This introduction explains how much media has evolved, and the vast differences between "old" media and "new" media. With the invention of the computer, the future of new media is looking to be very interactively centered. One of the main differences between the new and old media stems from the new media's ability to let the user interact with it. Before the computer, media was limited to books, newspapers and films. It even told how old films didn't have "re-runs", but the actors would perform the act all over again each time it was shown. The new technologies used by graphic designers are taking media to all new heights.
I really enjoyed this article, because it put into perspective how far media has come, and the constraints it had to deal with before are being eliminated by the expanding technologies of the computer. With all of these new "virtual worlds" used in videogames, theme parks, etc., it is easy to see just how much media has evolved. Graphic designers now have so many more possibilities, and a wide variety of fields to go into.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"Introduction" The Seventh Sense" by Lynn Truss and "Grammar, and Nonsense, and Learning: We Look to the Future" by Jack Lynch
I really appreciated these two articles. Both authors seemed very passionate about their subjects, yet took a sort of playful approach that made the articles very enjoyable to read. And as a student majoring in writing and editing, the subjects of punctuation and grammar were extremely relevant and beneficial to my writing.
In Truss's article, I was especially fond of all of the definitions and analogies related to punctuation. It is something that can be so easily taken for granted, and isn't used nearly as much or as efficiently as it should be. I personally feel that the credibility of a writer can easily be dismantled by their misuse or lack of punctuation. And I also know that I too am at fault. I use comma's like it's nobody's business, and I'm sure that at times they are excessive and distracting from my writing.
Lynch's article was also a pleasure to read. I laughed out loud at Alexander Graham Bell's proposal of Ahoy! being the common greeting, as opposed to hello. And like Truss, I recognized some of my own faults through his examples. The idea of the "green grocer's apostrophe" is one I sadly struggle with. I find myself throwing apostrophes into my paper like they're nothing, especially when trying to convey possession for "it", making it "it's", which in turn changes the meaning to it is.
Lynch went on to talk about how technology is having such an impact on writing and grammar, and some differences between publishings in print and those online. He quoted John Humphrys, who commented on his appreciation of "the feel and smell of good paper", which I completely agree with.
Both of these articles gave wonderful insights on the delicacy and awe of the English language, and how the misuse or lack of use of proper grammar and punctuation can have detrimental effects on a person's writing.
In Truss's article, I was especially fond of all of the definitions and analogies related to punctuation. It is something that can be so easily taken for granted, and isn't used nearly as much or as efficiently as it should be. I personally feel that the credibility of a writer can easily be dismantled by their misuse or lack of punctuation. And I also know that I too am at fault. I use comma's like it's nobody's business, and I'm sure that at times they are excessive and distracting from my writing.
Lynch's article was also a pleasure to read. I laughed out loud at Alexander Graham Bell's proposal of Ahoy! being the common greeting, as opposed to hello. And like Truss, I recognized some of my own faults through his examples. The idea of the "green grocer's apostrophe" is one I sadly struggle with. I find myself throwing apostrophes into my paper like they're nothing, especially when trying to convey possession for "it", making it "it's", which in turn changes the meaning to it is.
Lynch went on to talk about how technology is having such an impact on writing and grammar, and some differences between publishings in print and those online. He quoted John Humphrys, who commented on his appreciation of "the feel and smell of good paper", which I completely agree with.
Both of these articles gave wonderful insights on the delicacy and awe of the English language, and how the misuse or lack of use of proper grammar and punctuation can have detrimental effects on a person's writing.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
"Before You Begin" by Sullivan and Eggleston
The title of this article caught my attention. Its use of direction combined with its vagueness made me curious to see what it was about. I soon figured out it was an article about editing and proofreading, the different degrees of each, and how to do them sufficiently with a time constraint. It was organized into different subheadings, all of which were titled with a different question that editors and proofreaders have surely pondered. They ranged from "What level of work will you do?", to "Who will answer your questions?". Beneath each subheading, Sullivan and Eggleston went on to answer these questions, and to give advice on how to accomplish editing and proofreading tasks effectively.
I liked how the authors put the editing process into a continuum. It stretched from proofreading all the way to substantive editing. These types of editing are very different, ranging from just a basic skim through, looking for misspellings and grammatical errors, to suggesting new approaches and ideas. I know that I personally seem to always edit substantively, even though at times only proofreading is necessary.
This article also focused in on the idea of identifying and keeping in mind the intended audience. This is an idea that has been repeated throughout the many articles we have read, which has helped me realize just how important attending to the audience's limitations is.
Another element of this article that I particularly appreciated were the little "TIPS" boxes. These took some of the major ideas of the article and made them into little blurbs, which all seemed very helpful to a rookie editor.
I liked how the authors put the editing process into a continuum. It stretched from proofreading all the way to substantive editing. These types of editing are very different, ranging from just a basic skim through, looking for misspellings and grammatical errors, to suggesting new approaches and ideas. I know that I personally seem to always edit substantively, even though at times only proofreading is necessary.
This article also focused in on the idea of identifying and keeping in mind the intended audience. This is an idea that has been repeated throughout the many articles we have read, which has helped me realize just how important attending to the audience's limitations is.
Another element of this article that I particularly appreciated were the little "TIPS" boxes. These took some of the major ideas of the article and made them into little blurbs, which all seemed very helpful to a rookie editor.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
"Media Forms" by Sturken and Cartwright
I gained some very important insight right at the beginning of this article. I'm almost ashamed to say that, while reading this article, I for the first time realized that Media was actually the plural form of medium. It was like all of a sudden a light bulb went on, and it made complete sense! The idea that the Media is the combination of all different types of mediums now feels like common sense, though I hadn't thought of it until now.
With this new insight, I made my way through the rest of the article, which though was pretty lengthy, I really enjoyed. One thing that popped out to me was the idea that there is "no such thing as a message without a medium", which is entirely true. The way we perceive a message is so much influenced by the way in which we do so, whether it is through television, over the internet, or face to face. The medium in which a message is conveyed is such a critical part of what the message will actually put across.
Another idea I was fond of was that television is a "medium of distraction". This idea holds so much truth, and completely describes the use of the television in the majority of peoples lives. Also was the very critical idea that the lines between entertainment and information, and news and fiction, are becoming more and more blurred. The explosion of reality shows that are such large parts of television now are a huge factor in the lines being blurred. Though these shows may possess some truth, they are in no ways "news" or "information", yet their popularity many times outshines them, as in the case of American Idol.
The organization One Laptop per Child is such a wonderful project, and its success could truly have such a positive affect on the literacy and computer competency of underprivileged children. Sturken and Cartwright mentioned this multiple times, showing their belief in the great things this project, if implemented, could accomplish.
With this new insight, I made my way through the rest of the article, which though was pretty lengthy, I really enjoyed. One thing that popped out to me was the idea that there is "no such thing as a message without a medium", which is entirely true. The way we perceive a message is so much influenced by the way in which we do so, whether it is through television, over the internet, or face to face. The medium in which a message is conveyed is such a critical part of what the message will actually put across.
Another idea I was fond of was that television is a "medium of distraction". This idea holds so much truth, and completely describes the use of the television in the majority of peoples lives. Also was the very critical idea that the lines between entertainment and information, and news and fiction, are becoming more and more blurred. The explosion of reality shows that are such large parts of television now are a huge factor in the lines being blurred. Though these shows may possess some truth, they are in no ways "news" or "information", yet their popularity many times outshines them, as in the case of American Idol.
The organization One Laptop per Child is such a wonderful project, and its success could truly have such a positive affect on the literacy and computer competency of underprivileged children. Sturken and Cartwright mentioned this multiple times, showing their belief in the great things this project, if implemented, could accomplish.
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