The speaker of this poem eloquently ties together the themes of life, death, and the beauty of nature all in one piece. I read that it used to be separate pieces of text, pictures, and sound, but it is now integrated into a single Flash loop. If the significant sections of this work were disconnected, I don't believe that it would have the same effect.
The slowly changing pictures in the background give the reader a sense of wonder at the environment all around them. Sound also plays a strong part in transporting the reader to the desired location shown to them in the flowing scenes on the screen. Throughout the poem the sound of a fire crackling reinforces the idea that the reader/viewer is out in the wilderness alone and being told a part of a person's life, the poem's speaker. It is also possible to discern the wind swiftly threading its way between trees or over a field.
Then there are the almost fleeting words of the poem itself. At times the words seem difficult to read, just like the subject that they pertain to. This fact can lead one to infer that the words are coming into the speaker's mind slowly and disappearing almost as soon as they are voiced.
One of the most often seen pictures in the poem's background is of a field in which there is a single tree and a chain link fence running diagonally across the image. There are wild flowers on one side and an open field on the other as two trees tower over the fence. It is difficult to tell on which side the trees are, but if one were to fall it can be sure that there would be no more fence! Perhaps this picture truly emphasizes the quote above; the wild environments shown in the clip are slowly vanishing from the world.
It's also of importance that this work plays in an endless loop. The words are made to seem timeless in this way, along with the images that they accompany. Maybe not everyone can travel to a place like those depicted in the poem, but by reading and studying this poem, they can be anywhere.
I probably would have liked this story if it were written in a linear fashion, or at least on a website that has text easier seen. I think I've got a headache now actually, from trying to read that one through. It's interesting well enough, I'd simply rather not read it. Besides, the characters don't exactly seem like I want to get to know them. I'm mad enough as it is!
My, my, my; Marsha sure seems to have some problems on her hands! This only goes to show that you shouldn't invite powerful entities to play on your website. Nothing like going mad and being shown the way by those that you used to adore.
"Mike & Bits: No! Marsha" - Guess everyone snaps sometime!
This poem struck me through and through, despite the fact that I don't feel as if I completely understand it. I connected to this work through the nature scenes that faded on the screen as the lines appeared as if out of a mist. With the sound of the wind blowing in the pines or over a field and the crackling of the fire, I was hopelessly enthralled.
I actually played this work a few times trying to see how many different ways, points of views, that I could access. Every little twitch of the mouse could produce something new, and you couldn't always get back to whatever you'd just passed over. It truly reflected life in that manner. You can make choices that are essentially carved in stone, making them irreversible.
Note: The responses below are based off of Caroline E. White's "The University of Yellow Wallpaper."
Personal Thoughts:
When I first began reading through this text, I thought to myself that I had quite come across one of those individuals who use even bigger words than myself. And guess what, I was totally and completely right! I actually reveled in the fact that I had to look up a few words in my trusty Mac dictionary widget.
I must write though that the sudden jumping from topic to topic tended to catch me by surprise after I believed myself to already be acclimated to online reading. You learn something new everyday and today was no different than any other. Strange to wonder what one might come across tomorrow!
Close Reading:
White utilizes such graphic words in this passage alone that it enables the reader to perfectly see within the mind the happenings; combined with the long, seemingly unending sentence structure, and you have the memory of a child who didn't want to grow up, but inevitably had to.
White displays in this excerpt the age old dilemma of a child facing the great troubles of adulthood and the adult that still wished the inner child time to play. The continuing sentences, though correct, reflect both the continuity of time as well as the child-like desire to pour something out that either excites or sorrows in one mad long rush.
This blog is is response to Shelley Jackson's "The Body."
Personal Reflection:
As I read through this hyperlink-rich text, I couldn't help but fall in love with the author's frank and fetching tone. It seemed to me as if she were writing to a dear friend. Her comments ranged from funny to thoughtful to philosophical to endearing. Reading this site was truly better spent than most anything else. Jackson is most certainly a person of another kind and I am in awe of such a personality as the one shown within her writing.
Close Reading:
Throughout the text, Jackson uses a plethora of descriptive words that draw the reader into the text in order for the reader to see through Jackson's own eyes. Combined with the tone of her writing and the structure of the text, Jackson conveys to the reader that it's possible to see the world in different ways.
The visionary words that Jackson uses compel the reader to re-evaluate how they see the world themselves. Everyone has the ability to choose for themselves the manner in which they view their surroundings; but not all can define that view without incorporating outside influences. Jackson's text exemplifies her own frank and perhaps curious look of the world while words like those used in the quote above keep the reader engaged in the text.
Even the homepage of the site represents Jackson's particular view in that the eyes look at you frankly as the body reveals itself without pause.
Another recurring theme I found that ties in with thinking/seeing things for yourself is that what is on the outside doesn't matter nearly so much as what lies within, whether you can draw it or not.
Note: This reflection is taken from text located in Crawford Kilian's, Writing for the Web.3.0.
I actually very much enjoyed the revision process needed in Exercise 4. I went over and simplified two of the essays, numbers one and three. The first essay was quite long, 500 words long, and the second was only about 300. I revised them to roughly half their length and in the process, I lowered their reading level.
I liked that these exercises gave us the chance to practice the wisdom gained from reading Kilian as well as the fact that I now have confidence in my ability to edit for the web, if nothing else!
I actually found three random sites to review for Exercise 5. (This is mostly because my Mac had difficulties with the CD.) I reviewed the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Air Force Research Laboratory website, the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District website, in addition to the Reading is Fundamental charity organization.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Air Force Research Laboratory:
The purpose of this site was both informational. Though somewhat busy in its interface, this website achieved these purposes by providing the visitor with numerous links to specialized locations with key information. The audience of this website is most likely someone either already in the military or interested in a specific area of research that this base conducts; these people would be inclined to understand all of the technical terms used on the site.
The text is information-rich, but this fact can overwhelm the visitor. The print is largely small or hard to read on screen as well. The page does load quickly with its strategic use of pictures and graphic sense. Only a marginal amount of scrolling is needed and there are an abundance of links.
Blairsville-Saltsburg School District:
The general purpose of this website was educational with information playing a role as well. This purpose is achieved by several, though not overpowering links to additional websites. The audience of this website is probably geared toward the parents of students or students/families looking to enroll in this school district. However, the site also attempts to integrate teachers and administrators.
I believe this site to be clear, well organized, and easy to look at. The appearance of the site is very visually appealing to me in its clean cut distinctions and bit of moving text. The pictures are also well utilized in the layout of the page. The content of the page is helpful while not bombarding in amount. It could serve to be a little bigger though. The width of the page is uncomfortable for the average user. This could then lead to increased scrolling.
The purpose of this site is to market the charity to potential investors as well as to educate. Simply by looking at the website, its audience seems to be oriented toward women, young parents, those looking to become involved, and perhaps young student educators. For the amount of content present on the site, it’s streamlined and well organized. The content is informative and welcoming. It’s written in short bursts as is preferable.
The appearance of the website is quite cute and amusing. In its bright contrasting yet complementing colors, the visitor is greeted with a happy theme. There is an equal amount of cartoon and real-life pictures that go together and are well placed. The page loads quickly with more than one navigational bar. There are also several links embedded within the short text.
Exercise 5 was easy as pie after the two essays and the website reviews!
Though people use the Web like a billboard, most Web surfers aren’t looking for long print documents and don’t bother to read them. Websites can be made for this, however.
Surfers like to screen text for key words and interesting links. They don’t like to scroll. So a “chunk” of text less than 100 words would be enough to fill a screen.
It’s better to cut long text by 50%. Then you should break it into two or three short paragraphs. A solid mass of text is hard to read and scan on a screen.
Webwriters have three jobs:
- Create easy sites to surf.
- Give information that’s easy to find and understand.
- Allow readers to act on that information. (buy things, subscribe to e-mail, join the club)
If webwriters don’t have these things, surfers will become frustrated, confused, and then go to another site. Simple navigation, useful information, and easy action will make any site worth visiting and revisiting.
P.S. I love making lists!
When I read this, I couldn't help but smile over the fact that someone out there still troubles themselves over ethical dealings in the big, bad world. Then again, just because Kilian and those of like minds spout out facts concerning the ethical pitfalls a writer can fall into, some of those writers might just be digging their own holes from which to toss grenades at their enemy(ies).
Since time immortal people have sought to manipulate others in some form. And guess what? There're several convincing way with which to do it!
- You can be logical (though that doesn't always mean right).
- You can play on emotions using a perfect tone and word choice that fairly hands you your readers gift-wrapped to you.
- You can certainly make yourself seem credible to your readers by publishing or hunting up various articles on the net. Anyone can write anything and immortalize it in online history in today's age.
- You can virtually through tons of information at your reader.
- And last, but by no means least, you can enact all kinds of propaganda to persuade the reader over to your side of the field.
I can only implore you to actually think for yourself at times. One day, that may be the only way to decide things. One never can know. (Or if you can you're certainly not telling!)
If you've ever happened upon one of my blogs, then you most likely already know that I love to type as if I were a bonefied country bumpkin from the backwoods. Maybe I've adopted the airs of an English lady within my mind as I type or a southern accent that drawls everythin' out slow. Take into account the fact that if I wrote as I sometimes speak in real life, and you would hardly have any "g's" on the end of "ing" words. Sad but true I'm afraid.
However, I'd like to think that these simple changes in dialogue makes my blogs a little different, maybe a bit more homey or friendly in their tones. Or at least a semi-sarcastic friend!
The blogs we write for this class probably fall somewhere within each of the five categories:
- The Personal Blog
- Job Blogs
- Specialist Blogs
- News Blogs
- Advocacy Blogs
Everyone writes differently because everyone has a divergent take on things. It's more than likely one of our defining human traits! Where do I fall? Well, I much prefer to be a bit of everything.
I can only write that I love this insightful quote to no end! When I first read it, I thought of a little kid who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and he's trying to squirm his way out of his mother scolding him. He's going to tell the story one way, the kid's little sister is going to tell it another way, and Rufus, the dog, is going to be barking about how he didn't get a piece of the cookie!
So ya see, everyone has their own twist on a story and that is exemplified in The Heist. Sorrells enables the reader to get the main story in installments of sorts; but the reader can also click on hyperlinks that take them to webpages that further explain the characters. I have to say that this was quite ingenius of him.
However, I must write that though I like the story itself pretty well, I didn't like the fact that it was linked to so many pages. I like to know the characters of a story as best as I possibly can so, having to flip-flop between pages like that just drives me up the wall. Perhaps I simply have a sentimental attachment to books. What can I say?
Unfortunately, all good tales (and bad ones, thank goodness!) must come to an end. But the best thing about them is that they continue on your mind. All you need is a little spark for your imagination to start a wildfire. And if you've ever wondered where wildfires spring and thrive, just check out Fanfiction.net. You're guaranteed to have a toasty good time.
"If you are writing for a corporate website, private or public, you may need to be a very good politician and a patient advocate." ~ Writing for the Web, Kilian (120)
A little bit of advice can go a long way, just like the quote above. Exercising patience and doing your absolute best to be a diplomat at all times is a great way (if sometimes frustrating) to study people and how they work. There will come a time when you have to step on someone else's toes, but if you do it in the right way (if there is a right way) its possible that everyone will come to a common understanding and a peaceful resolution.
Kilian also made the point that when a significant number of people write specific sections of a website, things become distorted or incongruent. If you have departments writing only for their section of the website, then people simply searching through the site might not have the general knowledge as those writing the information and go off with a huff. It can be difficult telling someone that you appreciate their help, but that you need to change something they wrote or that you would be better off without their help.
However, that's where politics come in! And we all love and cherish those practices, now don't we. They may be a pain, but we're probably better off trying that road first instead of simply running rough-shod over our fellow man.
I found it quite interesting that Kilian chose to use male and female pronouns when describing a person's inner writer and editor. I couldn't help but think of a few gender stereotypes:
- Men sometimes get a project stuck in their heads (or someone has hammered it into their heads) and they get so into said project that they fail to listen to any further advice. Think of the character Tim Taylor from Home Improvement.
- Without a woman's guidance, men can be lost and generally fail to complete all aspects of their assigned tasks.
Keep in mind that these are simply stereotypes and I know perfectly well that they often fail to hold water...with the possible exception of my family. My own father would be a prime example of how someone can be quite intelligent and creative in their own way, while my mother really holds the common sense of the family.
In the end, I was greatly amused by the mental pictures supplied by this section and came away with the strong message that I need to strike a balance between my inner editor and writer. Let the battle begin!
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