Journal Entries

Journal Entry #1: Look over the readings we did in Nielsen for today: Chapter 1 (8-14), Chapter 4 (162-224, 259-60).

In your journal, label the first page "Journal Entry #1 (9/5/02)", and write a brief paragraph about each of the following:

a point, example, technique or principle that you found useful, surprising, or interesting
a point, example, technique or principle that you didn't understand, weren't sure of, or disagreed with. (9/5/02)

Journal Entry #2: On a new page in your journal, create a "cluster" around the idea of "me." As a starter, think of places you identify with, events or public moments you've been a part of, activities and hobbies, groups you belong to, TV/music/movies you're into, etc. (9/5/02)

Journal Entry #3. : Look at the three questions in the Analytical Essay assignment, and then look at what Heim is saying about the dangers and drawbacks of being in cyberspace on pages 81-84. In a paragraph, try to put into your own words what Heim is saying about issues raised by one of the three questions. As a user of the Web and now a designer of Web pages, what do you think of Heim's position?

Journal Entry #4 (done electronically using the Discussion Board)

Choose an interesting and characteristic passage from Nielsen's chapter on "Content Design" and Turkle's essay "Who Am We?" Both these writers are concerned with "digitality" and with people who are using the digital realm. In a paragraph, use their passages to examine their very different approaches, assumptions and concerns.

After you've posted your paragraph, read over some of the other entries and then reply to one of them (or two someone else's reply to an entry).

This entry and response is due by next Tuesday at class time.

Journal Entry #5 (online). In the Discussion Board, write a brief passage about each of the following:

1. Of everything we've done in (or for) class so far, what helped you the most to prepare you to work on and--we hope--successfully finish the Personal Home Page Project? Also, what did you find most interesting or surprising?

2. What do you need to understand or be able to do at this point to finish the project? (Be as specific as you can about the skills or understandings you need.) (9/26/02)

Journal Entry #6 (online) On page 112 of Trend, Brenda Laurel writes, "...the representation lives between imagination and reality, serving as a conductor, amplifer, clarifier, and motivator. It seems to me that computer-based representations fundamentally work in the same way...."

Look elsewhere in Lauren's essay for passages, phrases and ideas that echo, illuminate or help explain this quotation and what she's saying overall. Post one or two of these other quotations (with their page numbers) to the discussion board in the discussion "Journal #6 Lauren." Add a sentence or two of your own to say how your quotation extends or explains my quotation above (for instance, does your quotation help us understand what she means by the word "imagination" or "representation"?)

Read over the postings from your classmates as they appear (keep hitting "refresh"). (10/1)

Journal Entry #7. Do a cluster of the topics, ideas and details from your New Media Writing essay. The purpose is to try to see your subject matter non-sequentially, as a way of envisioning your subject as a Web site of non-linear pages.

Journal Entry #8 (online in discussion board)

From the perspective of 2002, it's easy to say that Howard Rheingold, writing in 1993, is being too optimistic about the emancipatory prospects of the Internet. Instead, in this discussion below,

1. type in two short quotations from Rheingold (with page numbers indicated): one quotation where he's being too broadly optimistic in your opinion, another quotation where you think he got it right.

2. Then, in a paragraph of your own, think through the differences between these quotations. How do you account for the difference? Is he looking at different aspects of the Internet in the two different quotations, or applying different expectations? Given your experience with Web sites, e-mail, listservs, online chat, etc., what do you think causes Rheingold overstate the case on the one hand, and essentially to predict the future in the other?

Journal Entry #9 (online). Screen Real Estate

Find a Web page to critique in terms of its use of screen real estate: both what it does well and what might be improved. Post the complete URL to the discussion Screen Real Estate on the discussion board. In your message, you should also comment on at least 5 aspects of screen real estate using the headings from our handout.