a fad?

"Friendster was a fad; MySpace has become far more than that."

I agree with you, Dr. Jerz. People are getting freaked out about who they can come to know through MySpace. Teens are trying to figure themselves out, and think that these teen years shape what they will be for years to come. They want to meet as many people and have as many connections as possible. They want to be accepted. For our generation, MySpace will be a lifestyle. It won't just be a fad for us. But I think that in years to come and future generations, the youth will look back on MySpace and ponder our interest in it. In my eyes, there is nothing too special about this website. Yet, people are drawn to it like a meth fiend. They want to stay in 'the know'. They want to maintain their youth, and are willing to do almost anything in order to.

Posted by at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Friendster lost steam. Is MySpace just a fad?

"People use the social technologies that all of their friends are using."

Myspace is just a fad in my opinion. You know how technology just blends in with society after awhile? The same happened with cell phones, etc. Myspace will just fall into the plethora of communication websites, and get left behind in a trail of dust. For example, in 1986 or so, my family was the only family in the neighborhood to have a computer. My brother and sister would have friends over all the time, just to play the computer. Nowadays, the computer has blended in with society, and it's not a big deal if you have one or not. Myspace will face the inevitable conclusion that most technology does; it won't matter if you have one or not, because the whole concept of it will be the norm.

Posted by at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The book seems to be logical and easy to use. The vocabulary makes it accessible, and makes me actually want to learn more. I have taken an HTML course in high school, and it was pretty easy. This book should be able to explain exactly what I was doing, because it goes into detail without the technical jargin. I can't wait to see how real professional web sites are created, and how dumbed down this book will make it. It will be interesting to learn all this again, and who knows, maybe I'll learn what the hell I'm actually doing this time around. :)

Posted by at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Why E-Mails are so easily misunderstood

"A misspelling in a black colleague's e-mail may be seen as ignorance, whereas a similar error by a white colleague might be excused as a typo."

Whoa. I didn't know that people were so prejudiced to think this way. This is kind of far from the topic of why e-mail doesn't work well, but here it goes. Like the article said, there is no expression through an e-mail message. How do you see if the person on the other end is making facial expressions, body movement, etc.? How do you know that they are comprehending what you say? What if you say something in the wrong way and they get offended? It isn't a very good way to communicate with others. There is too much in it that could be misinterpreted. E-mail is like a 1000 piece puzzle, that will eventually be figured out, but figuring it out takes time and effort. Communication should not be like that.

Posted by at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Teacher Lashes out on Students in E-mail

Ms. Swissler said her e-mail message was in response not only to students' online comments about her, but to 'abusive e-mails from students' throughout the semester."

The teacher was bullied. If this went all throughout the semester, then she had a right to defend herself. Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the students crossed the line. They infringed upon the teacher's rights. Retaliation isn't good, especially for a professional at a university, but no matter who you are, you can't take that kind of harassment for an extended period of time. The student's needed to be put into her place, and she was the only one who would. What if they would have done that to another teacher, and the other teacher had endure all the punishment? It would be an endless cycle. They needed someone to tell them that they were wrong, and she was the only one that had enough balls to do it.

Posted by at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The 24-Hour Professor

"Just because a students sends a message at 2 a.m. doesn't mean that the professor needs to respond that night. Or does it?"

Online education is at its initial phase, so I'm not really sure. Way back when formal education began, in ancient times, I begin to wonder the average time it took to grade papers. Would a teacher grade them as soon as he collected all of them, and give them back the next day? Or would he wait 2-3 weeks to check them? Because formal education has been around for a while, there is kind of a standard on when to pass back papers. Teachers usually wait about 2-3 days to hand them back, unless they are awesome and hand them back the same day, like Dr. Jerz. :) Online education is only becoming big now, so there is no standard set. If a student sends a message at an inconvenient time, the teacher doesn't have to kill himself just to reply. The same goes with formal education today. If a student hands an assignment in at the wrong time, the teacher doesn't go up and beyond to grade it. The teacher does it when he/she has the time. The same should go with online responses.

Posted by at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Why it's All About Me

"Kathleen E. Jenkins, a sociology professor at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, said she had even received e-mail requests from students who missed class and wanted copies of her teaching notes."

Teachers are not to be used to meet everyone's special accomidations. We should not be allowed to demand them of anything, because we are the student. They have the right to tell us what to do, for the sake of our education. In this case, the student could have rephrased it a little better. Instead of demanding the notes from her, and making her type them all in an email, he/she could have scheduled an appointment to meet with the teacher, and get the notes from there. It seems like it is laziness on the student's part. The teacher should not be willing to email the notes, but should be willing to meet with the student, because of the fact that the student actually WANTS to learn. That is kind of rare, nowadays. Being a teacher not only encompasses teaching kids. It also includes meeting their needs, without bending over backwards for them.

Posted by at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Why Parents Must Mind MySpace

Stafford: "Do parents have any idea what some kids are posting on these sites?"

Aftab: "Parents are clueless. They’re caught like deer in the headlights."

Parents have to be eduacated about this kind of stuff. They need to set aside all their other obligations, and become internet savvy to the point where their kids are safe. I personally don't have a MySpace, and one of the main reasons is because so many random people can see who you are. I don't like that. MySpace is like volunteering for invasion of privacy. Kids tend to ignore the dangers and rules of life. It is the parent's job to let them know what will harm them, and what will not. MySpace is definitley one that will harm them.

Posted by at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Online Danger Zone

"Yes, the Petaluma 18-year-old averages six hours per day playing the intricate online fantasy game World of Warcraft. Yes, for him a social gathering may involve some friends who are fellow gamers hauling their computers to his house for an all-night marathon. Yes, he recently logged 37 consecutive hours of play -- stopping only for bathroom breaks, gulps of a Rockstar energy drink and a quick run to Jack in the Box."

I, too, play World of Warcraft. I also play other games of the like, including Final Fantasy XI, and Everquest. Reading about this really piqued my interest. I usually play for about 5-6 hours a week. I think that is kind of a lot. But 5-6 hours per play session is pretty insane. 37 hours consecutively is absolutely ridiculous. The guy is addicted. These games have the possiblity to suck you in and not let you go. They never end. I guess that's how Everquest has been labeled "EverCrack". They are made to be addictive, because they have an monthly subscription. The developers rake in the money, as the players dish out their valuable time in quantities that blow my mind.

Posted by at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Literacy Limps into the Kill Zone

"It doesn't matter whether you're reading your local rag, surfing the net or trying to make heads or tails of someone's inane blog -- the quality bar is set lower than ever, which is saying a lot considering it was never set very high to begin with."

The world now revolves around the computer and the internet. Face it, dude. Society demands fast action, and quick comprehension of information. Who really cares if grammar is going down the pooper? We are becoming more efficient, and more knowledgeable in other fields. We are learning to produce more than is expected. People are at a point where they need to adapt, in order to succeed. If it takes a little less out of our grammatical rules, then so be it. This is the computer revolution. Expect change.

Posted by at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Passion for Paper

"Some of the features of paper are well known: Reading more than three pages of text on a screen makes your eyes bleed, but I can read paper for hours. You can underline, highlight, and annotate paper in a way that is still impossible with Web pages."

I am a digital text type of guy. Every day for the past 5 years, I have checked my 3 favorite online videogame magazines. I have grown accustomed to reading on the internet. It tend's to convey thoughts better. I have also read online books, and I tend to read them faster. I don't know why, but there is just a good feeling when sitting at a computer, as opposed to somewhere else. There seems to be more possibilities with digital text right now, and I think we are just at the beginning. All things will go online, whether it be books, magazines, articles, etc. It is cost-efficient, and time saving, which are 2 things that are needed in this world today.

Posted by at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ten Tips for Writing Email Effectively.

"In some companies, the e-mail administrator has the ability to read any and all e-mail messages (and may fire you if you write anything inappropriate)."

To me, this is alright. It goes along with the kid who had racial obsceneties on his MySpace. He paid the price for it too, because he got suspended. If someone higher up than you finds that you are doing something inappropriate, then you should be ready to face the consequences. In the work environment, my mindset is "If my manager / boss knew what I was doing right now, would they think it appropriate?" For people sending obscene emails from the workplace, they need to inherit this train of thought.

Posted by at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Freedom of Speech Redefined by Blogs

"[Mike Rubino's] "10 reasons why Seton Hill doesn't need a football team," including a claim that "jocks" would bring more drugs, alcohol and fights to campus, irked arriving players who found his Internet posting months later."

Mike is allowed to say this. I know in my last blog that I said that online networking needs to have rules and regulations, but with this, he didn't point any specific people out. He made an assumption about a group of people. Now, ethically, this is wrong, but it didn't violate free speech. He is entitled to his opinions about people, and if he wants to post them, go for it. There is a fine imaginary line that one has to cross to violate free speech. This does not cross it, in my opinion.

Posted by at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

The Many Faces of Facebook

"And the need for networking-site education is reaching into lower grades. In March, a California middle school student faced expulsion for posting hate crime language about a classmate on MySpace.com. Twenty other students were suspended for viewing the post."

Alright, the situation of a middle school kid using naughty racy language on the internet is acceptable. You should never be able to talk to your peers that way, even when using the internet. The law of free speech says that you can say what you want, as long as it doesn't violate anyone else's freedoms. This did. The kid should be expelled. But, for the 20 students that got suspended for viewing it? Ridiculous. So what? They read it? This isn't the 1800's, where you get in trouble for reading risque material. There should be no penalty for reading what has been published.

Posted by at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Laura K. Krishna is a Plagiarist.

"Whether the check is on its way, nobody knows. But that's ok. I don't want it. I want her to get caught more than anything."

This blog is awesome. This guy is really a genious. As I read, I couldn't help but think that people are lazy. Why couldn't Laura just do the work on her own? Like he said in the blog, she went through enough hassle getting him to do it, as she would have doing it herself. College is a one time shot. Personally, I can't do anything to jeapordize that. I just don't understand why others can't realize that. I can't wait to read the followup. :)

Posted by at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have always loved the computer. I loved it when I played "Super-Munchers" in 1st grade, and won the tournament of McIntyre Elementary. It enriched my vocabulary, and made me a competitive gamer. I loved writing on the old Macintosh computers, and playing "Go to the Head of the Class". I felt like the champion of the world after I was finally at the head of the class after a 3-hour game in 3rd grade. I'll never forget Mrs. Schmidt's silver teeth. They looked more like a Mac-Truck smashed into a toilet. She was the computer teacher at my school. My adoration of computers sprouted from her. Then things got serious in 7th grade when I used the computer for its real purpose, to do work. But nothing was lost from it. I still enjoyed staring at a 13 inch and typing until my phalanges ached. Once I was introduced to PowerPoint, I had a new reason to delve in deeper into the world of computers. In the summer of 9th grade, I became immersed in online role-playing games. This sucked me in further. From then until now, I have used the internet for probably 20-30 hours a week. And here I am now, giving blogging a first attempt, although I have been a computer user since 1996. And reflecting on it all now, it all boils down to "Super-Munchers" and my addiction to it when I was 7. If I hadn't opened up to the new form of technology back then, I wouldn't be in this class right now. THANK YOU MRS. SCHMIDT - VOTED WORST TEETH 1996!

Posted by at 3:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I just read the article called "You your LiveJournal and You" ( a little late, I know) but it has stirred some thoughts in my head. First of all, personally, I am most creative when I have a computer in front of me. But reading about what people do on LiveJournal and the sort, I begin to think that all the users are losing creativity, and conforming to a fad. From people stealing one anothers' icons and quotes, to joining communities for no apparent reason, it just seems that users want to fit into a certain mold. This is one of the reasons I do not have a Myspace / Facebook / LiveJournal. I have been striving all my life to set myself apart from the 'norm'. Whether it be wearing 4 "Shrek" watches, to wearing child-size shirts, I just want to be myself. LiveJournal has become too popular for one to join and not be a part of the fad. And screw MySpace and Facebook while we are on the topic! >:O

Posted by at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Myspace: The Movie was a distorted image of what is going on with the internet today. It only supported my opinion of how gullible and unoriginal people can be, even with a computer at their fingertips. The opening scene supported my idea of how people are willing to conform, and become something they are not, just for attention. They need it like a fiend needs crack. The 'blind date' was all about how people are gullible, and how they trust in things they can only see and not experience first-hand. The 'password' excerpt of the movie made me realize how much of a joke Myspace is. It is only a website. People make it out to be a part of their life, which nothing so irrelevent should be. Finally, the part where Tom was heralded for his creation of a website really got under my skin. The guy has practically done nothing. He has made the internet community move backwards. Why give glory to one who has made the dumbest fad in the history of ever, when there are hard-working, educated men who dedicate their lives to do something productive for the internet society?

Posted by at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)