hw: 11 HODER.COM

Hoder.com is led by Hossein Derakhshan from Canada. He writes in both English and Persian and encourages Iranians to vent about the Iran government. There are a bunch of Persian responses on his blog I couldn’t read any of the comments because they were all in Persian. The posts are about Iranian pop culture, politics, and technology. Hossein blogs in a informative style at the same time giving his opinions on the topic. His comments usually contain crude humor in more of a conversation style using profanity and puns. There are a handful of Iranian commenter’s who are disagreeing with Hossein and giving their prospective as a citizen of Iran. The blog may have been created so that Iranian citizens could speak openly about their government but it seems to now be Persians disagreeing with Hossein and telling him what the government really is all about. Of course many will probably disagree with this assertion that all the comments are people contradicting Hossein, and they are right as well because many of the comment agree with Hossein. I didn’t see any comments that could have thrown a citizen of Iran In jail like the reading suggests but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe that I doesn’t happen. The Iran Gov. is way different then the American Government so I cant judge that.

While Waldman is probably wrong that she stopped blogging because it was holding her back as a writer, she is right that blogging is a totally different writing style then when she writes novels. She claims that her blogging was taking away from her career as a writer, but it seems crazy to think that she couldn’t multi task and do both at the same time. I agree with her comment that she got used to writing in the blogging style and that it could have stated to overlap with her form novel writing. She seemed to get extremely involved in blogging and I feel that she isn’t the blogger type, mainly because most people would be able to put work and play (blogging), on different playing fields. Waldman also mentions that stay home moms feel inferior and the blogs are a great way for support. This is great, and I can understand way Waldman took such an eager interest in the blogosphere. The blogs make it possible for her to talk to other woman going through the same issues as her. I am worried at the fact that Waldman is expressing so much information and that she is letting too much insight into her personal life. She is week for exiting the blogosphere and not being able to handle both blogging and her writing career.

HW: 10 Parental control over children internet surfing

Parents should definitely be watching what there children are writing on the inter net. Middle school children are especially vulnerable to online harassment. It is so hard to monitor all the things that your kids are going on line because it is readily available and parents don’t feel like sitting there watching there kids the entire time they are on line. Online journals are a great thing and can be used wisely and safely. Problems arise when kids start to express too many feelings and give out to much information. According to M. “This one girl, she was really upset, and she would write things that had happened to her that were really scary”(P:357). She goes on to say that this girl would talk about eating disorders and sex and everything she wanted to. This was scary for me as well because we are talking about 15 year old girls. I am fearful that creep people out there will take advantage of this girl and it could scar her for life. Parents need to monitor the sites that there kids are hitting so that they can talk to there kids about expressing to much info, and be aware of predators.

HW: 6 Final Paper Discussion

The social technologies that interested me the most where: blogs, instant messaging and social networking. I chose blogs mainly because we are reading material in class that I could use as a source e for information when it comes time to write the final paper. Instant messaging is so close to home that I am obviously interested. Same kid of deal with social networking, I use Facebook.com regularly and will be able to relate to the topic personally.Overcoming racism sounded interesting to me because I already know it occurs all over the world and I would like to find out how this relates to the internet. I have an interest in the issue of refugees because it is a real issue in America today. I’m sure the internet has a role in the issue. I will mainly be researching issues in the US; on the other hand I am curious in how Europe differs from the US.

HW:5b-Should we all have a say?

In this chapter Kline explains that freedom to express your self is growing more and more popular. People are experimenting by expressing them selves through blogs. They like the fact that they can push aside the mainstream politically driven media and they can view free form blogs. I agree that this is good thing to be able to see a different source of information. The only problem with blogs is that they don’t have the reputation and credibility that the main media has networks like CNN, FOX and NBC. One of the problems with blogging is that anyone can write them and it gives armature writers the power to seem more important then they really are. On the flip side you can’t deny the fact that there are many writers who have talent and haven’t been discovered, blogs give them a chance to get there name out to the public. They also encourage people of the arts to step up and put some of there work out. Kline has a point when he says, why should we have to deal with shitty poets making blogs when we already have to deal with crappy published poets. The bloggers get a sense of empowerment, and I argue that some people should not have this empowerment. Basically blogs are making it possible for all people to have an opinion and express it. Is this a good thing or a bad thing...Think about it!

HW:1 "Just Brushed Clean Feeling"

I decided to take a look at the gum brand Orbit. When I first think of orbit I would think that that they promise a clean and brighter smile. The commercials portray people who chew orbit gum end up with a visibly whiter smile. “For A Good Clean Feeling, No Matter What” this is the quote direct from the web site. I was kind of close but they took a different append said your mouth will feel clean. They promise a just brushed clean feeling in your mouth after. In my opinion the gum delivers its promise and you definitely get a clean feeling in you mouth after. The website also promises that the gum will help you be better prepared for life’s challenges if you choose to chew. That isn’t entirely true I don’t think, unless the life challenge is kissing a girl and you need just brushed clean breath.

HW1: reading responce to first chapter of Blog!

Chapter one simply in formed the reader of the rising influence that blogs are having on politics. Blogs have been around since the 60’s and there popularity is growing rapidly. The general public is tired of mainstream media and all of its bull shit. They feel they can’t trust what they see on the news and hear on the radio. Large populations of Americans are being drawn to the crude strait forward style of blogs. The blogs are free from editing and they display debate that is pact with real facts and information. Blogs are different from mainstream media because they aren’t solely written to shape opinion but to express someone else’s opinion in hope to inform the reader of issues that might not make it in the newspapers or the ten o-clock news. Blogs are powerful if used right and can dig up dirt and uncover facts that otherwise the public would never see. Blogs usage is growing and will soon be widely used by all Americans.