Journal 8

In the Hall piece, he says “Initially, Second Life looks no different than any other modern computer game. You go though the standard tutorial process in which the game teachers you how to move about in the world.” Although this quote may seem unimportant I think it is significant because without realization Hall is reinforcing the idea that there are several of computer games out there and this is just another one. He implies that he has previously played another game and this was similar. Computer games are neat, but at the same time they are nothing new. They have been around for quite some time now and innovators have to go to extremes to set their games apart from others. Also another quote that Hall ends with stood out to me. “Though the game allows players to defy reality, what actually ends up happening in world is really no different than what happens in the real world.” This just goes to show that innovators have made quite an accomplishment in establishing computer games that can mimic our society so closely. Our world that we live in is so technologically advanced that bringing reality to an 18 inch screen is not difficult. Just like Haas and Raschke I agree that technology has become a very big part of our society. Haas says specifically “…writing has never been and cannot be separate from technology.” I completely agree with this statement, everything we do today has something to do with technological innovations. Almost every time I turn on the Television I see a new commercial for the newest cell phone, computer, or video game. I would also have to say that there is not a single day where I have gone without using some sort of technological device to communicate whether it be a computer or a phone. The little things we take for granted such as calling our parents daily or checking the weather online are provided to use by those individuals who have made our world so technologically advanced. One big factor that plays a role in computer usage is the innovation of websites such as MySpace and Facebook. I am not sure the exact number or statistic but I am pretty positive there are an immense number of individuals who use these applications daily. Aside from these applications, there are others that obligate us to use a computer; for example, the Blackboard system here at Florida State University. Whether is take attendance, checking grades, checking e-mail, downloading syllabi, or registering for classes, everything must be done using Blackboard. These applications have made it simple to do certain tasks that could potentially take a while such as attendance or grades. Using the computers in our English class has been fun for me! I like our free writes in the morning but it has also been difficult. I am a very simple person in terms of technology and creating websites and writing on blogs has been a challenge but it has expanded my horizons.

Journal 7

As a person of a race I can relate to Langston Hughes. I am half Korean, Cherokee Indian, and Irish. Clearly it is evident my ethnicity is foreign. Growing up I was never discriminated against however I did at times feel different. All throughout my life I have always been asked, “So, what is your ethnicity?” This is a common question that I have gotten used to answering. I am very proud of my heritage even though I have never been to Korea. My family plans to make a summer trip in the future to visit all of my mother’s side of the family. Hughes makes a very good point, “You are white, yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that’s true! As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me…” America is a melting pot and the cultural diversity makes it what it is.
I chose this picture to represent the many different cultures that reside in America, but we are unified in the sense of being American.

Journal 6

My portfolio I would have to say is not the best. Because I am not very technological, I feel like that really held to my disadvantage. However, what is displayed on my homepage is definitely me. I have a fun picture and colors that are bright to represent me. These little things account for what I want viewers to see me as. Although my interest in creating a webpage is somewhat minimal, because of the fact that it is not one of my strengths, I do understand the idea behind creating a good one.
By displaying my work on a website it is easier for readers to understand the overall tone and image of a paper. This is possible because not only is it just the text in black and white, but you can add any kind of color any where you want. In addition the font can be adjusted to portray your tone. In a sense it is more exciting to have a portfolio online rather than in a plain portfolio. I want my readers to understand in my work that there are different tones, in some areas I am serious but in others I can be sarcastic. This is easily captured by readers when you have fun fonts or just simple ones. Also the visual pictures can aid in this as well. Especially in my second paper on Hugh Hefner it is easy for the readers to understand who he is (if they do not know of him) and what messages he gives off. I choose specific pictures to coincide with my writing to make it more understandable and enjoyable to read.
In conclusion, there are certain areas where I try to use visual texts to my advantage especially when trying to convey a certain tone, however when it comes to my homepage and certain areas like that, I simply will never be very good.

Journal 5

The four basic design principles are alignment, proximity, repetition and contrast. The first, alignment, is pretty basic. It means that all objects on the page are all aligned. It goes on to explain that mixing alignments is not good. If you choose to center the Headline, then proceed to center the rest of the text. If an individual were in fact to mix alignments it can come off as cluttered or messy which in turn looks unprofessional. The second principle is proximity. This is the idea that when two subjects are close together then the must have some sort of relationship. So, if they were far apart then they would have no relationship. A prime example of this would be a picture, with the caption far away from it. In cases like those, make sure they are close in proximity so the understanding is clear.
The third principle is repetition. This unifies all of the elements on a page together. This unification helps the viewer to tie everything together rather than disassociate certain elements. “Colors, style, illustrations, format, layout, typography, and so on can all be a part of the repetition that unifies the entire site.” Hence, having the same color scheme throughout the sight or the same font would be a factor in repetition. The last principle is contrast. This is the pull factor. You want something to pop out at the reader; this could be a bolding of text. However, you must be very strong with contrast, if taken too timidly it may be overlooked. Nevertheless, there are specific times for contrast. If you are simply trying to present a factual text, do not distract the reader with contrast. Also a factor that plays in too overdoing a page is color. You want a limited color scheme when designing. If you branch out into an unlimited color scheme it can become overkill, but when using the limited color scheme, the effect can be of sophistication and class.
For me personally, after reading this my font choice needs to be worked on. For my links the font the is still Times New Roman and it looks awful.

10 20 08

For the essay by Haunani-Kay Trask, her audience seems to be for any tourists considering going to Hawaii, or just anyone in general. For the the essay written by Aaron Knier his audience seems to just be his peers, friends, or teacher. In Trask’s she is strictly trying to get a point across. The decolonization of her native land is detrimental in her opinion and tourists are not helping. She wants to let in the audience in on all of the horrible things that have been stripped from Hawaii such as huge masses of land for military purposes. Her tone is very stern and informative. She has so many facts to ensure that her point is backed up. She is not casual or humorous, in fact it seems a little “mean”. “We don’t need anymore tourists. If you want to help, pass this message onto your friends.” This is the last sentence she leaves us with in her essay; it conveys a negative connotation that sums up the entire piece. In the essay of Knier, he is telling a story. He is explaining his fascination with electronics with a personal story from his college years. His tone is somewhat humorous and light. It is almost as if he is talking one on one with you, “Truth is, I just liked being around all that tech.” There is not much seriousness expressed in his narrative. For each author, I think the tones are very appropriate. For Trask, she is trying to strictly get her point across and she means business, whereas Knier is simply trying to portray his electronic interest in a sense that we can understand.
Between the two movie trailers, there are significant differences. First, Bride and Prejudice seems to be the comedic version of Pride and Prejudice. The trailer claims the movie to be a twist of a classical tale, which in turn means that it is not as serious and what is expected. The story is presented with a humorous tone, with little clips of amusement to capture the audiences’ interest. This could maybe appeal to a younger generation or to those who do not find classical novels as interesting. The style of dress seems to be of “Indian” descent whereas the traditional movie was from a more colonial period. It is a more modern movie. The second movie trailer, Pride and Prejudice seems to be following the original classical novel written by Jane Austin. The picture is much duller than the one compared to Bride and Prejudice. This adds on to the colonial feel of the movie. Also the dialogue in this trailer heavily contrasts that of the first. Words used in the olden times are heard such as “Sir I can not accept you”. This sentence today would be said, “I just do not like you” or “I do not want to marry you!”. The respect factor has somewhat diminished since then.

Maus Response

It seems as if all the Jews are shaded. However, some of those who are speaking are not shaded. The effect of writing a comic strip makes it more of a narrative. It is a series of events that when used in a graphic novel the pictures give more of an image as to what is going on. Some of the dialogue written is not part of the actual dialogue being spoken. It is more of a narrative for the readers to know what was going on in each box. For example, “everyone was worried”. That line allows the reader to visualize the feelings in that room. If there were no visuals there would be a different picture in my head. With the dialogue the reader is able to tell what is going on, however the visuals aid in allowing all readers to picture the same thing. The images react with the text in the sense that they correspond accordingly. I would say the visuals are there so the readers are able to visualize exactly what happened, especially when the Jewish people were all being told to register, it is important that you get the visual that thousands of people were being told to do so. Spiegelman sets the tone but the use of his words. Immediately after the first question containing the word Auschwitz, a rush of images will run through the readers mind because of the horrible stories tied into it. One of the most important layers of meaning portrayed in this is the idea that the Jewish are represented by rats, and the Nazi’s are represented by Cats. This signifies that the Nazi’s are superior to the Jewish, just like Cats are to Rats. The visual and textual elements of this paper work together because they really try to get across the idea of what was going on at that time. Just as the narrative says, whether or not they went and registered, they were not in good shape.

Many of us know of and have seen one if not not all of the Jurassic Park movies. I would have to say it was one of the first movies that actualy scared me. The actual thought of dinosaurs on the loose gave me a rush of fear. Well, a few years ago, I attended a cheerleading competition and part of the package was free tickets to Universal and Islands of Adventure. Obviously we all went. At that point I was a total baby and hated rollercoasters; I was much more of the girl who held everyones bags and waited at the bottom. Little did I know, that was all about to change. We came across this new ride, Jurassic Park and it didnt look all that bad. There was no dangling feet, upside downs, or barrel spins. I was still a little unsure though but my friends were basically bribing me to go. I gave in. Let me just say the ride is completely different than it looks on the outside. It is the shortest version of the movie however you are actually living it. The dinosaurs that terrified you in the movie were literally five feet in front of you and 3-d. It was an entirely new experience. Oh, and the end was definately the best/worst part. It is a complete suprise and a true rush, but at the same time, extremely terrifying. Your boat drops off of a cliff for what seems like an entire minute, and at the bottom you are soaking wet. This interpretation of the movie was amazing, especially for someone who has never seen it. You get a real feeling for what the characters in the movie went through. It is amazing to see how different the two experiences affect you, even though they are interpreting the same idea.