Cluster of Stakeholders, Blog Post 2.9

There are two major groups of stakeholders in the controversy of where Earth's water came from: scientists who believe that comets brought water to Earth first and then volcanic processes emitted water vapor into the atmosphere, or scientists that believe that volcanic activity alone was enough to bring liquid water to the Earth's surface. Each side has particular arguments working in their favor and against it. While evidence is bountiful that volcanic activity did emit water vapor into Earth's early atmosphere, it is still unknown how the water vapor got there in the first place. On the flip side, the admittedly few comets studied in great detail have been shown to have ice water that is very unlike water we see here on Earth. This controversy is great to study because each side has good talking points.

Cluster of Stakeholders

In the cluster, I ensured that each side of the argument was represented well. The opinions of both "Comet Theorists" and "Volcano Theorists" were stated in the cluster. As well, i wrote that some bias may perhaps exist. However, hopefully scientists, regardless of the theories they follow, should have no bias regarding their work. They should look at each theory objectively and study both arguments.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Bright Comet ISON. November 22nd, 2013 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Considering Genre, Blog Post 2.10

The major projects in English 109H are going to be a major undertaking. As such, it is important to me that I pick my media genres wisely for each major project. As well, it will be important for me to understand the major conventions that go along with each genre type. A failure to understand the genres will undoubtedly lead me to a less than desired grade for my projects.

 1. What genre are you going to commit to for Project 1? Why?

I am choosing to use the Video Essay genre for Project 1. The Video Essay, to me at least, felt like one of the harder genres to complete a project in. I figured that I should try and get a harder genre out of the way first, then use my experience and errors in Project 1 to better my work later on. As well, compared to Projects 2 and 3, Project 1 is not weighted as heavily. I can afford to have some errors in the process early on.

2. What genre conventions from your chosen genre are you planning on developing during next week's Production phase? What do you plan to do with the genre conventions that will help you accomplish the purpose of the project most effectively?

I am planning on developing my photography and video recording skills. Both still images and video clips are crucial in a Video Essay. With that in mind, I figured that I should focus a great deal of time and energy into perfecting the process. I also plan on editing my video clips effectively in order to showcase the controversy I researched effectively. 

3. How are you feeling about Project 1 going in to the Production phase? What challenges do you anticipate next week as you create content for the project?

Honestly, I am quite nervous about producing Project 1. I am going to be using video and audio editing software that I have never used before to try and make a memorable and informative project. As well, I am worried that the controversy I picked will hold up during the production and post-production phases. I foresee myself having some issues uploading video and audio clips into Windows Movie-maker and I foresee myself having issues with the content of the project itself. 

microbiologybytes. Videa camera icon. January 7th, 2015 via Flickr. Attribution license.

Evaluation of General Sources, Blog Post 2.7

Subject: Where did Earth's water come from?

The controversy over where Earth's water may have come from is an ongoing debate within the Geosciences community. For years, scientists have grappled with the issue. Some scientists believe that water-ice from comets impacted the Earth early it's history may have provided enough water for the planet. Other scientists, however, are skeptical of this claim. Another theory proposes that volcanic eruptions released water vapor gas into the atmosphere of the young Earth and that the vast oceans and waterways formed this way. Recent data coming out appears to be showing the "comet water-ice" theory to be less and less likely, however.

Sources:

Rosetta Spacecraft's Comet Water Discovery: What It Means For Earth

Earth Story - Time Travelers (Minutes 41:25-41:47)

Rosetta:

URL: The URL for this source ends in html. This indicates that the story appeared on a webpage. While the webpage might have factually information being presented, I should certainly be more skeptical of what is being said within it.

Author: The webpage was written by Miriam Kramer. Kramer has degrees in both journalism and anthropology (Miriam Kramer).

Last Updated: December 12th, 2014. Most of the links are related to the Rosetta Spacecraft in some way. Also, the links are still working.

Purpose: The purpose of the text is to inform the reader about new data from the Rosetta Space Probe. The story, using data collected from the Probe, appears to be stating that comets may not have delivered water to the early Earth after all.

Graphics: There are many images within the story. The images include a picture of the comet being researched, a picture of the Rosetta Space Probe, and a graphic representation of the data collected.

Position on Subject: The story takes the position that comets probably did not deliver water to the early Earth. This statement appears to be backed by the data from the Rosetta Project, however. The data from the mission indicates that the water vapor on the comet contains much higher levels of deuterium hydrogen atoms (Isotope of hydrogen; has one proton, one electron and one neutron rather than the normal one proton and one electron normally found in hydrogen) than normal hydrogen atoms. Scientists supporting theories that water on Earth arrived through some different method stand to be proven correct if the data holds that all comets being researched have water that has a different chemical makeup than what we see on Earth.

Links: There is a section titled 'Editor's Recommendations" near the bottom of the page. However, the sources linked include a comet quiz and pictures of comets. Therefore, they might not be the most credible of sources to follow.

Earth Story:

URL: The video was found on YouTube, so the URL is a bit different from other sources. not .org, .html, or .net exists in the URL. So, the credibility of the source could be in question already.

Author: The video is from a television series called "Earth Story". The show is a documentary series that appeared on BBC and is narrated by Aubrey Manning; an English zoologist (Earth Story). It was directed by Danielle Peck and Simon Singh.

Last Updated: The series came out in 1998 and was only intended to be run for one season. As a result of the age, no real links to websites are listed in the film. As well, the age calls into question the reliability of the information.

Purpose: The purpose of this film series was to educate viewers about the geologic processes that have shaped Earth. The episode in question served to inform viewers about the age of the Earth and also introduce theories on how life may have started on Earth, as well as where Earth's water may have come from.

Graphics: Being a documentary film, the entire source is a moving graphic image! However, the series, being focused on geology, typically involves shots of sweeping vistas or volcanic islands. These sites were chosen to show how processes such as erosion and volcanic activity have shaped Earth.

Position on Subject: The short snippet of the video I was focused on talked about how water vapor was released into the atmosphere by volcanoes, not comets or asteroids. This indicates to me that the film series takes the position that volcanic activity released water vapor into the atmosphere. This water vapor eventually condensed and fell back to the Earth as precipitation (rain, snow, etc). If later research proves that volcanoes are mostly responsible for waters appearance on Earth, then those scientists supporting that theory stand to be proven correct in their hypotheses. However, one question that scientists sticking to the comet water ice theory might ask is how did the water vapor come to be within the volcanoes to begin with?

Links: While there are no links to other websites in the video, the credits of the film list people and foundations that contributed to making the film. Since the episode in question is from a BBC documentary, one can assume that it is a rather reliable source of information, despite the age.

   

gnuckx. Etna Volcano Paroxysmal Eruption. January 13th, 2011 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Reddit and What I Found There, Blog Post 2.4

Reddit has quickly become a popular online forum for just about any topic imaginable. NFL team fanbases, video game news, cookbooks, confession pages, etc. all have threads on Reddit. The website has become invaluable for people searching for news stories or opinion threads related to their work, leisure, or life. Surprisingly, I was able to discover that Geoscientists and Geologists have also taken up residence on Reddit.

1. What kinds of things do people in the Reddit forums seem to be arguing about, debating, disagreeing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exchanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in the Reddit forums.

For the most part, people appear to posting pictures of landmarks such as gorges, canyons, mountains, and even rock formations on the Moon. Along with the pictures themselves, there is usually a question asking either how the landmark came to be formed via geologic processes (erosion, volcanoes, etc.) or what the landmark says about the geology of the area it is located in.

After seeing this, I can conclude that some of the people posting in this forum are either amateur Geologists looking to find out more information about landmarks that they've seen in their lives or expert Geologists looking for s discussion/debate about the field in general.

2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting debates/disagreements you found in the Reddit forums? Hyperlink us to the two different Reddit threads and explain why you found those debates interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.

Rock formations on the Moon.

How did this river cut through this gorge?

Rock formations:
I found this thread interesting because the geology on the Moon is incredibly different from the geology on Earth. On Earth, rocks can be eroded by wind or water, volcanoes are active, and there is a thick atmosphere. On the Moon, the rocks are generally undisturbed, there are no volcanoes and no atmosphere. Knowing this, I expected the rocks in the photo to be smooth. However, they looked rough and hewn. One of the commentators on the thread mentioned that the Moon is hit by meteorites so much that the meteorite impacts actually weather the rocks on the surface. I found it incredible that despite the glaring lack of erosion forces, the Moon still had heavily weathered rocks.

River cutting through the gorge:
This story interested me because, living in Arizona, I am used to seeing my own backyard gorge: The Grand Canyon. The thread was asking how the gorge in question was formed. One of the commentators argued that the river had existed on a flat plain and that mountains were uplifted around the river. As the land rose, the river cut down through the rocks, creating a deep gorge. Surprisingly, this is basically the exact same way that the Grand Canyon formed here in Arizona. It was fascinating to me that two separate locations on Earth were shaped by the same geologic processes.

3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening in the Reddit forums? Were the people in those forums talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

For the most part, commentators were rather professional on the forums. They were postulating hypotheses about various landmarks and processes and opening up discussion. I myself learned a bit more about geologic processes on the Moon by reading through the forums. Some unprofessionalism and jokes were apparent, however. On the thread asking about how the river cut through the gorge, the highest rated comment explained that the process happened very slowly. The comment offered no explanation of the process at all. Regardless, I was still amazed at the variety of discussion taking place. I was also very happy to see an independent thread on geology.

Grand Canyon National Park Service. Mather Point Pano 03. July 5th, 2012 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Evaluation of News Magazine Stories, Blog Post 2.3

Along with newspapers, news magazines remain a popular medium of information exchange. Although print readership has declined with the rise of easy internet access, many of the most popular news magazines have online versions of their articles and stories. While many magazines tend to focus on specific topics to report on, one can usually find a wide variety of stories to follow. Reading through some of these magazines on my own, I discovered that there were more than a few stories related to science and technology in some way.

Stories:

Time Magazine: A Giant Hydrogen Cloud Is Heading Toward the Milky Way

Wired Magazine: Pluto Is More Like Hoth Than You Ever Thought

1. What is the debate, disagreement or argument in the story about? Explain concisely, but with specificity and precision. Name specific people, places, things, events, dates, times and/or other identifying details.

Time Article:
The main argument being made is that the hydrogen cloud in question will not reach the Milky Way Galaxy for another 30 million years. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope made this claim. However, no other agency or astronomer has come forth with calculations to prove the Hubble astronomers estimate to be in question. For the most part, the article shares information rather than explaining a debate.

Wired Article:
The disagreement in this article is exemplified in the images at the top of the article. Both are showing concentration of water ice on the dwarf planet Pluto. However, the image on the left was scientists' earlier estimate while the image on the right shows the true concentration of water ice on the surface of the dwarf planet. NASA scientists were able to quickly correct their mistakes, however. They later theorized that ice water on Pluto acts like rock on Earth. Mountains, hills, valleys, and craters are all shaped by it.

2. Who is the most sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why do they evoke feelings of sympathy from you?

Time Article:
There is only really one group of characters involved in this story: The Hubble Space Telescope astronomers. I feel sympathy for them due to the fact that they are the first scientists to propose an estimate for when the gas cloud will interact with the Milky Way Galaxy. Their theory may well yet be proven wrong in the future.

Wired Article:
I feel definite sympathy for the NASA scientists studying Pluto. While they knew Pluto was covered in ice water, it seems as if the data they collected was false at first. Later, they found the real data. As often happens in science, later data will prove an old hypothesis wrong.

3. Who is the least sympathetic character in the story? Who are they? How are they involved? Why can't you easily sympathize with them?

Time Article:
I found it hard to sympathize with the author of this story. The author put very little information into the article. I was able to receive a quick run-down on the story at hand, but nothing more. It was rather difficult to write a blog post on it as a result.

Wired Article:
Just like the Time article, I found it hard to sympathize with the author of this story as well. Instead of referring to water as H2O, its proper chemical name, the author wrote "H-Two-Oh". For an author of article appearing on a science/technology themed magazine, it seemed rather unprofessional to me.

Roanish. Milky Way 01. July 23rd, 2011 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Twitter and What I Found There, Blog Post 2.2

Twitter has become a major platform for social media in the past few years. While Twitter users must limit the messages they post, these quick snippets of information, AKA: "Tweets", have become incredibly popular. Avid followers of famous actors/actresses, scientists, organizations, politicians, etc. can know about news surrounding their interests almost immediately. Because of this, almost every conceivable topic has Twitter feeds that at least pertain to it in some way. Being a Geosciences major, I wanted to see how involved the Geosciences community was on Twitter. Surprisingly, many people, from amateur and self taught Geologists to entire government organizations devoted to Geosciences, have gotten involved in Twitter. In this blog post, I will communicate what I found in detail.

1. What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing about or otherwise engaging in meaningful exhanges of ideas about? Give us a descriptive and clear sense of the kinds of stories you're seeing in these Twitter feeds.

Following the #geology feed on Twitter, one thing that became apparent to me was that people were sharing pictures of minerals that they either found online or actually found out in the wilderness and took pictures of. As well, many people were sharing pictures of interesting landscapes and vistas that were shaped by geologic processes such as erosion (wearing down and breaking apart of rocks) or volcanic activity (volcanic eruptions, lava flows, etc). Geology is very much an illustrative science, so it makes sense that people are sharing pictures of the processes that are studied within the field.

As well, entire organizations dedicated to researching Geosciences have posted stories on Twitter. One story announced to the world a story about how microorganisms found in a lake under a thick ice sheet in Antarctica have been producing oxygen. Other stories were bringing up new data related to plate tectonics; the motion of Earth's crust across the surface of the planet.

2. In your opinion, what are the two most interesting conversations or stories you found in the Twitter feeds? Hyperlink us to the two different Twitter feeds and explain why you found those conversations nteresting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.

Antarctic Microbes Hold Clue to Earth's Oxygen

Tectonic Activity Began 3 Billion Years Ago

The Antarctic Microbes story caught my attention because one of the major controversies surrounding Geosciences is how Earth became the planet that we know today: rich and teeming with life. Finding these microorganisms in a lake under a very thick sheet of ice gives scientists some clues about how oxygen, a very important element for life on Earth, came to be in such large quantities on Earth. The microorganisms are photosynthesizing; they act like plants: taking in sunlight and other chemical compounds and releasing oxygen. As well, these microorganisms live in extreme conditions, buried under a thick layer of ice. The fact that these organisms have survived in such harsh conditions leads scientists to believe that they existed perhaps 2.5 billion years ago, when the Earth was much hotter than it is today and had an atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide. If the organisms could live in harsh environments, they could provide the vast quantity of oxygen that fills the atmosphere today.

The Tectonics story was interesting due to the fact that it is, once again, another great controversy in Geosciences. Scientists are debating exacting when plate tectonics, the movement of crust across the surface of Earth, began. They theorized that plate tectonics was indeed going on, but could not really come up with a starting point. The report linked to the story explains that University of Maryland geologists studied the magnesium levels in ancient rocks. They found that rocks that formed to the process of plate tectonics contained lower levels of magnesium than rocks that formed before tectonics began. Comparing the magnesium levels in the rocks to the age of the rocks, they found that plate tectonics may have begun approximately 3 billion years ago. While some controversy will certainly result from this find, it is interesting to me that a theory is being proposed for such a fundamental aspect of Geosciences.

3. Overall, what impression do you get of your discipline based on what you saw happening on Twitter? Were the people in these feeds talking in ways you expected or did not expect, about things you anticipated they'd be talking about or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

For the most part, people talking about Geology on Twitter seemed rather professional. While there were some people simply sharing photos of minerals or rocks that they found, their were actual stories to ground breaking research on the feed as well. I did not anticipate that I would find as much information as I did. I figured that one or two major stories would be featured. However, just about every other feed was related to a story about researchers making an incredible find. Although, I did expect that the experts on Twitter would be sharing stories with a gross amount of scientific data and detail; stories that people outside of Geology might have trouble understanding. Plate Tectonics and Early Earth History are not easy topics to understand or research.

Our World in 250 Million Years?

Yanquen, Edward. Pangea Ultima. September 23, 2007 via Flickr. Attribution license.

Evaluation of New York Times Stories, Blog Post 2.1

The New York Times is one of the largest media publications in the world. As such, it's stories are constantly cited by other publications, professionals in their respective fields, etc. Being such a successful and reputable news source requires objective and insightful journalism. In this blog post, I will investigate two stories from the Times and report on what I read.

Stories:

New York Times, Science: Climate Deal's First Big Hurdle: The Draw of Cheap Oil

New York Times, Tech: Apple Says Sales of iPhones Have Slowed

1. Does there seem to be a "main character" or "protagonist" to the story? If so, who is it and how are they are the "center" of the story? If not, are there any important or central characters in the story at all? What role do they play?

Climate Deal: It does not seem as if there are any main characters or protagonists in this story. However, some important names did come up. Fatih Birol, the executive of the International Energy Agency, is worried that countries will forgot about the promises they made at climate talks in Paris back in 2015. Also, Amy Myers Jaffe, executive director for energy and sustainability at the University of California, Davis, believes that while lower oil prices contribute to a slow down in drilling for oil wells, it also makes driving more attractive for consumers. Overall, most of the "characters" quoted in this story play the role of pessimists. They see the low price of oil as harmful to slowing down climate change.

Sales of iPhones: The main character in this story is Timothy D. Cook, executive officer of Apple. He is the center of this story because the stock price of Apple has fallen over the past six months. Also, as the title of the story indicates, sales of Apple brand name iPhones have slowed so far in 2016. These events are placing pressure on Cook to stop the losses quickly and bring Apples' stock prices back up.

2. Where do the specific events in the story take place? Is there a specific setting? Describe the settings for the stories and how they influence the plot and characters.

Climate Deal: There does not seem to be a specific setting for this story. Opinions and information was retrieved from around the world for this story. For example, opinions from members of national/international commissions and agencies were quoted in the story. As well, information about new gas prices in Saudi Arabia and new regulations in China were also reported upon. The variety of setting in the story indicates that countries and people all over the world are feeling the effects of low oil prices.

Sales of iPhones: The story states that the setting is San Francisco, California. This setting makes sense as it is very close to San Jose, California, AKA: Silicon Valley. Apples' corporate headquarters is located within Silicon Valley. Considered that most of the quotes in the story come from Apple CEO Tim Cook or other Apple executives, it makes sense that the setting would be so close to home.

3. Is there any kind of disagreement or debate happening in the story? If so, who is participating, why are people debating and what seems to be at stake for the different characters in the story?

Climate Deal: For the most part, the contributing opinions seem to all be in agreement in some way. Climate commissions and agencies all appear to be worried about how the low price of oil will encourage people and governments to ignore taking action on climate change. Therefore, the characters, executives and experts working at these commissions or agencies, have an incredible amount to lose. They want to ensure that their voices and opinions are heard. If not, the organizations that they work for could become little more than footnotes in the realm of public opinion.

Sales of iPhones: There seems to be a debate between the data in the story and the executives at Apple. The story explains that Apple stock and sales have gotten off to a bad start in 2016. The story conjunctures that this news should worry those at Apple; especially CEO Tim Cook. However, Apple executives claim that they are not worried and that sales will pick up when Apple releases the iPhone 7 later on in the year. If the worrying voice of the Times is correct about Apple, however, Tim Cook and Apple stand to lose a huge amount of money by not doing something to bring sales back up.

Rain, Mark. Apple iPhone. August 2nd, 2007 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Course Projects, Blog Post 1.11

Reading through the Major Projects sheets, I saw that most of the writing I will be doing this semester will be focused on my college or perhaps even my own major. However, there are some major differences between the four major projects. The Controversy Postmortem focuses on a specific controversy that exists in my field of study that I must research and report in an unbiased manner. The Rhetorical Investigation will involve me interviewing various experts in my field of study and asking them about their own writing processes and techniques. A Public Argument will have me taking a side on a particular controversy that exists within my field. The Public Argument and Controversy Postmortem may then be linked by me reporting on the same controversy. Finally, in the Reflective Self-Assessment, I will read over my work from the entire semester and report on the writing changes and techniques that evolved with me throughout the semester.

• What are you most confused by or nervous about in regards to the four major projects?

I am most worried about using audio and video recording devices to complete the projects. Two of the project genres, the Podcast and Video Essay, use these devices extensively. I was never particularly good at shooting video or recording audio and throwing the two together in to a coherent and memorable project.

• What are you most interested in or excited by in regards to the four major projects?

I am definitely excited to research controversies in my field of study. Science, and Geosciences especially, is marked by controversy and disagreement. When two scientists fail to reach the same conclusion, one or the other must provide enough evidence to prove him or herself right. 

• Based on your understanding of the major projects, what are the elements of this course that you have to plan ahead for? How will the coursework described in the four project assignment sheets challenge your time management skills this semester?

I will need to devote most of my time to researching controversies in my field and editing/perfecting my audio and video recording technique. With this in mind, it is best for me to plan ahead and begin researching my field within the next week. As well, I should give myself plenty of time to rent recording equipment so that I can have some idea of how to use it.

• How has your past English coursework in high school or college prepared you for the challenges of this course? What skills will you bring into the course with you?

My honors English classes in high school exposed me to various kinds of media that can be used to make a project. In middle school, most of English was essay writing and novel reading. In high school, I was able to use video, still imagery, collages, etc. to express my ideas. The exposure to these new devices will aid me in the coming semester. While I do not have great skill recording video, I at least have some experience with it. As well, my high school teachers wanted me to use significant amounts of evidence in order to prove my points. I am making an educated guess that college will be no different!

• Do you have any questions about the four major projects that haven't been answered by the assignment sheets? What do you still want to know?

One major question I want to know is: which project do students seem to struggle with the most? If I could know the answer, I would know which project to prepare the most for. I would also like to know if English tutors would be able to aid me in building a good project. If so, their experience would be an invaluable asset. 

Geology: The Study of Earth and her processes

Beauregard, Mike. "Spaghetti Rock". September 2011 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Reflection:

Looking through the posts of my fellow students, I am relieved to see that I am not alone in having anxiety about doing a Podcast or Video Essay. The exposure to new ideas or, in this case, forms of media, can be scary. However, I must learn to adapt; college is going to be a tough experience. I feel that although this semester will be tough and tedious, it is good to know that I have others around me that feel the same way. I know that I can look to them for guidance and/or support.

I responded to Brady Thomas and Gabby Dietrich.

Investigating Genres, Blog Post 1.9

Genre in English or Literature tends to evoke thoughts about theme, tropes and plot devices. Science Fiction genre books and novels typically have tropes revolving around advanced technology or perhaps space travel. However, the word "genre" can refer to specific types of media, as well. Much like different types of literary genres, different media genres each have their own characteristics to set them apart. For example, a Video Essay involves heavy use of still imagery and cinematography, while a Quick Reference Guide involves detailed research and concise paragraph conventions.

In this blog post, I will specifically be analyzing the Quick Reference Guide media genre:

1. What purpose(s) does this genre typically serve?

Quick Reference Guides expose readers to detailed pieces of information in short but concise paragraphs. It is different from an essay in that it usually requires a great deal of research to complete and the information within the work is shown rather quickly.

2. Where, how, or in what context do readers find this genre?

Internet new stories are typically in Quick Reference Guide genre format. This genre suits this kind of work well because headline news needs to reach thousands of viewers quickly and still be detailed and thorough. Many magazine articles also use the Quick Reference Guide genre to advertise information quickly and efficiently.

3. Who is the typical audience for this genre?

Usually, the audience is people who want information on a particular topic and want this information to be given to them quickly and mostly hassle-free. Rather than reading through a College Essay on new information from the War in Syria, someone would rather read a quick news article.

4. What are some of the key features or characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?

While some online news articles or magazine stories have video or audio attachments, they are necessary for a Quick Reference Guide. This separates it from a Video Essay or Podcast; two genres built primarily on video/audio information. As well, a Quick Reference Guide is different from an Essay in that it is usually not as long lengthwise and the formatting is different (short paragraphs for a Reference Guide vs. long main body paragraphs for an Essay).

5. Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.

Quick Reference Guides are made through the use of thorough research and investigation into a particular topic. The results of said investigation are then processed into a series of short but concise and detailed paragraphs and sentences used to quickly introduce readers to information about the topic chosen. While Quick Reference Guides can utilize audio or video media, it is not a requirement.

Jenkin, Garry. "1943 News Article - Lt. Bridges Recognition". February 22nd, 2009 via Flickr. Attribution License.

Reflection:

I felt that both posts I read from other classmates were well written and descriptive. Both focused on Podcast media and explained the Podcast genre very well. Reading them, I realized that every blog post from every person in class is going to be unique in its own. For example, I include the questions that I am answering in my blog posts while others may not. This tells me that my writing process is different from my other classmates. I include the questions I am answering so that readers understand where my information is coming from. This kind of process is evident in Heavy Planner writers. I want to plan ahead what information ill be writing down. Including the questions in my posts helps me understand what I need to write about.

I responded to Marvin Chaires and Jason Boley.

My Writing Process (Blog Post 1.8)

Chances are that no two writers compose their work in exactly the same way. As a result, there are many types of writing processes. However, for the most part, the processes that writers use can be grouped in to one of four major writing process archetypes: Heavy Planners (plan their writing ahead of time), Heavy Revisers (constantly revise their work), Sequential Composers (give equal time to planning and revision), and Procrastinators (getting writing done at the last minute).

With these archetypes in mind, I answered these four questions from A Student's Guide To First Year Writing, pg 39:

1. What type(s) of writer do you consider yourself to be?

I consider myself to be a mix of both a Heavy Planner and a Procrastinator. While I try to plan ahead and get research for my paper done rather quickly, I sometimes put the actual composition off until the deadline approaches.

2. Does your writing process include several of the above approaches? Is so, which ones?

I do follow the Heavy Planner and Procrastinator archetypes rather heavily. I certainly devote a great deal of my time to finding information that benefits my compositions. As well, I do tend to get my work done just before the deadline date.

3. Does your writing process seem to be successful? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your approach?

My writing process certainly grants me a great deal of research and information to use in my work. However, the rush to complete my work before the deadline can have severe negative consequences. If I don't make any revisions to my work, it will usually end up sub-par. As well, putting my work off tends to create unwanted stress and anxiety!

4. Do you think it might be beneficial for you to try a different approach? Why or Why Not?

I think it would be beneficial for me to try being a Heavy Reviser in some of my compositions. Many times, I will quickly write up my work without checking for conventions or flow errors. It would be very helpful for my writing if I devoted more time to revision.

van der Wal, Sander. "Depressed". May 29th, 2010 via Flickr. Attribution License.