Website Effectiveness

To solve the problems I listed in my last blog post, I decided to put the counterargument scattered throughout my paper. There was one paragraph dedicated to the counterargument, but I put the rest in one-liners in almost each paragraph. I feel like it did the job best.

Ineffective vs. Effective

Ineffective:



"ALIEN SPACESHIPS TO ATTACK EARTH IN NOVEMBER 2012!"

http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/26535/alien-spaceships-to-attack-earth-in-2011/

It says "the world's only reliable news" and this doesn't give them any credibility because there are other sources of reliable news. The topic also isn't believable. 

"Spaceships--My Passion"

http://artships.com/

The design is very poor and even though we haven't learned about it, it looks like a ten year old made this. It just sported spaceships and didn't give any real information.

"Latest-UFO-Sightings"

http://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/

The content and the reasoning for the content were ineffective to me. 

"Universal Uclick"

http://www.universaluclick.com/comics/peanuts/

I just didn't think that it effectively spoke to me personally because it wasn't a topic I was interested in. I enjoy old time comics but the website wasn't appealing enough.

Effective:

"DSW"

http://www.dsw.com/?cm_mmc=google-_-Brand%20DSW%20Only_E-_-DSW%20Only-_-13446485

I love shoes and I think how they set up the website is appealing and I know they guarantee good business.

EPA Water News

http://water.epa.gov/

When researching water, I trust this site to give me accurate information because it has a .gov and the information is given by the EPA, whom I also trust. 

"CNN"

http://www.cnn.com/

I feel like this is a creditable source. Obviously there will be some discrepancy among stories but for the  most part, it is effective. 

"Happy-Dictionary.com"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/happy

I think dictionary.com is effective because it is able to give you the information you need and is simple and easy to work.

Paragraph w/o Patchwriting

Most of the time, we see “myth” as a false tale or some type of ritual other cultures perform, which we think doesn’t actually work. This definition can undermine the beliefs of others, but in consequence, it supposedly reaffirms our own. It is also what makes myths so intriguing because there is an element of mystery and possible truth. 

-The hardest thing was picking a topic, but now that I have chosen, it is difficult to figure out how to order the paper. Meaning, what is the most important topic after the opening paragraph and where should the counterargument go; should it be apart of each paragraph or it's own separate one?

Life-Lessons Learned in the Library

        I actually learned a lot from the class that we had Monday teaching us how to research. It's always been a struggle to figure out the most accurate sources to use when writing a paper. This is because all of our lives, we have grown up using google and clicking the first address that pops up. We rarely went through our schools online library search engine. It was only when we were forced to cite those types of sources, that we did so. We are so used to doing things that are easy and convenient. That is why we have microwave dinners and walking escalators. We are always in a hurry and we want the quickest way to get information. One thing I did learn in this class is that even though citing a book seems strenuous, it is not necessary that the whole book is read, just skim and find what you need. This method we used can still be applied to in-depth research, and should be applied. It is more effective if you are searching through titles and topics to find the article or information that most accurately represents your work to portray it most effectively. A way to find specific articles that are relevant for your topic is, in fact, using the search engine provided for the library. On our BYU page, you simply click on the Subject Guide tab and the the Course Guide tab. Then for this particular research assignment, we use the Writing 150 website and the search tools provided there. There are many ways to go about finding what you need. It offers a way to find books, find topics and narrow your search. The site is very simple and easy to understand and really helps provide information. I feel like it has opened my eyes to an easy way to obtain healthy and creditable articles. We are lucky to have a school that doesn't only have these sites and opportunities but teaches us how to use them.

Proposal

       I chose to do my topic on "Relationships affected by Internet". So in essence, I want to write about how social media can effect relationships. This isn't limited to the relationship of a boy and a girl, but all relationships: the relationship with children and their parents, the relationship of friends, and the relationship between a new married couple. The internet will always bring implications to a relationship if it is present or driving force in their lives. My initial stance is that social media negatively effects the relationship between newly weds. It also negatively affects parents and their children unless they are living far away. I still haven't produced my stance on friends, I think it may have duel implications. My research question will be more narrowly focused in order to find out more information. I am asking: How does Facebook effect these three types of relationships, and is its effect positive or negative? Should people refrain from using it to strengthen relationships? What barriers or break-throughs come from it?
      I have found some while researching that Facebook has been proven to do. It has been proven to make people jealous. This is an important thing when addressing newly weds and friends. It has actually been proven to predict break-ups as well. Some people are more bold on Facebook, this makes it easier to say how they are feeling. When you can be this open, it offers a way for people to be more kind. They are able to compliment more freely but it also offers a way to destroy someone's self-worth. This brings a different element of a relationship with the openness. I care about this topic because I feel like it is a current issue in our generation. Facebook has a real effect on how we interact and I want to know more about it and figure out if there is a way to solve the problems and highlight the strengths. I hope I can find 9 pages to write about because I really like studying relationships!