For class on Friday, please print, read and take notes on the following articles:
"How to Mark a Book" (Adler)
"Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook" (Haughey)
"Prosecutor As Bully" (Lessig)
"The Improbable is the New Normal" (The Technium)
You may treat this roundup as a single reading assingment, so please write a 250-word response to these articles (250 words for all, not 250 for each), and post it to your blog. Remember, you may summarize them, critique them, discuss them, or connect them to larger issues. It's your choice!
Finally, please email me and inform me of your blog address and access password.
Mahdiyah Jaffer
ReplyDeleteWhy I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
Our generation has come to be known as the technology generation the generation of here and now. We tend to seek instant gratification and our patience is always wearing thin. Every electronic device we have had has been portable and most of us roam around with our blackberry’s iPhones or other smart phones. Everyday companies like Apple are coming out with new products like the ipad and ipad mini. Without these gadgets most of us would be lost, literally and figuratively. We would have to adjust to social situations and literally navigate ourselves without our helpful Maps application or navigation system.
Technology has led us to the also be known as the social media generation. Sites like Facebook, twitter, tumbler, and instagram surround us making it possible to connect with friends and family no matter where you are. When it comes to the war between twitter and Facebook I see one winner and that’s Facebook. Contrary to Matt Haughey’s opinion I find Facebook to be far superior to twitter. Twitter idolizes the fact that we are generation that only lives in the present where as Facebook reminds of the past whether it was a fun memory or life lesson.
Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteI am a painfully nostalgic individual. Therefore, without question, I thoroughly enjoy Facebook. However, it's not only because of Facebook's constant reminders of my past that keeps me addicted, it's more of that subtle adrenaline rush that kicks in with every red square that shows up at the top my page. That box is like a secret. My ability of delaying gratification loses all of its power when that notification box illuminates. I do, however, agree with the writer, Matt Haughey (and his spouse), in that Facebook can be EXTREMELY creepy from time to time. Who hasn't had that older figure pop up under their friend requests tab, lacking personal information and only has 0-1 mutual friends.
Maybe it's just my straight up ignorance to give Twitter a try, but there's something about it that keeps me away. From glancing at the Twitter accounts of my close friends, there's an immediate difference in the posts on each feed. Twitter is more of an emotional diary whereas Facebook is an actual update on what is happening in one's life and their surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I think following celebrities, comedians, news channels, and the like is an awesome way to stay connected to the things you are interested in, but I, personally, cannot endure the confessions that are somehow made "ok" on Twitter. I have my own drama to worry about people!
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteI’m going to be honest here; I did not enjoy How to Mark a Book by Mortimer J. Adler. The article’s basic synopsis and thesis was: underline a book to truly understand it and become its real owner. That one short sentence was stretched out into a four-page article. If Alder was more concise with his thoughts, the article would have hooked the reader for a longer period of time and been much more powerful and effective if it had been about a page long. Metaphors and examples are good ways of helping the reader understand the point from a different angle, but not when it’s a new example or metaphor every few sentences. For the most part, Adler kept restating his thesis differently too many times throughout his article. All of this isn’t to say that I don’t think what he argued was a bad thing. I agree with his argument that marking a book, “brings words and sentences more sharply before your mind and preserves them better in your memory” (Adler 3). But what stuck with me the most about what Adler said was, “reading a book should be: a conversation between you and the author.” (Adler 3). That is a perspective of marking a book that I never realized, but something that sticks out as a very smart tactic when trying to understand text. Overall, Adler pointed out some interesting arguments about why marking a book is necessary, but he could have conveyed his thoughts in a more concise and non-repetitive manner.
The Improbable is the New Normal
ReplyDeleteWe are living in a time of dramatic and continuous changes. The world we knew ten years ago is now far away from reality thanks to the evolution of technology and science. This process is part of the culture of the newest generations, and it has shaped the way we think, feel and act. We are driven by a destructive and insatiable thirst of the new, the different and the unique and rare. The whole world’s population is expecting to be amazed every day, every week or every month by something unexpected. This has lead to the creation of new industries and personalities that are anxious to take advantage of this market.
However, just as the title says, the incredible, the improbable things are becoming part of our everyday life, and I think that we now are looking to relate more to normal things, we are starting to go back to reality in order to develop a sense of belonging in the world. This doesn’t mean that we are not searching every once in a while to be blown away by something curious, because that search has now become part of the intrinsic characteristics of our generation and is one of the things that drives us to excel.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteMy feelings about Facebook and Twitter have changed throughout the years. I joined Facebook mainly to keep in touch with old friends that I don’t see anymore, or family that just want to check up on me and figure out when the next time I’ll see them will be. After a few years, Facebook became more of a place to “creep” on people; the people you never got along with just to see what they’re doing with their life and even to look up old high school teachers just to see if you can find out any dirt on them. I agree with the writer when he made the comment about viewing a person’s page for five minutes and then moving on. I don’t need to know what you’re doing every second, how your dogs are doing or where you’re going this weekend. That’s why I enjoy twitter so much more these days, you can follow people you personally know, celebrities or even your school to know what’s going on that very second. You get to know people more on Twitter just by the 140 characters they are limited to than on Facebook where they can write pages and pages of nonsense.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteOur generation always wants what’s new and exciting in the technology world. First it was MySpace then Facebook and now our new obsession is Twitter. I have had a Facebook for several years and it started out as a way to keep in touch with friends, see what is going on in people’s daily lives and what events were occurring with your friends. Now I have thousands of friends whom I never talk to and many I have never heard of. My friends convinced me to set up a Twitter account and I was skeptical at first because to me it sounded a bit pointless. After a while I gradually lost interest in Facebook and I am now all about Twitter.
I can honestly say I am not interested in seeing an album of 100 pictures someone posts on Facebook, or where you are checking in, or even where your hometown is. I have my close group of friends whom I know all of that information without going on Facebook. Twitter is a place where I can see thoughts and opinions of a group of people I know. There are celebrities, humor accounts and many more that offer a good laugh, a few words of wisdom, or even a short fact about life. I am interested in almost everything I see on Twitter. I find myself refreshing the screen every few minutes just to see what is new and what is happening now. Matt Haughey was right. Twitter is about what is happening in the present and that is what makes it so interesting.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteWe are the generation of technology and electronics, constantly moving and progressing. Yet due to our advances in technology we are able to carry our pasts in our pocket; with the simple click of a button one can take a step back in time. Facebook allows people to reminisce and be nostalgic, I personally do not consider being constantly reminded of my past on Facebook to be bad. However, I do share Haughey's sentiments about Twitter. Twitter is more fun, thrilling, constantly moving forward. If I want to be entertained I simply go to Twitter; in an instant I can know exactly what my friend, or even a complete stranger, is thinking.
Facebook allows for people to post what is currently happening in their lives, in one post. Twitter allows for ne to keep others updated currently throughout their day. Most people consider it rude or excessive for someone to post multiple statuses on Facebook during the day, yet the exact opposite is welcome on Twitter. One is free to speak their mind, to express themselves and their thoughts about the future. Always expect to be entertained by new information on Twitter, where on Facebook reminds us constantly of the past with little emphasis on the future.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteGeneration Y is the first generation to have essentially been raised in homes and educated in classrooms that were permeated with new and innovative technology. Perhaps the most monumental technological advancement of our generation was the advent of the personal computer. Later innovations such as smartphones and tablets revolutionized the ways in which our generation uses social media. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, social media has become a cornerstone of our culture and has consequentially transformed the ways in which we communicate.
I find Twitter and Facebook to be very different types of social media. To me Facebook is a networking tool used to reconnect with old acquaintances, as Haughey suggests, but more importantly it allows multiple parties who could be thousands of miles apart to engage in conversation, share photos, and discover common interests. Facebook is extremely practical when it comes to networking and sharing information. My social media preference, like Haughey’s, is Twitter. Twitter is also very practical to relay information rapidly and economically. In a matter of seconds one can find out the latest news stories, what kind of shoes their favorite celeb just bought or simply enjoy witty commentary from their buddies miles away. Twitter’s character limit is also a safeguard against those annoying essay-length rants that are so common to Facebook. We humans are social creatures, and what better way to satisfy our communicative desires than a constant newsfeed of information from our favorite friends, celebrities and public figures.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view, Twitter and Facebook are essential for our generation. Twitter and Facebook are our tools to express our opinions or feelings and we can use it in many different ways. I agree with the author in some points while in others I don't. As the author thinks, I believe that Twitter is about the here and now because we read all the things just in the moment and that allow us to be inform about the last news or the things that we are interested in. On the other hand, I differ to the author about Facebook because even though it can be a reason to be stuck in the past I can use it in many more beneficial ways than harmful ways. Personally, I think that Facebook is a more complete social network that Twitter since with the first one a person can be in touch more directly with friends, family and idols than with the second one. Although Twitter might be useful to be updated it is only in an ”incomplete way” as we cannot really be informed with one post of only 140 characters. To my opinion, I feel that I can take more advantages from Facebook that from Twitter.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteMatt Haughey, the author, hits the point of social media on the nose. The idea that social media should be focused around the now and the future is exactly what excites me about social media. Being at AU, I don't see my friends from back home often. Twitter links me to their daily experiences and thoughts. This connection is something that doesn't exist on Facebook. The friends I have on Facebook amount to almost every single kid I went to high school with and I don't have an interest in what goes on in their lives (with exception to pregnancies).
It isn't fair to compare the two because Twitter blows Facebook out of the water. The instant gratification I get when reading an article from the 'discover' feed, or reading about my friend's new favorite album far outweighs anything Facebook has to offer. From experience with both social networks, I can honestly say Twitter is the more fun, enjoyable, and humorous of the two.
Spencer Vine
ReplyDeleteProsecutor as Bully
This article was written about a man named Aaron Swartz. He was charged and convicted with thirteen counts of illegally downloading academic journal articles from JSTOR. Only days after his arrest he committed suicide. Because Swartz was a Harvard University faculty member he was able to obtain a JSTOR account which provided him with free access to the academic journal articles that he downloaded. According to the federal government, by downloading these articles he was committing a felony. The government wanted Swartz to not only serve time in a federal prison but also to commit to being a felon, which Professor Lawrence Lessig, former attorney and close friend of Aaron, believed to be his biggest challenge. Lessig stated in his blog that although he understands wrongdoing he also understands "proportionality." He stated this because he does not believe that the government's actions were proportional to the actions of Aaron Swartz. In a CNN interview, Lessig states that "there is a big difference between breaking into government servers and releasing the social security database…releasing the names of agents who depend upon secrecy for their lives and downloading from JSTOR, a private non-profit company, academic journal articles which are doing nothing more than spreading the information that the authors of that article wanted spread." I agree 110% with this statement. Although Swartz's actions were illegal, they did not cause harm to anyone, in fact, they may have helped people. Due to this fact, I do not believe that there was any reason to label Swartz a "felon," let alone require him to admit that that is what he was. No longer able to deal with the harsh treatment of the government, Swartz decided to end his own life. This could have been prevented if the government had treated Swartz fairly and not like he committed some type of immensely bad or harmful crime.
Lisa-Marie Ortiz
The Improbable New Normal
ReplyDeleteAs I began reading this article, the first questions that came to mind was how to address what is extraordinary? How does one begin to describe the impossible, when in our new reality of YouTube and the other internet sites, these things have become trademarks of everyday life? What does extraordinary mean now that is impossible is possible? As I came to the end of the article, the author posed an interesting series of questions that I would like to lay out my opinion to. Mainly, how does our constant exposure to amazing spectacles distort our vision of everyday life? I would venture to say that because my generation is continuously viewing feats of extraordinary measure, we have come to see the ordinary as dull. We have begun to crave more and more extraordinary videos and stunts. In previous times, simply skydiving was an enormous achievement in and of itself, but it has become very mainstream due to the thousands of videos that have been taken and posted to sites such as YouTube. People need something bigger, something more daring, and that call was answered when Felix Baumgartner skydived from nearly 24 miles above Earth’s surface. It was bigger, it was better, it was on the internet in a couple of minutes. This is simply one clear example of the effect that the constant viewing of extraordinary feats has done to this generation. We are expecting more astonishing videos, and we will receive them.
Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteWith a name like Twitter it’s hard to be taken seriously - but Twitter has grown into something more than just a social networking site and into a culture defined by the desire inform and to express. I think Twitter does in fact hold some sort of superiority over Facebook for reasons that Matt Haughey identified in his article. Twitter encourages us to write everyday, and whether our 150 character sentences are completely nonsensical to people other than ourselves they mean something to us. Twitter allows us to live in the present, take short glances at our past, and yearn for the future. Our Facebook “timelines” allow all of our friends to access every tagged photo from our awkward years to accompany the embarrassing statuses and comments that go along with them. Facebook is “tolerable” because it is convenient, while Twitter allows us to define more of who we are now and who we will be a few hours, weeks, and months from now. Twitter gives everyone a blank canvas, or a blank page on which to write his or her story. Twitter gives us more flexibility as to who we choose to follow and who we want to follow us, who we want to read our story and which stories we want to read.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteI really agree with Adler’s point that we need to mark books for understanding context and becoming the owner of books. I like writing some notes and personal index when I am reading. It makes me understand books more deeply and develop my own ideas and opinions more thoroughly. I cannot say I always “read book as conversation between me and the author (Adler, 3).”
Actually, I am kind of the second type of book owner according to Alder’s description. To be honest, I seldom read books with my own notes. Even if, I only highlight some important key points. In my case, most of my readings are for assignments and academic study. I have no enough time to read them carefully and write to fill the margin of books since there are always due days. However, I found that even I still think when I read them without writing; the efficiency is lower with notes. I forget a lot of details or I mix up some similar views after I read books in a high speed. I am not like what Alder said in his essay that my speed is a measure of my intelligence, is just my habit what I get used to. Perhaps, I should slow down my speed and pick up a pencil during my reading time.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteI was against this passage from the first couple sentences, which I think is a natural reaction when an author with a Ph. D tells me how to read. Unlike a author with a Ph. D in mechanical engineering giving me advice on how to build a bridge, this advice is completely unnecessary. The tone of this paper is completely somewhat elitist, with obvious catering to those who consider themselves culturally superior readers. This is fine if your target audience is indeed those who consider Gone With the Wind ‘light fiction,’ but that’s it. It’s not very helpful in making more complex books seem enjoyable outside the academic, which I think is a big reason reading is not a very popular hobby. It also doesn’t consider those who are mostly likely to be in the academic field; students who maybe can’t afford to mark every book they have on loan, because it costs them money on the return. It also didn't speak to me, because I think you should be looking for meaning in every sentence of a book, but should find meaning in its story. When I pick up a book I haven’t read for years, I don’t want my own or anyone else notes distracting me from discovering it anew. Just like you don’t insert your own dialogue into a play or movie, I think a book’s soul in universal and separate from my own thoughts.
The Improbable is the New Normal
ReplyDeleteThrough is thirty years living in New York City, my uncle met his closest friends. Every time we visited him, we met a new one, and those would turn into our friends for a week. One of them was José, the man of the million stories. He said he had experienced things that were impossible to find in a novel by García Márquez, and of course, no one ever believed him. However, listening to him created a feeling of magic in us, especially when we were little. The truth is that even if he made sense or not, his imagination was a living example of the variety of situations that can emerge in life.
Today, techonology has divorced us from such feeling. Everything exists now, everything is there. There is barely anything new to discover. Nevertheless, if there is something that scares me is the fact that now I don't have to imagine if someone ever did something unimaginable that I was about to do. I actually know it, see it, and even cheer for those who do it.
It is normal for new ideas to emerge, but it is frightening to be separated from thinking we're the first ones to do something. Some might use this as a reason to discover and try something new, I see it as a first class ticket to being "one of the bunch".
Prosecutor As Bully
ReplyDeleteFrom all of the readings this week, Prosecutor As Bully, was the only one that struck emotions within me. I understand the debate upon intellectual property, and I agree that stealing said property should be met with repercussions. However, I also believe in context, understanding, and mitigating circumstances. If I were told, without knowing any backstory, that Aaron had been sent to jail for fifty years; I would assume that Aaron had taken part in a serious offense such as rape or murder. Working the story backwards, I would be shocked and horrified that his fate was on the account of stealing academic articles. Thus, I have a dilemma with the situation itself, but find myself further enthralled in the dirty politics of the situation.
We live in an where it can be argued that no idea is unique. Although I am fiercely trustworthy in the integrity of the government, we also live in a country dominated by the minority. As mentioned in the article “we live in a world where the architects of the financial crisis regularly dine at the White House.” The prosecutors who represented the government in this case, were prolonging that very problem. This situation highlights the negligence in politics and the selfishness of “intellectual property”. Aaron’s case is dwarfed by the severity and depth of the financial crisis of 2008; yet those responsible pay no debt to those affected, and reap the benefits of their hierarchal structure. Aaron will be the one that suffers, and this, to me, is a wrong that will never be fixed.
Prosecutor as Bully
ReplyDeleteOur government’s behavior toward Aaron Swartz reminds me of an article that I read in my World Politics class. After the incident of September 11, 2001, Doctor Steven J. Hatfill was accused of sending anthrax letters to people’s houses. Government, media, and public considered him a criminal before he was even proven guilty. After about a year of struggling against everyone, Hatfill was proven innocent. Hatfill, himself, says that he does not know how he did not commit suicide at such tough times. Aaron’s cause is somewhat different but our government’s violent reaction to both situations is the same. Aaron should not have been driven to a point where he had to commit suicide because the government thought that downloading academic articles from JSTOR was a crime. When government becomes this powerful, then the public must become more aware. Too weak or too strong, government can be harmful in both conditions. In Hatfill and Aaron’s cases, government was able to harm two individuals because the public was unable to recognize their responsibilities and protest against such unfair treatment of our fellow citizens. There is a ten years difference between these two incidents but the government has still stayed the same because our people have not decided to bring a change yet.
Lessig Blog, v2
ReplyDeleteWe live in a society today, or so I’d like to believe, which attempts to diminish the amount of atrocities that occur—especially those at the hands of our own government. The story of Aaron Swartz, a young man who recently took his own life on January 17th 2013, is one that I will not soon forget.
The story of Aaron Swartz is very impactful itself. A man charged with federal crimes is generally painted in the public image as someone who has committed a serious crime, such as treason, murder, or other heinous activities. Swartz, however, performed no acts of that severity.
Is what Swartz did, illegal, if not at least morally reprehensible? Yes, the truth is what Swartz did, by stealing the academic articles from the online database, JSTOR, is wrong; however, the punishment did not fit the crime.
Furthermore, the absurdness of the proposed punishments to Swartz’s crime is not even the most important piece to take away from this blog; it is the author’s closing comments. As the author stated—and I concur with—now is the time for us to move away from a world in which we over punish those who may have done wrong, and begin to heal by admitting shame when the time is right.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteJust from reading the title of the article, I know I am going to agree with the author regardless of the reasons. I joined Facebook almost five years ago when I was a foreign exchange student. All my friends at school were passionate about Facebook so I was encouraged to open one, and I did. There was a period of time when I could not live without Facebook. But recently, when I was glancing over my Facebook page and I just realized how boring it is. Most of my friends on Facebook post almost the same thing everyday, such as party photos, daily details, and family current situation. Some of them I barely know and hardly ever contact in person.
On the other hand, twitter, is a different world. I feel the same when Matt Haughey says he feels “optimistic and delighted” every time he opens up Twitter. Twitter is different because it is the place where I can see the fastest breaking news, where people share and show their reactions on a social problem, and where it is positive and delightful. I guess it is really hard to say Twitter is better than Facebook. They serve different purposes but one same thing is that they can both communicate, regardless of communicating with past or future.
When I was six years old, I tried to eat a book. I had looked it over and over and over, taunted by my older sister that I would never understand it the way she had. In my young grade school daring spirit, I endeavored to defy the intellectual limitations she had imposed on me. I gingerly pulled apart the outer bindings of the small Laura Ingalls Wilder chapter book and submerged the pages in a metal bowl filled with lukewarm water. While reading Huck Finn before bed with my dad, he always emphasized the hunger for knowledge that we must have: if we were to have one thing in the world over all else, it would be the appetite for words. So I broke the book down and ate it. Not all of it, but a significant amount before my mom discovered me and made me try to throw it up. Despite my best efforts, I was still taunted by my all powerful and wise big sis, but now for new reasons.
ReplyDeleteMy father breathes books. Miraculously still alive, he smokes like an industrial chimney and weighs a mere 130 pounds, but the oxygen that sustains him is his own contemplation of the words that exist outside of the confines of his mind. He reads and sits and smokes and then sits some more. He knows the meaning of regurgitation. The intellectual stimulation that his system derives from exists in each phrase he quickly, but artfully, jots in the margins. Original Mark Twain books from the turn of the century sit next to his tool-box in the dingy and damp garage, yet they are my papa’s most treasured possessions. They are not just the most precious evidence of this lifelong conversation my dad engages in with the text, they are also evidence of the amazing sustenance that is provided by his patient and passionate love affair with words. Dr. Adler speaks of the efficiency in absorbing ideas that is produced by engagement with and annotation of the text, but my dad’s wise bedtime lectures spoke of the necessity of breathing, or eating them (Adler 1). After I was forced to regurgitate, my dad chuckled and told me: “baby, those words you ate in will hurt you unless you throw them and some of yourself right back up at Laura.” So, I am in total agreement with Adler (as a formative childhood experience taught me his same academic lesson) that “books… must be absorbed in your bloodstream to do you any good” (Adler 1) and that “a reader is [not] supposed to be solely on the receiving end” (Adler 3). I will continue to read as voraciously as my daddy taught me too, however, I now use annotation and expository essays as an adult to reconcile my love affair with the words.
Before I had a Twitter, I felt exactly opposite of this statement. I thought it was stupid and didn’t understand why you would have interest in random “statuses” essentially just popping up every couple of minutes and you look at it once and never again. I always liked Facebook because you could check up on (aka stalk) people you hadn’t seen in a while and keep in touch with people who had moved away or gone to other schools. Although, the first time I had to do a “Facebook Cleaning” I realized I didn’t like it. I periodically go on Facebook and will scroll through my newsfeed and if a name pops up that I don’t recognize, I’ll delete them. I also started getting tons of ads and things that annoy me and once my mom AND dad joined I realized it was time for a change. Like the article says, once I got a Twitter I loved it because it is in the present. If you need a good laugh, you can always count on some to retweet a Will Farrell parody account that will make your mourning a little better. Or if you’re having a bad day, there’s always that one girl from high school who tweets those cliche life tweets that oddly enough actually make you feel better. Twitter is fast, exciting, and I can see who I want to see.
ReplyDeleteHow to mark a book
ReplyDeleteThis article attacked my attention first, because the way of reading a book as author mentioned is to mark on it between line or take notes remind me of my experience when I was in a junior high school. At that time, I was required to take notes on every article that my literature teacher assigned me. I hated doing that because I think focused on too much details is useless and it will slow down the speed of reading, however, it was homework, I had to finish it. I stopped taking notes right after I graduate from junior high school. Surprisingly, I found I can still remember some details of the article I was interested to read at that time when I read this one. It is undeniable that mark a book or article will leave a profound memory in readers mind. Even though I don't think this method is usable apply to every kind of articles, I would still recommend readers to mark on something you really interested in. Not only from the aspect of respecting something you like, but also for a deeper impression.
Another point I want to mention is that marking on a book when you read keeps you awake, I totally agree with the author on this issue. To me, I like to read comfortably by lying on the bed and having some snacks, however, this condition lead mr to sleep all the time. In this regard, taking some notes while we read can effectively avoid this problem.
Twitter definitely tops Facebook in like-ability for the reasons that Matt Haughey outlined in his piece, 'Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook." Twitter is in its essence, an outlet for quick jokes, first reactions and quick thoughts, a product of its 140 character max size and the ease which a new tweet can be seen. Facebook is more so designed to be an internet-scrapbook, often times just being a virtual highlight reel of someone's past. Well-manicured statuses and pictures are the staple of Facebook whereas quirky and sarcastic humor is the badge of Twitter. Twitter tends to be the sounding board for all thoughts and ideas, not as much weighed down by the heaviness of Facebook posts which are far more rare than a tweet. Facebook is caught up in what you did and who you were, whereas Twitter is updated in the moment. Twitter is the snapshot of what the conversation is, Facebook is the recap of what happened. While it can be nice to look back in the past with Facebook every now and then, Twitter's present-moment M.O is what makes it more interesting and fun for a user like myself.
ReplyDeleteHow to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteThis essay by Dr. Adler makes valid points about the need for writing between the lines, however I think he leaves out the importance of individuals discovering on their own, which process works best for them. He argues that unless you do write between the lines, “you are not likely to do the most efficient kind of reading.” And I would have to disagree with that statement because I find it to not be completely true. I know that for myself sometimes if a section of a book is difficult and when I read it, I cannot fully comprehend the intended meaning, I reread the text and come up with a take away phrase that helps me summarize the idea, but I do not do this for entire texts. As Dr. Adler also points out, that would take a lot of time.
However, I do agree with him in that there are different types of book owners. But I find that I fit into none of his defined categories. I am not an avid reader despite my numerous attempts to enjoy it. I like the concept of kicking my feet up and enjoying a good read but rarely do it. With that said, when I do read a book for pleasure, I tend to really dive in, marking it up as a I go as a result of the many epiphanies occurring in my head left and right. Like Dr. Adler writes, I tend to have a conversation with the author and this makes the book, essay or article have a greater impact on me in the long run.
Sanjana Hariprasad
ReplyDeleteWhy I love twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
Right now, I live half way across the world from my family and most of my friends, half way across the world from what I thought was my world just a couple months ago. My friends are sprinkled all around the world. Facebook has allowed me to, somehow, be a part of events and moments I couldn’t have been a part of in person. With different time zones, events and priorities, it is so difficult to keep in touch with everyone. It is terribly difficult to tell everyone who is close to you, what you have been up to without spending an entire day in a week, doing so. Facebook does it all for me; it allows me to keep in touch with people without actually keeping in touch. It lets my close friends and family stay in the loop, allows them to be more involved in my life than they could have been through e-mails and phone calls.
I do agree with the author when he says we are more defined by our past in Facebook, than who we are and what we feel at this moment. Facebook and Twitter have two different roles in my life; while Facebook is more of autobiography, Twitter is my present.
Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see how people in different generations view sites like Facebook and Twitter. Those in the older generations and are new to Facebook use the social networking site primarily to catch up with old friends and stay in touch with both new and old ones. Whereas those in the younger generation use Facebook as a way to meet new friends and document and share their life with their “friends”. But when comparing Twitter, the uses by the different generations are more similar then they are for Facebook. Tweets are perceived as more personal then most Facebook posts or status updates. On Facebook people often find friends on their newsfeed that they do not recall ever accepting unlike Twitter. But I will admit that I doI check Facebook a great deal more than I really want to. Whenever I am bored I check my newsfeed even if there is nothing new whereas Twitter almost always has new tweets being posted. The range of Twitter users is most definitely growing but not necessarily taking away from the Facebook users. Especially now that Twitter and Facebook as well as other social networking sites are connected. Whenever people tweet they are offered the option to share it on Facebook.
“The Technium”:
ReplyDelete“Nothing is impossible, as the word itself says: I’m possible.” This is a text message I once received from a friend, and I truely agree with it due to the changes has been made in our new lives by the media and technology; visioning the freakish accidents that is provided by the media is one way of experiencing improbable things more often, therefore, today the impossible accidents are more tangible as opposed to the past.
By looking at the fact of being technologically floated in the extraordinary accidents occurring in the world rather than the smooth stream of normal life from the optimistic point of view, I conclude that the technology has the advantage of keeping people away from superstition and their aftermath on people’s lives.
“Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook”:
Although Matt Haughey’s idea of preferring Twitter to Facebook seems reasonable to me, I think this preference depends entirely on each person’s experiences. Take my situation as an example; I appreciate joining to the amazing world of Facebook, since I have taken advantages of using this website. By becoming a member of this social media outlet, I have gotten in touch with my old friends and have learned that some of them have moved to the United States- the facts that I would not have known if Facebook did not exist. Therefore, having these people back as close friends after I immigrated to the U.S. has been an absolute support for me to start my new life.
Joining to Facebook has offered an other huge advantage for me; Using this website as a part of my daily life makes me happy by hearing from my family and friends back home; reading their posts, exchanging ideas with them, seeing their new pictures, and sharing what looks exciting to each of us make me feel they are around and not that far at all.
While Facebook entangle people in the constantly updated details, which are sometimes pointless, and could be merely time consuming, it could be advantageous in some circumstances.
The Improbable is the New Normal
ReplyDeleteI chose this article because it reveals a thinkable and true side of our rapid development of internet today. Now the YouTube are filled with lots of extraordinary events taken by videos. Who is the superlative, then who gets most lick rates. People are trying to find things are excited even striking and totally different from ordinary life to make lives more interesting. It's true that these fun and events happened which we can't imagine bring some sort of entertainment to our daily and normal lives,but when things are getting more and more striking and fictive, we need to worry about how would our mind change?
Just like mentioned in the article,would it be that when extraordinary become ordinary life? It seems that this situation won't cease but develops to more dynamic,and easy taken cameras everywhere record our lives. More improbable will change to possible events. But maybe we just think this to much serious. Everything in the society is going to shape in its own way, including our way of judging things. Our thoughts are always accord with norms. We just know what's going on of the media, but we can hardly change it. Maybe it's just how the society change on its way.
Response to reading – “Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook’
ReplyDeleteFor the past 7 or so years social networking has been a part of my day-to-day life. I started with a site called Piczo, moved onto MySpace, then Facebook, and now Twitter. I created pages, made status’, posted pictures and videos, and more recently I tweeted. These social networking sites have become more and more simple and accessible to use over time. To the extent that all I need to do to send a tweet, is to politely ask my phone using the Siri application.
Like the writer of this article mentions, I also am optimistic when I open the Twitter app on my iPhone, and a little apprehensive when opening the Facebook app. Facebook is set up in a way where you have history, either good or bad, funny or embarrassing, through photos, videos, posts etc. which are on your ‘timeline’. This creates a ‘timeline’ of your life defining who we are, but isn’t that a bit too intense for a social networking site. This is why I prefer Twitter, as it is far less formal. Every time I go on it I am greeted by funny tweets from family, friends, and even celebrities. There is a far more relaxed atmosphere to Twitter, which I find much more enjoyable.
As time has gone by, I’ve drifted away from Facebook, however there was a day when I was on it hours socializing with my friends. I’m sure this will happen to me with Twitter, and probably social networking as a whole.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteI was shocked by its title when I first got the assignment and printed out all the web articles. Nowadays, wherever I go, whether in a café, on the train, or sometimes in a classroom, I always encounter the web page, Facebook. As a matter of fact, I myself have Facebook as one of the most-visited websites on my Google Chrome. Thus this article showed me a new way of thinking towards Facebook. My mother always tells me the danger of Facebook when I tell her how my old friends are doing in various countries because I know what they did on that weekend or whom they are seeing right now. I honestly don't think it is a bad thing to be investigated on Facebook even if that might mean showing my history or dark to other people. I think what is on Facebook does not simply identify who I am and I believe it is a great way, especially as an international student, to know how my friends or old acquaintances are living in this world. I love Facebook, and I love Twitter too. So I will probably continue to keep them on my Bookmark by utilizing each of their strong points.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteI totally agreed with Dr. Adler's opinion about owning books and taking notes. After reading this article, I want to be a good book owner whom Dr. Adler mentioned, "The third has a few books or many -- every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scrivvled in from front to back" (Adler). It was helpful to know that Dr. Adler introduced her way of marking a book. Now I will use 'vertical lines at the margin' and 'circling or highlighting of key words or phrases,' when I read a book. I do not usually outline a book after I read, but Dr. Adler emphasized the outlining as 'the measure of my understanding of the work' (Adler).
I agree with her opinion that divide books for two groups: one is for reading for fun with relaxation and the other is complicated books which demand taking notes. There are books to read with high concentration and analyzing. I used to think that fast reading is cool and intelligent, but there are proper ways for different types of books.
This article helped me to think about reading thoroughly and to correct my reading style.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteThe writer pictures Facebook as this restless monster that digs out your past and shows them to the world. Oddly enough, when I signed up for Facebook, all they asked for was my name, an email address and a password. I gave Facebook all these information voluntarily. Guess what, everything else was optional!
Don't tell Facebook that you graduated from Oral Roberts University if you don't want your boss to know that you didn't actually go to Harvard Law School; Don't post pictures of yourself smoking cocaine if you don't want your mom to have a heart attack; Don't put down dog poop as your favorite food if you don't want people know about your unique diet. Even if your evil friend tags you in a super embarrassing picture, you can just hide it from your timeline. Facebook only shows people what you want them to know.
Sadly, I didn't get "a steady stream of people coming out of my past to contact me" when I signed up for Facebook because Facebook is not available in China. However, I bet the writer was such a cool dude that everyone from his elementary school and high school desperately tried to contact him. As a result, he felt strange among all these people that he "barely knew". Man, I wish I was popular like him! When people from my past tried to contact me, I felt nothing but joy and excitement. It's always great meeting people that I used to know and this feeling just gets better and better as I grow older. Take anyone in this writing class as an example, even if I don't really know you now, I'll be super excited to meet you and see who you are 50 years later!
Just like Twitter, there are interesting articles to read, breaking news, and jokes about those on Facebook, too. If Twitter makes one's life better, so does Facebook. If you don't want people to know that you once robbed a bank, simply don't put that down as your work experience on Facebook. If you want everyone to know that you farted when you proposed to your girlfriend twenty years ago, you can tweet that on Twitter, too.
"I kind of wish I could just see a person’s About page for five minutes and move on, as I don’t need the daily detail/updates of every old high school buddy’s life. Facebook doesn’t offer much granularity in this regard, without moving all your friends into complex groups with different levels of permissions."
Matt Haughey
(Founder of MetaFilter.com, cofounder of Fuelly.com and BuyLocalCycling.com. Huge cyclocross, photography, and web nerd as well.)
Oh, come on, sir. How complex can that be for a guy like you? Can I please add you on Facebook and recheck your work experience? This quote sounds like something that my grandma would say.
The Improbable is the New Normal
ReplyDeleteTo be quite honest, while I was reading this article I couldn’t stop thinking about the Pixar movie “The Incredibles”. What the writer was saying made me think of the villain, Syndrome, and his evil plan to make everyone a superhero. “Because,” as he said, “when everyone is super…no one will be”.
I remember being a 10 year old in the movie theater thinking that Syndrome’s plot to level the playing field was unique because it wasn’t inherently malicious. One could argue that Syndrome wasn’t the villain in the end. Take away the scary costume, giant robot, his seemingly endless budget, his James Bond-esque villain name, and his ridiculous 10-foot hair he was just a person [whose name is BUDDY for crying out loud] trying to reach his dreams of becoming a super and figured, “Why shouldn’t everyone be able to be super?”
Connecting this thought to the article we were to read I think that the writer’s final thoughts are something that my 10-year old mind never registered while watching Syndrome get sucked into his jet turbine because of his cape [NO capes]. That is, what happens after society becomes diluted to the extraordinary? The writer raises two points. One is that after seeing the extremes of human capability, society will know just what we are capable of and will expand our everyday abilities. The other, more negative point he argues is that after being so diluted to the extraordinary we will become discontent with anything less than that.
Now, what if both of these points were combined to create a person, or a society, who knows that they can do better and will never settle for anything less than better. To quote W. Somerset Maugham, “Only a mediocre person is always at his [or her] best”. So maybe, in a way, Syndrome’s “evil” plot wasn’t that bad. Maybe he was out to make a better world.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteReading this article made me realize how much of a contradiction I once was. I really like to write on my own time, about my own interests, and so on and so forth. And yes, I am someone who prefers to write with a pencil and tablet, weird huh? But one of the reasons I do that is because it feels more personal, more intimate. When I am typing something on my computer, all I see are these digital looking letters that pop up when I hit a key and it is very strange to me. The biggest reason I am a pencil writer, though, is because I like to see the progression of my thoughts. If I write something, then come back later and don't like it, I can cross it off and then write above it or draw an arrow to connect my thoughts. It feels more permanent. This is compared to typing where if I don't like what I said, I highlight it and hit delete and then I will never see how my ideas transpired into what they are now. This is why I found it so funny to read How to Mark a Book.
When I used to read, I was very precise in how I did it. I would barely crack open books just because I didn't want the bindings to break over time. I used to never dream of writing anything in books just because I didn't want to mix my thoughts with the authors. I believed it was their work of "art" so I shouldn't vandalize it. I loved buying old and used books because they just felt loved, but I didn't like to be the one to cause those changes. As the article said, I was "restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance."
This changed, however, in part because of my high school English teacher. Whenever we had to read books in class, he used the same ones for decades and with each note he would write down, he would date it. His books were falling apart, papers at one time important, were now stuffed into random pages, but all the pages had their own scribbles. Something about these book's images made me realize that that is how a book should be. I related dating the notes in the margins of books, to seeing the progression of my writing and it really hit home for me.
Now a days, even though I still am a tad reluctant to write in the margins, you will see that I have underlined certain things and that I am definitely sitting and reading with that book opened wide, which to me is a good start.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteThis article really made me think of the importance of reading and the thoughts that come with it.
Firstly, I personally really liked the author's style of writing because it makes the readers feel like he is talking to us directly. In addition, we can really feel that the author is passionate about books which for me makes the article more interesting to read. I love reading an article when I know that the person has taken pleasure into writing it.
Secondly, I agree with the points that he is trying to makes .The point that I agree with the most is when he discusses what it means to actually "own" a book, which is when you share your ideas with the author indirectly ( by writing what comes through your mind in your book). Also, I loved and concurred with the fact that he compared the books with an intellectual diary. The author really pursued me to see that books aren't only for reading but are also a place to share our thoughts without having to make any sense.
This article really made me want to start reading more books because sadly in the world we live in today, we don't realise the importance of literature and how it can help us develop new thoughts and ideas
The Improbable is the New Normal
ReplyDeleteThere is a common line you hear every now and then. That line is, "Now I've seen everything!" This is a lie. One person will never see, "everything," but for some reason we hear it all the time. This line makes the person who said it feel as if nothing will surprise us anymore. It gives them feeling of power; Power that does not exist. Pardon the cliche, but the world is full of surprises. Every time you see something that amazes you, something else is waiting just around the corner. A shocking swerve that will knock you off your feet, so to speak (or type in this case.) There is no limit to the amount of wonders that await us in life. The internet has become a tool that allows us to share these wonders. You don't feel alone when you are online. There could be hundreds of people on the exact same page as you. It only takes one day for a thousand people to view a video on YouTube. You will see many amazing videos but you will never see every one of them. The next time you here a person say, "Now I've seen everything!" make sure you accuse them of lying.
How to Mark a Book
ReplyDeleteThe article that interested me the most was “How to Mark a Book”. This article really made me think twice about my reluctance to mark up a book while I am reading it, and it brought up the point of what is my understanding of the book when I am finished with it. This made me think about my past experiences with books, and I realized that the books I continuously wrote and highlighted in, gave me a complete understanding of the book, compared to the ones I just read in a couple sittings. I enjoyed the part of the article where the author brought up the point of ownership. In order to own the book, you need to make it yours, not just have the money to purchase it, and I fully agree with the author’s thoughts on this. If I just bought the book, it would only show physical ownership of it, not an intellectual ownership I search for when I have the book. Many of the points in this article were very relatable to how I treat a book. I try to be careful with it, and keep it in its original condition, but by reading this article, I figured out that I do not develop the same understanding as I do with a book that I make mine.
“Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook”
ReplyDeleteWhat first caught my attention was the clearly distinct title. In this day and age, most people take a stand on whether they like social media or not. However, the writer expresses firmly by using, in my opinion, strong words such as “love” and “barely tolerate”, that he prefers one over the other.
As I read the text, I was more and more convinced that this was something more than just the two social mediums commonly known as Facebook and Twitter. The words the author uses about Twitter are positive, and you can feel that he speaks with enthusiasm when he is elaborating about its functions and opportunities. The author repeatedly states the importance of Twitter as a medium which focuses on the present. The present is also underlined by the following statement: “One of the reasons I loved the Internet when I first discovered it in the mid-1990s was that it was a clean slate, a place that welcomed all regardless of your past (..) ). I believe that this text is about a man who needed this clean slate, a new start. He has done something in his past that he wants to lay behind him. Facebook’s policy is all about staying in touch with your old friends, so Facebook is a symbol of the dark past. Twitter, on the other hand, has given him happiness in his life.
The article that interested me the most was “Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook”. Reading this article now made much more enjoyable because recently, many people have spoken about how Facebook is being used less and less. In many ways I agreed with Matt Haughey. I believe that Twitter does have a more positive feeling associated with it. After reading this article, I went onto my Twitter feed and actually caught myself smiling and laughing at my friend’s tweets. The author is correct in saying that Twitter is used more as a place for people to make jokes and say snippets about what is happening in their life right at that moment.
ReplyDeleteI disagreed with the author when he was describing Facebook however. I believe that Facebook will eventually be used much less than it is today but I also believe that there is an important benefit in being able to stay in touch with people form your past. I personally like to look back at old memories and old pictures and to see what people who I have not talked to in a while are up to. In my mind, catching up with people from my past and staying in touch is a positive thing. It is especially important to me now as I have just left all of my family and friends at home to go to college.
Harrison Palefsky
ReplyDelete"How to Mark a Book"
In comparison for the length of time that I have been reading, the act of marking books is somewhat new to me. When I was younger, I was almost horrified by the state of several books in my home, each of which represented the dog earned annotated ideal presented by the author. My annotation habits only really came about in force in high school, when intense analysis of the books that I read was required for assignments.
Alder makes a comparison between reading books and having conversations with their author’s, but to extend that metaphor, one of the main reasons that I dislike annotating books is because they interrupt the flow of that conversation. For me, the act of reading most books should be something continuous and experienced at once, with analysis taking place at the end. Personally, when I stop reading to make annotations, I lose track of the story and ideas presented by the text in an attempt to grasp for the perfect words to represent my thoughts before they manage to disappear from my head entirely. I feel that books as a whole are much better reflected upon at the end then they are midway through their texts.
While I still view annotating books as important, I feel as though it should not be done until one has properly processed what they have read.
Michael Brunelle
ReplyDelete"How to Mark a Book"
This article resonated with me so much because this was a conclusion which I did not come to until last year in my English literature class. The actual act of marking up a book always made me uncomfortable, however my teacher showed me how necessary it was in the same way Adler describes its necessity. When he says that "full ownership only comes when you make it part of yourself," I felt that this description was quite honestly how I felt after I marked up all of the books I was working on for class. Breaking down the text, so to speak, makes it feel like you are receiving a very personal understanding of what the text really means. Just like when Adler says that "writing in a book is not an act of mutilation but of love," he means that the book is not truly being loved until one finds the meaning that the author hid "between the lines."
The entire art of marking a book as Adler describes it has gone away. In my high school career, I did not meet a single classmate who knew how to do this properly. Most of them felt that they couldn't tell what should be marked and what should not be, but that really only meant that they did not understand the text well enough.
This text is something I feel everyone must read at some point to truly understand what it means to own a book.
Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have always loved twitter more than any other type of social media. Twitter allows you to freely share your thoughts without getting talking to much. Having 140 characters to get across your feelings, thoughts, jokes and insight about current things makes reading and interacting with followers much more entertaining. If everyone got to post an unlimited amount of characters, many would not take time to read all of the tweets. Twitter is a very refreshing form of social media. It is “a steady stream of mostly joy and makes my life better” (Haughey).
However, I may be a bit biased when comparing the two. I have never had a Facebook because I have never been a fan of it. Being an athlete, I have to be very cautious of what I post and do not post on the internet. I know too many people who have gotten suspended games for inappropriate behavior and representing themselves, their team, and school incorrectly. With Facebook, there is more room to put too much information about yourself out there, and others may post stuff about you that you do not want. I agree with Matt Haughey that twitter is awesome and the best social media out there today.
Why I love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more with this article. Twitter is a space of sharing funny thoughts, jokes, impromptu events and it does so in such a way that you will not spend your entire day reading it. My Twitter feed is only filled with those who I truly consider my friends, and a few famous people who I would like to hear from. My Facebook profile on the other hand is filled with hundreds of obligatory friends whom I could care less what they have to say. People will drone on and on about their own personal beliefs as if posting about it on Facebook will make a difference in the world, and everyone feels themselves morally superior to all of their "friends". If it were not for the ability to communicate with ease to different groups I belong to, I.E. Teams, study groups etc. I would delete my Facebook profile today. It offers nothing but a group of people I could care less about communicating with via my timeline, and in general has far too much information about myself on it. Twitter in general is a far happier place with much less arguments, more hilarity per post, and just a more positive energy to it. Matt Haughey is absolutely right, Twitter is the social media of the present, and Facebook is the social media of your embarrassing past.
Why I love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteThis article was pretty spot on with why Facebook is dull and unappealing. Facebook attempts to convey a person's past, personality, and life, but in the process Facebook has become a bogged-down mess. Twitter is fast paced, attempting to capture a person's random thoughts in 140 characters or less. Facebook meanwhile has become a platform for people to bug you with random Farmville requests, overbearing opinions, and personal problems. On Twitter you follow who you want, and don't just mindlessly accept friend requests from people you barely know. The number of 'friends' one has is itself meaningless, for out of the hundreds of friends a person has, one may only really care about less than 30 of them. Twitter is fast, fun, and less personal than Facebook, not needing to know where you went to high school, what's your religion, and so on. The only positive aspect of Facebook is being able to connect with family and people you haven't seen in a long time. Yet even then, that old friend just becomes another meaningless number, on a website that can't stop focusing on one's past, unlike Twitter, which emphasizes the present. This article was on point with why Facebook is just inferior to Twitter as a social networking site. Twitter is a place of energy, and Facebook has become a place of apathy.
Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook
ReplyDeleteHaley Richardson
I found this article very cynical, and although I agree with some of the sentiments about why Twitter is great I thought that it was too harsh on Facebook. I agree that Twitter is much more stream on consciousness and that people definitely do not share the same volume of information that can be found on Facebook. It is a great way to connect with celebrities or sport teams to get updates about their projects or seasons. However I think that there is a certain lack of responsibility for what people say because it feels so fleeting. If someone wants to whine about something in their life or they have a confession that really no one wants to know about, they post it on Twitter because they can feel liked they posted but it wont be around for long. While on Facebook I feel that I can really keep in touch with my friends and family, now that I am at college it is nice to know more detail about my families day because I am no longer a big part of it. I think it is nice to have both sites, Twitter for little blurbs from people’s lives and Facebook to really catch up and be active. I think they are both necessary to me and are equally entertaining and distracting.
“Why I Love Twitter and Barely Tolerate Facebook”
ReplyDeleteTwitter and Facebook. They’re just two social networks and as such, are pretty much the same, right? Not according to this blog. The striking differences that the author pointed out between the two sites are often overlooked, but very significant to their users. The biggest difference between Twitter and Facebook is the identity that individuals create on each. Facebook requests a great deal of personal information and history such as age, gender, orientation, school attended, and job. Each one of these pieces of information draws you back to your life outside of the internet. It gives you a clear label by which other people can judge you. On Facebook, your identity is characterized by the generic labels that are common in our society and people generally miss the chance to see who someone really is. In contrast, Twitter allows you to constantly have a “clean slate.” There are no superficial labels put upon you, drawing you back to the outside world; you can only be judged by what you actually say. There is a kind of anonymity yet deep self-expression that comes from Twitter. People are able to hide who they are, or the part of their self that they share, in the “real world” and express what they truly think and feel. They are able to freely express their true selves without fear of what others will think, since most don’t know them in person. Their identity is whatever they want to make it.