Blog 5

After reading the prompt for this assignment, I immediately thought of the Apple commercials. Apple computer advertisements typically use the human/computer metaphor in their advertisements. Specifically, Apples uses a dorky man with glasses represents the PC and the young hip man represents the Mac in their advertisements. Interestingly, Apple’s advertisements plays on what Deborah Lupton describes in the book “The Cybercultures Reader” as the “hacker’s body.” Lupton states, “computer nerds” or “hackers” are “…typically portrayed as social misfits and spectacularly physically unattractive: wearing thick unflattering spectacles, overweight, pale, pimply skin, poor fashion sense” (424). It is as if Apple used this stereotype to create their representation of the PC. Conversely, Apple’s use of the young hip man to represent the Mac is the antithesis of the PC. Additionally, the younger man is cool and confident whereas the older man is nervous and twitchy. By adding theses persona to represent the computer, Apple is playing on the human/computer metaphor that is highly effective in the marketing world. In the video I am using as an example of Lupton’s article, PC vs. Mac are shown as having emotions that computer hard ware does not have. This is also representative of Lupton’s article in that it shows the emotional relationship one has with an inanimate object like the computer.

I think one of the most important aspect of this class is the continual reinforcement that we are a product of our culture. As DTC majors it is important to know how to use digital rhetoric. Whether the rhetoric is images or text, one needs the skill of choosing the correct rhetoric for the correct situation. In her article, "Can You Hear Me Now?" Sherry Turkle describes the dangers of life in the digital world as "... tethered life is complex; it is helpful to measure our thrilling new networks against what they may be doing to us as people" (Turkle). Importantly, it is important to persuade an audience ethically,whether one uses ethos, pathos, or logos as a method of persuasion. Finally, as consumers in the digital age, we need to understand rhetoric is used to persuade us into buying others ideas.

Works Cited

Lupton, Deborah. "The Embodied Computer/User." The Cybercultures Reader. By David Bell and Barbara M. Kennedy. Second ed. London: Routledge, 2007. 422-32. Print.

Turkle, Sherry. "Can You Hear Me Now? - Forbes.com." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. 07 May 2007. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0507/176.html.

YouTube - Mac vs PC Commercial - Counseling. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 17 Nov. 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPvW4eQ5kAY&feature=BF&list=PLC21A207065DDF109&index=21.

Blog 4

I disagree with Bauman’s notion that virtual communities are somehow less permanent than real-life communities are. Bauman describes how people participating in virtual communities know their bonds will not last, stating, “they are, literally, bonds without consequences.” (258) Bauman appears to be implying real-life communities are permanent. This is not the case. In America, we are all free to mingle with whomever we wish. We can come and go as we please. An example of this is abandoned children. If Bauman were right about Real-life communities or bonds being permanent then there would be no abandoned children. 

Additionally, to me, all communities are “pegs,” not just virtual communities. I am involved with many different communities from Facebook to student life at WSU. As a real-life “peg,” my life as a member of the WSU community will soon end. When I graduate, I will move on to another community, which will lead to many other communities. Further, I entered the WSU community knowing it would be short lived. My intention when I entered WSU was to get through the education process as quickly as possible. Finally, I prefer my real-life community at WSU to be exactly what Bauman describes a virtual community as one that will “cause little inconvenience and arouse little or no fear.” (258)

Assignment 2

http://creativecommons.org/

http://www.deviantart.com/

Both online communities primary focus are to share, remix, and reuse artwork and creative ideas, legally. I use both sites to get ideas, textures, and images for my homework designs. Although each website has a different appearance, they generally serve the same purpose. This purpose is to allow artists to share their work as well as their creative ideas. As a DTC major, I can go to either site, find what I am looking for, and know in what capacity I can use the artwork. This is due to both Creative Commons and Deviant Art has the use rights listed on the same page as the artwork.

Works Cited

Bell, David, and Barbara M. Kennedy. "Webs as Pegs." The Cybercultures Reader. London: Routledge, 2007. 258. Print.

Blog 3

Yahoo! is a web portal, which is very popular with some Internet surfers. Web portals, as explained by Burnett and Marshall are “organized access points that allow the user to move outward via web rings of linkages on particular areas of interest” (91). In evaluating Yahoo! web portal, one can see what Burnett and Marshall mean by the user being able to link to any area of interest. On Yahoo! there are news sources, weather links, and entertainment news just to name a few. The aspect I like about Yahoo! is I am able to open the portal page and see many different genres each with snippets of information. If I am interested in the news I can link to local, national, international, or entertainment news quickly from Yahoo!. 

On the other hand, Google's portal is very plain and all information is hidden behind only a few links. To some, the plain portal is easier and less intimidating. For me, since their really is nothing of interest on Google's portal, I bypass it completely and conduct my Google searches from the "Google search" at the top of my Firefox browser.

Additionally, I like how the user is able to create their own Yahoo! page they call My Yahoo!. The user can design Yahoo! with their own color and content choices. In addition to being customizable, another reason Yahoo! is popular is they have the look and feel of newspapers or magazines. In particular, Yahoo! has designed the site to have short bursts of information about many different genres all hodge podged together.  This allows Yahoo! to draw a much larger crowd than a more specific web portal. 

Since I have used Yahoo! for many years, I find it an efficient source of information. I am not too easily distracted, so I am not annoyed or overwhelmed by all the information. As a college student, I am always online researching information for my homework. Because of this, some days Yahoo! is the only source of news I am able to receive since I am too busy for newspapers, radio, and television.

Works Cited

Google Web Portal. Digital image. Google.com. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://www.google.com/>.


My Yahoo! Digital image. MyYahoo.com. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://my.yahoo.com/>.


Yahoo! Web Portal. Digital image. Yahoo.com. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://yahoo.com/>.