In retrospect.
This is the end a wonderful experience, if anything it was definitely enlightening. Creating this weblog would prove useful in the near future as I have learned a lot from Ms. Jenny and through all the research that has been done. This is my first time doing a weblog and I know it won't be my last time, especially being in the communication and media management field. I have learned that living in a modernisation era, cutting-edge technology introduced to us everyday is only going to be helpful and practical to our daily lives. It is already happening now as we can see our reliance on technology that is improving vastly day by day. What may be new today, may be obsolete tomorrow. On that account, we must learn to appreciate it and embrace it to ensure that we are constantly updated, up to par with globalisation that guarantees a competitive and productive future ahead. Thanks for reading.
Angry Birds
It seems these days you can point at anyone and they would probably be on their iPhone killing little green pigs with a wide range of birds at their disposal. This phenomenon is more widely known as the 'Angry Birds' phenomenon. If by now you have no idea what 'Angry Birds' is, there is a high possibility that you have been living under a rock or you are just a bad liar. I hope it is the latter. Some of you might be going, “Oh, I’ve got no iPhone” but fortunately the game is now made available on Android, PC, iPad, Nokia etc.
Rigney R, 2010, The Origins of Angry Birds, PC world, viewed on 11 June 2011, http://www.pcworld.com/article/206831/the_origins_of_angry_birds.html
Wingfield N, 2010, Why can't we stop playing?, Wall Street Journal, viewed on 11 June 2011 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703945904575644940111605862.html
"There's this old wisdom: It has to be easy to pick up and play but hard to master."
-Rovio CEO Mikael Hed-
That was exactly what the Angry Birds game achieved. Mikael Hed, CEO of Finnish game studio Rovio, (Rigney, 2010) states that the nature of the game is simple, but it still has depth making the game addictive with players often seen returning to the game over and over again. The objective of the game is simple - you are given a variety of birds and a slingshot to aim at a number of pigs that are scattered around ramshackle structures. You may ask, why are these birds angry and why are they trying to kill the pigs? Well, it is because the green pigs apparently stole the birds' eggs and they are trying to retrieve it. Hence, the name 'Angry Birds' was given.
source: online.wsj.com
The game is currently the best-selling applications for Apple's iPhone and is leading the charts by miles with more than 12 million copies being sold worldwide since its inception. It has been a success with players of all ages appealing kids and even adults. Wingfield (2010) explains that the Angry Birds game is categorized as a 'physics-based' game, whereby basic actions like falling and ricocheting can be seen as part of the game besides adjusting the tension and angle of the slingshot loaded with a bird using players fingers on the iPhone or iPad's touch sensing screen. This probably explains why it appeals the adults as well as the kids that enjoy playing the game with cute colourful characters. Angry Birds growing popularity sees the game playable on multiple platforms and the characters are also made into soft toys. It is simply just not a game, but also a multi-million franchise that is only at its beginning of a promising journey.
References :
Wingfield N, 2010, Why can't we stop playing?, Wall Street Journal, viewed on 11 June 2011 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703945904575644940111605862.html
The Evolution of Journalism
In the wake of the recent massive tsunami that hit Japan, technology has once again proved its importance to the world with footage of the devastating tsunami shown globally revealing the extent of God's power upon us. The grieving world witnessed years of development being washed away by the huge waves in a matter of seconds. It was heartbreaking to say the least. Surely, the disaster propelled a lot of people to reflect on life out of fear by watching the news.
The multimodality of media has been instrumental in the field of journalism. There were a plethora of sources of information to gather from regarding the earthquake and subsequent tsunami and this prove crucial to journalists around the world. Benkoil claimed that he had more information and contacts during the recent incident compared to when he was on duty during the earthquake that struck Japan in 1995. (2011) How is it possible that he could retrieve more information sitting at the comfort of his home and in the office in New York without risking his life from reporting at the tragedy site as he has experienced before? He states that he got all the details of the disaster by watching various news channel on the television such as ABC, NBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN and BBC as well as making full use of gadgets like the iPad, Blackberry and his computer, all of which could access the internet. I must highlight that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter also had important roles in supplying information with Benkoil claiming that he had friends in Japan that were constantly updating their Facebook status and Twitter timeline. Pictures below show Twitter updates during the tragedy.
Today, journalists around the world can consider themselves lucky with the superabundance of information at their disposal. Ahearn (2009) asserts that the advancement of technology has seen a world that opens up the newsroom and news retrieving process to enable the highest quality and valuable content to transmit better from creators to publishers. Wimmer (2000) argues that the Internet is not an obstruction to the accessibility issues between journalism producers and journalism consumers, but it allows more opportunity for feedback and exchange.
The multimodality of media has been instrumental in the field of journalism. There were a plethora of sources of information to gather from regarding the earthquake and subsequent tsunami and this prove crucial to journalists around the world. Benkoil claimed that he had more information and contacts during the recent incident compared to when he was on duty during the earthquake that struck Japan in 1995. (2011) How is it possible that he could retrieve more information sitting at the comfort of his home and in the office in New York without risking his life from reporting at the tragedy site as he has experienced before? He states that he got all the details of the disaster by watching various news channel on the television such as ABC, NBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN and BBC as well as making full use of gadgets like the iPad, Blackberry and his computer, all of which could access the internet. I must highlight that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter also had important roles in supplying information with Benkoil claiming that he had friends in Japan that were constantly updating their Facebook status and Twitter timeline. Pictures below show Twitter updates during the tragedy.
Source: http://blog.hercatwalk.com/
Source : www.socialnomics.net
Today, journalists around the world can consider themselves lucky with the superabundance of information at their disposal. Ahearn (2009) asserts that the advancement of technology has seen a world that opens up the newsroom and news retrieving process to enable the highest quality and valuable content to transmit better from creators to publishers. Wimmer (2000) argues that the Internet is not an obstruction to the accessibility issues between journalism producers and journalism consumers, but it allows more opportunity for feedback and exchange.
References:
Ahearn, C 2009, 'How Will Journalism Survive The Internet Age,' The Reuters 11 December, viewed 13 June 2011, <http://blogs.reuters.com/from-reuterscom/2009/12/11/how-will-journalism-survive-the-internet-age/>
Benkoil, D 2011, 'How social media, internet changed the experience of Japan disaster,' PBS.org, viewed 13 June 2011, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/03/how-social-media-internet-changed-experience-of-japan-disaster-074.html.
Wimmer, T 2000, The Changing Role of Journalism in the Internet Era, viewed 13 June 2011, <http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/fall2000/htmlfiles/expressions.html>
Ahearn, C 2009, 'How Will Journalism Survive The Internet Age,' The Reuters 11 December, viewed 13 June 2011, <http://blogs.reuters.com/from-reuterscom/2009/12/11/how-will-journalism-survive-the-internet-age/>
Benkoil, D 2011, 'How social media, internet changed the experience of Japan disaster,' PBS.org, viewed 13 June 2011, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/03/how-social-media-internet-changed-experience-of-japan-disaster-074.html.
Wimmer, T 2000, The Changing Role of Journalism in the Internet Era, viewed 13 June 2011, <http://www.ia.wvu.edu/~magazine/issues/fall2000/htmlfiles/expressions.html>
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Al-Ahram, Egpyt's oldest newspaper, received a lot of media attention for publishing an altered image that showed president Hosni Mubarak at the forefront of key figures at the Middle East peace talks in Washington. The photograph taken at the White House showed Mubarak walking ahead of US president Barrack Obama, Israel's prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II. The edited picture can be seen below.
Al-Ahram, which is a state-run newspaper in Egypt, defended its decision to publish the image in an article with the headlines - 'The Road to Sharm El Sheikh', in reference to the Egyptian Red Sea, where the second round of the peace talk is hosted. The photograph received condemnation from Egyptian bloggers and activists as well as from the opposition 6 April Youth Movement, that criticized the newspaper for being 'unprofessional'. The original photograph is included below.
Al-Ahram's editor-in chief, Osama Saraya defended the decision to publish the photo claiming that it is just a representation of Egypt's leading role in the negotiations, after previously publishing the original photo on the first day the talk was held.
However, the decision did not go down well with the Egyptian media, especially the opponents of Mubarak, who took the opportunity to condemn the government of suppressing dissent and accused it to be a form of deception of the regime. Saraya responded by claiming that it is a plan to discredit Mubarak by making dubious accusations towards Al-Ahram. The newspaper has fallen victim of the current political turmoil when it is normal to alter image, which is even done by other newspapers.
In conclusion, with the advance technology made available to us today, the manipulation of digital graphics is easier, faster and harder to detect. Nonetheless, the digital manipulation code of ethics of the National Press Photographers Association has clearly stated that to alter the content of a photograph "in any way that deceives the public" is wrong. (Leach, 2005)
References:
bbc.co.uk, 15 September 2010, Egyptian newspaper under fire over altered photo, viewed 10 June 2011
guardian.co.uk, 17 September, 2010, Al-Ahram newspaper defends doctored photo of Hosni Mubarak, viewed 11 June 2011
The Christian Science Monitor 2009, Seeing is no longer believing, retrieved 12 June 2011, http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0202/p15s02-lire.html
Al-Ahram, which is a state-run newspaper in Egypt, defended its decision to publish the image in an article with the headlines - 'The Road to Sharm El Sheikh', in reference to the Egyptian Red Sea, where the second round of the peace talk is hosted. The photograph received condemnation from Egyptian bloggers and activists as well as from the opposition 6 April Youth Movement, that criticized the newspaper for being 'unprofessional'. The original photograph is included below.
Al-Ahram's editor-in chief, Osama Saraya defended the decision to publish the photo claiming that it is just a representation of Egypt's leading role in the negotiations, after previously publishing the original photo on the first day the talk was held.
However, the decision did not go down well with the Egyptian media, especially the opponents of Mubarak, who took the opportunity to condemn the government of suppressing dissent and accused it to be a form of deception of the regime. Saraya responded by claiming that it is a plan to discredit Mubarak by making dubious accusations towards Al-Ahram. The newspaper has fallen victim of the current political turmoil when it is normal to alter image, which is even done by other newspapers.
In conclusion, with the advance technology made available to us today, the manipulation of digital graphics is easier, faster and harder to detect. Nonetheless, the digital manipulation code of ethics of the National Press Photographers Association has clearly stated that to alter the content of a photograph "in any way that deceives the public" is wrong. (Leach, 2005)
References:
bbc.co.uk, 15 September 2010, Egyptian newspaper under fire over altered photo, viewed 10 June 2011
guardian.co.uk, 17 September, 2010, Al-Ahram newspaper defends doctored photo of Hosni Mubarak, viewed 11 June 2011
The Christian Science Monitor 2009, Seeing is no longer believing, retrieved 12 June 2011, http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0202/p15s02-lire.html
Ultraman - Hero or Zero?
Ultraman - a name that is not only popular in Japan, but throughout the globe with much acclaimed commercial success from its movies, television shows, cartoons, comics and so forth. However, in the aftermath of the recent devastating tsunami that hit Japan, Berita Harian has brought shame to the popular name by publishing a cartoon that was deemed insensitive and provocative. The cartoon can be seen below.
Wong, PM 2011, 'Berita Harian Issues Public Apology Over Tsunami Cartoon,' The Star14 March, <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/14/nation/8262608&sec=nation>
Source : www.comicsreporter.com
The cartoon drawn by Mohamad Zohri Sukimi, also known as Zoy, showed the famous Japanese icon running away from an oncoming tsunami. The cartoon was heavily criticized by a number of public figures most notably Umno Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, who tweeted urging the paper to apologize for publishing the cartoon he described as "totally insensitive towards the Japanese."
Berita Harian has issued a public apology through its website, Twitter and Facebook accounts after receiving huge condemnation from several quarters that demanded an apology for the publication of the disgraceful cartoon. (Wong, 2011) An online petition was set-up in the wake of the controversy and had drawn more than 500 signatures in a matter of hours. (uppercaise, 2011) It was reported that Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Azmi also urged the public to sign the online petition to protest against the shameful cartoon.
Nonetheless, I must point out that I was surprised to find out that some readers actually supported the cartoon in the comments section of http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/, using history as an excuse. I shall not quote any comments to avoid any backlash but it is a shame that there were people that were in support of an insensitive cartoon that relates to the recent tsunami that has claimed thousands of lives. It is ignorant of them to bring up the past, whereby Japan once conquered our nation, claiming that the Japanese deserve the sufferings for what they did many years ago. A weak mentality among Malaysians that does not bring any good to anyone. The disturbing footage of the tsunami all over the news was heartbreaking and we should be sympathizing instead of rejoicing.
The publication of the cartoon has brought shame not only to Berita Harian, but also the nation. It also gained international attention when it was featured on CNN's iReport citizen journalism programme. (uppercaise, 2011) The credebility of Berita Harian is being questioned and I sincerely hope that this could prove to be a valuable lesson to all of us.
References:
Uppercaise 2011, 'Uproar Brings BH Apology for Tsunami Cartoon,' Malaysian Media Matters, 13 March, <http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/uproar-bh-tsunami-cartoon/>Wong, PM 2011, 'Berita Harian Issues Public Apology Over Tsunami Cartoon,' The Star14 March, <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/14/nation/8262608&sec=nation>
New Media vs Old Media
The growing importance of media today is undeniable as cutting-edge technologies are introduced to us day by day. This is largely due to modernization that has seen a massive improvement in the media throughout the years. Print-based media is no longer a dominant force as multimodal-based text is gradually replacing it as the main form of media communication due to the emergence of none other than - the Internet. Basically, new media is an important component of a new technoculture. (Lister, Dovey, 2009)
In recent years, we have embraced social networks such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter besides the video sharing website - Youtube. Do you know that Twitter is a form of blog? According to Belardo (2010), Twitter is a microblogging site categorized under personal blog as I have mentioned in my previous post. Tom Foremski (2007) asserts that media companies today have to support many-media publishing: podcasts, vidcasts, sms, blogs, social networks--in addition to print, web sites, email, etc; all the conventional forms of media.
(Source: blogs.loc.gov)
In Malaysia, the media is highly influential as a democratic tool. Malaysia’s first online newspaper, Malaysiakini, is one of the websites that has grown in popularity among Malaysians as a medium to gather information, express personal views and get a deeper insight of obscure issues that the government dealt with lack of transparency. (Anuar, 2000) As a result, media companies such as The Star, News Straits Times etc , which are controlled by the government, created their own website to attract a wider audience.
New media has definitely become an important element in our lives. Studies show that the number of hours we spend consuming the mass media as ever increasing with the Internet being identified to be the catalyst to our reliance on media. (McChesney, 2008)
References:
Anuar, M. 2000, ‘Malaysian Media and Democracy’, Media Asia, vol.27, No. 4, pp 183- 190, <http://proquest.umi.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=05-07-2016&FMT=7&DID=71532088&RQT=309>
Belardo M, 2010, "The five type of blogs", last viewed at 28 September 2010,http://www.inkrebels.com/insp/the-5-types-of-blogs-which-one-suits-you-best/>
Foremski, T 2007, We live in a many-media world with new forms of media, DreamHost.com, viewed 1 May 2011, <http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2007/08/we_live_in_a_ma.php>
Lister et al, 2009, "New media: a critical introduction", last viewed 30 September 2010, http://books.google.com.my/books?id=gMx-AMRg3A0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=new+media&source=bl&ots=kTcqkEVOE7&sig=QOZTB87GDeMfvpNrLuNMtL34MwA&hl=en&ei=oUKkTJb9JYS8cav4lNoI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false>
McChesney, RW 2008, The Political Economy of Media: enduring issues, emerging dilemmas, Monthly Review Press, New York.
In recent years, we have embraced social networks such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter besides the video sharing website - Youtube. Do you know that Twitter is a form of blog? According to Belardo (2010), Twitter is a microblogging site categorized under personal blog as I have mentioned in my previous post. Tom Foremski (2007) asserts that media companies today have to support many-media publishing: podcasts, vidcasts, sms, blogs, social networks--in addition to print, web sites, email, etc; all the conventional forms of media.
(Source: blogs.loc.gov)In Malaysia, the media is highly influential as a democratic tool. Malaysia’s first online newspaper, Malaysiakini, is one of the websites that has grown in popularity among Malaysians as a medium to gather information, express personal views and get a deeper insight of obscure issues that the government dealt with lack of transparency. (Anuar, 2000) As a result, media companies such as The Star, News Straits Times etc , which are controlled by the government, created their own website to attract a wider audience.
New media has definitely become an important element in our lives. Studies show that the number of hours we spend consuming the mass media as ever increasing with the Internet being identified to be the catalyst to our reliance on media. (McChesney, 2008)
References:
Anuar, M. 2000, ‘Malaysian Media and Democracy’, Media Asia, vol.27, No. 4, pp 183- 190, <http://proquest.umi.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=05-07-2016&FMT=7&DID=71532088&RQT=309>
Belardo M, 2010, "The five type of blogs", last viewed at 28 September 2010,http://www.inkrebels.com/insp/the-5-types-of-blogs-which-one-suits-you-best/>
Foremski, T 2007, We live in a many-media world with new forms of media, DreamHost.com, viewed 1 May 2011, <http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2007/08/we_live_in_a_ma.php>
Lister et al, 2009, "New media: a critical introduction", last viewed 30 September 2010, http://books.google.com.my/books?id=gMx-AMRg3A0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=new+media&source=bl&ots=kTcqkEVOE7&sig=QOZTB87GDeMfvpNrLuNMtL34MwA&hl=en&ei=oUKkTJb9JYS8cav4lNoI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false>
McChesney, RW 2008, The Political Economy of Media: enduring issues, emerging dilemmas, Monthly Review Press, New York.
The Blogging Community
What is a blogging community? Blogging community is simply an online community where according to Jeremiah Owyang (2007), it is a group of people that shares a common goal or interest that uses a web tool, in this case a blog, to connect and exchange information. Nancy White (2008) asserts that it is a community that interacts online within some bounded set of technologies created by the web tools in which it may be public or private that is visible to members only.
In recent years, the ascendancy of blogs has introduced a new platform for communities and according to White (2008), there are three types of blogging communities that is illustrated below.
White, N 2006, Blogs and community – launching a new paradigm for online community?, The Knowledge Tree, 11th edn, retrieved on 20 April 2011, <http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community>
In recent years, the ascendancy of blogs has introduced a new platform for communities and according to White (2008), there are three types of blogging communities that is illustrated below.
Source : Australian Flexible Learning Framework, 2006.
One Blog Centric Community
This blog community is owned by an owner or organisation and may have multiple authors in a blog.
Topic Centric Community
This blog community is a network formation between blogs that are closely related based on the common interest or topic of the bloggers.
Boundaried Community
This blog community is a collection of blogs and blog readers of a variety of topics under one platform or single site.
Each these blog communities are unique having its own practices and behaviors, some of which are shape by explicit community guidelines. (Wei, 2004) Bloggers around the world have their own identity and each blogs serve a different purpose to others, hence a community is born. Which community do you belong to?
References:
Owyang J, 2007, "Defining the term: online community", last viewed at 29 September 2010, http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/12/28/defining-the-term-community/>
Wei, C 2004, Formation of Norm in a Blog Community, University of Washington, viewed 19 April 2011, <http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/formation_of_norms.html>
Blog classifications.
In this entry, we will be looking at the types of blogs that are present to us today. There are different types of blogs with different functions and it is not entirely just for personal views. As the blog communities continue to expand, the roles played simultaneously expand. Needless to say that it is impossible to list down all the classes of blogs from a plethora to choose from.
Here are a few types of blogs listed by Misty Belardo:
- Collaborative
- Tutorial
- Travel and Cultural
- Fashion and Lifestyle
- Personal
- Business
- Educational
There are obviously more kinds of blog and I will elaborate further on a chosen list of favourites in the blogosphere. The following also includes list by Darren Rowse that may overlap in terms of function with the ones given by Belardo.
Informational/ Educational
Provides information of a specific topic to enlighten readers. Content may include facts, tutorials, images, graphs etc.
Personal
Most common and popular among all the types of blogs available. Content may include personal experiences, images, opinions, etc. Usually informal and is a form of self-expression.
Link posts
Growing in popularity among bloggers. Basically, it is just posting an interesting post in the form of videos, images, quotes etc. from another site or blog and may include comments, captions, description etc. Notable link posts blog - tumblr.com
Reviews / research
Provides reviews/ critique/ research of a subject such as gadgets, movies, music, restaurants, etc. This is helpful for readers who may want to purchase a product but is unsure of its value. Aids in decision making of readers interested in a specific subject.
References:
Belardo M, 2010, "The five type of blogs", last viewed at 28 September 2010,http://www.inkrebels.com/insp/the-5-types-of-blogs-which-one-suits-you-best/>
Rowse D, 2005, "20 types of blog posts, battling bloggers block", last viewed 28 September 2010, http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/11/29/20-types-of-blog-posts-battling-bloggers-block/>
References:
Belardo M, 2010, "The five type of blogs", last viewed at 28 September 2010,http://www.inkrebels.com/insp/the-5-types-of-blogs-which-one-suits-you-best/>
Rowse D, 2005, "20 types of blog posts, battling bloggers block", last viewed 28 September 2010, http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/11/29/20-types-of-blog-posts-battling-bloggers-block/>
Blogs - Is it becoming a phenomenon?
The advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has been remarkable over the years to say the least. This is largely due to the Internet being used widely throughout the globe. A common interest that gained significant prominence is blogging. What are blogs? Blogs act as a medium that shares a similar role to that of journal or diary by posting regular entries through blog websites in the internet.
Blogs are growing in popularity day by day with Malaysia being recognised as one of highest ranking country with active blog users of around 500, 000. (The Star, 2008) Technorati claims that about 100,000 blogs are created everyday. Below is a pie chart to showing the number of bloggers in the world.
Lenhart (2006) included a survey by Pew Internet and American Life Project in her article showing statistics of around 12 million American adults adding to the growing population of bloggers that also represents 8% of adult internet users. She added that a staggering amount of 57 million American adults are blog readers, which is 39% of the online population. These statistics are enough to convince me that blogging has indeed become a phenomenon and the numbers are only going to increase everyday.
Blogs serve a diverse range of purpose be it in the political field, technology, business, etc. Sussman (2009) states that politics and business are fields that are most impacted by the blogosphere.
References:
Blogging is bringing new voices to the online world 2006, Pew Internet, viewed 17 April 2011,<http://www.pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2006/Blogging-is-bringing-new-voices-to-the-online-world.aspx>
Blogging in Malaysia ranks among the highest in the world 2008, The Star Online, Viewed 17 April 2011, <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/3/nation/20827588&sec=nation>
Hughes, D 2009, Blogging's global impact and the future of blogging, Technorati, viewed on 17 April 2011, <http://technorati.com/blogging/article/day-5-twitter-global-impact-and/page-2/>
Blogs are growing in popularity day by day with Malaysia being recognised as one of highest ranking country with active blog users of around 500, 000. (The Star, 2008) Technorati claims that about 100,000 blogs are created everyday. Below is a pie chart to showing the number of bloggers in the world.
Source : Technorati, 2010
Lenhart (2006) included a survey by Pew Internet and American Life Project in her article showing statistics of around 12 million American adults adding to the growing population of bloggers that also represents 8% of adult internet users. She added that a staggering amount of 57 million American adults are blog readers, which is 39% of the online population. These statistics are enough to convince me that blogging has indeed become a phenomenon and the numbers are only going to increase everyday.
Blogs serve a diverse range of purpose be it in the political field, technology, business, etc. Sussman (2009) states that politics and business are fields that are most impacted by the blogosphere.
References:
Blogging is bringing new voices to the online world 2006, Pew Internet, viewed 17 April 2011,
Document Design
As a student of communication and media management, Powerpoint presentation is definitely important to master, as it is convenient when carrying out a presentation task. Before going into detail, the definition of document design must first be established. Reep (2006) states that a document design is the physical features of a document and it needs to be able to integrate with the context of the document to attract interest from readers.
In order to ensure a good presentation, Reep (2006) added further that a good designer applies the four basic principles of design that is balance, proportion, sequence and consistency. Furthermore, Schriver (1997) underlines the importance of the relationship between texts and images as it complements each other to deliver a message more efficiently. Below are examples of how text and images work together taken from my group presentation.
Rothman, S 2005, What Makes Good Scientific and Technical Writing, Associated Content, viewed 3 April 2011, <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9447/error?cat=4>
In order to ensure a good presentation, Reep (2006) added further that a good designer applies the four basic principles of design that is balance, proportion, sequence and consistency. Furthermore, Schriver (1997) underlines the importance of the relationship between texts and images as it complements each other to deliver a message more efficiently. Below are examples of how text and images work together taken from my group presentation.
The two images above are posters. However, it is expected that viewers may find it hard to understand. Notice the text at both ends of the posters. Now, scroll down.
The posters are design in such a way that it is meant to be wrapped around poles. The texts at the end of each posters are now connected forming a full sentence - 'what goes around, comes around'. On the other hand, the images now show the rifle and tank gun to come round the pole and catch up with the attacker to further enhance the meaning behind the text.
Besides that, Wendy Russel (About.com) states another valuable tip that must be considered when combining text and image - 'use contrasting colours for text and background'. This is to ensure easy reading. In addition, Zane L. Marquez (2010) asserts that fonts that are used must also be easy to read. Avoid using fancy or cursive fonts. Last but not least, good technical writing is also important by being direct with simple understandable language to make sure no 'information loss' when presenting to an audience. (Rothman, 2005)
References:
Marquez, ZL 2010, 'How to make a good powerpoint presentation?', Ezine Articles.com, viewed 1 April 2011, <http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Make-a-Good-PowerPoint-Presentation&id=4313178>
Reep, D 2006, ‘Purpose of design features’, Technical writing, 6th edn, Ch. 6, pp. 133 – 172.
Russell, W n.d.,'10 tips for creating successful business presentations', About.com, viewed 1 April 2011, <http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/bus_pres_tips.htm>
Schriver, KA 1997, 'The interplay of words and pictures', Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers, Wiley Computer Publications, ch. 6, pp. 361 – 441.
Images taken from http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2009/what-goes-around-comes-around/
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