Reddit and What I Found there

In this post I will be discussing information and stories I found on Reddit to aid my research component of the project. I don't know why it's been so hard to find stories with very specific events and settings, but I hope to come across more via Reddit.

JennyxYoung. "Frustrated with studying" 4/14/11 via deviantart. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 License 

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.

On Reddit, there are discussions on voting on reproductive rights, military standards for women, the legitimacy of a gender and women's studies major, sexual assault, and more. Many forums seem to be debating laws, policies, and events in pop culture. I saw a forum titled, "The Persistence of "The Bachelor" in the Age of the Independent Woman," by newrepublic.com. Some other forums are questions about double standards: Why is it considered OK for women to perpetuate the "the wife is always right, the husband is always wrong" mentality so openly and publicly, while male chauvinism is considered despicable/disgusting?"

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.

I found a forum labeled, "Abortion is not a women's rights issue" that caught my attention in the "change my view" section on reddit. This definitely was controversial, and I found it interesting because I can't help but bring in my own bias when I'm researching on gender and women. I took the time to read multiple people's comments, though, because you can never be too informed. The user who started the post says that he is pro choice, yet does not believe that a women has a right to "use their body to kill an innocent human being." However, he edits his post later on, after over 200 comments come in. The user claims now, that the argument is not black and white or that he doesn't see it one-sided. While his opinion confused me a little, other users had much more straight-forward answers. A lot of people were in favor of pro-choice and said it is very much a women's rights issue because a woman should be able to do whatever they want/is necessary for their body. I read comments mentioning "active vs. passive" in terms of aborting a fetus and I never thought of the issue in these ways, so that was gave me a different perspective. It's really a very complicated issue of ethics and I may think twice before adamantly voicing how I felt about it.

A second forum I found was "If Women have the right to be Pro-Choice then Men deserve the right to decline fatherhood." I never even thought about this before now. I suppose I could not make an informative argument on the matter because of that. The top comment, that contributed the best, most concise argument gave me a lot of insight on the issue.


This user claimed that the legal system has to pick one right over the other, when the court is faced with a father and the possibility of paying financial aid for his child. Unfortunately, the legal system can only support the rights of the father, or the rights of the child, not both. This results in burdening the father, or depriving the son, depending on whoever's rights are not supported. Typically, I just assume a father should be prohibited to give financial aid to his child. However, it is interesting that if the court is in favor of the child's rights, making the father pay financial aid, then the father must give away part of his income for a child whom he did not "consent to being a father" to. Based on the "balancing test," the father can earn back the money that's owed, while a child is only a child, and cannot support himself, so this outcome is seen as the most just.


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 aboput or things you had no idea they'd be discussing? Explain in concise specific detail.

I kept finding biased forums, or forums that only linked readers to other news sites with articles. Although people from "FeMRADebates" were discerning and not ignorant, which I really liked. Also, once I searched a specific, known problem within my field of study, I found that lots of debates with more than one opinion surfaced. I noticed that people sounded very intelligent and informed; their opinions/comments were serious and well-supported.

Considering Genre

This is an important step in project 1 because it takes time to decide on a genre. There is a lot that must be taken into account once I commit to a genre- I want to pick the genre I can work with most easily and effectively for my media story. 

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

I am still deciding on the genre. I was thinking about going for the standard essay because it's what I'm most familiar with. However, I think project 1 could be done really creatively if I choose a different genre... it's going to depend on which genre I am ready to explore and comfortable with.  I might do a QRF.

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?

Before next week's production phase I plan on committing to a genre and researching it's conventions and required materials immediately. If I do go with the standard essay, though, I will begin sorting my information and organizing an outline. If I pick a QRF, I know it is more intimidating because there are graphics involved, but I don't think I need to figure those out right away. I'd start by making a simple layout

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?

I realized I procrastinated because I could not get myself to begin the blog posts/early research and I don't know why. I think I was a little verklempt/overwhelmed. I won't have this attitude down the line once I'm more confident in my story and research because that will keep me working diligently. 

Billooh~commonswiki. "Chilly Chill LENCH MOB Throwing The W's" 4/14/10 via Wikipedia.  CC BY-SA 3.0 License

Evaluation of General Sources

For this blog post I will be evaluating sources I found that gave me information about my media story.

Research Paper via The Blue Diamond Gallery.CC BY-SA 3.0

What is the URL?

http://www.centerformedicalprogress.org/2015/07/planned-parenthoods-top-doctor-praised-by-ceo-uses-partial-birth-abortions-to-sell-baby-parts/ 

What does each of these domain names imply? Which are credible?

.com= commercial enterprise

• shows something in a favorable light; monetary reasons
• might not give all the info on a product/subject of the site
• not always credible

.edu= college level educational institution

• generally credible; sometimes created by students and not looked on by school

.org= not-for-profit organization

• religious sites may voice a clear side on an issue* (my URL in particular)
• generally unbiased and credible

.gov= U.S. gov't (federal)

• credible; all run by the fed goverment

.biz= for businesses

•  not necessarily credible, people think .com is perceived better

.name= for individuals for representation of their personal names, nicknames, other ID labels

• not very credible 

.info= stands for information

• sometimes credible

.net= entity involved in net infrastructure; any type of site

• should be inspected, not always credible

Who is the author? Are their qualifications verifiable?

David Daleiden, from Davis, California, is the author of the article. He is a 27 year old journalist, pro-life activist, and project lead for The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a non-profit organization, The group that consists of journalists who report on issues of ethics in the medical world. He has recently been in turmoil with the media over the evidence against him on his illegal activity while investigating Planned Parenthood. 

Does the Web page provide info about when it was last updated? Is there any way of determining whether the material is out of date? What sort of links are on the page? Where do these links lead you? Are the links still working?

There is a copyright at the bottom of the web page that says 2016. The story was published on July 14th. There are links to their youtube channel to the video that is the subject of the story, a website leading to the info on their Human Capital Project, and the author's contact information. All links are consistent and active. 

What is the text trying to accomplish? Is its purpose to inform, entertain, or persuade the reader? Does it appear to be promoting a commercial product, an idea, a philosophy, or some other way of seeing something?

The text's purpose is to inform, but mostly persuade. The story is about the surfacing of undercover footage showing Planned Parenthood's Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola having a discussion with "buyers from a human biologics company" appearing to be about the exchange of fetal organs. The buyers are actually actors who are apart of CMP's Human Capital Project, a project designed to expose and drag down Planned Parenthood. The article attempts to sway readers to target Planned Parenthood with them and hold them accountable for their apparent illegal actions. 

Are there graphics? If so, what do they illustrate and why?

There is a large graphic right at the top of the web page which depicts Cecile Richards, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood sharing an image with an ambiguous dialogue to the left of it. (image can be found in the article) The dialogue seems to show a "buyer" talking to Richards. The story mentions that graphic, and it seems like the author could be taking things out of context to make PP look bad.

The other graphic on the page is a youtube video titled, "Planned Parenthood Uses Partial-Birth Abortions to Sell Baby Parts." Both graphics portray Planned Parenthood in a negative light. 

Does the source seem biased, one-sided, incomplete, or erroneous? Who profits if viewers of the website believe its information to be true? Can you verify the information to be true? Can you verify the info with other online or print sources?

The source is most definitely biased and one-sided. Daleiden solely writes with one opinion in mind on the issue. If viewers believe what the website reports, David Daleiden and the CMP organization, and other people that are pro-life/pro-life activists will profit. The info has been discredited in many news sites, and the video that is the subject of the article was found to be heavily edited and deceptive. 

However, there are many CMP supporters, even after the negative media coverage. Additionally, before reporters investigated CMP and Planned Parenthood, many people reacted upset and angry at Planned Parenthood due to the video release(s). 

Does the source suggest avenues for further inquiry such as possible readings, research or links? Does it site reputable sources or note the extent to which claims in the text are connected to recognized authorities in the field? 

The source invites readers to get more information on the Human Capital project, watch their other videos, and read more articles that aim at exposing Planned Parenthood. However, the webpage fails to provide any links unrelated to their organization that support their claims. Therefore, zero recognized authorities are present in this story. 

Cluster of Stakeholders

For this blog post, I made a cluster of the stakeholders involved in my controversy.

Map of stakeholders in PP first video controversy

For the web, I showed what David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress and Planned Parenthood representatives would have to lose and gain from the video footage. Planned Parenthood could lose supporters, be defunded by gov't--or they can keep supporters and be protected by the gov't if media exposes the truth of the controversy. David Daleiden and CMP could lose credibility or be praised for attempting to derail PP.

Angelocracy News and Politics. "news : protest outside Planned Parenthood clinic in Atlanta" 8/22/15 via youtube. CC BY license. 

Evaluation of News Magazine Stories

I was having some trouble finding two-sided/debating conversations on twitter (surprisingly, given my major) so I'm happy that I have the task of evaluating other types of media. I think I can find really interesting debates within news magazines, with an actual specific event. A lot of twitter consisted of general topics, and little specificity. I clicked "The Nation" magazine link first because I read it sometimes, anyways, and always enjoy the stories in it. For a second magazine, I picked the "National Review," a more conservative platform because I think it will give me much different opinions on topics related to my gender and women's studies major.

1st Magazine: The Nation article 

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.

In the article "Why I'm Ready For More Slavery Films", by Mychal Denzel Smith on January 29th, 2016 in "The Nation," elements of an argument are present. Smith disagrees with Kara Brown at "Jezebel" in her article, "I'm So Damn Tired of Slave Movies." Kara brown does not want slavery movies, claiming there are so many out there. Meanwhile, Smith wants tons because he thinks that America would rather not feel the guilt, nor would they want to understand the societal, political and economical influence of slavery.

 Smith says that Brown, who says she will see The Birth of a Nation, wrote: "...apart of me is torn about sitting through yet another film that centers around the brutalization of black people. Frankly, I'm tired of slavery movies." Smith disagrees with Kara Brown, but that does not mean he wants more slavery movies because he likes to see the brutalization of black people... First, Smith claims that Brown's argument is NOT that she does not want more slavery films because there are too many films on the matter already out there. Smith suggests, rather, that she objects slavery films because they inflict pain, since they depict the truth of America's past; where a time existed when white people would enslave black people. Smith also contends that there really are not that many of these kinds of movies out there. He says that these blockbuster films centering around slavery may stick out compared to others stories told simply because there are little films featuring black leading actors (and black actors in general).


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?

Smith makes readers sympathize for black actors, and black people, in general in order to prove the point that America is trying to push our cultural history out of our heads. In the story it gives evidence showing the discrimination in the film industry and shows how rare it is for black actors to be casted in films. Smith highlighted that Brown and others probably think there exists enough movies about slavery due to the fact that there is a shortage of movies with black actors, to begin with.

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?

Smith's story targets Kara Brown, but also politicians, pundits, and all Americans. Smith claims that white americans don't want more slavery movies because it reminds us of our brutal past- but that we cannot forget it. You cannot easily sympathize with them because Smith portrays them as being cowardly and needing to realize that the slavery films "barely scratch the surface on any of these issues" (issues that came with slavery).

Twitter and What I Found Here

I'm a gender and women's studies major and searching for a minor. I have a lot of ideas about what I want to do career-wise, but a main job doesn't jump out at me. I think it's hard to say the career people with my degree often go into... So when I was on twitter I didn't look up a specific career, instead, I typed in things like "gender studies" and "women studies."

I found that I didn't even want to search "feminism" on twitter. There's a negative connotation to it and it's always present on social media. I typed it in anyways, and managed to find a bunch of accounts in favor of feminism (and the real feminism, the one thats definition is: "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men", not the man-hating movement that some men and women confuse it with). Also, these accounts did not only focus on problems encountered by women, but issues that affect all genders and cultures.

OpenClipArtVectors. "Emancipation Feminism Women Rights Power Fist" 10/21/13 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain License.

1. What kinds of things do people on Twitter seem to be talking about, debating, arguing 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 these Twitter feeds.

The stories I found in these Twitter feeds are a lot about advocating for women's rights and equality. I was really happy to see that these accounts did not just focus on women's rights, but equality and justice for everyone. Retweets from "Women's Rights" account included tweets on changing policies and signing petitions for things such as, the boy scout's anti-gay policies, telling FratPACt to change their sexual assault legislative agenda, and campaigns challenging Victoria's Secret's refusal to carry plus sizes.

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 interesting. Be specific and honest and be yourself. I don't want you to blah-blah-blah this. I want you to really engage.

1st story--

I heard about this new movie, "Carol" and how ABC wouldn't air it. I decided to see what people on twitter had to say about it. It's remarkable that everyone tweeting seems to be against ABC, shaming them for their homophobia by not airing a trailer that had a lesbian love scene. "50 Shades of Grey" was O-K to air because it was a hetero couple, but when there are two girls in bed showing bare backs and kissing, oh no!- That's too inappropriate for our television channel... It's 2016, yet some people can't change or keep up with the times. I find it so frustrating that media and society allow themselves to be hypocritical and intolerable. It's such a scary place for people who cannot be seen as equal due to their sexuality, race, gender, etc. It's too bad ABC can't support the production of "Carol," but honestly, I believe the movie alone has inspired people to gain tolerance and acceptance. Although there were many pro-movie tweets, I knew that there had to be people in disagreement.

ABC will not air the "Carol" movie trailer

2nd story--

I stumbled upon tweets about Caitlyn Jenner and decided to delve deeper into news about her. I came across a feed about Caitlyn winning the Arthur Ashe award for courage. I remember how this really struck a chord for some people, and it's interesting that there are so many different perspectives on the controversy. Some people believe she deserved the award because Bruce Jenner, a hugely famous Olympian and celebrity, transitioning into a women, was abundantly courageous. And could greatly help struggling transpeople or make society more accepting. However, there were also people who did not think Caitlyn deserved such an award because they thought she was using her gender transition to gain fame and publicity. Additionally, other people were not in favor of Caitlyn earning the award, but different reasons. Some people thought that someone with other, "greater," "substantial" achievements deserved the award; like soldiers that served our country. It's a controversy that continues to be mentioned and debated on twitter and social media today.

Caitlyn Jenner Wins Arthur Ashe Award

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.

I think the way users spoke on the twitter feeds were as expected. I find that a lot of twitter accounts are liberal, or the ones discussing gender issues, at least. Once I found an issue though, and dug deeper, I was able to find people who held different opinions- people angry about women complaining on some issues. When searching the feeds, I definitely was not expecting as broad of topics to be found. I think I was narrowing in on issues that hit closer to home or that I hear more about. Issues like campus assault, gender norms amongst young people, women in sports vs. men in sports... but after looking through enough accounts, I found a lot more tweets on things like the gender wage gap, assault of women refugees in other countries, and petitions for schools and learning opportunities for women around the world. It made me feel small and that I should be grateful, and upset if I found any negative opinion on the matter.

Evaluation of New York Times Stories

Articles that cover controversies in all areas can be found in the New York Times. For this blog post, I skimmed the tech and arts sections from the New York Times' website. I found two appealing stories that center around controversial topics. The first article I found from the arts category was, "'Carol' and 'Transparent': Women in Love, Then and Now," by Wesley Morris. From tech, I read the article, "Facebook Moves to Ban Private Gun Sales on Its Site and Instagram," by Vindu Goel and Mike Isaac.

Sun, Chad. "Todd Haynes "Carol " with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara dominates NY Film Critics Circle awards" 12/3/15 via Youtube. Attribution CC BY License.

Wesley Morris Article Evaluation:

1. The story focuses on the work of the directors, Todd Haynes ("Carol" movie) and Jill Soloway ("Transparent" tv show). Morris shows an appreciation for "Carol" and "Transparent" and what they offer through her comparison of the two. 

2. The story is more of a review than a controversy with a specific event, so it doesn't have a specific location/setting.

3.  Although there is not an exact controversial event being debated, the story centers around controversial elements. 

Both "Carol" and "Transparent" are controversial productions because they contain the theme of women's sexuality, which some people are uncomfortable about. Morris shows his support for the movie and show, while demonstrating their influence in a societal transition. He recognizes the positive impact the two productions have on society because of their portrayal of women. "Transparent" and the shows, "Girls" and "Younger," listed by Morris, all depict women the way women are in reality. 

Morris says, "None of these shows argue anything essentialist or supremacist about women. Women are just simply — yet never only simply — at the center of their own adventures." 

***(I realize the story is not the most effective for blog post 2.1's assignment, but it was provocative and interesting to me- I actually plan on researching more about "Carol" and the controversies it draws to potentially use for my project.)***

Vindu Goel and Mike Isaac Article Evaluation:

1. Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg is the protagonist in the story. Goel and Isaac write on Facebook's new ban. Facebook recently updated their prohibitions policy by banning the private, "person-to-person" sale of guns on their website and Instagram. Previously, they allowed gun sales without background checks to be carried out on their platform, and it was one of the most popular ways for people to buy. There is a huge debate in America on what to do about our gun laws; some people want them stricter, some looser. This is a step forward in the gun-safety movement, however, certain people aren't too happy about it.

2. There is no specific location for the event of Facebook banning private gun sale on their website. Although, the story covers one Colorado woman, out of many gun-safety advocates, Ms. Watts, who pushed for Facebook to stop the "unfettered access to guns" on the website. Colorado is a generally liberal state, and Ms. Watts' ideals come from a liberal perspective. In the controversy over gun laws, most liberals are in favor of strengthening them.

3. There is nothing in the story that explicitly shows two sides, it only shows supporters of Facebook's decision to end their indirect aiding of unlicensed gun transactions. However, it is clear that people who used facebook for unlicensed gun transactions will be angry about the policy. Many of these people happen to turn to facebook to sell guns privately, after Obama promised to tighten gun laws in leu of all the mass shootings. Anything enforcing stronger gun laws would have certain people disagreeing.

Course Projects

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

Controversy Post Mortem:

- Figuring out how to strike a balance with how much evidence/background info I provide for my audience (not too little, not too much).

-Covering all sides of the argument equally

The Rhetorical Investigation:

- Finding interviewees, planning the interview and coming up with questions

-Secondary Research for the case file. 

Public Argument:

-Coming up with my own project purpose; discovering what hasn't been said yet in my projects

-What genre would work best

Reflective Self-Assessment:

-Critiquing my work honestly and reflecting deeply 

-Making sure I don't overlook any work in my portfolio, like drafts and notes

 Also, I wouldn't be shocked to find new info from tons of different perspectives even by the third project. Incorporation might be a challenge.

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

The controversy post mortem and public argument sound the most enjoyable. I'm studying gender and women's studies, and there's plenty of interesting controversy related to that field. I'm pretty eager to start researching and toying with the genres, too. I think the projects will significantly help me get a master grasp on my major, and prepare me for writing/tasks in my future career(s).

• 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?

The project details for the Rhetorical Investigation, Public Argument, and Reflective Self-Assignment all seem to need some scheduling and planning on my part. I can guarantee this course will give me one thing (at least):

1. A wakeup call.

I can be a procrastinator, and there's really no time for that in this course. 

Time management will be crucial, I'll need to delegate myself and prioritize. I think I'll need to be on my toes when it comes to researching, and planning interviews for the rhetorical investigation will require good time management skills.

• 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 English coursework in high school was pretty different from what is expected in this course. However, my teachers made a conscious effort to bring current events into the classroom for discussion. Also, there was a big emphasis on rhetorical analysis my junior year.

I think my junior and senior year English classes gave me strong understanding of rhetoric and made me really appreciate English. I'm coming into English 109H with a passion for pop culture/understanding our society and a background of rhetorical analysis.

• 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?

If there are any good examples of a rhetorical investigation so I can get a better idea of what to expect. Otherwise, I don't have any questions at the moment.

Reflection

It seems like everyone is a little anxious about the research element in these projects and making time for the "harder" stuff. I'm gonna say we all need to just dive in and gradually become comfortable with what's to come. Alex, too, noticed we are coming out of our comfort zones with these projects. I think it was a good point she made about familiarizing ourselves with the genres; we can't decide which genre we will pair with each project if we barely know what's required for them.

Alec seemed to be on the same page as me when it came to multimedia usage in the projects. He was worried about the editing and filming-the video essay and QRF are far from the standard essay we are all used to in our AP/IB high school english courses... but I really think this course will be refreshing and it's moving in the same direction as the rest of our world with technology.

Alex's blog
Alec's blog 

Investigating Genres- The Video Essay

1. What purpose does this genre usually serve?

I think the purpose of a video essay is to give visuals and sounds that will enhance a message, or give life to a text. Sometimes I have trouble articulating and presenting my natural voice in written essays. I can see how making a video essay would help me in that area.

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

The examples I watched were found on Youtube, or other popular outlets where one can "vlog" or creatively express something.

Public Domain, TV Youtube Hf 1 Design Herbert Hirche Designer 7/2/2014 via pixabay. Public Domain Dedication

3. Who is the typical audience for this genre?

The typical audience for this genre would be people who enjoy and learn better with visuals and audio. I think video essays would appeal to millennials chiefly, because we are often in constant need of stimulation and media consumption.

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

Some key features that are unique to this genre and absent in other genres are:

• the film style 
• props
• location
• media clips 
• audio 

All three narrators who's videos I watched clearly felt passionate about the subject matter. A video essay is successful if the creator makes it personal or shows their interest in what is being discussed. The video essay's features, especially location or props, allow for the creator to be really representative of how they specifically feel on a topic.


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

Video Essay- A media that is aided by visuals and audio to get across an individual's stance on a matter; usually personal.


Reflection

I'm least familiar with QRF's and video essays. Since I wrote about video essays, I thought it'd be beneficial to read up on QRF's. I read and replied to Leah and Jacob's "Investigating Genres."

After reading Leah's, I enjoyed that she incorporated her voice/personality into her writing, especially because that's something I struggle with. I tend to sound cheesy, or try hard to "sound like myself," if that makes sense. Also, Leah nailed the definition of a QRF and was clever in literally making her post a QRF itself. Another thing I liked about her post was that she drew connections with a lot of outside, relevant info, like mentioning specific examples of where QRF's are found and for which audiences- BBC, NY Times. I think she has a strong handle on her blogging and I definitely can take a note or two from her.

Jacob's post was informative on QRF's, as well, and very concise. I'm noticing how everyone has their own style... Jacob was less wordy than me, he definitely follows the "quality over quantity" motto. I'm curious to see how we grow into our blogging selves because, at least for me, I'm not super comfortable with blogging yet. We seem to be in the same boat when it comes to the QRF's being the strange, unfamiliar genre. Jacob's explanation made them seem less intimidating, though. I liked that he added that a QRF must be pleasing to the eye- I think that is an important difference it has from a dull, textbook-styled article.

My Writing Process

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

I have never given much thought as to how I approach my writing assignments until now. I think depending on the assignment, I can be a heavy reviser, a sequential composer, and, yes, a procrastinator. If I had to pick one writer that I mainly am, I would say a heavy reviser.

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

An approach I use is writing my ideas out in a "sustained spurt of activity," like the heavy revisers. I find myself jotting ideas down and getting everything out on paper, but revising and trying to keep only what is essential. I also implement the sequential composer's technique of rereading and revising as I draft. Another approach, one that I regret being familiar with, is procrastinating- " [I] only have time to create one draft and possibly proofread it before handing it in."

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

I've relied on my way of writing for countless assignments and creative purposes and I'm usually happy with the turn out. A strength in my writing process is that I have a knack for using strong language and being detailed. Along with that, I spend time on each paragraph rereading and playing with words, like a heavy reviser. The weakness in my approach is that I sometimes fail at being concise, so my writing is wordy and lengthy.

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

It might be beneficial to try to be more of a sequential composer. Part of the sequential composer's definition is, "[these writers] devote roughly equal amounts of time to planning, drafting, and revising...relying on written notes and plans to give shape and force to their ideas." I don't think I allocate equally, and maybe if I did, I'd have less of a problem with my wordiness and cutting unimportant sentences out.

Public Domain, "Proton Zvezda Crop" July/12/2000 via Wikipedia. Public Domain Dedication License