Reflection

It is not easy to become a good blogger. As a good blogger must have some requirements. I realize that the blogger must consider the purpose of writing the blog, our target of audience, and last but not least, we must conscious of our context. We should not touch sensitive cultures or issues that people mind.

A blogger also must have the citation or the correct resource from originated people (Reep 2006) to avoid the issue of the “Harry Potter” author wins copyright claim in United Kingdom.
Neil Patel 2006 affirmed that a blogger only can launch the blog once if it is properly setup. Before that, must make sure the design is complete.

There are some suggestions for the blogger:
a) The salience, information value and framing in the meaning of composition are related to each other. Those terms can help us in designing our weblog. (Kress & van Leeuwen 2006).


b) A blogger can use the “multimodal text” which includes images, words, sound, animation and video clips to attract target audience. (Walsh 2006)



References:

Neil Patel 2006, Rules to be a good blogger, viewed 13 June 2009, http://kassandraproject.wordpress.com/rules-to-be-a-good-blogger/

Reep, D 2006, Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies and Readings, Pearson Education, US.pp.133-172.

Walsh, M 2006, The 'textual shift': Examine the Reading Process with Print, Visual and Multimodal Texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Vol.29, No. 1, 2006, pp. 24-37

Copyright

“Harry Potter” author wins copyright claim has been current issue that involved with the copyright. According to Caruso 2008, this sensitive issue started with Steven Vander Ark joined the adult chat group devoted to the “Harry Potter” books in 1999. A year later, he started his own site and he managed to attract around 1.5 million page views per month and contributions from worldwide. J.K. Rowling thinks that as a writer, Vander Ark’s “Harry Potter Lexicon” cause her severe harm. However, in this case, Vander Ark does not have to be conscientious because he was in a contract with RDR books. (Caruso 2008)

According to intellectual Property office 2008, “copyright protects written, musical, theatrical, and artistic works as well as film, sound recordings, broadcasts and books layout”. Besides that, it is not necessary to register for copyright. It is an “automatic right”. Copyright is to protect most of the medium. It is also states that it may be infraction if we create a painting or writing from the original author or from other else’s book without their permission. This is why the J.K Rowling (author of Harry Potter) sued the Vander Ark. (Intellectual Property Office 2008)

Reep 2006 proposes that it is important that when using the work as public area. With the intention of getting plagiarism, people must cite or provide the created or originated sources. Stanford University Library (2007) also notes that copyright principle known as the power for the public to freely use parts of copyrighted resources for the reason of clarification or critism. However, if the owner refuses the fair use principle, this will ended up like the case of “Harry Potter”.

Harry Potter Books
(http://www.provlib.org/)

Harry Potter Lexicon
(www.rdrbooks.com)

“Harry Potter” VS “Harry Potter Lexicon”
(nymag.com)

References:

Caruso, 2008, Harry Potter Author Wins Copyright Claim, CBS News, viewed 13 June 2009,
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/08/entertainment/printable4426302.shtml

Intellectual Property office 2008, Copyright, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy.htm

Reep, D 2006, Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies and Readings, Pearson Education, US.pp.133-172.

Stanford University Library 2007, Copyright and fair use, viewed 13 June 2009, http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/

Obama uses iPhone to win his vote

According to Shiels 2008, the US Democratic candidate Barack Obama uses the iPhone as the political tool during the campaign. In the blog of the Barack Obama, it is states that the tool of “Call Friend” is designed to help people directly involved in the campaign of him. The mobile technology really brings a great impact for people to vote for him. Besides that, although the iPhone is one mobile platform and there are millions of voters that do not have the iPhone. The privacy of the voters will be protected and the application also passes on the up-to-date news from the campaign, including video, photos and talking points to help encourage friends to vote for the candidate. Obama brings the “New Wave” of mobile technology. All the people are seeing how Obama uses the tools during his campaign. This will be the standard moving forward.

According to Bear (2009), function is the purpose of the piece (document) whether it is to sell, inform, educate, impress or to entertain. This term is used because the purpose of Obama in Call Friend is a tool to make people make a difference anytime to contacts the people that we already know. Besides that to target the audience, the people can receive the latest news and announcements via text and email. The video and the photos are provided in the campaign as in media.

Due to the KVL 2006, we can attract our audience by using the modes, text, sound, image, and film. The iPhone absolutely provide the terms in the reading. This is also one of the methods that Obama uses iPhone to win his vote.

Obama uses iPhone to win his vote
(www.talkiphone.com)

iPHone with Obama’s application
(zedomax.com)

References:

Bear, JH 2009, Forms and function in design and publishing, viewed 13 June 2009, http://desktoppub.about.com/od/graphicdesign/a/formfunction.htm

Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, Reading images. Chapter 1: The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication

Shiels, M 2008, Obama uses iPhone to win support, viewed 4 June 2009, http://newsbbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/7649753.stm

New-Look Facebook

This is the issue about the new-look of Facebook leaves some devotees fuming about it. Approximately 100 million of Facebook users fuming once the new-look of Facebook is out. More than 100 million of the Facebook user needed to implement and accept the new design of the Facebook. It is also states in fact the new Facebook can let the users to give the main concern to fresh pictures, messages, or “feeds” on the core side view pages and classify mini-applications and “static” information for instance program vitae. However, the vice president of marketing Chamath Palihapitiya saying that the changes of Faceook is actually motivated by the feedback of the users. He mentioned that they just want to make sure the new changes are easy for people to put the information in the form of bite-size substance quite promptly. However, they still think that once people used to the new layout and features, users will find it is a good improvement. (Australian IT 2008)

According to Reep 2006, the terms of color and style are considered as important in a good document or on a Web site. Reep notes that color can decide between levels of information and can code information like to intention or significance.(Reep 2006) For example, Facebook is using blue and white color, and the typeface of the website is clear and with black color. To intend the audience, style of the Web site is very essential.

A good Web site should select a bright colors for the younger audience and conversely softer colors for older audiences. Facebook is a world wide trends and it is with different audiences. The new changes of the Facebook are suitable for all the users. Palme 2001 states that the most important of the layout of the web site is simple just like Facebook. Facebook has a good structure and the whole page of the Facebook is easy to understand and clear. (Palme 2001) in my opnion, I think that nowadays most of the Facebook users already used to the New-Look of Facebook. It is a good changes and new design in a good improvement.

Facebook logo
(http://www.gslp.gi/)

New –look Facebook Homepage
(darraghdoyle.blogspot.com)

References:

Australian IT 2008, Facebook makeover leaves some devotees fuming, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24328928-15318,00.html

Palme 2001, Web design layout principles, viewed 13 June 2009, http://people.dsv.su.se/~jpalme/layout/

Reep, D 2006, Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies and Readings, Pearson Education, US.pp. 133-172.

Power of Photograph

In 2007, Heizman reports on a portico in the European city of Dubrovnik the specializes in a photo of war. The presenter of the transcript was Funnel Antony. During the dark period in European, the ancient of the walled city on the Adriatic was rigorously damaged, there ere many civilians died and the significant Old Town were compact to ruins. In fact, a photographic gallery is just trying to keep the old memories living. The gallery of War Photo Limited is completely for the war photography. Nowadays, the city of Dubrovnik once again becomes an attraction of tourism. They think that Dubrovnik seems become an appropriate place to hold exhibition since it suffered the worst war in European.

Accrding to Mangal 2007, all the types of motivation are not able to bring the similar level of awareness. “A picture attracts more readily than words”. (Cited in Essentials of educational psychology, p.343) in my opnion, I think that this is true because most of the people will mostly attract by the pictures but not the words. The exhibition of photo gallery sure will help people to remember the wars of the country.

Schiver 2007 also states that the visuals can grab the curiosity and attention of the people. The photos have the power to recall people from the dark history of Dubrovnik. The people will be more concern about the cases of the war and the effect of the war after looking at the visual or the photos.


Dubrovnik on fire during 90’s war
(picasaweb.google.com)





War damage in 1996
(http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/)




References:

ABC Radio National 2007, The Power of the photograph, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2051819.htm

Mangal, SK 2007, Essentials of educational psychology, PHI LearningPvt. Ltd., India.

Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, pp. 361-441.

Old Media VS New Media: New Forms of Media Publishing

Agincourt Computing 1999 notes that the old media are “newspapers, & magazines, direct mail advertising, and radio and television”. (Cited in Agincourt Computing 1999) On the contrary, the new media just like the “World Wide web”. In 21st century, the old media already become very limited number “players” in the market. The old media need very high cost. Conversely, the new media have unlimited players and the communication are two-way. There is interaction between the people in the new media.

In this era, the newest forms of media publishing consist of moblog, vlogs, and photologs. You Tube is just a good example of vlogs. Nations (n.d.) in About.com notes that YouTube has become most popular web portals since year 2005. YouTube is allowing users to upload their video and allows people to share and give comments. YouTube has taken the inspiration of competitor videos to latest stage. (Nations (n.d.) Therefore, disreputable videos can be easily obtained in You Tube. Besides that, You Tube can uses as propaganda tool.

According to Walsh 2006, media use the “multimodal text” which includes images, words, sound, animation and video clips to attract target audience. This is why the new media already overtook the old media.



(http://www.youtube.com/)

This is exmaple You Tube that media use to let the audience know more about how DAP’s Lim Kit Siang lead with support from BN members. The citizens can know more about this issue from newspaper, online newspapaer. Meanwhile, with this Youtube, it is more detail and informative.




References:

Agincourt Computing 1999, Old Media, New Media, viewed 13 June 2009, http://www.aginc.net/media.htm

Nations, D (n.d.), Web Trends: What is You Tube, viewed 13 June 2009, 2009, http://webtrends.about.com/od/profi3/p/what-is-youtube.htm

Walsh, M 2006, The 'textual shift': Examine the Reading Process with Print, Visual and Multimodal Texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Vol.29, No. 1, 2006, pp. 24-37

Classification of Blogs

There are many categorizations of blogs by different purpose and different target of audience. Here are some examples of the classification types in subject matter of:


Politics: Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (previous Prime Minister)




(themalaysianlife.blogspot.com)


Fashion: Carven Ong (Malaysia Fashion Designer)


(elyzabetheng.com)


Device: Moblog – moblog is mobile blog. The blogger is using the PDA or hand phone to maintain the updating of a blog. (Tech Target 2008)


(darrenmillar.net)

Media type: (examples)
a) Vlog. A Vlog is blog that consist of video.
Vlog is becoming very general when this tool becomes cheaper and sustaining software and hosting becomes more established. (Tech Target 2008)



(tamatheweb.com)

b) Sketchlog. Sketchlog is blog that using sketches (EzineArticles.com 2009)




(lubasa-sketchlog.blogspot.com)


c) Tumblelog. Tumblelog is a blog that with sequence of links, video, images, quotes and short blurbs. (Pixelspread 2008)



(livetardy.com)


Status of publishers:

a) Business blog

(http://www.netbanker.com/)

b) Corporate blog

(bernaisesource.blog.com)

In my opinion, I think that Vlog is mostly useful for the readers because the vlog provides video so that people can understand more and know more about the things that they want to know. According to Henrickson 2008, vlogging can help to attach the bloggers with the readers on a further stage. Besides that, instead of writing 3 articles, we can just combine them into a video. The transition of the vlog is much easier and it can make different topics into a better flow. ( Henrickson 2008)


Blogging Communities
According to White 2006, online community is to share some “initial thinking”. Currently, the power of blogs has introduced a new platform for communities. The blogging community is the group of the bloggers or readers that link together. They share opinions and leave comment and talk about the topic that they are interested. Wei (n.d.) notes that blogs are always within a blog community of similar interests. The communities are useful because each blog community has their own practices for people to use as guidelines.


Example:


blogcatalog
(azikuri.com)






References:

EzineArticles.com 2009, So you want to blawg do you, viewed 12 June 2009, http://ezinearticles.com/?So-You-Want-to-Blawg-Do-You?&id=2230121

Henrickson, M 2008, Is vlogging the best way to blog, viewed 12 June 2009, <http://blogaboutyourblog.com/2008/05/01/is-vlogging-the-best-way-to-blog/>

Pixelspread 2008, What is a tumblelog, viewed 12 June 2009, http://pixelspread.com/blog/223/what-is-a-tumblelog

Tech Target 2008, Whatis.com:moblog, viewed 12 June 2009, http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci1180174,00.html

Tech Target 2008, Whatis.com:vlog, viewed 12 June 2009, http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci1163516,00.html

Wei (n.d.), Formation of norms in a blog community, viewed 12 June 2009, http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/formation_of_norms.html

White N 2006, Blogs and community: launching a new paradigm for online community, viewed 12 June 2009, http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community