The Final Chapter?

My type of blogging follows the format of my day to day thoughts. While I am quite the goofball in person, I like to think that my personal thoughts are serious, professional, and based off of many perspectives. I have always tried to post about controversial topics, which require our awareness as learned citizens. For example, I talk about anti-bullying, hijabs, regulation of drones, superior forms of discourse, and our dependence on text.  There are too many blogs present in the blogosphere that discuss everyday subjects, but I enjoy pushing the envelope with my posts in hopes that I can inspire someone to look at subjects with fresh perspective. I try to make the content of each post a debatable topic.

My credibility as rhetor in the blogosphere stems from my personal experience with each topic and the professionalism I use when writing about them. I do not simply read an article and discuss my view on the matter, but instead prefer to present my audience with a topic that I have encountered during my life. When I post about bullying, forms of discourse, and hijabs, it is because I have personally encountered or worked with these subjects. Even if it is a subject to which I will likely not have firsthand exposure–drone warfare, for example–I make sure to familiarize myself with the subject through the use of many resources from different mediums.  In regards to professionalism, my posts address the point directly; no fluffy writing is present. Also, I avoid using extra effects, like emphasis through capitalization, bolding, font change, spacing, etc. The images I post pertain strictly to their respective topics and add visual credibility to my posts; I strive to make the images as practical as possible. For example, when writing about drone regulations, I used images of the websites that were under study, and I also threw in a picture of a drone chasing down a man. As for commenting, I present strong arguments, but I try not to discourage the blogger, even if they do deserve it at times. With my commenting style, I try to promote educated discourse between the blogger and myself.

In all honesty, when I first began writing this blog, I had no intention of continuing it after the class was over; however, now that I understand blog culture, I will continue writing The Daily Persian. I knew I wanted to continue blogging after I made a comment on one of Everyday I’m Rustilin’s political postings. After writing the comment, I felt the sudden urge to share my opinion with others in hope that I could shed new light on an important political issue. My future blog posts will strictly be about political issues, which will hopefully encourage conversation with those whose views conflict with my own and with the views of others. I would like my posts to enlighten my readers so that they can ask me questions, thus enlightening me. This exchange of information is what makes a blog special to me.

• The posting that was most helpful for your development of the final digital activism project, and why. (Be sure to briefly explain or link to that project to help illustrate your explanation.)

EDM & Drones benefited me the most in completion of the activist project, because it allowed me to observe Droneswatch.org and ACLU.org in a comparative manner. This comparative analysis allowed me to list the pros and cons of each site, ultimately allowing me to decide which work was better from an activist perspective.

• The posting where you stretched yourself most intellectually, technically, creatively, and/or rhetorically, and how so.

My Talk or Text post required the most out of me in all of these aspects. I had to remove myself from the natural element of text and imagine what it would have been like if text didn’t exist. Then, I had to present my argument in manner that would not be considered excessively radical by others, and doing this test technical and rhetorical skills. I had to use familiar examples to keep readers tuned in with my atypical view. I also had to tie in a great deal of reasoning to each of my claims, because with a topic as controversial as this one, many are quick to discredit the writing and bandwagon with the opposing side.

• Your best use of an image or other media to illustrate or enrich your posting, and how so.

I used my most effective piece of media when I posted The Truth About Bullying. You can write about spoken word poetry forever, but until you personally experience the verbal weight of the words and pauses, the true meaning of the poem is not understood. My writing on the subject would not have held any merit if the video of the performance itself was not shown.

• Your favorite posting by someone else in class, and why.

When She’s a Jar with a Heavy Lid posted the recording of her spoken word poem, I was speechless. The amount of courage and pain it must have took to write and record that poem is unimaginable to me. The poem hit me so hard that I was tearing up by the end. Those powerful words taught me a lot about how death is stereotypically handled in society in contrast to how it should ideally be handled.

Photo Credits:

https://www.flickr.com/people/jonnygoldstein/

 

 

 

 

Talk or Text

Have you ever had to look back in your notes or search the Internet for something you learned months ago in class? Many of us, including myself, do this on a daily basis, and it exhibits our generation’s dependence upon writing; however, this should be of no surprise since there is such a vast quantity of text available to be accessed within seconds from either a phone or computer. This dependence has made both the mind and memory of many in our generation weak.  Personally, I feel much less inclined to remember information, because I always know I am just one Internet search away from an answer. Such ease of access is detrimental because we are focusing less on our memories, and more on the resources around us. Learning something to heart requires an intimate experience with the subject that can stimulate the mind, and ultimately our memory. Receiving information by the mouth of another is the best way to stimulate the mind, and it encourages students to ask questions, thus creating a tangible memory which can be accessed easier and used to formulate new ideas. Real learning and evolution of ideas occurs during academic discussion, not through search engines or databases.

It is not to say that the amount of text that we possess is worthless, but that society’s shift towards text instead of discussion has created a roadblock for humanity. Written text is definite; it has a start and an end, and its ideas cannot evolve or be argued with. A book or a Google search will only take you as far as the text allows, but there are no boundaries when a live discussion is underway.

More importantly, there might be times where access to text is limited or censored and, during such times, live discussion will be key in spreading knowledge and engaging the minds of those with whom we associate.

Image Information:

Charles F. Cooper

http://www.coopertoons.com/merryhistory/socrates/life_of_socrates.html

EDM & Drones

 

     I have always had a passion for EDM, or electronic dance music. EDM is a large category containing more specific subgenres, such as trance and dubstep. Personally, I find trance to be my favorite subgenre. Its repetitive, 138 BPM note pattern keeps me energized and wanting more. The heart-felt melodies of trance music literally put me into a state of trance; it’s as if I’ve entered another world. While trance is able to evoke surreal feeling inside of me, dubstep, on the other hand, does the exact opposite. The down-tempo unpredictable musical structure of dubstep puts me in a confused state. The high-pitched screeches and wobble bass are extremely annoying, and the lack of organization between its elements is enough for it to not be considered music in my opinion. Although this dichotomy of EDM subgenres seems irrelevant, it can conceptually be used to obtain a deeper understanding of the activist project which my group is undertaking.   It shows how one element can lack substance when compared to another.

Drones have received a negative reputation due to the fact that they kill many innocent civilians, and can secretly be used to observe domestic activity. Global Drones Watch, a coalition campaign which monitors and regulates drone use, took the initiative to organize an activist website where users could learn about the drone issue and support the cause by donating, calling Congress representatives, signing petitions, protesting, and joining other organizations which promote the cause. Interactive resources, such as flyers, reports, and presentations, are also available. The site gives users the opportunity to sign up and join the campaign, allowing them to receive more information and become active in the campaign.

A similar activist text related to the subject would be the drone page on the ACLU main website. This page, unfortunately, lacks some of the activist qualities present on the Global Drones Watch website. Granted, the ACLU page contains much more in-depth information on the subject, but in terms of activism, the page doesn’t really allow users to get directly involved. Users can only indirectly support drone regulations by either signing up for the news feed or by donating.  Overall, the ACLU page serves better as an information database for the subject, but the Global Drones Watch page is better in combining information and activism into one well organized work.

Image Information:

Screenshot of droneswatch.org home screen navigation bar

Visual Analysis

Droneswatch.org and aclu.org/blog/tag/drones contain visual elements which advocate a negative stance towards drones. Drones appear are a predominant theme in both of the websites.

The ACLU website creates a very patriotic mood through its use of a red,white, and blue color scheme and the pictures of the Constitution and the Statue of Liberty. The font choice of the text is academic in nature, and overall, presents a professional text. Social media sidebars advocate sharing of any ACLU article. This material appears  to be intended for a libertarian, educated audience. Without reading the actual text of the webpage, a reader would not know that this artifact deals with drones until the bottom of the page where there are pictures of various drones. One of these drones is even firing missiles, and another is taking over america, so anti-drone violence could definitely be a viable subject on this page. Another picture that really catches the eye is the picture that shows a drone superimposed on top of a picture of America. This picture implies that the article attached the the picture will have an Orwellian tone.

Droneswatch.org is nowhere near as patriotic as the ACLU page, but the website presents its materials in such way that it is obviously an activistic work. Multiple crosshairs on the page demonstrate violence advocacy, and the flags of Pakistan, Yemen, and USA hints towards a collaborative initiative towards a united cause. The top banner has a picture of a drone flying into the horizon, it is obvious that this webpage will deal with drones in some way. You know, just in case you missed the fact that the website is called droneswatch. Pictures of delegation meeting and a protest in the streets of pakistan also hints towards a democratic effort to solve issues in general, and this can easily be extrapolated to imply a democratic solution to the drone issue. Also, if the audience is news savvy, then they can infer that the website is advocating for some sort of similar protest with the drone issue.

When comparing the two websites, droneswatch.org appears to be a lot more casual because of the use of exessive spacing between the paragraphs and the usage of brightly colored text that is lined on a plain white background. On the other hand, aclu.org appears to be more academic. Of the two, droneswatch.org is a bit easier on they eyes due to it’s blog esque layout, but both are visually attractive.

Digital Activism

Ardentvalkyrie, Ramblings from a Disgruntled Yeoman, and The Daily Persian Will be completing the digital activist project as a group. After a group discussion today, we agreed to the analyze an activist text which would support regulation of drones both domestically and internationally. We found many activist texts on the subject, but we decided to settle on the stance that the American Civil Liberties Union took towards drones. The specific text can be found here: https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/drones. We are committing to option II, and we will write a 6-8 page paper giving a rhetorical analysis on the text.

Image Information:

image credit to Mary Wakefield of Spectator.co.uk

http://cdn.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/0408_cover_image1.jpg

 

 

Midterm Blogfolio of the Blogosphere

I created my blog The Daily Persian towards the beginning of this semester, and ever since then, I have noticed that this blog has started to become a part of me.  Elements of my personality and preferences are more and more evident with each of my posts.

When I initially created my blog, I wanted to use a format which was both appealing and efficient. The best layout for me was the Writr theme. It uses peaceful colors and allows my blog to be split up into different sections–blog roll, recent posts, recent comments, etc. I also used the setting which added extra content space so that I could write more without having to scroll down multiple times for each post.  As a whole, my blog post isn’t flashy or covered with photos. The warm green color on the homepage welcomes readers, and its ease of access allows for efficient interaction between my readers and myself.

My main goal in each of my blog posts is to not censor my thoughts. I want to show my audience and members of the Triumphant Trio that my blog is unique and possibly controversial. Although I’ve only written a few posts so far, I try to make the content of each post into a debatable topic. I believe that a blog should enlighten both the audience and the blogger. By posting about a unique topic, the blogger presents the audience with a new point of view, and the audience can enlighten the blogger by posting thought-evoking questions. This exchange of information should exist in a successful blog. My “What’s on the Inside” and “The Truth Behind Bullying” posts both present controversial topics which encourage logical discourse. “What’s on the Inside” talks about the hijab and how the women wearing it are judged, and it also gives an example of the comments others posted about the subject. I chose this topic because we have all seen someone wearing a hijab at some point, and that piece of cloth wrapped around the head can make us immediately judge someone before we get to know them; therefore, it is nice to see what others think about this subject which is somewhat hidden in our society. In “The Truth About Bullying,” I was able to use a YouTube video to explain the mental processes which create and motivate bullies, and I believe that this video presents a side of bullying which is not discussed or understand.  Overall, a main goal in my posts is to help share new perspectives with my audience in hopes that they will engage my post and enlighten me with their perspectives.

I would say that my writing style is very direct and formal. I try my best to present the topic as clearly as possible. Usually, I begin each post by introducing the topic and stating facts about it. Next, I start to give my personal insight on the subject and explain my analysis. Depending on the subject, some of my posts are more exciting than others, but I always try to present a unique, personal viewpoint of the topic.

As a reader, my favorite topics discussed have been those posted by my peers in the Triumphant Trio. While many of the mainstream blogs I encounter online are about personal stories and daily events, the members of my trio never fail to find intellectual postings which enlighten me about new subjects. I was blown away when SHE’S A JAR WITH A HEAVY LID posted about the sexual assault survivors, because I would have never thought that the people in charge of our safety would have responded to innocent victims in the way they did. Also, THEFAULTINOURFRECKLES’s post about Denish Frohman and her plea to straight people really taught me a lot about the LGBT community and the way they are treated by our society.

o A posting you revised, and why (if you haven’t yet revised one, do so now).

I actually revise most of my posts. After I write a post, the subject of the post usually sticks with me for the next couple of days, and at random times I will think of something new I want to add to a previous posting. For example, when I wrote “What’s On the Inside,” I only included two comments, but I later revised it to include more comments, each having a unique purpose.

o The posting where you stretched yourself most, intellectually, technically, and/or rhetorically, and how so?

I really expanded my mind when I wrote the post about online discourse. I had to expose myself to a type of discourse that I had never experienced before. While the whole experience seemed odd, I had to separate myself from the attachment to public discourse, and think about the pros and cons for both public and online discourse. Writing this post taught me a lot about opening my mind to new methods of problem-solving.

o Your best use of an image or other media to illustrate or enrich your posting, and how so.

My best image would have to be the photograph by Shahrzad Ahar I used in my post “What’s On the Inside.” The subject of the post was about the hijab and how it is judged by many in our society. This photograph directly relates to the subject because it presents an image of a woman looking one direction with a hijab and looking in the opposite direction without a hijab. The picture is beautiful because it shows how one article of clothing around the head can change our perspective of a person.

o Your best comment to another person’s blog, and why

My best comment was in response to THEFAULTINOURFRECKLES’s post about online discourse and her thoughts about the experience. Although I disagreed with her, I feel like I presented a logical argument which used both of our views to create a resolution on the topic. I gave a good explanation of why online discourse would be beneficial for some and harmful for others.

o The best discussion-building comment posted to your own blog by someone else

I enjoyed SHE’S A JAR WITH A HEAVY LID’S comment on my “What’s On the Inside” post. She made me give supporting evidence for the statements I used, and she also asked some very important questions which stimulated my mind to think deeply about the subject.

o Your favorite posting by someone else in class (in or out of your quad), and why

THEFAULTINOURFRECKLES’s posting “YouTube as an Agora” was my favorite posting in my trio. She gave a flawless introduction which explained her title. Then she chose a video that opened my eyes towards the LGBT community. Her video of choice gave me a new perspective on how the homosexual community views the behavior with which the straight community treats them. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the video was also given, and I thought this was important because she presented it in a professional, non-biased manner.

Journey Through the Gates

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to see Henry Louis Gates Jr. last week when he came to OCU; however, I had a good friend of mine record the event for me.

In the one-on-one interview with Time, Gates had an informative and formal persona. He answered questions in a detailed manner, and his quality of speech was very professional. His best quality, however, is that he is able to keep the viewer engaged by inserting subtle humorous references and stories from his past.

After watching his presentation at OCU, my view of Henry Gates changed in good way. Gates came on stage and introduced his discussion with a video of his PBS documentary, “African American Lives”.  When the video was over, I expected Gates to begin a stereotypical, in-depth discussion of the documentary, but he completely broke away from my expectations. Henry Gates begins speaking very casually about his education, and then his childhood comes up. Gates used regular conversation language, and because of this, I felt comfortable and intrigued to hear what was coming next.  As a rhetor, Gates takes his audience through a journey. He has a start and an end, but he does not follow the same direct path other rhetors do; instead,  he follows a logical path from his father, to his childhood and college years, and finally he moves into his motivation for his own family tree.  This path allows Gates to use humorous, casual language that will engage the audience, rather than bore them.

Gates is an intelligent rhetor and a smart tactician.  He can be highly informative, brief, and persuasive in a short interview, and cool and captivating in a longer discussion. Either way, Gates never fails in connecting to his audience, and because of this, he can take the audience wherever he wants. Gates knows people and he knows what kind of qualities his audience wants to see in his presentation. It is for these reasons that Gates is one the most skilled rhetors I have ever seen.

The Truth Behind Bullying

This video presents a unique piece of spoken word poetry. Three unnamed poets are shown in this video. Two of the poets take the role of a bully, and the last poet is presented as a victim. The two poets who are speaking as bullies begin to explain the catalysts in their life which turned them into monsters. One of the bullies says, “My house used to smell like broken summertime and expired pain medication, and I just want to throw a brick where my soul used to be, and sometimes I just want to hurt something”. Next, the victim recounts his past experiences with bullies in which he was injured, urinated on, and completely degraded, and when he tries to forget, the Youtube video of his memories are receiving more views. Finally, the victim walks the audience through the mind of a bullied victim. He mentions that he went through such anger to the point where he was willing to murder his harassers, but then he lost all hope. He is dead on the inside, “feelings are gone, no connection to reality”, and with this last judgment, the victim commits suicide. The goal of the three poets is to present the concept of bullying by using the perspective of both the bully and victim. This presentation shows the audience the sides of bullying which are not really discussed, such as the development of a bully and the personal, mental consequences of bullying. Each Poet accomplishes this by speaking the mind of their representative characters with use of extreme detail. The audience of this presentation would be those people who are not aware of the deeper intentions and consequences of bullying, and I say this because each poet goes deep into their persona feelings so that the audience can fully grasp the concept. There is special connection with the audience, because the story depicted by the three poets is a true story, but what really blew me away was the quote at the beginning, “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us…while we live.”

The Future of Interaction

A preview of online discourse between members of my group

          The completion of a group project via online dialogue and interaction is quite helpful. I have never done a group project like this before, and I have to admit that the idea seemed ludicrous at first; however, once the online interaction started, I immediately loved this method of communication since it bypassed many of the problems present with physical interaction. Had this been a typical group project, four people would have been crammed next to one laptop screen, and everyone would be yelling ideas into the ears of the typist. Not only would this be annoying, but the communication overload actually hinders the expression of quality ideas. Plus, many of us think better in quiet environments. Through our Google Doc, each group member was able to answer questions without the interruption of others. Also, other group members could review the material and revise it if needed. Another pro of online interaction is the ability to type—by typing, I am able to polish ideas before expressing them, but when trying to communicate through speech, everything is just poured out in an unorganized mess.  Communication through the Google Doc also made the review process much more efficient since it is somewhat anonymous. I was able to critique the work of my group members without having to worry about their reactions to it. The truth is that we censor our criticisms when we are physically communicating with others in hope that we do not hurt their feelings. Overall, I enjoyed the online dialogue, and I have to say it is probably my preferred method for group interaction. It is also important to get used to this kind of interaction, because I believe in this age of technology, many of us will be dependent on it in our careers.

What’s on the inside

      “I Took Off My Hijab…” by Leena Suleiman is a blog post which briefly discusses the social barriers of wearing a hijab. One morning, instead of showing her hijab, Suleiman accidently covered it up with layers of clothing due to the cold weather. She noticed that throughout the day, men and women would speak to her, and actually approach her. Once realizing that her hijab was covered by clothing, Suleiman came to a realization—she says, “I had never realized that with my hijab, I am given less respect and love and am not as accepted. I had always thought that the type of treatment I am exposed to is just how the world is. I didn’t know that people could be nicer.”

      I found this article in the Huffington Post, which is a mainstream blogging website. The commenters for this article are named bloggers, each having their own fan base. Ten of fifteen comments are based on the content of the article itself, and most of these comments are logical, except for one which said, “If you wish to dress certain way and be treated like you belong, go where everyone dresses that way, and deal with the roadside bombs, sharia law crap or whatever goes with that.” The majority of comments presented new opinions and information on the topic, which allows for the successful engagement of productive arguments and elevated thought. For example, Bob C. expresses himself by saying, “Such a shame that something that should be beautiful, someone’s religion, can end up being a barrier.” Bill O’Brien expresses his view to Suleiman directly, saying that “A large part of your [Sulieman’s] perceived “isolation” is probably due to ignorance on the part of non-Muslims being afraid of offending you [Suleiman] in some way.” Other commenters also requested information; for example, Justice Seeker said, “I don’t have enough personal experience with observant Muslim women to know if they engage with non-Muslims the same as they do with Muslims. Can anyone offer some anecdotes?” Overall, the commenters were very engaged in the article, and I believe they presented their views in hope that future readers will analyze the article from multiple perspectives.

Article Link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leena-suleiman/i-took-off-my-hijab_b_4777447.html

Image Link:

http://emergentartspace.org/crossingborders/#&panel1-44

Photo by Shahrzad Ahar

Title of Photo:

Hijab:Crossing the borders between traditions and modernism