Professional Writing

CH 11 COMMENTS

2006-07-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

I once again enjoyed the structured outline the author always use, it is especially handy when doing presentations. I thought the different moves, starting on page 303, is an excellent way to approach your presentation. I also liked the stress put on researching the topic. I think we have all been to presentations where the presenter had no clue what he or she were talking about. The case study, page 327, was also good to read, it is very common to run into that situation in the engineering field. I guess the main thing to take away is to be prepared and anticipate all questions, never be or look surprised by a question.

Instructions Review

2006-07-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

You did a great job developing instructions criteria!!!

I took the instruction criteria that each group developed and created a master Criteria for Evaluating a Set of Instructions for you to use to review your drafts.

Thanks for your work on this assignment!

Ch. 19 - Instructions - Comments

2006-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that the chapter on instructions was useful in that it gave a fairly simple formula for generating easy-to-read procedures. The author listed several elements that make up a good set of instructions, including a clear purpose statement and introductory material to put the instructions in context. I don't often read the instructions when I put things together, but when I need them I always like to have some idea of what situations they apply to.

I'm also glad the book covered the use of command voice in instructions as well as talking about style. I am often unsure about how to address readers in technical documents and this chapter gave some good fundamentals. The section on the levels of safety information was totally new to me. I had always thought writers just used whatever they liked, I didn't realize that danger was graded by category.

On the Right

2006-07-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

See the new schedule and assignment posted on the right. Also on the right is the assignment for the portfolio. Read them now and I'll take questions on Monday. Thanks!

Design Review

2006-07-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Below is the list of items we came up with in class to use when we review our documents for design.

Alignment
Headlines align with paragraphs
Paragraphs have 2 space indents except for first (if you indent)
subheads aligned
image left aligned or aligned with paragraphs
tops of columns are aligned
horrizontal rules should be aligned with edge
author's name, title should be aligned
sub-title should be aligned
if you're going to break the alignment, don't be a wimp

Contrast
Headlines
be dymanic with lots of contrast

Page
use entire page
use contrast
design dynamic

Paragraphs
first paragraph not indented

Fonts
appropriate use of fonts (i.e. headers- use sans serif and for body copy use serif font)

Repetition
headings and subheads in same font
alignment - with a strong edge
horizontal rules w/lines with pictures
extra symbols

CH 17 Question.

2006-07-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

I understand the three definition types that is discussed in the text. I just wanted to clarify,before getting too deep into my logical map, what the assignment is. Are we giving an extended definition on any term we choose? If anyone knows please just send me a quick note. hasdnf at mizzou dot edu

Thanks.

Our text info

2006-07-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to our textbook, Technical Communication Today
and the companion website
and contact info for Richard Johnson-Sheehan

A little helpful

2006-07-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

Personally, until recently I have had no clue on how to create a website on my own. Some of the technical terms were helpful in understanding the structure of creating a website, but overall I think this chapter definitely was a little elementary considering we all look at websites everyday!

Chapter 14. Webpage basics

2006-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

While I'm sure the author felt the need to include a basic discussion of webpages in his book on technical writing, I think he would have been much better off covering good website design in more detail rather than simply restating the guidelines he put forth for other types of writing. It seemed to me that he just reiterated earlier chapters of the book while offering only a cursory examination of what sets web pages apart from text documents. I would have liked to see several sites compared and contrasted to illustrate the factors which set apart the great from the mediocre.

Resources for you

2006-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Portfolio examples mentioned yesterday in class
Group 391c
Caitlin Kelly

2nd mention of Photoshop resources
website design
blog design tutorial (can also apply to web portfolio)

Interviewing Strategies

2006-06-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ithought the section on interviewing was very informative and really nails everything that is involved with an interview. For example, all the questions they asked are exactly what I have seen in interviews, almost in that exact order also. I also think that researching a company is a very good idea, and it will facts about the company and might give you some ideas of what you are interested in or what you want to find out about a company. Some ideas they gave for questions that you should ask was heplful also, this is one that i need to work on when interviewing, is showing more interest and asking questions.

Ch. 15 - Resume Refresher

2006-06-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I thought Chapter 15 was very practical in its approach to the subject, providing a good overview of the job search process. It had several good tips for starting a job search which is traditionally the hardest part, and I liked the in-depth descriptions of both the resume and cover letter. I have not had much exposure to cover letters in this capacity and I didn't even realize that most people would use them in the application process.

Also, it was useful for me to read an explanation of the different types of resume. I had not previously seen an example of a functional resume. The list of action verbs seems like it will come in handy as well.

Resumes

2006-06-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I found this chapter very helpful, especially the section on creating a resume. The College of Business MU always talks about resumes and what to put on it, etc. Frankly, it scares me because every time a professor or classmate brings it up I can't picture in my mind what mine would look like or even where to start! The outline of what to put on one's resume along with the examples and explanations definitely made me less nervous about this upcoming process of creating a resume of my own.

Ch. 15- Interviews

2006-06-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Interviews give the employer the best indication of you as a person. Applying for any medical school/ law school requires going through this process as well. I liked what the author has to say abt preparing for an interview. I really think that the outcome of the interview is all about your confidence level. Eye contact is probably the most important. Most of the points mentioned in the text might be common knowledge but the last point about asking questions was interesting. I think that this is something most people fail to do. When I was looking for a research lab to work in, as a freshman, I did not ask too many questions. I basically had some idea about what sort of research went on in a lab before going in to meet the respective mentor. However, I let the professor question me and tell me about their lab instead of asking him questions. Had I done that, it might have helped me find a lab (not that I'm complaining about this one!) better suited for me, as an individual.

FInding a Job

2006-06-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

I thought that the most pertinent methods the author chose to find a job did not hightlight going personally to a place of business and inquiring if there were any positions available. I think that in many situations this initial form of interaction could be a huge benefit to finding a job, especially at companies or with employers who are not necissarily technically savy.

Parts of the chpter were redundant, especially the comments about letter writing. I thought that the goal setting for yourself was interesting because it emphasizes, if only a bit, that it is important to find a job that fits your needs instead of simply a position in which you please your employer. I think that this is one of my weaknesses, you are so focused on being hired that you might miss something about the position that you really man not like. At the same time I think that there are definately saccrifices you must make at any job.

One more thing the author mentioned that I thought was very important is the whole idea of selling yourself over any other candidate for the position.

Designing the resume

2006-06-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

On page 421 the author states that the design of the resume should reflect your personality and industry you intend to work in. He then stumbles into saying that an engineering resume, for example, should be plain and straightforward. Am I to assume that reflects my personality? Hmm, I hope I am not too plain and fall under the "exceptions" category.

Researching Company

2006-06-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

I think that one of the most important aspects one should take into consideration when preparing for an interview is that of researching the companys' background. In most every interview, the interviewer will ask what do you know about us, or do you have any questions. The answers to these questions will be an opporotunity for the interviewee to stand out and show their knowledge as well as genuine interest in what the company offers. It can also start a real dialouge between the interviewer and interviewee. Instead of the interview simply consisting of question and answer, you can develop a conversation, which will show that you have communication skills, which are extremely important in every position.

Bureaucratic and Nonbureaucratic phrasing

2006-06-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

I think it was interesting how he found the difference between these two types of styles of correspondance. He claims that bureaucratic phrasing makes it more difficult to understand for the reader and depersonalizes the letter or memo. It is difficult to know when it would be appropriate to use or not use this type of language when the majority of your letter writing, especially in the work place, is very formal. And if it is not formal, I am sure the majority of correspondance would be through email. So that aspect of the chapter was somewhat confusing.

Working together in teams

2006-06-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

I think that in a college environment we do not get enough opportunities to work in groups. The majority of our work is done individually, due to similar disadvantages of team work as stated in the book. Most importantly is probably disproportionate workloads. I have been in several groups where I ended up doing a large portion of the work, because the rest of the group did not care as much about their grade as I did. But group work should be an integral part of a college education because it is what most graduates will encounter when entering the workforce. Most projects are taken up by teams, or you work as part of a team that is dedicated to a particular sect of a company. So professors should look for more ways to include group projects, or even merely group discussions in the cirriculum.

Letters & Formatting

2006-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Chapter 16 was very helpful from a business perspective in learning the correct techniques on how to write a professionally tuned letter or memo. I found it very interesting in the detail they went into and examples of all the different types of letters/memos. But more importantly, I thought the section about designing and formatting the actual letter or memo very helpful. Before reading this chapter, I was never really sure the correct format for a professional memo, or letter for that matter. The specific features they described, like letterhead, then address, then greeting, then message, and always closing with a signature were very useful. It was also interesting to see how the header in a memo is different than that of a letter. Overall, I thought the chapter was very informative.

Chapter 12: E-Mail

2006-06-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, probably like most of you I found this chapter to be rather unneeded. Pretty much everyone who has been in college for a couple years is familiar with writing formal and informal e-mails and also instant messaging. Even though I don't really use instant messaging myself, I still know how to use it. I thought that a couple tips were helpful, such as understanding that e-mails sent while you are at work are properties of your job. I didn't know that the Microsoft antitrust case was built around Bill Gates e-mails. Another thing that I don't do that I probably should is to organize my e-mails into folders, however I think that if I do this I will never look in the folders. At least the author of this book shows a little humor with Guideline 12 on page 344.

Photoshop Tutorials and Blog Design Tips

2006-06-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to photoshop tutorials that you can use:

Webmonkey
I recommend their Photoshop Crash Course for beginners.

Jennifer Apple's Photoshop tutorials
Blog Tutorial
Web Template and Web Design

Photoshopsupport.com
This site has lots of different tutorials.

Also, here are some design links from Blogger.com
How do I change the colors or fonts of my template?
More graphics for the scribe template

Or, you might try the Blogger Template Overhaul (read through it first to get an idea of what you might do. Note: I haven't pre-tested this one for you.)

Let me know if you have any questions!

Ch. 10 - Comments

2006-06-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I realize that the author of this book had a huge amount of data to put in and the document he created is much larger than most of the ones he is discussing, but it is still funny when he fails to use symmetrical terms in his own chapter on revising and editing. On page 266 he uses the term "Substantive Editing" for Level 2, while on page 267 the grapic uses the phrase "Substantial editing". This may well have been intentional, but I still thought it was amusing. Besides that, I liked having a refresher in editing rules and marks, it has been a long time since I had a review which covered that subject. I also was glad to see the list of commonly misused words. I know that I am often guilty of using some of those incorrectly.

Proofreading

2006-06-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

I thought the first part of this chapter was very useful. The biggest problem I have when I am drafting a paper, is taking the time out after I have written it to read over it and edit all my mistakes, whether it being grammer or punctuation or structure. It is really a bad habit and is a waste of useful points that could improve my grade. The main problem is that I am the biggest procrastinator and once I am done, I am really done. There is no reading over it or revising at all. This chapter showed me some easy steps to revising and showed me that it is important to take the time to actually proofread the paper for mistakes.

EDITING!

2006-06-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

I found chapter ten to have some very useful advice. I thought that it was nice to have the various steps and types of editing written sequentially. The tip about being cautious when relying on computers to do all of your spell checking and grammatical checks was helpful, and I also liked the listing of all of the various tests one can do to make sure a piece of technical writing is appropriate for the audience and user friendly.

Ch. 10- Document Cycling

2006-06-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I think that 'Document Cycling' is one of the most important techniques used in editing. It is a good idea to have someone else in your workplace look through your document and have them comment on how it could be improved. The quality is increased as you have another person's input. The more readers you have, the better your end product will turn out to be. Of course, its not like you have to listen to what everyone has to say. Being the main author, you can choose to accept or ignore their comments.
Document Cycling can also be applied to the college/ school scenario. Peer review is a form of document cycling. I find it very useful whenever we have peer reviews in my classes. Peer reviews usually contain constructive comments (not just criticism!) and this basically gives you a good idea on exactly what needs to be changed in your paper.

Ford trucks ethics

2006-06-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

I think it was really pretty interesting to see the part in the chapter that talked about ethics in graphs. What it reminded me of was an article in Newsweek many years back that talked about the ethics of a recent Ford truck ad that ran describing its fuel economy in comparison to other trucks on the market. Ford had put a graph on screen that showed them basically at the top of the graph, and every competitor way down on the graph. Newsweek pointed out that the top the graph was only 1 mpg different from the bottom of the graph, and while Ford was better, it was still misleading. This importance of ethics in graphs is more then just having a good conscious, it also demonstrates how having bad business ethics can lead to mistrust in the brand as the Ford scandal did for me. Beyond this, I also found it interesting that the book pointed out how a graph should be there to reinforce the text in the document, not replace it. I found this to be rather insightful as well.

2006-06-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

We just got done learning how to use Gantt Charts in my Operations Management class. Another important uses for the Gantt Charts that the book did not really touch on is to see how much "slack time" each activity has. This becomes prevalent when you can't start some activities until others are completed, which is why in the Gantt chart the different activities start at different times. It is important to know your slack time because time is money. You may be able to spend less money than you have to on specific activities with extra time to complete them. Just thought I would throw this in!

Ethical and Unethical Graphics

2006-06-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

I thought that this chapter was helpful when it came to explaining exactly what a graphic should do and where it is appropriate to place the graphic on the document. What was most interesting is the idea that a graphic should be ethical. It was nice that the book pointed out when a chart was unethical, when it caused the reader to think that the sales of a particular market were going up quickly and significantly even though the altered scale offers only a facade of the previously mentioned. I also think that that is a good and well thought out business tactic, it is not as if the information was misrepresented, it was only put in the best light possible. It is up to the individual viewing chart to be intelligent enough to disect it and see what it it really stands for and the information it is portraying.

Chapter 9 - Basic Overview

2006-06-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

I think it was a good idea to include information on effective visuals and their proper use, but I would imagine that in only a few more years most of the information would be redundant for students who grew up using computers to put together their presentations and reports. By the time most people reach college they would probably have a pretty thorough understanding of at least basic graphical use, though the sections on creating charts was handy since spreadsheet programs are notoriously diffucult to use.

Having an overview of the information and seeing the guidelines laid out so plainly was definitely a plus. I like to have information readily available, it makes it much easier to refer back to when you need to find it again.

Graphic Guidelines

2006-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

First of all, I thought chapter 9 was very informative, however I pretty much new all the different charts and graphs and their purposes. The section that I took out of this chapter was the one dealing with the four general guidelines. I thought these guidelines were perfect and that it would improve your visuals or graphics by keeping them in mind. I think the second guideline was in particular very important. The one thing that I sometimes do is just let it replace the text, but they made it very clear that it should always reinforce the written text, and if you cannot explain it with words then it would be just as hard to understand it in a graphic.

Using Visuals

2006-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I found the chapter to be basically informative. There were some helpful suggestions about the use of visuals, one thing I never really realized is how much visuals help the interest of a textbook or other technical document. I have always turned to visuals in a text when I find it hard to understand the point the author is trying to make. Therefore, unless there is a completely foreign object being photographed, or a very complicated maneuver etc. I think that photos in technical documents only add to the general esthetic. I thought it was funny that the text talked about how to photograph a person- that the photographs should be realistic and that you should add powder to someone's face if they let you. I think this is kind of irrelevant information when it comes to using the photo in a technical document. One other small thing I noticed in the text was that I found the graph on p. 241 misleading because it uses a percentage scale but then only goes to 50%. I think that since a scale of that nature can only go up to 100%, showing the data any other way is misleading and would fall under their title of unethical labeling.

Grouping

2006-06-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

I think the five principles of design is a good basic structure that would help your design. Personnaly, the one that was the most helpful to me was the grouping principle. This is what I have the most trouble in when drafting a document, grouping related words all together. I usually find myself splitting all the related ideas up and not keeping them consistent all at once in a structured paragraph or series of paragraphs and correlating pictures with it. I found this section of the chapter very helpful and very informational on how to help grouping with headings, rules, and borders.

Ch. 8 - Design Elements

2006-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I found the guidelines for design very helpful as I have developed websites in the past with very little formal structure to go by. Seeing the discussion of the uses of columns and grids presented me with new ideas to work with and some solid fundamentals of the process. I also thought the descriptions of varying 'weights' among visual elements was useful. I had picked up on this in a general way, but had never seen it described in detail.

Of the specific principles discussed I found Alignment and Grouping to be about the most practical. They actually seemed very handy when trying to give your audience useful hierarchies of information. Overall, I would say that by adhering to these principles my web and print document design skills will improve quite a bit.

Persuasive style

2006-06-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

I found this chapter to be very informative, because the trouble I have when drafting a paper is the balance between plain and persuasive style. I usually use to much of the persuasive style and slow the reader down, instead of of balancing both styles out. I found the detail that the author described very helpful in deciding when to use plain versus persuasive and how to actually structure the paper and the paragraphs. The one area that was unfamiliar was the given/new method. I mean I probably have used this method before just not thinking about it, but I had never heard of this method. So it was very interesting to read about this and to learn how to use it affectively.

Chapter 7

2006-06-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

I thought it was interesting that this chapter brought up grand style, which I have never heard of. Despite this being the first time this style was brought to my attention, I tend to write in this style, especially when it comes to subjects dealing with morality and humanity. I understand why the book does not go into detail about this style, because it would not be appropriate for most professional and technical documents.

Chapter 7

2006-06-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

I found Chapter 7 very helpful. As a business major, writing is definitely not my forte. My entire elementary and highschool education I've been hounded by English teachers for my tendency to write using the passive voice and to write too long of sentences. This chapter brought back memories, as well as helped to remind me of my weaknesses in writing, and how to improve on them.
I'm really glad the chapter focused on the differences in writing persuasively and plainly, because I tend to write only in the persuasive style. It's easy to make a document confusing and unclear by combining the two, badly!!

Chapter 7: Plain or Persuasive?

2006-06-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Chapter 7 has brought a lot of my clumsy writing habits to attention. Typically, I always believed that it was best to write in a persuasive, or fanciful, style. I am now privy to the fact that certain documents written in the plain style are more effective and understandable. Subconsciously, I was aware that you can change a sentences structure without changing the meaning. I did not completely realize that it is best to restructure sentences this way in order to empasize different points. I think the 8 guidelines for plain sentences are all somewhat basic ideas. I am glad that the book goes over them since it has been a long time since my last English class.

I have never really thought about guideline 8 too much. The fact that sentences should be "breathing length" is interesting to me since I usually do not think of writing corresponding directly with speaking. (Hopefully that last sentence was the correct breathing length, but I doubt it.) Of course I was aware of run-on sentences and such, however the idea of a sentence being "breathing length" makes a lot of sense to me now. I also like the given/new method, where you state something that the reader takes as a given and then give them something new to digest.

Moving on the persuasive style. The technique of mind mapping was used to establish a "tone or inner voice" that the reader has in their head. The book shows how you can take one word and use mind mapping to connect it to similar words that can be used throughout your paper. The paragraphs on similes, analogies, metaphors, and pace were also welcomed techniques that I was close to forgetting.

Chapter 6

2006-06-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

I thought that the information in chapter 6 was helpful. Out of the six steps for an introduction that were stated in the book, relaying the importance of your subject to the reader seems the most helpful. Because if you show how the topic is important specifically to the reader, they will be more inclined to continue reading effectively and keeping an open mind to really receive your message. The only thing I wondered about was that out of the six steps for the introduction, they never included anything that would be say an "attention grabber" for your reader. I think that such things are a necessity because if you can't draw your reader into your essay, why would they even continue on or pay that much attention throughout the rest of your document?

Chapter 6

2006-06-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

I think that chapter 6 was very helpful as an overview on how to draft a paper. I think they broke down the steps in a very heplful manner and they described the process for drafting a introduction, body, and conclusion in detail. I think we all basically follow this pattern anyways, but it gave some good examples and some good ideas that might help in drafting a paper.

Ethics in business

2006-06-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article about ethics in business when it comes to female employees being unfairly biased against when male employees take prospective clients and current clients to gentlemens clubs. These women say that they are being targeted, and losing out on landing major clients and deals because they are not comfortable with handling business at such venues.

I believe that these women have a right to complain and have their opinions heard. The have this right especially when not obtaining these clients, due to the fact that they are not participating in those activities, is directly effecting their status at work and their place in the promotion pool. But, as we all know, many businessess are cut throat. And you have to place yourself in the best position you can and take all avenues to reach your goal and profitability for your company. Just because a woman does not feel comfortable going to a strip club, cannot bar the next individual who is comfortable, from doing what it takes to attain that prospective client or maintain their current ones. One is always entitled to refuse to take part in things they are morally against, but you cannot tailor every aspect of business, especially when it comes to the recruitment of clients.

Chapter 6 - Organizational Pattern

2006-06-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

I was reading the part of the chapter where the author talks about 'Using Genres to Organize Information'. I feel that the sections differ for the different types of reports/ papers you write. For example, I work in a radiology lab and there after we do the experiments, we are required to write a report or basially an informal scientific paper. We have to include the following sub-headings: an abstract, an introduction (which is mainly about the significance of the project), methods and materials, data (or results) and discussion, and of course, the conclusion. Most times, we have modify the language so that it is has a professional look to it, and it is meant for a scientific audience. At the same time, when we make posters to present in the university or other conferences, there is much less science. They still include the same sections but since the audience primarily consists of students, we focus more on the results and discussion angle. In the research front, I'm presenting information that I've been working on. When writing a research paper for a class, the sub-headings are different as I may have a different purpose statement. So, I agree with the author when he claims that each genre requires a unique "organizational pattern".

Chapter 6 comments

2006-06-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

I thought chapter six was very helpful because I think that for most of us we follow some of these basic methods of writing that have been drilled into us since grade school. I think that we all generally introduce our subject matter, even if it is informal. The chapter was a very formal presentation of what I feel are in many ways intuitive methods of presenting ideas. I really liked how the author gave name and purpose to the various parts of an introduction and conclusion and then there were lots of examples about how they work in different kings of documents, he showed that even though the elements are pretty exact, their order is not and there are many ways to succinctly state an idea using his formula. Overall, the chapter gave me some new ideas about how to structure an entire body of work as well as specific paragraphs (which is essential when working on a computer because it is so easy to just type ideas without ever forming an organized document), I also found that I was able to recognize all the named aspects of organization in my work and in the work of the class.

Chapter 6 --Subtitles

2006-06-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

I noticed that in all the examples of chapter 6 no subtitles were used in any of the examples. The chapter does a good job on emphasizing the three parts, introduction, body and conclusion, of a report.
After constructing an executive summary I have been informed by engineering professors that they prefer organization of information by subtitles. An example of a simple project can be found in a report titled "Engineering Casualties".Can anyone provide me with some pros or cons on using this method of writing and also what your thoughts are on organizing a report.

Stress test

2006-06-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

This article about dual core stress test and comparing AMDs to Intels was very interesting. The main areas that this article focused on was overall performance, stability, power consumption and price. These are probably the four main topics to investigate when comparing AMDs to Intels, with the best machine for the money being the deciding factor. This test found that AMD was better in almost all of these categories. As far as stability is concerned, the AMD was all stability with no signs of error, whereas the Intel had a few crashes and some things burn out. The Intel does have a higher power consumption, but not too noticely different, exspecially for the money. You save close to 55 dollars with the AMD, which does not seem like a lot, but if you are a small business and purchase over 100 machines at once then it can add up. Now if you look at performance per watt, AMD is certainly better then Intel. The AMD uses on average 30 percent less energy then that of Intel.
Another thing to consider when comparing these systems is whether or not you need to run multiple applications at once or if you mainly are using one application at a time. The Intel system is better for running multiple applications at one time, on the other hand, AMD is far superior when only using one application. So as of right now, when comparing the two high-end processors for AMD and Intel, AMD was found to be a little more reliable and also cheaper.

Ch. 5 Triangulation

2006-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I liked the discussion of triangulation in research on page 106. I've done projects in the past that were based entirely on print sources or electronic sources and I agree that having multiple types of media helps to insure that the information is reliable and consistent. It was also useful to have several examples of the types of sources we could use, such as the electronic journals and government publications.

Chapter 5 -- Logical Mapping

2006-06-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

I think this chapter was beneficial in that it clearly laid out what is expected in a logical map. On page 101 it was interesting to see that LANL researchers use logical mapping to tackle extensive projects. I have also found that in many of our engineering projects the professors insist on having a logical map in hand prior to allowing us to continue with a project. Logical mapping is an essential tool to communicate one's ideas. In transportation engineering, for example, logical mapping is used everyday to communicate street improvements and city projects to the general public. It is beneficial because the public is generally very critical of any engineering project and they come to the meetings in an offensive mood, so the engineer better have his ideas in logical order and be able to present them in a simple and clear matter.

Good chapter.

Chapter 5- Plagiarism

2006-06-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

Plagiarism is one of the most important topics discussed in this chapter. It refers to "the use of words, images, or ideas of others" without their permission or approval. Most people have this tendency to cut and paste material from the internet. It is important to realize that plagiarism involves images as well. Usually, it is associated with just text but you are held responsible for copying images or pictures from websites for personal use. I feel that there is a very thin line between what is called plagiarized versus what is not. Nowadays it seems like rules are changing every minute and often times it is difficult to keep track of them. It is easy to download graphics from the internet without realizing the effects of such actions. It is hard to keep up with the rules and as a result, it is possible to not realize and overlook what counts as plagiarism. This is when citing the sources becomes an important ordeal. Avoiding plagiarism can be difficult but the text says that the best way to approach the problem is to refrain from it in the first place.

A discussion of gays in the military

2006-06-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

In this article, which is actually a revised introduction of a more lengthy piece by S.E. Bromberg, the issue of the military’s perspective of active and open homosexuals is debated. Overall, the author does equally represent the concerns of both sides but maintains that despite the rights of gay members of society, the military is a complicated body and its stability must be maintained. The author does not believe this is possible with open sexual feelings especially those of the homosexual lifestyle among the ranks. I think that the article is well written and thoughtful because even though the conclusion is more or less a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, he does take into consideration that gay rights may one day be accepted much as women’s rights or civil rights are adopted today.

Ethics in Sports

2006-06-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

I loved this article entitled: "Baseball Justice" from the July 15, 2005 issue of the Sporting News and vaguely remembered reading it in last year in the magazine. You can read it here.

It details the messy business behind ethics in baseball; most notably how to handle oneself on the field to avoid receiving a fastball on the chin the next time up to the plate. I realize its probably not the most serious article in the world, but that's how I tend to like my writing, and for some reason find an article on behavior in sports more interesting than any sort of real social problems out there.

It first gets into the complicated business of bean-balls and retaliation for hitting another team's batters. However surprisingly (or maybe not so much), the article claims many players are not in favor of getting rid of this type of action. The article quotes Cincinnati Reds 1B/OF as:

"(Brawls have) been around since baseball's been around," says Reds slugger Adam Dunn. "Baseball's always policed itself. For them to take that out would not be right."

Continuing on, it details reasons one MIGHT be thrown at, other than simple retaliation for your team hitting the other team's best player, including reasons like stealing signs from the catcher, gaudy home-run trots, pre-game or post-game comments, etc.

It also deals with ethics as far dealing with baseball's more "unwritten rules," specifically when certain actions are deemed not appropriate (stealing second with a 10-4 lead in the seventh inning) or considered appropriate (stealing second base with a 10-4 lead in the seventh inning in the hitter's haven known as Coors Field).

In the end, the article summarizes, baseball ethics just come down to a simple game of respect. As the article states:

"As showboating has increased as homers have risen--it's difficult to imagine Henry Aaron blowing kisses to the camera-so, too, have other forms of recognizing a job well done. Even grizzled old-timers get a kick out of those 25-man mob jobs that have become popular after walk-off homers, but they're likely left scratching their heads other times. Why, for example, does a guy who moves over a runner with his team down five in the fourth inning receive a hero's welcome back in the dugout?

Well, if unselfish plays are recognized in less significant situations, guys are more likely to attempt them when a game is on the line. And in an era when individual numbers mean millions of dollars, perhaps unselfish play deserves a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t whenever it occurs."

Ethics and law

2006-06-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

In the article I read at legalethics.com it talked about the use of the internet associated with law firms and lawyers. Obviously in this era, it is not suprising that almost all lawyers and law firms alike use the internet and e-mail as a way of communication.
The part that seemed the most interesting to me out of this article was whether or not use of email by lawyers and law firms questioned the responsibility of protecting confidentiality of client information. With the security of the internet today, it seems like a very good argument. Iowa and South Carolina have actually made it a requirement that either encryption or the explicit consent of the client to protect lawyers from ethics liability. On the hand, the Illinois bar has no such requirements because of the fact that it is against federal law to intercept emails. I think that both ways seem logical to me, but even though it is against federal law I think there should be some regulations on it.

What sort of ethics shold there be in journalism?

2006-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

In a post from the "Eclipse Ramblings" blog entitled Journalistic Ethics, "Mark in the morning", the author, shares a quote from a journalist named Joe Lauria comparing his own job in journalsim to "Snorting cocaine" because he says that he lies, cheats, and steels. Joe's response to the other journalists who whine about ethics, "That's a load of crap!"

Can a journalist be fully ethical in obtaining information for news stories? Does ethics have a different definition within the context of journalsim? What do you Mizzou journalism majors think? I believe that the job of a journalist is to find truth. Joe's comparison might be a little over-the-top but maybe his opinion holds some truth...? Maybe the Journalists who are brave enough to "think outside the box" and take some risks to uncover the truth are the noble ones, the heroes. . ? One may have to lie, but if it uncovers some valuable information such as a president's involvement in illegal activities, is the way that the journalist obtained the information irrelevant or unimportant as long as the journalist did not commit any felonies? What if the lies and deceit are used merely to uncover imformation about a president's affair with an assistant? Are the journalistic lies worth something now? I guess it could depend on the scenario. What do you think?

xenotransplants...

2006-06-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Xenotransplant is a fancy word for using animal organs in humans. It is very possible in the next seven years that xenotransplants will be an option. While there are positives to this option, such as convenience, there are some risks that we wouldn't be able to find out after putting this idea into practice. While primates are our closest genetic match, many people don't feel comfortable killing them simply for their organs. Pigs, on the other hand, are very close to humans physiologically and can be genetically altered to have organs that wouldn't be destroyed by the human body. Pigs are also already bred for our consumption so instead of killing monkeys and feeling bad about it we can basically use what we've already got. The risk of using pig organs is that pigs tend to carry a disease called PERV, a retrovirus of which we do not know its possible effects on humans. So, while this idea could save millions of lives with its ease and convenience in comparison to waiting for a viable human organ, it could also kill millions if we take the chance of seeing what this virus may do.
I think this is a really interesting scientific development, but I don't really know how comfortable it makes me feel ethically. I know that many people have pieces of cow hearts for a faulty valve or something in their heart, but thinking of having an entire pig liver or kidney is kind of a disturbing thought. The possibility of this development killing us all in a pandemic of this virus seems a little bit ironic, like we messed with nature, and now we're gonna get it.
Here is where I found the article

Euthanasia- A case of medical ethics

2006-06-19T09:51:00.002-07:00

I found an artcile on BBC about how an expert in the field of medical ethics wants to legalise euthanasia. Professor Doyal claims that doctors today should have the right to withdraw treatment to a terminally ill patient or a patient who is undegoing pain and suffering. In the end, the patient is dead not because of the treatment withdrawal but because of the disease. The article mentions a bill known as the Joffe bill which gives doctors the right to prescribe drugs to basically alleviate the pain and this drug would eventually take the life of the patient. This is known as assisted dying and it may be considered voluntary euthanasia but Doyal claims that both voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia are both euthanasia at the end of the day and as a result should be made legal. Annetts, the chief executive of Dignity in Dying, claims that the patient should have the right to chose when he wants to end his life through the living will or the advance directive.

Pharmaceutical Ethics

2006-06-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

Summary:
A 30 year old woman had been to 30 doctors complaining of abdominal pain and only 2 opted not to do surgery to "fix" her condition. As it turns out, the woman was suffering from anxiety about surgery itslef and that was the cause of her addominal pain.
A conference was held with the subject of Pharmaceutical Ethics at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. There many different doctors, students, and professors gathered to discuss the ethical behavior responsibilities of Pharmaceutical businesses.
The conference covered many issues such as the rising cost of AIDS medication and its inaccessibility in poor nations. The general guideines that were used by the conference panel were drawn from the Numberge Code of 1947 and the Declaration of Helsinki.
Also discussed was the neccesity of proper population testing of new drugs before they were marketed by new companies.

Pharmaceutical Ethics

Analysis:
This is a very serious subject matter, especially in regards to the recent recall of many widely prescribed perscriptions. I thought the article gave a very breif overview of what the panel was assemebled to discuss as well as a fantastic story that drew the readers in. However, I do not believe that the article gave an in-depth look at the key issues the panel was discussing or the outcomes of the panel decisions.

Medical Ethics

2006-06-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ethical Dilemma

The article I read at USAToday.com focus on medical ethics in war. The article is about the work of two American military doctors in Iraq, Bakken and Schlifka, who were only identified by last name. The ethical dilemma they face is whether or not to operate on patients with brain damage that would leave them incapacitated regardless of the success of the surgery. They claim that in the United States they would never operate on patients injurie similar to those in a war zone. They claim they made a pact to operate now matter how bad the soldiers' injuries, just to get the injured back to their families one last time.

This specific article focuses on Spc. Ethan Biggers and is especially touching to see how the doctors’ decision impacted the lives of Ethan and also his family.

This is a very good article regarding the medical ethics faced daily in Iraq by U.S. military doctors.

Genetic Engineering Ethics

2006-06-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Genetic Engineering is the practice of modifying a living organisms genetics (DNA) in order to add a specific trait. Often this includes removing DNA from one area and splicing it with another DNA strand. The main ethical question involved is whether or not genetic engineering is too much like "playing god." Some argue that if extreme genetic modifications are allowed, natural selection is overruled and havoc will insue. Another major issue is whether or not human fetal tissue should be used in ongoing research. Some people consider prenatal screening of diseases to be morally wrong.

Almost everyone has seen genetic engineering in one form or another. If you do not eat pure organically grown and raised food products, then you have probably eaten a genetically modified plant or animal. Cows, chickens, fruit, and vegatables are a few of the products that have been altered. Increased adolescent growth rates have hinted at the possibility that the hormones and other modification processes used are already affecting the human population. Not too long ago, there was a major story on a sheep named Dolly, who was genetically engineered (cloned). Even though the cloning process was a success, the clone died not too long after she was born. This is a major problem with genetic engineering, even though it is possible to do, it is not neccessarily morally correct or even safe.

Ethics in the hard sciences

2006-06-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

The article I found pertaining to ethics is by Henry H. Bauer and is titled "Ethics in Science."
Dr. Bauer's main focus is on the recent rash of scandals and misconduct, including how these issues are affecting legitimate scientific research and publishing. Because scientists no longer feel that their research is safe from peers looking to appropriate it, they are obscuring findings and holding back their most incredible discoveries for fear of losing them to unscrupulous colleagues. As Dr. Bauer states, "...science progresses with sound, reliable results only to the degree that scientists are honest."

I think this is an excellent example of the damage that poor ethics can cause in the professional world. To futher illustrate his point, Dr. Bauer goes on to talk about the difference between primary literature and secondary literature. He points out that primary literature is still about 90% wrong, being a collection of many claims and studies currently being made. The secondary literature, after a great deal of review and analysis, is considerably more accurate, and if this secondary literature stands the test of time, eventually it becomes textbook science which is about 90% correct in most cases. Bauer calls this process the knowledge filter.

Weblog Ethics

2006-06-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the article we talked about in class on weblog ethics.

Update (same day...just a little later in class): here are a few more links on ethics and fair use...

LimeWire, BitTorrent and BearShare...Oh My!
'Answer' message post on c/net
Excerpt from the Future of Ideas
CreativeCommons licensing
iCommons
Demise of grocery-store lobsters renews animal welfare debate

also...the link to finding free images:
Top 10 Places to Find Free Images For Your Blogs

and here is a site for free music:
freeplaymusic

Chapter 4 comments

2006-06-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

I believe the most useful conclusion that I can draw from chapter four is that ethical dilemmas are unavoidable and the difficult thing about them, the reason they are ao well covered in the book, is that there is no clear cut means of resolution. I found the trees showing which codes of ethics take precident (e.g the law comes before utility or care) very interesting because I have never thought about ethics in such concrete terms. Even though these diagrams were helpful in sheding a new light on ethical decisions in the rechnical workplace, the author emphasizes that there is never one right way to find these solutions, which I think is probably the take home message of this chapter. I really enjoyed the section on what to do if you are an employee that disagrees with the company, and I also found all the various laws on technical aspects interesting.

Ethics..

2006-06-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Personally, this was the most interesting chapter I've read for this class. Almost everyone will be exposed to the examples and experiences mentioned atleast sometime in their career. Of the three ethical systems, I think that its the personal ethics that make a particular person behave the he or she does in a work setting when an issue does arise. Family, friends, culture, and faith shape the minds of people, define what sort of ethical behavior they exhibit, and explain their decision making. I agree that social and conservation ethics play a role but these roles are not as pronounced as the one personal ethics play.
My project topic is Persistent vegetative state (PVS) and a part of my discussion will be about the ethical issues the doctors and the families of a PVS patient face.
Also, I really liked the small case studies that the chapter had. They helped me better understand the text.

Chapter 4: Ethics in the Technical Workplace

2006-06-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

In my humble opinion, I think that Chapter 4: Ethics should have been the first chapter in the book. Before you begin work on a project, it is important to have a basic foundation of what your personal ethical beliefs are in order to prevent ethical dilemmas down the line. I believe that many people do not realize how many times they actually make ethical decisions unconsciously or without introspection. Yes, even I have been tempted to make unethical decisions because I did not examine my own ethical belief system close enough. I remember, in grade school, how easy it was to read the jacket of a book (that I had not read) the night before a book report was due. A little improvisation and *POOF* my book report was done. However, I have grown older and wiser and have come to learn that by taking the easy (unethical) route, I might get the job done faster, but I do not feel good about my work or myself. I think it is especially important when entering the workplace, that you have a full understanding of your personal, social, and conservation ethics. It is almost granted that you will have to make an ethical decision while on the job, so by having a well developed ethical system in place you will be able to make a quick and correct response to the dilemma.

Websites etc.

2006-06-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

I prefer websites that are easy to navigate and interactive (links,polls, etc.). I also like websites that use graphics and videos. A website that uses distracting wallpapers and backgrounds can alter whether or not I will use it. Sometimes I shop through the internet, sites such as Amazon.com allow for easy transactions and different payment options. I use different search engines for various reasons. I usually use Yahoo.com for news and broad topics, while if I need a specific question answered, I might use Ask.com.

I will have to say that one of my favorite websites is Collegehumor.com. It is updated often, however, some might find some of the content to be offensive (Don't say I didn't warn you). Another one of my favorite websites is IMDb.com (International Movie Database), since I am a big movie fanatic. Most of the time I can filter out whether or not a movie will be good depending on the users' and movie critics' ratings. Wikipedia.com is an amazingly useful online encyclopedia. There has not been one research paper in the past few years that I haven't used wikipedia for a source.

As far as my favorite author is concerned, I am going to be boring and say Michael Crichton. Right now I am reading his book State of Fear, its about global warming, its not my favorite, but its ok. I have enjoyed other books by him such as Congo, Sphere, and The Andromeda Strain. Of course I have watched his blockbuster hit, Jurassic Park (It made $919 million!!!) The only reason I picked Michael Crichton as my favorite author is because I tend to read only non-fiction, not including textbooks.

Blog articles

2006-06-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

I thought you might find the following articles on professional blogging interesting.

20 Types of Blog Posts

How Bloggers Make Money from Blogs

Professional Blogs and their Impact on Communications

might be obvious

2006-06-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

This might be obvious, but I think it is very important to realized that even though there are many readers to consider when sharing a document, especially on the internet, this does not mean that one must change their writing to accommodate all their readers. when one worrys about this too much, the information exchange or purpose of the writing may be tainted. For example, if your purpose is to pursuade the primary reader, then this is the important focus.

Chapter 3 flaw

2006-06-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be good to mention that on page 50 instead of calling the gatekeeper a gatekeeper (i.e. page 68) on the reader analysis chart, the book called it a goalkeeper. Apparently everyone loves the world cup. Go Italy.

A few comments on Chapter 3

2006-06-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

From any author's perspective an audience is undoubtedly a significant concearn. After reading the text though, I get the sense that there is really only one type of technical document being considered when they type cast the primary, secondary, tertiary and gatekeeper audiences. I guess I am slightly confused by the scope of out expert project, are we going to call someone to action in our blogging? If the document that is being written is directly to someone who will take action why as a writer isnt the information you are providing acurate enough to surpass the secondary reader? I was also slightly confused by the guidelines, if there is information that the reader does not need to accomplish their task, why would the writer include it? And similarly if a reader is only reading a technical document for information why would a writer incorporate anything else? A last note, I was thrown off by the "strategic assumptions" we will be making about our readers. The text says that we will be making these fairly broad assumptions but then warns us not to mis-judge what is or is not common sense as well as to avoid making any judgements based on age and gender, which it seems to me if you cannot make any of these assumptions, then you have no idea what constitutes common sense or not to your readers.

If anyone can offer any insight into any of this, feel free.

Additional Questions

2006-06-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

~I generally like sites that are colorful and also very well organized. I appreciate it when larger sites have links to get you to a sub topic much more quickly than if you had to scroll throughout the entire thing.

~A website that I really like is msn.com. They are extremely professional and also make things easily accessible. They also have to the hour updated current events.

~My favorite website is probably just the mizzou website. I only say this because I use it so often and I am very familiar with it.

~Terry McMillan is my favorite author. She is the author of many New York Times best sellers, a couple of which were turned into films. McMillan is in the tabloids recently for her marriage to Jonathan Plummer. Plummer was actually the muse for one of her books, How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Unfortunately, after 7 years of marriage Plummer announced that he was in fact gay, obviously this spawned an immediate divorce. Despite the pre-nup, Plummer still had the audacity to take her to court stating she needs to pay him spousal support. Needless to say, he did not receive a dime. The link to her webstite www.terrymcmillan.com. This is her official site that gives information on her personal life as well as upcoming and current projects.

Addional Questions..

2006-06-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

I prefer the more structured websites as I tend to find those less distracting. I like color but at the same time white is a safe option when one isn't too sure. I really like the way google is set up. It is very bare and has not too much information. Its one of my personal favorites as it is easy to access and browse through even for a beginner. I think BBC has a very professional look to it. It has many divisions and sub-divisions and seems to be very organized. I visit orkut everyday. It is a friends network website by google and it is immensely popular in South Asia and South America. I'm a big google person!! I don't have a favorite author as such but I'm currently reading 'Exodus' by Leon Uris. The book is a fictional account of the creation of Israel and so far it has been a very interesting read.
http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=79724

fave website

2006-06-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't a particularly exciting website, but i always find myself on msn.com. i think i started using it because it was the website my browser went to automatically when i opened it. consequently, i am now addicted. there is always a link some unbelievable story that just grabs me and i can't resist. also, there is a section with gossip about celebrities and i can't help but look at that either!! besides all the fluff on the website there is also actual news and important things that keep me up to date.

another great website is foodnetwork.com. there are tons of recipes that are categorized by ingredient or what show they were on. you name it, there's a recipe for it on the website! i guess i'm a nerd that watches cooking shows.

Additional Questions

2006-06-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

I personally enjoy a website that is very structured. It is so much easier to navigate through and much easier to find whatever it is that you are looking for if the website has some structure to it. For example, I am a huge sports fan and I pay attention to just about every sport you can think of. As you might imagine, I visit espn.com all the time, and it is so easy with the way they have it designed. The setup is perfect, with a row of headings that has just about every sport you can think of, all you have to do is select that sport and the options are endless. They also have on the home page all the recent sports news and they make it very easy to find what you are looking for. This is why I perfer espn over any other sports websites, unless you know of a particular team, then I would definitely go to the team's actual website.

I don't even know if this is in the right spot, but oh well!

2006-06-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

In answering question number three...

I usually visit ESPN.com and CNN.com at least once a day, usually more than that. I love the layout of their websites and find them very easy and accessible. CNN is my daily fix of world news, since I feel like I'm 80 years-old already if I'm sitting somewhere reading a newspaper (though I have no idea why). They are constantly up on top of things and you can get the quickest information on new news events there.

The fact that ESPN usually has much more content than any other sports website on the Internet is a definate plus for me. They have live streaming games that you can watch as they are played out on ESPN.com, up to the minute tickers that you can download to scroll across the bottom of your computer screen, as well as information about practically any sport that you can think of.

I have spent many a boring Art History class staring hopelessly as the Cubs squander yet another lead in the ninth. Now that I think of it, maybe it isn't a good thing after all. :(

Hendrik's additional information

2006-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

--I prefer Microsoft, old fashioned I suppose.

--Google.com , Simple, lacks information I am not interested in, and it appears clean. Ok, I have to admit next to Google I find myself watching the radar changes on Komu.com, don't know why but I like to sit there and watch radar change, weird.

--Foxnews.com ,

--Favorite author is David Yallop. I enjoy investigative type reading about history and actual events. Not much on fiction at all! His website can be found here

Chapter 2

2006-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I think the chapter was a little too structured and that when people are writing they are not thinking about all the steps in the process, they are putting down whatever ideas come to them. I personally do not brainstorm all that much or have outlines and drafts, I just start writing. So for me, chapter 2 was way too structured and some of it was overkill. I do agree with the structure they outlined, but I just do not think when people write they are thinking about it. So I think that the book had some good points but it went into a little more depth then necessary.

Additional questions...

2006-06-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

I think that the Macintosh site appeals more to me than the windows site for a variety of reasons. I feel as if Mac is attempting to hit a target audience of college students, and young professionals. There are multiple examples of this. For one, Mac lists places where you can recycle your old Macs, where as the Mircrosoft site does not have that listed on their front page. Another example is how Macintosh lists ads for college students, and Microsoft advertises new business software that you can download, both on its front page. Lastly, I feel that Mac has attempted to look very sleek in its presentation, and while Microsoft's site doesn't look bad, it doesn't look as modern and as sleek in its style. I think that both sites are equally professional however. They both are attempting to reach an audience, and both sites do just that. The style of these websites, both are good, and I think that it is important to realize that difference in style does not reflect a varied level of professionalism. On a regular day the website that I visit most is probobly googles main page. I feel that google, by not selling out and posting ads on its website, even though it is one of the most visited sites on the planet is an excellent example of professionalism, and is one of the reasons it is so great. Beyond that, I also regularly visit yahoo and nytimes for news updates, and pollstaronline.com for my work. All of these sites are professional in their own way as well. My favorite author is Jack Kerouac, and something that I found out about him is from funtrivia when I found out that Jack's had French Canadian ancestory.

Hendrik's Post (#1)

2006-06-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

I thought the chapter had some good ideas overall on how to structure a piece of technical writing. It will take some thought on how to properly map my ideas without having too many subtopics and creating confusion.

Let me know what some of your ideas are.

Tony Robbins

2006-06-15T09:21:00.001-07:00

Right now, I am reading "Awaken the Giant" by Tony Robbins. To put is simple, the book uses small, easy to read words to explain 'Big Ideas'. Tony Robbins went from the bottom to the top and wants to teach everyone how they can do it too. His books are not like the bible, where you just have to have faith. He gives detailed examples and explanations with his 'profound knowledge' that make logical since. Mixed with some drive, a little practice, and experience over time, his teachings transform peoples lives.

Here is a link to some information about Tony Robbins:
Tony Robbins

check it out!

Trav

Multiple Questions Answered

2006-06-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Personally I enjoy a very structured website that I can easily browse through. For example I enjoy cnn's website as well as fox news and abcnews. They all share an easy-use navigation bar type system which categorizes news stories based upon the subject field they apply to. I believe that these websites are very proffesional because of their easy to use navigation which leads to credible news and/or opinions by experts.

My personal favorite website is www.penny-arcade.com. This website relates to gaming and the humor that older gamers find with all aspects of gaming whether it relates to the current legislation attempts to censor gaming or funny/obscure refrences to games and their creators.

I do not have a favorite author. When I purchase a book I never actually look at the author's name, I just dive right in. I am a fan of science fiction and history books and am always on the lookout for a new and intriguing book. As a result I am not very loyal to a particular author. For the purpose of this exercise I'll link the author of the latest book that I have read. Edited for link
Book

Website Styles

2006-06-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

1. I like sites that feature a central navigation scheme that allows for changing content in the central portion of the browser. I find this very accessible and easy to work with. CNN's website is a good example of this.

2. I also really like the way that The Onion's website is set up. It has a great balance of pictures and content that fill the page, but don't overwhelm the senses. The advertising is pervasive, but not overly invasive and allows for easy access to the articles.

3. My favorite websites are The Onion and Seanbaby.com, an entertainment/video game site. I visit these several times a week. I also really used to enjoy Old Man Murray but that site has ceased to post new material.

4. My favorite author is Daniel Quinn. His most wellknown books are Ishmael and The Story of B. A website dedicated to his ideas is located here. Though this site could use an overhaul in design, it has a lot of useful information. His Wikipedia entry is also informative.

Website style

2006-06-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

I usually use the internet only for research purposes or to find out some sort of information, that is to say differently than for personal use or just to look at different sites etc. Therefore I would have to say my favorite type of site is one that displays information in an easy to access manner. I like to see a site that has some entertaining aspects as well, but I do not like it when pictures or video clouds the ease of which I access information. I think that some apple sites (e.g. the design of apple.com now and sometimes the itunes music store) have too many distractions and I would prefer a more cut and dry site to all of the video and pictures.

Chapter 2 rules a web of tangles

2006-06-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I found the information in chapter 2 to be abit redundant if not misleading at times. Personally, I have not created an outline view or used a "logic map" since grade school. Most of the writting experiences that i've had in college have followed a tried and true methodology. I usually stick to what the goal of the paper is and from there I gather my research. After I gather the reasearch I read through it, highlighting what I think would make for a good idea for a paragraph or thesis statement. After I've read through all the reasearch I jump right into my paper. I write the entierty of the paper and then print it off. At this stage I look through the paper and see what I want to revise and/or add. I then make my revisions and the paper is done.
For me the chapter 2 methodology was too structured. I have a hard time following a long and drawn out path of doing tasks when I find a shorter and more efficent way of accomplishing the task.

I am a 1...this is my comment

2006-06-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

In chapter 2 there was some discussion about how the depth of writing has overall decreased since the dawn of the computer age, and the setting of the pen and paper age. I disagree adamantly with this concept for 2 reasons. First, I think that while a computer may allow writers to write something that looks like a final draft the second they are done writing, the speed and ease of computer writing allows writers to think more when writing. For example, I have written on a typewriter and found it incredibly distracting having to punch the keys, and worry about jams with paper, changing the paper, and worrying about margins. These distractions, much like trying to work in a noisy environment impede on a writers ability to write in depth pieces. Secondly, I feel that writers being able to have their writing adjusted for spelling and grammar, makes it easier for readers to read more into the pieces of writing, and take more away when they are finished reading.

Chapter 2 comments

2006-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

I do agree overall that a writing process is helpful and necessary to developing a well articulated body of work, however I think a little clairification as to the difference between style and designing would be nice. Also, despite the options given and the series of steps listed, I think this chapter blends a lot of different steps and almost confuses the idea of having a distinct series of which to follow. For example I think it may be helpful to have a logical map before your research or rhetorical situation are completed because by mapping all of your various ideas it may be easier to narrow your audience or pick a more in depth area to research...just a few thoughts.

Chapter 2

2006-06-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Though I have been very reluctant to use a formal writing process in the past, the suggestions in chapter 2 seem pretty solid. I generally dislike drafting and brainstorming, preferring to just start typing, but I imagine that following the steps outlined in the book may well improve the quality of my writing.

Cool!

2006-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Blogs seem pretty cool!

Day#1

2006-06-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today we did introductions and reviewed the syllabus.

Here is the assignment for tomorrow:
+ Read chapter #1 and come to class with 3 discussion questions.
+ Review entire text and write me an email (see page 16, #3). The subject line of your email should read: English 2030: Email #1 Response

Plan for tomorrow: Discuss chapter 1, schedule, and assignments in more detail.

If you have any questions, please comment below (If you have a question, it is quite likely that another classmate might have the same or similar question and would benefit from your posting a question or comment here.)

Thanks!

Welcome!

2006-06-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the course blog for professional writing. This space will serve as the course home page. The syllabus, assignments, and other course documents will be posted here. We'll also use this space to discuss professional writing. More to come...

Professional Writing

CH 11 COMMENTS

Instructions Review

Ch. 19 - Instructions - Comments

On the Right

Design Review

CH 17 Question.

Our text info

A little helpful

Chapter 14. Webpage basics

Resources for you

Interviewing Strategies

Ch. 15 - Resume Refresher

Resumes

Ch. 15- Interviews

FInding a Job

Designing the resume

Researching Company

Bureaucratic and Nonbureaucratic phrasing

Working together in teams

Letters & Formatting

Chapter 12: E-Mail

Photoshop Tutorials and Blog Design Tips

Ch. 10 - Comments

Proofreading

EDITING!

Ch. 10- Document Cycling

Ford trucks ethics

Ethical and Unethical Graphics

Chapter 9 - Basic Overview

Graphic Guidelines

Using Visuals

Grouping

Ch. 8 - Design Elements

Persuasive style

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Plain or Persuasive?

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ethics in business

Chapter 6 - Organizational Pattern

Chapter 6 comments

Chapter 6 --Subtitles

Stress test

Ch. 5 Triangulation

Chapter 5 -- Logical Mapping

Chapter 5- Plagiarism

A discussion of gays in the military

Ethics in Sports

Ethics and law

What sort of ethics shold there be in journalism?

xenotransplants...

Euthanasia- A case of medical ethics

Pharmaceutical Ethics

Medical Ethics

Genetic Engineering Ethics

Ethics in the hard sciences

Weblog Ethics

Chapter 4 comments

Ethics..

Chapter 4: Ethics in the Technical Workplace

Websites etc.

Blog articles

might be obvious

Chapter 3 flaw

A few comments on Chapter 3

Additional Questions

Addional Questions..

fave website

Additional Questions

Other answers

I don't even know if this is in the right spot, but oh well!

Hendrik's additional information

Chapter 2

Additional questions...

Hendrik's Post (#1)

Tony Robbins

Multiple Questions Answered

Website Styles