Virtual Death

This has to be my favorite article of the whole semester. I thought it was a really interesting, as well as informative read. From this article, I learned about the relationship between computers, communities, and communication. Using the Kaycee Nicole Swenson hoax, Jordan investigated how participants engaged in debates with one another over the topic of identity and what it meant in a virtual community, specifically after a crisis. Depending on a person’s perspective, he/she interpreted the situation differently: "Trust became the rhetorical vessel used to distinguish and evaluate the types of communal activity that emerged in response to Kaycee's death and Debbie's confession." (213). For example, as a skeptic, I would see the hoax as the perfect example of why trust cannot be formed on the internet. As an optimist, however, I would interpret the situation as one in which I learned a good lesson. Yes, I was fooled but in the end, I was still able to connect to other community members despite the evils done by the hoaxer.


Now I just want to go over some parts of the article which I found both fascinating and enlightening. First, some individuals see hoaxes such as the Kaycee Nicole Swenson one as representing the "dark side" of the net. These incidents are seen as "self contained" events, rather than as a moment in a virtual community's continuum (202). I thought this was a very good point. Often times when I think about the internet, I view it in binary terms instead of on a continuum. Second, Jordan brought up a good point about how on the internet, "the standard seems to be more about consistency than absolute certainty." (204). A person's online identity is only viable if it is convincing to another individual. Thus, on the net, a person's identity is more about acceptance then authenticity.

World Wide Web

This article is very technical in nature and it discusses the idea of the World Wide Web. It begins by explaining that the World Wide Web was created to be a sort of information and knowledge center, where individuals could share their ideas and projects. It then continues by describing how the World Wide Web works (i.e. HTTP). Additionally, the article states that HTML is the common basic language of interchange for hypertext on the World Wide Web. However, files do not need to be stored in HTML. To continue the article, the authors then compare and contrast WAIS, Gopher, and the World Wide Web, which are all popular network information projects. The article finally ends by stating the future of the World Wide Web and where it's going.

The design goal of the World Wide Web was to be a pool of knowledge. Clearly like the introduction to the article states, the World Wide Web has exceeded this goal since it has done much more than just provide information. I am sure no one could have imagined how personalized our computers would become and how much it would affect our social relationships with each other. So although I thought this article was completely bland and very boring to read now in 2011, it was still nice to read about how the World Wide Web began. It's interesting to know how we started and think about where we are now. This article really helped me realize how far we have come in the last 17 years. 

End of Books

From Robert Coover's article, I learned about hypertext which "describe(s) the writing done in the nonlinear of nonsequential space made possible by the computer" (1992, 706). With the creation of hypertext, Coover believed that books would be replaced since hypertext allowed for "true freedom from the tyranny of the line" (706). Additionally, the most revolutionary aspect of hypertext is that it's interactive so readers and writers are both co-learners and co-writers. Also because it is interactive, readers have the opportunity to organize the texts however he/she so chooses. 


The most interesting part of the article for me was the section where Coover discussed how hypertext supporters think that the greatest events in the history of literacy are the invention of writing, the invention of movable type, and the invention of hypertext. I thought this was a very bold proclamation and I can't say that I disagree with this idea. I especially enjoyed George P. Ladow's quote, "It [hypertext] promises or (threatens) to produce effects on our culture, particularly on our literature, education, criticism, and scholarship, just as radical as those produced by Gutenberg's movable type" (706). Indeed the world wide web, which is based off hypertext,  has led to radical changes in the world. 


To be honest, I didn't enjoy this article very much. I thought the idea of the article was cool but I didn't enjoy Coover's writing style. I am sure, however, that his article was pretty revolutionary at the time just like the Dynabook and Man-Computer Symbiosis one.  

Applying to Grad School? Clean up your Facebook!

Looking to go to grad school? Well you better clean up your Facebook before you apply! Not only are companies pre-screening their potential employees, but according to this article on MSNBC, top law schools, business schools, and colleges are pre-screening applicants via the web as well.

Kaplan Test Prep surveyed admissions officers at various prestigious schools and discovered that law schools pre-screened applicants the most. The data showed that 41% of law school admission officers said they have looked up an applicant on Google to find out more about them. Another 37% stated in the survey that they have used social networking sites such as Facebook to check up on an applicant looking to be a future lawyer . The most interesting finding from the survey, however, was the fact that 1/3 of law school admission officers who looked up an applicant online said they discovered “something that negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances.”

In my eyes, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Whether you are applying to business school, college, or law school, it would benefit you to not put damaging photographs and information about yourself online if you're planning on furthering your education. I am sure the number of colleges using Google and social networking sites will increase over the years so watch what you post online especially on Facebook!  I mean, with admissions being so competitive nowadays, I am sure it’s extremely hard to differentiate the applicants from each other. One quick way to help eliminate applicants is to Google them and see how they carry themselves in "real life". Personally, I don't think it's fair to include an individual's digital profile in the admissions process but whoever said life is fair? haha =/

another article about facebook ....