"Time Can Transform the Fantasies of Youth" By Russel Banks

     Choosing one of the articles from Writers on Writing was easy, I simply just closed my eyes and had chosen a random article. The article I clicked read, "Time Can Transform the Fantasies of Youth" by Russel Banks. The first thing I thought was, "this doesn't sound like an author giving me his opinion about the writing process." Once I started reading this article I was instantly hooked.

     Banks talks about when he was in his early 20's reminiscing on trying to make it as a writer and working at a bookstore down in the basement. Most of his time in his 20's was spent drinking heavily and hanging out with a woman from Virginia  whom he could marry and have children with. Banks being heavily depressed almost turned to a life of crime but figured out what he needed. He needed to be in solitude and give himself time to write his short stories and get idea's for different novels. So what does he do? He leaves Boston and drives towards Key West, Florida.

     I agree with the author about having solitude when writing to really gather up your thoughts and idea's of what you want accomplished. One thing he didn't mention was setting goals for yourself. I think as a writer, it can be personally overwhelming when trying to write a novel for example. It is very daunting and horrific. I am actually about to start writing my first novel this week, between work and school I haven't had much time lately. With this three week break coming in for school, you can say I'm going to take full advantage.

    My thinking has definitely changed regarding a writer's perspective in the social media environment, especially in regards to journalist's. I think journalist's and the citizen journalist need to stay close along the lines of the journalist Code of Ethics and not stray away from it. That is one of my views that has changed the most in regards of going through this course the past couple months. I never really had thought about social media and how people publish things all the time on social media sites without citing it. But I think people will start to realize that WE are all publishing things online constantly and need to have some sort of sense of ethics when publishing online.

Multimedia Tools

      Blogging is one of the better ways to get your content out their for your readers, especially if you want to get paid as a writer or even creating a blog for the business you work for. If your content is creative, there will simply be more people on your blog. Good and different content is distributed through different networks and one of the best ways to improve your blog content is by using multiple tools. With the internet we have access to images, videos, and other amazing information that can be used on your blog if cited properly. This will help your blog rank higher in the social media world.

      Most people I talk to about blogging consider it as just simply writing on the internet, but it is much more than that. Blogging is utilizing different multimedia to get a point across and today writing is just one part of the blogging world. Now a person can use videos, images, audio and other content to help improve upon their writing and to enrich their writing. Many people seem to be visual learners today and with the invent of the internet more and more people like to see images laid out in front of them for their eyes to see. When blogs blend images, videos or even audio it can create multiple contents for people and it is also helpful for businesses to give their product a single resource that is full of information using different multimedia tools. This helps promote the product or service that people are interested in. One way to get your blog out to more people is by posting a blog link to your other social media sites you use such as Facebook, Twitter and even Youtube. Any visual aids that are used on your blog can add to posts and make them more visually appealing.

     Some of the best multimedia tools to use are videos, images and audio. People love videos and images because it helps them "picture" the words or see the words in live action. Any videos or images that can help add to the text are just adding to your blog and this might result in more people becoming attracted to your blog. Many businesses that use blogs like to have images on their blog sites or even videos for that matter. It can help their clients have a better vision of what they are trying to promote/sell or advertise. Audio posts on blogs can help someone that is more of an auditory learner or person that likes to hear information being read out to them instead of reading the text themselves. People today are all about multitasking and it is nice for people to see different multimedia tools used on blog pages.



Adding images to your blog can help you grow the size of your audience!

Reading in LA

    I am fairly new to blogs, since I started graduate school I have been reading other people's blogs frequently. I am really enjoying seeing other peoples work and getting the hang of this phenomenon called blogging. I am an avid reader, I always have been, especially when it comes to reading modern day fiction. I am one of those people that rather read a book than watch a movie. I have always loved books, so it is no coincidence when I started looking up bloggers that critique books. I found a couple that I liked, but then I found http://www.readinginla.com/ and loved it instantaneously.

     Morgan Macgregor the author of the site, has a raw critiquing style and has a great sense of her voice when writing. I feel as if I know her or as if I have met her before somewhere in a book store, perhaps. But besides being a book critique, she just has a love for books in general, in which I can relate. Part of what makes Morgan's blog so valuable to me is that her background is in editing and she is an associate editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books and she is also a writer. Each one of her headlines is clear and bolded letting the reader know of what she will be writing about. One thing I like about her blog is that she is very relatable to people, she often will get off topic and explain what is going on in her life now then get straight back to reviewing the book she was currently critiquing. She seems very empathetic letting her readers know when she will be gone from the Internet for a while or wont be commenting on her blog for a certain amount of time. Macgregor also leaves her email address for followers to email her about her current book list of what she is reading so that her followers can read the books as well and make comments when she reviews a book. In addition to text, she also posts images which is nice for me because I am a visual person.

     Macgregor also posts many links within her posts on her blog, this is convenient for her followers when she references to certain topics one might not know about prior to her writing. She also seems to follow the journalistic code of ethics by citing when needed. Her content is so organized and so easy to follow.

     If you like to read fiction books and talk about fiction books this is a blog for you to read!

Press Release for Joe Paterno Death

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 


Penn State Mourns Legendary Coach 

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. January 22, 2012 Joseph Vincent Paterno of State College, PA, known to the public as a family man and legendary football coach  passed away Sunday, January 22, 2012. Paterno's death came 65 days after his son, Scott, announced his father had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Paterno was raised in Brooklyn, NY. He attended Brown University and played quarterback and cornerback for the Brown Bears and holds the career record for Brown with the most interceptions with Greg Parker at 14. Paterno graduated in 1950.

Joe Paterno at Brown University

Paterno worked for Penn State University for 61 years. As the head coach, Paterno won 433 total games, that includes regular season and bowl games. Penn State won two National Championships with Paterno, including one Big Ten Championship game.

Paterno was beloved by his players and coaches, Lydell Mitchell, who played running back for Paterno in 1972 said, "Joe's legacy will always be intact because we won't let Joe's legacy die."

Paterno was a family man and a great coach. He earned a number of honors and awards during his lifetime as Penn State's head coach: 1968- AFCA Coach of the year.

1972- Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.

2005- Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year.


Joe Paterno was survived by his wife Sue and five children who are all Penn State alumni.



A private funeral will be held at State College, January 25, 2012. After the ceremony there will be a public memorial service that will be held at Bryce Jordan Center on January 26, 2012. His legacy will never be forgotten.





Facebook Post: 

Those who knew Joe Paterno remember him for being a good human-being. Paterno's legacy will carry on and touch many lives including current Penn State students, student-athletes, staff, family, and community members. People will keep paying respect to Paterno long after his death for the family man and coach that he was.

References

ESPN. (2011, November 10). Joe paterno, graham spanier removed. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214380/joe-paterno-president-graham-spanier-penn-state

Penn State News. (2011, February 11). Paterno and win 400. Retrieved from http://news.psu.edu/tag/paterno-and-win-400

Greenberg, C. (2012, January 21). Joe Paterno Dead. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/joe-paterno-dead-ex-penn-state-football-coach_n_1221289.html

New Media Tools

Smart Phones- When I first opened up my iPhone, I was clueless to the opportunities that lay in front of me. A mobile device is, "a way of viewing, receiving, and/or sending information to and from cellular phones and other wireless devices. Mobile encompasses many things- the mobile web, mobile applications, and text messaging. The Mobile web allows you to visit websites on your device with a mobile browser" (Aidsgovteam, 2013).  This is the definition from an official government website giving you information about social media tools. I think that this is the most common social media tool, the smart phone. Most people I come in contact with have a smart phone and utilize its abilities. A smart phone is a social media tool, but with the smart phone you can get on other social media platforms by downloading applications from your phone store. Smart phones are the fastest way to stay connected and communicate with others via technology. My experience with smart phones has been a good one. I stay connected with my applications. For example, I use my Fandango application to find out movie times instantly from just about anywhere I am. I use my phone more than any other social media outlet out there.

http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/mobile/


Blogs- "A blog is a website with regular updates (often daily or weekly) called posts, that typically combine text, images (graphics or video), and links to other websites. Blogs are often informal in tone-some resemble an online diary or journal, while others provide news or organizational updates" (Aidsgovteam,2013).  There are many different types of blogs; political, opinion, breaking-news, and journals. Blogs are a good way to share an opinion or even get news out to the world quickly. It is a place for people to stay connected and write to each other about issues going on and to engage in debates about the important issues of society. A great website called Global Voices does this, they have authors that blog about issues going on around the world and try to get every single person connected. They want people to see outside their box, outside their comfort zone. People can take a small step in doing this by visiting Global Voices. My experience with blogs is little to none, this is my first blogging experience and it has been a great one. I really like writing about different issues going on around the world and getting feedback from other bloggers.


http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/blogs/


Text Messaging- Text messaging is one of the most popular forms of communication today. People are often trying to get free texting on their smart phone plans because many people don't even call people anymore. Often it is just getting a simple text message from someone; my brother told me the other day, "texting is way easier, it's fast and I can do it just about any where. I also can talk to multiple people at once, instead of just talking to one person on the phone." Texting is definitely one of the more popular forms of communication via cell phone. I  text consistently throughout my day, it is one of the main forms my wife and I use to get a hold of each other at work.

http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/text-messaging/


Social Network Sites- "Social networking sites are online communities that allow you to share information about yourself and your program with clients, colleagues, family, and friends. Many social networking sites let you upload photos, videos, create a blog, post events, join groups, and send messages" (Aidsgovteam,2013). Some of the more common social networks are Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Youtube.  Facebook is the most popular with people using this site to stay connected with friends, family, and other loved ones. These social media sites are great for staying connected with family that lives in a different state or country. These sites are great for seeing what is going on in other people's lives. I use Facebook and Skype to stay connected with family members that live in Washington state. I don't see them often, but I try to Skype with people in my family every couple weeks. I talk to family members on Facebook Chat regularly.

http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/social-network-sites/

Pursuing Cited Sources

Pursuing Cited Sources

This is an article I chose from The New York Times.

Post-Transplant and Off Drugs, H.I.V. Patients Are Apparently Virus-Free

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/health/post-transplant-and-off-drugs-hiv-patients-are-apparently-virus-free.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&hp

As I was looking over this article and comparing it to the Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources, I felt that the content that was in the article was very newsworthy and credible. This is what I found.

• It is evident that the author Donald McNeil Jr. is well established in the field. He is a science and health reporter who specializes in plagues and pestilences. He covers diseases of the world's poor, AIDS, malaria, SARS, and Mad Cow disease. In this article, McNeil writes about a certain H.I.V. infected person who suddenly has no trace of it within his system. 
• McNeil doesn't come off as biased on the matter, he simply is reporting from what he has found out. He uses several participant sources who are the doctors working on the patient who was cleansed of the H.I.V. infection. I did some further checking of the doctors he used as sources and found other articles about them dealing with the situation. 
• Another positive, is that this article is relevant and current. This article was only published today, July 3rd 2013. The on-going battle against H.I.V. and AIDS has been going on for many years. This is very relevant information as scientists and doctors have been trying to figure out a cure from the beginning. 
• This author has other published articles online. 
• The New York Times has been known to be very credible and very well rounded resource for information.

Overall, I found the articles sources very convincing after doing some digging. It is all about doing the research, even if it means going through the backgrounds of the author and the article's sources. 

The Social Media Dilemma

How do we know what we know? That is a very interesting question. Deciphering information that is given to us from the media is a start. The best way to do this is by, separating the facts from the opinions, checking our sources, and to make sure that the writer who is from our source is using credible sources. This is becoming increasingly important as we rely on these sites more and more.
 Social media sites are increasingly becoming more popular by the hour. One of the websites which I use, that is more of a community than traditional websites, is Reddit. Reddit is formed almost like a bulletin board listing the most popular to the least popular entry. I find there is one aspect of Reddit that is very interesting; opinion. Reddit is a very opinionated website where anyone can sound like they're transmitting the facts out. I believe it to be true because people are consistently fighting on Reddit, saying who is right and who is wrong.  While I think this website is very fun and interesting, I see people taking it too seriously and getting offended over certain people's comments.

Now, to give social media some credit, sometimes my first hearing of the news is through my Twitter. Usually links are given to whatever news website I am following. For the most part these sources are pretty credible. It is so funny to me that all of these big companies and news organizations have Twitter and Facebook pages. I was watching the Today Show on NBC and underneath Matt Lauer's face it read, "https://twitter.com/todayshow" 

Overall, social media websites can provide a gateway to credible sources and credible material. 
One thing I would try to pay the most attention to would be distinguishing opinions from facts. 
This way as a reader and writer you can be more self-sufficient in deriving meaning from the media. 

The New Media? What Direction Is New Media Heading?

These are certain questions that run through my mind consistently. I think to myself how much new media has changed so drastically over the years. From the invention of the Apple Iphone to the Samsung Galaxy.  Certain new forms of media that I use daily are my Macbook, Kindle Fire HD, and my Iphone. It amazes me how I can just use my Iphone to look up certain things that I might need to know, or places I might need to find. I can get on demand access whenever and wherever I am.

New social media has influenced America's society completely, I would even argue it transformed our society. An example is Facebook, which is an example of a social media website in which the users are actual participants. There are many positive and negative influences in social media. Facebook has the positive attributes within staying connected among each other in that it is easy to keep in touch with relatives that may live in another state or country. I personally speak with all of my extended family that lives in Washington and Oregon state using Facebook. Another different social media I use and enjoy frequently is Skype. Skype allows me to virtually see a family member while having a conversation with them face to face. Some negative attributes about social media is that some users have personal information on their social media pages, this could be a bad situation dealing with privacy. I had many professors who told me that many schools hiring teachers check their Facebook to make sure their is not anything on there people should not see.

Our generation has been growing up in this drastic change of technology. My parents don't even use a home phone anymore! But wait, it is not just our generation.... My Grandma has an Ipad and is always worrying about passing the next level on Candy Crush! My grandparents, I would say are very conservative and used to make fun of me for wanting my very own "internet phone". Then my Grandma goes all out and gets herself an Ipad! What I am trying to say is that everyone, when I say everyone, I mean everyone, is on the new technology phase and it is not going anywhere.


Wikipedia. (2013). New Media. Retrieved on June 17, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media.