So the first week of the NFL is upon us…finally!
Every week I am going to make my NFL predictions and keep a running total of my prediction Win-Loss ratio at the bottom of the following outcome post every week (like every other NFL fan with a blog). Am I destined for greatness or am I a no talent hack? We shall see…
Redskins @ Giants
While the Super Bowl hangover can be hard to overcome, the ‘Skins are a new team, with a new coach, and too many question marks on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Can Jason Taylor still perform well and provide the pass rush the Redskins so desperately needed last year? Will Jason Campbell be able to pick up his seventh new offensive system and lead his team to victory?
Redskins 14 – Giants 28
Seahawks @ Bills
I have never been high on the Seahawks and think that they play in the weakest division (NFC West), in the weakest conference (NFC). While they do have some weapons, their receiver core has been decimated this year by injuries while the Bills were plagued by injuries and a rookie quarterback under center last year. The Bills look healthy this year, Edwards has more experience, and while Jason Peter will not play due to his recently ended holdout, the news of the holdout ending should boost the morale of the offensive line. Leodis McKelvin is an instant upgrade to the secondary and is a dynamic addition to the special teams.
Seahawks 21 – Bills 24
Buccaneers @ Saints
Last year was a fluke for the Saints and they will be back in step for the NFC South title. A healthy Deuce McAllister will mean Reggie Bush will be hard to contain and Sedric Ellis will center a struggling offense. While Gruden loves his quarterbacks, he has a game manager rather than a game changer in Jeff Garcia. Look for the Saints infamous high powered offense, especially with the addition of Jeremy Shockey, to take over.
Buccaneers 17 – Saints 35
Jets @ Miami
This is going to be the game that everyone is watching and we will have to hear the commentators talk about for the next month because the Jet’s new quarterback’s name begins in F and ends in E. The drama of this story is admittedly good though; Brett Favre leaves his Depends and walker behind with retirement, signs with the Jets, and leaves the Jets starting quarterback Chad Pennington, without a J-O-B. Pennington then signs with the Dolphins who went 1-15 last year. Pennington is the obvious starter and should mentor both Beck and Henne who are the quarterback(s) of the future. While it is almost guaranteed that Miami will double their win amount of last year (2 wins this year!), the Jets have been aggressive in the off-season and look to threaten Buffalo for the second spot behind the Patriots in the AFC east.
Jets 28 – Miami 16
Texans @ Steelers
The Texans are an up and coming team in arguably the toughest division in the NFL while the Steelers are proven playoff contenders year in and year out. The Steelers look to have two good high draft picks in Mendenhall and Sweed that should contribute immediately. While it looks like the Texans have not made any huge splashes in their own off-season, their drafted defense started making waves last year and should improve more this year. Look for this to be a hard hitting, punch you in the nose, run it down your throat game.
Texans 14 – Steelers 21
Jaguars @ Titans
The Jags have proven that they are here to stay with a pretty young team that is extremely physical on both offense and defense. Gerrard, while no game changer, is the perfect manager for the Jags two headed run first and last offense. It looks like everyone is starting to jump on the Vince-Young-is-a-bust bandwagon that I’ve been saying since day 1. Young is a quarterback that plays like a fat running back. While his moves worked great in college, this is the NFL and you need to pass first. His mechanics and stats are both horrible and look for him to be a back-up in 2-4 years. I was hoping that Chris Johnson would be picked up by the Broncos late in the draft but instead he went to the Titans in the first round. While Johnson is potentially a game changer, was he worth a first round pick?
Jaguars 28 – Titans 14
Lions @ Falcons
Ugh and Ugh. I don’t care what people say about the Lions; neither team is very good. The Falcons will be a lot better this year despite what everyone says. The Lions will limp their way to a victory however in a mistake and turnover filled game.
Lions 31 – Falcons 28
Chiefs @ Patriots
While the verdict is still out, it looks like the Chiefs pulled off a blockbuster draft this year and potentially drafted 4 starters in 1 year; that’s huge. The Chiefs will struggle this year but their young team will gain invaluable experience. This one isn’t really a contest at all but the Chiefs may surprise a few people with how well they play.
Chiefs 14 – Patriots 35
Bengals @ Ravens
I really like the AFC North because every time likes to play smash mouth football. While Cincy thinks they can play smash mouth football, it should be fun to watch the Ravens beat up on the Bengals both offensively and defensively. Chad Johnson (I mean Ocho Cinco since he just had his name legally changed) will be hampered as he adjusts to playing with a brace this game but will do fine the rest of the year. Look for Johnson to play all well this year and keeps his mouth shut a little more as he tries to build up his trade value. The Ravens offense is aging but should still beat up an aerial Bengals offense.
Bengals 10 – Ravens 16
Rams @ Eagles
The Rams were a fluke last year and should be back to their normal high powered offense. Look for the play of Bulger to be solid this game and year as a weak performance could prompt the choice of a high draft pick being spent on a quarterback. Who knows what will happen out of McNabb this week / year as his game play needs some Prozac to regulate it; it’s either phenomenal or horrid. While Westbrook is always solid, look for a recently drafted Desean Jackson to help out McNabb but to little avail as Stephen Jackson’s new contract makes him play like a man possessed and the Rams take out their frustrations of last year.
Rams 35 – Eagles 28
Cardinals @ 49er’s
The battle of the 1st round bust quarterbacks. The Cardinals are coming to the realization that Leinhart is a bad choice just as the 9er’s are realizing that Alex Smith is a nobody. Neither quarterback is going to start and look for the 49er’s to draft another one this year and the Cardinals to soften the blow to Leinhart by drafting another one the next year. Both defenses look fairly solid though but while San Francisco has the edge on the defensive side, Arizona has a larger edge with their offense with Warner at the helm
Cardinals 28 – 49er’s 24
Panthers @ Chargers
The Panthers were bad last year and the Charges were great. While the Chargers will never be a dynasty like the Patriots or Colts because of the lack of good leadership on and off the field, they are still good; just not good enough. The Panthers have been running the ball like it’s the new thing to do in the preseason; but against the vanilla defense that everyone runs. The loss of Steve Smith for two games will not be a big of a loss as everyone thinks with the emergence of the running game the Panthers boast. Still, the Chargers are explosive offensively and solid defensively.
Panthers 13 – Chargers 28
Cowboys @ Browns
The Cowgirls are just like the Chargers in loaded with talent, but lacking in leadership. The Browns have really shocked everyone with their play of late but I guess that’s what happens when you have so many high draft choices for so many years in a row. I think that Derek Anderson was a fluke last year and look for Quinn to start towards the end of the season. The Cowboys will still win with a high powered offense and strong defense.
Cowboys 28 – Browns 18
Bears @ Colts
The Bears are looking to be horrible this year and should end up with a top 5 draft choice; hopefully they will spend it on a quarterback as they should have down 2 years ago. The offense is lacking weapons, the line is already crippled with injuries, while the Colts look strong. The only question mark on the Colts side of the ball is Peyton Manning and his recent knee surgery. While Peyton Manning could come off the couch at 50 and play in a Super Bowl, he will not be in top form as he hasn’t practiced at all this year. This one will be closer than people think.
Bears 17 – Colts 21
Vikings @ Packers
The Vikings were solid last year and will be even better this year. While Adrian Peterson played phenomenally last year, he did make some big mistakes that he will not make this year; that’s right look for him to play even better even if his stats don’t reflect it. While Peterson will have less of an individual performance, look for his contribution to team performance to be much better this year i.e. blocking, catching passes, and making smart decisions. The Packers have lost a great quarterback in Favre and just because I like drama, I think that Rodgers is going to struggle and there will be riots in Green Bay.
Vikings 35 – Packers 21
Broncos @ Raiders
What would the week be without some smack talking against the Raiders because I am truly a Raider Hater and I think that the faders are run horrible by the Corpse, a.k.a. Al Davis. The Raiders will struggle again this year and probably fire Lane Kiffin from his head coach position while he has done as best as possible with putting up with Al Davis. The Broncos are a real sleeper this year and everyone is overlooking them. While the Broncos will be without star receiver Brandon Marshall this game, it shouldn’t matter with the emergence of Eddie Royal, a solid receiver core, a vastly improved defense and defensive system, and a beefed up O-Line.
Broncos 24 – Raiders 16
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Discussion Question: Project Management
Think about how we use project management at work and in our personal lives. Is it necessary to plan complex projects differently than simple projects? Why or why not?
Project management is something that everyone uses in their professional and personal lives without even recognizing the use of the skills at the time. At work, even if you are not a project manager, you often manage projects, even if you are simply managing yourself and how the project is completed.
In your personal life, project management can be translated to something such as a move across country. You have a date in mind that you have set when you want to move. In order to meet that date, you need to pack your belongings, arrange for the movement of them, shuttle yourself and family across country. Now in order to make sure that the move across country is successful, you need to make sure that your property is sold or available for rent, you need to have a new residence lined up, and you need to have a job when you get there. Everything that you as an individual need to accomplish to make all of those goals happen is project management.
So far as care taken into planning simple versus complex projects, the approach should be the same, just the workload should be different. That is, the same overall goals are the same regardless of the complexity of a project – budget, success, deadline, and specifications. The only element that changes is the amount of work that goes into planning to make sure these goals are met.
Project management is something that everyone uses in their professional and personal lives without even recognizing the use of the skills at the time. At work, even if you are not a project manager, you often manage projects, even if you are simply managing yourself and how the project is completed.
In your personal life, project management can be translated to something such as a move across country. You have a date in mind that you have set when you want to move. In order to meet that date, you need to pack your belongings, arrange for the movement of them, shuttle yourself and family across country. Now in order to make sure that the move across country is successful, you need to make sure that your property is sold or available for rent, you need to have a new residence lined up, and you need to have a job when you get there. Everything that you as an individual need to accomplish to make all of those goals happen is project management.
So far as care taken into planning simple versus complex projects, the approach should be the same, just the workload should be different. That is, the same overall goals are the same regardless of the complexity of a project – budget, success, deadline, and specifications. The only element that changes is the amount of work that goes into planning to make sure these goals are met.
Monday, July 28, 2008
MHR Radio - July 9
I am a fan of MileHighReport. While this is a blog about the Denver Bronco's and probably very biased, for the most part they do an excellent job of objective reporting and their weekly Podcast is pretty decent. Check out the one for the week of July 9, 2009.
MHR Radio Episode 42 - 7/9/08: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
MHR Radio Episode 42 - 7/9/08: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMonday, July 14, 2008
Critical Thinking Assignment: Argument Evaluation
There is an interesting article in the weekly reading titled “Controlling Irrational Fears After 9/11”. This is an essay in which the author is trying to “downplay” the public’s reaction and outcry to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In this essay, the author makes several arguments with the purpose of showing how these outcries and reactions were more than warranted.
On page 456 of the text, the essay claims “It is unlikely, for example, that many Americans remember that, earlier in 2001, an earthquake in Gujarat, India, killed approximately 20,000 people. One might explain the difference in reaction by saying that we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world.” To preface, the author provides statistics of the 9/11 casualties at 2,800 deaths. The premise of this particular argument is when the author states “It is unlikely, for example, that many Americans remember that, earlier in 2001, an earthquake in Gujarat, India, killed approximately 20,000 people”; the conclusion of the same argument is “One might explain the difference in reaction by saying that we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world.”
The premise of this argument does support the conclusion of the statement by using several key words. For example, in the premise of the argument the author uses the word “unlikely.” While this is a fallacy in itself, it does pair well with the conclusion of the argument in the way that the author distances the plight of another country – the author states “we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world. By using words like “naturally” and “we”, the author has separated “us from them” and “drawn a line” in the sand and distanced the reader mentally (rather than the obvious physical distance of geographical location) from the plight of the Indians.
This argument is inductively strong in several aspects. The argument is strong because it is well written and evokes feelings and emotions of patriotism because of the “us and them” aspect of the argument – adding strong emotions to an argument seems to usually make an argument strong. Also, the argument is inductive in the way that it uses the words “unlikely” and “naturally.” These are words used when the reader comes to a conclusion of truth rather than the premise and conclusion being entirely truthful.
Finally, the premise of this argument is plausibly true, rather than being difficult to prove or definitely true. From the beginning of the premise uses the word “unlikely”, it shows that the author does not necessarily have the research or statistics on this claim; if the author did have the appropriate evidence then the word “unlikely” should be removed as it would now be likely. However, this premise is fairly simple to prove or disprove as the author could conduct a simple poll and calculate the findings.
In another argument on page 457 of the text, the author of the essay claims “One might say that it was the malice of the perpetrators that makes the 9/11 deaths so noteworthy, but surely there is plenty of malice present in the 15,000 homicides that occur every year in the United States. And while we have passed strict laws favoring prosecution of murderers, we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities that has followed the 9/11 attacks.” The premise of this argument is “One might say that it was the malice of the perpetrators that makes the 9/11 deaths so noteworthy, but surely there is plenty of malice present in the 15,000 homicides that occur every year in the United States.” The conclusion of the same argument is the second sentence: “And while we have passed strict laws favoring prosecution of murderers, we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities that has followed the 9/11 attacks.”
While the premise of this argument supports the conclusion of the same argument, I do not feel that it supports the conclusion of the entire message and essay. The premise of the entire essay is all of the evidence, proof, and comparisons that the author makes between other events (primarily automobile casualties) and the deaths of 9/11; the conclusion of the entire message is the claim that American’s reactions are not warranted if strictly adhering to the death count. The author seems to take the opportunity to point out flaws in National Defense rather than support the overall claim that Americans have overreacted to 9/11.
This argument is weak and invalid; the author seems to be picking all of the “beneficial” things that support his claim and omitting the “negative” things that would discredit his claim rather than taking evenly from both positive and negative. The author provides support of the proportion of deaths from 9/11 and the annual homicide death count in the premise but then does not provide any concrete evidence to support the conclusion of “we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities…”; there have been in fact many large and expensive shifts in priorities in National Defense – specifically the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
The premise of the argument is true however; the author does provide evidence supporting the premise by quoting the figure of 15,000 homicides annually in the country.
While full of fallacies and slanters, the essay was a very interesting read; the author made many strong and valid arguments supporting the claim why Americans have overreacted to the terrorist of attacks of 9/11.
On page 456 of the text, the essay claims “It is unlikely, for example, that many Americans remember that, earlier in 2001, an earthquake in Gujarat, India, killed approximately 20,000 people. One might explain the difference in reaction by saying that we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world.” To preface, the author provides statistics of the 9/11 casualties at 2,800 deaths. The premise of this particular argument is when the author states “It is unlikely, for example, that many Americans remember that, earlier in 2001, an earthquake in Gujarat, India, killed approximately 20,000 people”; the conclusion of the same argument is “One might explain the difference in reaction by saying that we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world.”
The premise of this argument does support the conclusion of the statement by using several key words. For example, in the premise of the argument the author uses the word “unlikely.” While this is a fallacy in itself, it does pair well with the conclusion of the argument in the way that the author distances the plight of another country – the author states “we naturally respond more strongly to the deaths of Americans closer to home than to those of others halfway around the world. By using words like “naturally” and “we”, the author has separated “us from them” and “drawn a line” in the sand and distanced the reader mentally (rather than the obvious physical distance of geographical location) from the plight of the Indians.
This argument is inductively strong in several aspects. The argument is strong because it is well written and evokes feelings and emotions of patriotism because of the “us and them” aspect of the argument – adding strong emotions to an argument seems to usually make an argument strong. Also, the argument is inductive in the way that it uses the words “unlikely” and “naturally.” These are words used when the reader comes to a conclusion of truth rather than the premise and conclusion being entirely truthful.
Finally, the premise of this argument is plausibly true, rather than being difficult to prove or definitely true. From the beginning of the premise uses the word “unlikely”, it shows that the author does not necessarily have the research or statistics on this claim; if the author did have the appropriate evidence then the word “unlikely” should be removed as it would now be likely. However, this premise is fairly simple to prove or disprove as the author could conduct a simple poll and calculate the findings.
In another argument on page 457 of the text, the author of the essay claims “One might say that it was the malice of the perpetrators that makes the 9/11 deaths so noteworthy, but surely there is plenty of malice present in the 15,000 homicides that occur every year in the United States. And while we have passed strict laws favoring prosecution of murderers, we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities that has followed the 9/11 attacks.” The premise of this argument is “One might say that it was the malice of the perpetrators that makes the 9/11 deaths so noteworthy, but surely there is plenty of malice present in the 15,000 homicides that occur every year in the United States.” The conclusion of the same argument is the second sentence: “And while we have passed strict laws favoring prosecution of murderers, we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities that has followed the 9/11 attacks.”
While the premise of this argument supports the conclusion of the same argument, I do not feel that it supports the conclusion of the entire message and essay. The premise of the entire essay is all of the evidence, proof, and comparisons that the author makes between other events (primarily automobile casualties) and the deaths of 9/11; the conclusion of the entire message is the claim that American’s reactions are not warranted if strictly adhering to the death count. The author seems to take the opportunity to point out flaws in National Defense rather than support the overall claim that Americans have overreacted to 9/11.
This argument is weak and invalid; the author seems to be picking all of the “beneficial” things that support his claim and omitting the “negative” things that would discredit his claim rather than taking evenly from both positive and negative. The author provides support of the proportion of deaths from 9/11 and the annual homicide death count in the premise but then does not provide any concrete evidence to support the conclusion of “we do not see the huge and expensive shift in priorities…”; there have been in fact many large and expensive shifts in priorities in National Defense – specifically the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
The premise of the argument is true however; the author does provide evidence supporting the premise by quoting the figure of 15,000 homicides annually in the country.
While full of fallacies and slanters, the essay was a very interesting read; the author made many strong and valid arguments supporting the claim why Americans have overreacted to the terrorist of attacks of 9/11.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Critical Thinking Assignment: Argument Validity
Given the premises, discuss whether the conclusion of each argument that follows is (a) true beyond a reasonable doubt, (b) probably true, or (c) possibly true or possibly false. You should expect disagreement on these items, but the closer your answers are to your instructor’s, the better.
1. The sign on the parking meter says “Out of Order,” so the meter isn’t working.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While the sign on the meter currently says “Out of Order,” there are few things in life that are true beyond a reasonable doubt. The meter is probably out of order.
2. The annual rainfall in California’s north valley averages twenty-three inches. So the rainfall next year will be twenty-three inches.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While the region has averaged 23 inches of rainfall a year, this is just an average. For example, 2 years ago it might have rained only 22 inches and the next it rained 24 inches making it a 23 inch average.
3. You expect to get forty miles to the gallon in that? Why, that old wreck has a monster V8; besides, it’s fifty years old and needs an overhaul.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. The speaker makes valid points arguing against good fuel economy i.e. the vehicle having a V8 engine, the vehicle is old, and it needs an overhaul. While the speaker’s comments are biased, emotional, and possibly exaggerated, they are most likely true.
4. In three of the last four presidential races, the winner of the Iowa Republican primary has not captured the Republican nomination. Therefore, the winner of the next Iowa Republican primary will not capture the Republican nomination.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While some states have more emphasis than others in the primaries, it appears that the winner of the Iowa Republican primary not winning the Republican nomination is more coincidence than anything. It is possible the winner of the primary this year may not win the nomination but not necessarily probable.
5. The New York steak, the Maine lobster, and the beef stroganoff at that restaurant are all exceptionally good. All the entrees are excellent.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While the steak, lobster, and stroganoff are all exceptionally good, it does not mean that all of the entrees are going to be excellent. If the chef cooks the steak, lobster and beef stroganoff well, it is likely that they also cook the other entrees well; however taste is a matter of opinion and the reader might not like the same entrees, let alone all the entrees.
6. The number of cellular telephones has increased dramatically in each of the past few years. Therefore there will be even more of them in use this coming year.
The conclusion of this statement is true beyond a reasonable doubt. It only takes one person to purchase and use a cell phone for there to be more cell phones in use than the prior year; the odds of this not happening are astronomical therefore it is true beyond a reasonable doubt (the key word being reasonable).
7. Since the graduates of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy League schools generally score higher on the Graduate Record Examination than students from Central State, it follows that the Ivy League schools do more toward educating their students than Central State does.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While there can be other variables taken into consideration (i.e. the demographics of the students attending either school or taking the test), there are not enough concrete variables to swing this to either true beyond a reasonable doubt or possibly true or possibly false.
8. Michael Jackson has had more plastic surgery than anybody else in California. You can bet he’s had more than anybody in Connecticut!
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While it’s not confirmed exactly how much plastic surgery Jackson has had, it is doubtful that no one in California has had more than him. However, it is proven that more people have had plastic surgery in California than Connecticut.
9. Although Max bled profusely before he died, there was no blood on the ground where his body was found. Therefore, he was killed somewhere else and brought here after the murder.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. Murders are one of the most investigated events in the world; tragically some of societies most creative moments were in murders. There could be any number of reasons to explain why there is no blood on the ground i.e. the victim was killed on a tarp then the tarp removed.
10. When liquor was banned in 1920, hospitalizations for alcoholism and related diseases plummeted; in 1933, when Prohibition was repealed, alcohol-related illnesses rose sharply again. Legalization of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana would not curb abuse of those substances.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While you can compare different variables such as the presence of speakeasies was a fraction compared to the current drug and drug trafficking empire, the results are still fairly straightforward.
11. Relax. The kid’s been delivering the paper for, how long? Three, four years maybe? And not once has she missed us. The paper will be here, just wait and see. She’s just been delayed for some reason.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While anything is possible and the “kid” could have quit, have been injured or worse, the fact remains that she will likely still deliver the paper. Again, there is little in life that is true beyond a reasonable doubt therefore this is not a satisfactory option.
12. First, it seems clear that even if there are occasional small dips in the consumption of petroleum, the general trend shows no sign of a real permanent decrease. Second, petroleum reserves are not being discovered as fast as petroleum is currently being consumed. From these two facts we can conclude that reserves will eventually be consumed and that the world will have to do without oil.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. It seems that this text was written before our current oil crisis and in March 2008, Americans drove 11 billion less miles than they did in March 2007 – the largest yearly drop ever recorded since 1942. Also, while reserves are not being discovered as fast as petroleum is being consumed, the reader has to reflect on the age old adage “quality over quantity”. Rather than being concerned with the number of oil fields being discovered, one should look at the size of oil fields being discovered. However, there is no way to tell whether the world will be required to become completely oil free or not.
1. The sign on the parking meter says “Out of Order,” so the meter isn’t working.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While the sign on the meter currently says “Out of Order,” there are few things in life that are true beyond a reasonable doubt. The meter is probably out of order.
2. The annual rainfall in California’s north valley averages twenty-three inches. So the rainfall next year will be twenty-three inches.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While the region has averaged 23 inches of rainfall a year, this is just an average. For example, 2 years ago it might have rained only 22 inches and the next it rained 24 inches making it a 23 inch average.
3. You expect to get forty miles to the gallon in that? Why, that old wreck has a monster V8; besides, it’s fifty years old and needs an overhaul.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. The speaker makes valid points arguing against good fuel economy i.e. the vehicle having a V8 engine, the vehicle is old, and it needs an overhaul. While the speaker’s comments are biased, emotional, and possibly exaggerated, they are most likely true.
4. In three of the last four presidential races, the winner of the Iowa Republican primary has not captured the Republican nomination. Therefore, the winner of the next Iowa Republican primary will not capture the Republican nomination.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While some states have more emphasis than others in the primaries, it appears that the winner of the Iowa Republican primary not winning the Republican nomination is more coincidence than anything. It is possible the winner of the primary this year may not win the nomination but not necessarily probable.
5. The New York steak, the Maine lobster, and the beef stroganoff at that restaurant are all exceptionally good. All the entrees are excellent.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While the steak, lobster, and stroganoff are all exceptionally good, it does not mean that all of the entrees are going to be excellent. If the chef cooks the steak, lobster and beef stroganoff well, it is likely that they also cook the other entrees well; however taste is a matter of opinion and the reader might not like the same entrees, let alone all the entrees.
6. The number of cellular telephones has increased dramatically in each of the past few years. Therefore there will be even more of them in use this coming year.
The conclusion of this statement is true beyond a reasonable doubt. It only takes one person to purchase and use a cell phone for there to be more cell phones in use than the prior year; the odds of this not happening are astronomical therefore it is true beyond a reasonable doubt (the key word being reasonable).
7. Since the graduates of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy League schools generally score higher on the Graduate Record Examination than students from Central State, it follows that the Ivy League schools do more toward educating their students than Central State does.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While there can be other variables taken into consideration (i.e. the demographics of the students attending either school or taking the test), there are not enough concrete variables to swing this to either true beyond a reasonable doubt or possibly true or possibly false.
8. Michael Jackson has had more plastic surgery than anybody else in California. You can bet he’s had more than anybody in Connecticut!
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. While it’s not confirmed exactly how much plastic surgery Jackson has had, it is doubtful that no one in California has had more than him. However, it is proven that more people have had plastic surgery in California than Connecticut.
9. Although Max bled profusely before he died, there was no blood on the ground where his body was found. Therefore, he was killed somewhere else and brought here after the murder.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. Murders are one of the most investigated events in the world; tragically some of societies most creative moments were in murders. There could be any number of reasons to explain why there is no blood on the ground i.e. the victim was killed on a tarp then the tarp removed.
10. When liquor was banned in 1920, hospitalizations for alcoholism and related diseases plummeted; in 1933, when Prohibition was repealed, alcohol-related illnesses rose sharply again. Legalization of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana would not curb abuse of those substances.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While you can compare different variables such as the presence of speakeasies was a fraction compared to the current drug and drug trafficking empire, the results are still fairly straightforward.
11. Relax. The kid’s been delivering the paper for, how long? Three, four years maybe? And not once has she missed us. The paper will be here, just wait and see. She’s just been delayed for some reason.
The conclusion of this statement is probably true. While anything is possible and the “kid” could have quit, have been injured or worse, the fact remains that she will likely still deliver the paper. Again, there is little in life that is true beyond a reasonable doubt therefore this is not a satisfactory option.
12. First, it seems clear that even if there are occasional small dips in the consumption of petroleum, the general trend shows no sign of a real permanent decrease. Second, petroleum reserves are not being discovered as fast as petroleum is currently being consumed. From these two facts we can conclude that reserves will eventually be consumed and that the world will have to do without oil.
The conclusion of this statement is possibly true or possibly false. It seems that this text was written before our current oil crisis and in March 2008, Americans drove 11 billion less miles than they did in March 2007 – the largest yearly drop ever recorded since 1942. Also, while reserves are not being discovered as fast as petroleum is being consumed, the reader has to reflect on the age old adage “quality over quantity”. Rather than being concerned with the number of oil fields being discovered, one should look at the size of oil fields being discovered. However, there is no way to tell whether the world will be required to become completely oil free or not.
Critical Thinking Discussion Question: Deductive vs Inductive Logic
Imagine your child is trying to prove that she did not steal chocolate chip cookies from the cookie jar, so she makes this argument: “There are no chocolate stains on my hands, so I couldn’t have stolen the cookies.”
Does this example require deductive or inductive logic? What are the premises? Are the premises stated or unstated? What is the argument’s conclusion? In your opinion, is this a convincing argument? Why or why not?
The above example requires inductive logic rather than deductive logic. Deductive logic is where if the premise is true, then the conclusion must also be absolutely true. Inductive logic is defined as the premise supporting the conclusion rather proving the conclusion.
A premise is the reason to believe the conclusion; therefore the premise of this argument is “There are no chocolate stains on my hands.” The conclusion of the argument is “…so I couldn’t have stolen the cookies.”
Unfortunately, I do think that this is a convincing argument. While this argument is not convincing to me, this type of inductive logic is used every day in business and politics. Take Johnnie Cochran’s famous inductive logic quote, “If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.” Or from my own “neck of the woods”, our North Carolina Governor has recently been questioned on his lavish spending of tax payer dollars - $64,000 for a chauffeured Mercedes on his “recruiting trip” to Europe.
"If you go overseas, that’s what you see. You don’t get off the plane in Rome and tell them you want a Crown Vic. The taxis are Mercedes. Now it sounds like a big deal here. And somebody’s got to drive it. If you’re in Ireland, or Belgium, or England, they drive on the other side of the road. We don’t know how to do that."
The inductive argument is that all they have in Rome is Mercedes and they don’t know how to drive on the other side of the road, therefore they need a chauffeured Mercedes on taxpayer money.
Does this example require deductive or inductive logic? What are the premises? Are the premises stated or unstated? What is the argument’s conclusion? In your opinion, is this a convincing argument? Why or why not?
The above example requires inductive logic rather than deductive logic. Deductive logic is where if the premise is true, then the conclusion must also be absolutely true. Inductive logic is defined as the premise supporting the conclusion rather proving the conclusion.
A premise is the reason to believe the conclusion; therefore the premise of this argument is “There are no chocolate stains on my hands.” The conclusion of the argument is “…so I couldn’t have stolen the cookies.”
Unfortunately, I do think that this is a convincing argument. While this argument is not convincing to me, this type of inductive logic is used every day in business and politics. Take Johnnie Cochran’s famous inductive logic quote, “If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.” Or from my own “neck of the woods”, our North Carolina Governor has recently been questioned on his lavish spending of tax payer dollars - $64,000 for a chauffeured Mercedes on his “recruiting trip” to Europe.
"If you go overseas, that’s what you see. You don’t get off the plane in Rome and tell them you want a Crown Vic. The taxis are Mercedes. Now it sounds like a big deal here. And somebody’s got to drive it. If you’re in Ireland, or Belgium, or England, they drive on the other side of the road. We don’t know how to do that."
The inductive argument is that all they have in Rome is Mercedes and they don’t know how to drive on the other side of the road, therefore they need a chauffeured Mercedes on taxpayer money.
Critical Thinking Discussion Question: Valid vs Sound Arguments
Of the two arguments provided in the digital story, which is valid and which is sound? When you are building an argument for an issue that is significant to you, do you think it is more important to be valid or sound? Explain your answer.
The digital story has both a valid argument and a sound argument. A valid argument is an argument that in which the premise is true, the conclusion is true. In the digital story, the vacuum salesman’s argument was a valid argument.
Anyone who wants a comfortable, clean home needs this amazing vacuum cleaner.
You certainly look like someone who likes having a really clean home.
So, you definitely need this vacuum cleaner!
Another way of looking at a valid argument is to think that if A is true, and B is true, then A+B = C which also must be true.
A sound argument is an extension of a valid argument; not only must an argument be valid in order to be sound, but all the premises of the argument must also be true. The salesman’s argument is not sound because in his first statement he claims that “anyone who wants a comfortable, clean home needs this amazing vacuum cleaner.” That particular vacuum cleaner is not the one and only product a consumer needs in order to have a clean home. The wife makes a sound argument.
Our carpets are clean.
We have a working vacuum cleaner.
We don’t need a new one.
Whether an argument be more valid or sound for an issue that is significant to me is dependent on the situation. A sound argument is definitely more accurate and truthful. However, a valid argument is more persuasive. The type of argument that should be used is dependent on the situation and should be addressed in a case by case basis.
The digital story has both a valid argument and a sound argument. A valid argument is an argument that in which the premise is true, the conclusion is true. In the digital story, the vacuum salesman’s argument was a valid argument.
Anyone who wants a comfortable, clean home needs this amazing vacuum cleaner.
You certainly look like someone who likes having a really clean home.
So, you definitely need this vacuum cleaner!
Another way of looking at a valid argument is to think that if A is true, and B is true, then A+B = C which also must be true.
A sound argument is an extension of a valid argument; not only must an argument be valid in order to be sound, but all the premises of the argument must also be true. The salesman’s argument is not sound because in his first statement he claims that “anyone who wants a comfortable, clean home needs this amazing vacuum cleaner.” That particular vacuum cleaner is not the one and only product a consumer needs in order to have a clean home. The wife makes a sound argument.
Our carpets are clean.
We have a working vacuum cleaner.
We don’t need a new one.
Whether an argument be more valid or sound for an issue that is significant to me is dependent on the situation. A sound argument is definitely more accurate and truthful. However, a valid argument is more persuasive. The type of argument that should be used is dependent on the situation and should be addressed in a case by case basis.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Quick Thoughts on Ryan Clady
I just have time for a few quick thoughts on the Bronco’s new starter at Left Tackle, Ryan Clady. The kid’s talent has never been an issue and I am thrilled to think of him anchoring the left side of our offensive line for the next 12 or so years. Mike Mayock was critical of Clady when he was drafted but I think that all of the “negatives” that Mayock talks about are unwarranted. Watch the video first…
Now that you have watched, note these items.
1. In the beginning, Mike shows clips of Clady being beat by pass rushers. This footage is from the first or second game of the year. Towards the end of the clip, there is footage of Clady excelling at pass coverage – this happens to be at the end of the year. What does this mean? Clady learns from his mistakes and improves.
2. Mayock talks about technique issues versus talent issues; you can’t teach talent but you can teach technique. This is legitimate as Clady did have some technique issues but if there is one thing the Bronco’s excel at its taking nobody offensive linemen and nobody running backs and turning them into Hall of Famers. With the talent but lack of technique that Clady has, he should dominate.
3. The most important thing to keep in mind when you watch this video is that Clady was recruited to Boise State as a defensive linemen. He didn’t even play offensive linemen, let alone left tackle which is the most difficult and demanding of the 5 positions until his Sophomore year in college. You see the footage of him being oblivious to the line calling audibles as a knuckle head move but I think that is more of not being familiar with the position. Expect Clady to be on top of things the day the Broncos face the Raiders to open the season.
The thing that I like about Clady is his attitude. Today it seems that so many athletes have this “urban culture” mentality. I don’t agree with many people calling it “black urban culture” because Whites, Mexicans, and Asians are all part of as well – it’s just urban culture. Clady is not like that – he is very humble, soft spoken, and classy. If I had to describe the Bronco’s with only one word, I would use classy. You always see the players joking around and talking with other teams, you never see the Bronco’s talking smack nor having stupid Personal Foul penalties assessed. With so many of today’s emerging athletes having this type of mentality, it’s nice to see the Bronco’s draft someone who already fits the team psyche. Check out this interview of him recently at the NFL combine; none of that urban or thug culture is apparent.
On a side note, did anyone else notice how much he towers over Adam Schefter, the interviewer? In fact with the hair and the deep voice, he is a little reminiscent of another great athlete…
Now that you have watched, note these items.
1. In the beginning, Mike shows clips of Clady being beat by pass rushers. This footage is from the first or second game of the year. Towards the end of the clip, there is footage of Clady excelling at pass coverage – this happens to be at the end of the year. What does this mean? Clady learns from his mistakes and improves.
2. Mayock talks about technique issues versus talent issues; you can’t teach talent but you can teach technique. This is legitimate as Clady did have some technique issues but if there is one thing the Bronco’s excel at its taking nobody offensive linemen and nobody running backs and turning them into Hall of Famers. With the talent but lack of technique that Clady has, he should dominate.
3. The most important thing to keep in mind when you watch this video is that Clady was recruited to Boise State as a defensive linemen. He didn’t even play offensive linemen, let alone left tackle which is the most difficult and demanding of the 5 positions until his Sophomore year in college. You see the footage of him being oblivious to the line calling audibles as a knuckle head move but I think that is more of not being familiar with the position. Expect Clady to be on top of things the day the Broncos face the Raiders to open the season.
The thing that I like about Clady is his attitude. Today it seems that so many athletes have this “urban culture” mentality. I don’t agree with many people calling it “black urban culture” because Whites, Mexicans, and Asians are all part of as well – it’s just urban culture. Clady is not like that – he is very humble, soft spoken, and classy. If I had to describe the Bronco’s with only one word, I would use classy. You always see the players joking around and talking with other teams, you never see the Bronco’s talking smack nor having stupid Personal Foul penalties assessed. With so many of today’s emerging athletes having this type of mentality, it’s nice to see the Bronco’s draft someone who already fits the team psyche. Check out this interview of him recently at the NFL combine; none of that urban or thug culture is apparent.
On a side note, did anyone else notice how much he towers over Adam Schefter, the interviewer? In fact with the hair and the deep voice, he is a little reminiscent of another great athlete…
Friday, June 27, 2008
Critical Thinking Assignment: Identifying Fallacies
2. Letter to the editor: “Andrea Keene’s selective morality is once again showing through in her July 15 letter. This time she expresses her abhorrence of abortion. But how we see only what we choose to see! I wonder if any of the anti-abortionists have considered the widespread use of fertility drugs as the moral equivalent of abortion, and, if they have, why they haven’t come out against them, too. The use of these drugs frequently results in multiple births, which leads to the death of one of the infants, often after an agonizing struggle for survival. According to the rules of the pro-lifers, isn’t this murder?”
— North-State Record
I feel that the above question could actually be several different types of fallacies – namely “Poisoning the Well”, “Straw Man”, and “Perfectionist Fallacy.” A “Poisoning the Well” fallacy is defined as “encouraging others to dismiss what someone will say, by citing the speaker’s defects, inconsistencies, circumstances, or other personal attributes” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). The author discredits Andrea Keene by suggesting her “selective morality.” A “Straw Man” fallacy is defined as “rebutting a claim by offering a distorted or exaggerated version of it” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). While the effects of fertility drugs are not exaggerated, suggesting that one or more of the infants dies “agonizingly” every time is exaggerated. Finally “Perfectionist Fallacy” is defined as “arguing that we either do something completely or not at all” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). The author suggests that that even something as seemingly “un-anti-abortionist” as fertility drugs should be outlawed according to abortionist policy.
3. In one of her columns, Abigail Van Buren printed the letter of “I’d rather be a widow.” The letter writer, a divorcée, complained about widows who said they had a hard time coping. Far better, she wrote, to be a widow than to be a divorcée, who are all “rejects” who have been “publicly dumped” and are avoided “like they have leprosy.” Abby recognized the pseudoreasoning for what it was, though she did not call it by our name. What is our name for it?
The above selection is an example of a circumstantial ad hominem fallacy. This type of fallacy is defined as “thinking a person’s circumstances refute his or her beliefs” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). It seems that the original author had a tragic experience of being divorced – the other author is arguing the side of being a widow. Because the two authors have had different experiences, their personal beliefs should not be refuted.
5. Letter to the editor: “Once again the Park Commission is considering closing North Park Drive for the sake of a few joggers and bicyclists. These so-called fitness enthusiasts would evidently have us give up to them for their own private use every last square inch of Walnut Grove. Then anytime anyone wanted a picnic, he would have to park at the edge of the park and carry everything in—ice chests, chairs, maybe even grandma. I certainly hope the Commission keeps the entire park open for everyone to use.”
This letter to the editor shows an example of poisoning the well. The author is discrediting the advocators of closing North Park Drive several times stating “for the sake of a few joggers and bicyclists”, “so-called fitness enthusiasts”, and “their own private use.” By doing this, the author is making the reader be “against” the fitness enthusiasts and breeding animosity.
6. “Some Christian—and other—groups are protesting against the placing, on federal property near the White House, of a set of plastic figurines representing a devout Jewish family in ancient Judaea. The protestors would of course deny that they are driven by any anti-Semitic motivation. Still, we wonder: Would they raise the same objections (of unconstitutionality, etc.) if the scene depicted a modern, secularized Gentile family?”
— National Review
This selection was almost “fallacy-free” until the author stated that “The protestors would of course deny…” This is an example of circumstantial ad hominem fallacy because the author suggests that the Christian groups “would of course” deny any anti-Semitic motivation because they are Christians. The author continues and suggests that there would be no debate if there were a modern Christian scene depicted.
8. From a letter to the editor: “The counties of Michigan clearly need the ability to raise additional sources of revenue, not only to meet the demands of growth but also to maintain existing levels of service. For without these sources those demands will not be met, and it will be impossible to maintain services even at present levels.”
I do not detect any fallacies in this excerpt. There are no innuendos or subliminal persuasion taking place.
9. In February 1992, a representative of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico gave a radio interview (broadcast on National Public Radio) in which he said that the Church was against the use of condoms. Even though the rate of AIDS infection in Puerto Rico is much higher than on the U.S. mainland, the spokesman said that the Church could not support the use of condoms because they are not absolutely reliable in preventing the spread of the disease. “If you could prove that condoms were absolutely dependable in preventing a person from contracting AIDS, then the Church could support their use.”
This is an example of “Line Drawing Fallacy.” A line drawing fallacy is defined as “requiring that a precise line be drawn someplace on a scale or continuum when no such precise line can be drawn; usually occurs when a vague concept is treated like a precise one” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). It is common knowledge that condoms, like everything else in life, are not absolutely 100% dependable; however, it is proven that they do help against STD’s immensely. By stating that the Church does not support condoms because they are not absolutely dependable, the spokesperson is drawing a line and creating a standard that will never be met. There will always be a small percentage of failure due to imperfections of materials, improper use, etc.
— North-State Record
I feel that the above question could actually be several different types of fallacies – namely “Poisoning the Well”, “Straw Man”, and “Perfectionist Fallacy.” A “Poisoning the Well” fallacy is defined as “encouraging others to dismiss what someone will say, by citing the speaker’s defects, inconsistencies, circumstances, or other personal attributes” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). The author discredits Andrea Keene by suggesting her “selective morality.” A “Straw Man” fallacy is defined as “rebutting a claim by offering a distorted or exaggerated version of it” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). While the effects of fertility drugs are not exaggerated, suggesting that one or more of the infants dies “agonizingly” every time is exaggerated. Finally “Perfectionist Fallacy” is defined as “arguing that we either do something completely or not at all” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). The author suggests that that even something as seemingly “un-anti-abortionist” as fertility drugs should be outlawed according to abortionist policy.
3. In one of her columns, Abigail Van Buren printed the letter of “I’d rather be a widow.” The letter writer, a divorcée, complained about widows who said they had a hard time coping. Far better, she wrote, to be a widow than to be a divorcée, who are all “rejects” who have been “publicly dumped” and are avoided “like they have leprosy.” Abby recognized the pseudoreasoning for what it was, though she did not call it by our name. What is our name for it?
The above selection is an example of a circumstantial ad hominem fallacy. This type of fallacy is defined as “thinking a person’s circumstances refute his or her beliefs” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). It seems that the original author had a tragic experience of being divorced – the other author is arguing the side of being a widow. Because the two authors have had different experiences, their personal beliefs should not be refuted.
5. Letter to the editor: “Once again the Park Commission is considering closing North Park Drive for the sake of a few joggers and bicyclists. These so-called fitness enthusiasts would evidently have us give up to them for their own private use every last square inch of Walnut Grove. Then anytime anyone wanted a picnic, he would have to park at the edge of the park and carry everything in—ice chests, chairs, maybe even grandma. I certainly hope the Commission keeps the entire park open for everyone to use.”
This letter to the editor shows an example of poisoning the well. The author is discrediting the advocators of closing North Park Drive several times stating “for the sake of a few joggers and bicyclists”, “so-called fitness enthusiasts”, and “their own private use.” By doing this, the author is making the reader be “against” the fitness enthusiasts and breeding animosity.
6. “Some Christian—and other—groups are protesting against the placing, on federal property near the White House, of a set of plastic figurines representing a devout Jewish family in ancient Judaea. The protestors would of course deny that they are driven by any anti-Semitic motivation. Still, we wonder: Would they raise the same objections (of unconstitutionality, etc.) if the scene depicted a modern, secularized Gentile family?”
— National Review
This selection was almost “fallacy-free” until the author stated that “The protestors would of course deny…” This is an example of circumstantial ad hominem fallacy because the author suggests that the Christian groups “would of course” deny any anti-Semitic motivation because they are Christians. The author continues and suggests that there would be no debate if there were a modern Christian scene depicted.
8. From a letter to the editor: “The counties of Michigan clearly need the ability to raise additional sources of revenue, not only to meet the demands of growth but also to maintain existing levels of service. For without these sources those demands will not be met, and it will be impossible to maintain services even at present levels.”
I do not detect any fallacies in this excerpt. There are no innuendos or subliminal persuasion taking place.
9. In February 1992, a representative of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico gave a radio interview (broadcast on National Public Radio) in which he said that the Church was against the use of condoms. Even though the rate of AIDS infection in Puerto Rico is much higher than on the U.S. mainland, the spokesman said that the Church could not support the use of condoms because they are not absolutely reliable in preventing the spread of the disease. “If you could prove that condoms were absolutely dependable in preventing a person from contracting AIDS, then the Church could support their use.”
This is an example of “Line Drawing Fallacy.” A line drawing fallacy is defined as “requiring that a precise line be drawn someplace on a scale or continuum when no such precise line can be drawn; usually occurs when a vague concept is treated like a precise one” (Moore-Parker, 2007, p. 189). It is common knowledge that condoms, like everything else in life, are not absolutely 100% dependable; however, it is proven that they do help against STD’s immensely. By stating that the Church does not support condoms because they are not absolutely dependable, the spokesperson is drawing a line and creating a standard that will never be met. There will always be a small percentage of failure due to imperfections of materials, improper use, etc.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
IT Communication Assignment: Documentation Conventions
Identify the four most widely accepted style conventions for professional paper documentation. What purpose does each of these conventions serve, and which is most appropriate for technical writing? Explain why.
There are primarily four accepted style conventions for professional paper documentation. The four main style conventions are the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), various Number styles, and Chicago Style.
APA formatting is used in most academic writing and is the most preferred writing documentation style. One of the main stipulations of APA formatting is the use of the author / date system; this is a method of organizing citations in a paper making everything uniform. APA is used for social sciences, biological and earth sciences, education, linguistics, and most importantly, in business.
MLA is a format that is used primarily in writing in the humanities, especially literature and language. MLA is typically simpler and more economical than other documentation conventions.
There are numerous different sub-categories of the number system of citation including the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Council of Biology Editors (CBE), the American Chemical Society (ACS), and finally the American Institute of Physics (AIP). As the title of each organization suggests, these documentation conventions are all involved with math and the sciences with each writing format being curtailed to the specifics of that organization.
Finally, the Chicago style of formatting is a variant of the APA format and is used primarily for the humanities and fine arts.
The style that is the most appropriate for technical writing would be APA format. While this style is used for education, it is also used for many sciences (both physical and social), languages, and is widely accepted in the business sector – where the majority of technical writing occurs.
There are primarily four accepted style conventions for professional paper documentation. The four main style conventions are the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), various Number styles, and Chicago Style.
APA formatting is used in most academic writing and is the most preferred writing documentation style. One of the main stipulations of APA formatting is the use of the author / date system; this is a method of organizing citations in a paper making everything uniform. APA is used for social sciences, biological and earth sciences, education, linguistics, and most importantly, in business.
MLA is a format that is used primarily in writing in the humanities, especially literature and language. MLA is typically simpler and more economical than other documentation conventions.
There are numerous different sub-categories of the number system of citation including the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Council of Biology Editors (CBE), the American Chemical Society (ACS), and finally the American Institute of Physics (AIP). As the title of each organization suggests, these documentation conventions are all involved with math and the sciences with each writing format being curtailed to the specifics of that organization.
Finally, the Chicago style of formatting is a variant of the APA format and is used primarily for the humanities and fine arts.
The style that is the most appropriate for technical writing would be APA format. While this style is used for education, it is also used for many sciences (both physical and social), languages, and is widely accepted in the business sector – where the majority of technical writing occurs.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
IT Communication Assignment: Documentation Discussion Question
Why is documentation important in the technical writing process? What positive and negative occurrences have you run into while using different documentation styles?
Documentation is important in the technical writing process because it adds two specific elements to your writing: professionalism and credibility. I feel that technical writing is read by a certain target audience; these are people that are reading your writing to be informed of something. Technical writing is not something that is used to be read casually – it is either written for work which demands professionalism, or it is written for some sort of educational purpose which also demands professionalism.
By using the correct documentation and “giving credit where credit is due”, it also gives your technical writing credibility. No longer is the reader reading the mad ranting of Nick Taylor; now they are reading a form of writing that there has been some form of collaboration on. It changes your writing from being the possibility of being opinion, to factual technical writing.
An obvious positive effect of using documentation in your technical writing is the fact that your writing is suddenly professional, credible, and “legitimate” whereas it might not have appeared so previously.
One negative occurrence that I had before was trying to document everything correctly. It seemed like such a hassle trying to remember every different rule, method, and format – similar to math! However, Ms. Troxler posted a link that I was unaware of that I think might be one of the best resources out there for correctly formatted papers – the Citation Generator. I’ve explored this tool a little bit and it is a life saver. It made my negative of documentation obsolete.
Documentation is important in the technical writing process because it adds two specific elements to your writing: professionalism and credibility. I feel that technical writing is read by a certain target audience; these are people that are reading your writing to be informed of something. Technical writing is not something that is used to be read casually – it is either written for work which demands professionalism, or it is written for some sort of educational purpose which also demands professionalism.
By using the correct documentation and “giving credit where credit is due”, it also gives your technical writing credibility. No longer is the reader reading the mad ranting of Nick Taylor; now they are reading a form of writing that there has been some form of collaboration on. It changes your writing from being the possibility of being opinion, to factual technical writing.
An obvious positive effect of using documentation in your technical writing is the fact that your writing is suddenly professional, credible, and “legitimate” whereas it might not have appeared so previously.
One negative occurrence that I had before was trying to document everything correctly. It seemed like such a hassle trying to remember every different rule, method, and format – similar to math! However, Ms. Troxler posted a link that I was unaware of that I think might be one of the best resources out there for correctly formatted papers – the Citation Generator. I’ve explored this tool a little bit and it is a life saver. It made my negative of documentation obsolete.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Critical Thinking Assignment: Prejudicial vs. Nonprejudicial Statements
How can a person distinguish between the prejudicial and nonprejudicial use of rhetorical devices? Provide an example of each and comment on the examples posted by your classmates.
I think that a person can distinguish between the prejudicial and nonprejudicial use of rhetorical devices by trying to determine the purpose of the message; why is the author telling you this message? Is it simply to inform you of something or is the purpose of their message to persuade you into a certain school of thinking? I think that it can be very difficult to determine if a message is prejudicial or not; I think that people as a whole have their minds made up already about different topics. I find myself going into situations already resolved about the outcome but “allowing myself” to hear the other side of the conflict. Sometimes I am persuaded but often I find my thought process is, “Alright I already feel this way but let’s just see if this other person can make me feel differently.”
Prejudicial statement: Javon Walker is another former Bronco that head coach Mike Shannahan dumped that turned out to be a bum – good thing the Raiders picked him up!
Nonprejudicial statement: While Javon Walker currently got into some trouble, the jury is still out to determine whether head coach Mike Shannahan did a good thing by releasing the player due to character flaws.
I think that a person can distinguish between the prejudicial and nonprejudicial use of rhetorical devices by trying to determine the purpose of the message; why is the author telling you this message? Is it simply to inform you of something or is the purpose of their message to persuade you into a certain school of thinking? I think that it can be very difficult to determine if a message is prejudicial or not; I think that people as a whole have their minds made up already about different topics. I find myself going into situations already resolved about the outcome but “allowing myself” to hear the other side of the conflict. Sometimes I am persuaded but often I find my thought process is, “Alright I already feel this way but let’s just see if this other person can make me feel differently.”
Prejudicial statement: Javon Walker is another former Bronco that head coach Mike Shannahan dumped that turned out to be a bum – good thing the Raiders picked him up!
Nonprejudicial statement: While Javon Walker currently got into some trouble, the jury is still out to determine whether head coach Mike Shannahan did a good thing by releasing the player due to character flaws.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Critical Thinking Assignment: Persuasion
Copy and paste the example into the body of a forum message and include your response to this question: Why does the example affect you, and what is the statement’s persuasive motive?
Open this envelope and you’ll get a check for three million dollars, if your name appears on our list of winners.
This example affects me because this is a classic example of the “read the fine print.” While the catch phrase “…if your name appears on our list of winners” is not literally in small print, the intent is the same. Reading is a progression of left to right, top to bottom; the authors want you to be so excited about reading the phrase “Open this envelope and you’ll get a check for three million dollars” that the last phrase with the stipulation will go right over your head and not even be recognized. This is a ploy that is used in a lot of online pop-up ads and other mailers that you get in the physical mail.
The reason this ad affects me is because it plays on the emotion and rash decisions that people as a whole make. “Wow you mean that I do not have to save up and save for a house with a down payment?! I can just start making payments now and pay 21%?! Wow great; sign me up!” People seem to focus on the carrot at the end of the stick without realizing how far they have to walk to finally get it. In this specific situation, the reader most likely opens the envelope and sees a list of names, then rereads the stipulation, sends in $20 to get their name put on a list, and then receives another envelope without their name on it.
Open this envelope and you’ll get a check for three million dollars, if your name appears on our list of winners.
This example affects me because this is a classic example of the “read the fine print.” While the catch phrase “…if your name appears on our list of winners” is not literally in small print, the intent is the same. Reading is a progression of left to right, top to bottom; the authors want you to be so excited about reading the phrase “Open this envelope and you’ll get a check for three million dollars” that the last phrase with the stipulation will go right over your head and not even be recognized. This is a ploy that is used in a lot of online pop-up ads and other mailers that you get in the physical mail.
The reason this ad affects me is because it plays on the emotion and rash decisions that people as a whole make. “Wow you mean that I do not have to save up and save for a house with a down payment?! I can just start making payments now and pay 21%?! Wow great; sign me up!” People seem to focus on the carrot at the end of the stick without realizing how far they have to walk to finally get it. In this specific situation, the reader most likely opens the envelope and sees a list of names, then rereads the stipulation, sends in $20 to get their name put on a list, and then receives another envelope without their name on it.
Critical Thinking Assignment: Analyzing Credibility
Source 1: CNN – Larry Kind and Rudi Giuliani Interview
Source 2: Volkswagen David Hasselhoff TV Spot
Answer the following in regard to each of the two examples in a 100- to 200-word response:
Who paid for each example to be created?
CNN obviously paid for the interview with Rudi Giuliani; or I suppose that you could boil it down to the commercials that air on CNN, ultimately pay for the interview. Volkswagen pays for the commercial with David Hasselhoff.
Can you detect a slant—that is, a secondary opinion conveyed by the examples’ creators?
I could detect a slant in the CNN clip; it seemed to me that Larry King was trying to bait Giuliani to be political in the interview. Controversy sells and it seemed that King was trying to get Giuliani to contradict and not support President Bush. I did not detect a slant in the Volkswagen commercial – I thought it was very witty and humorous.
What does each example reflect about society at large? Is it credible? Explain your answers.
The CNN clip reflects society’s dilemma of one major element and one minor element; the major element would be the war in Iraq and the minor element is what needs to be done at the sight of the World Trade Center. Both of these issues are credible due to the fact that these are dilemmas that society is struggling with; the clip did not offer any solutions to these two issues which would have jeopardized its credibility. The VW clip reflects society’s focus on the entertainment world – this commercial might not have been humorous to someone who does not know who David Hasselhoff is. However, since America in particular seems to be heavily focused on celebrities and Hasselhoff’s previous and current “limelight endeavors” the commercial is humorous – it compares a German-American to a German made car.
Answer the following in regard to the news clip in a 50- to 100-word response:
Are you skeptical of the sources’ credibility? Why or why not?
So far as the CNN clip, I think that with today’s news media, you always have to be skeptical as to what you hear as many of the outlets are very biased as to one party or the other. However, this particular Larry King interview was simply and interview of Giuliani’s experiences from 9/11.
Do you detect any bias? Why or why not?
I did not detect a bias with the CNN interview – it was just an interview and did not broadcast any particular message.
Answer the following in regard to the video ad on one of the links above in a 100- to 200- word response:
Does the ad make a claim?
The ad does not come straight out and make a claim; in fact it does not even say anything about a specific product but just about the company.
What fear or desire does the ad play into?
The desire that the ad plays into is two-fold; it plays into the humor aspect and plays into the “star power” factor. This particular VW ad shows Hasselhoff; other ads show other celebrities including Heidi Klum. By showing people that are easily recognized and are household names, individuals assume that “if David Hasselhoff likes it then it must be good for me!” Humor is another marketing technique because it lightens the mood and makes the company or entity seem human and genuine.
Does it target an existing fear or desire or does it try to create a new fear or desire?
Another one of the desires that this invokes is popularity; this is certainly not a new desire. This compares how popular David Hasselhoff is in other countries to how popular Volkswagen is in other countries. This also plays on the “if it’s good enough for him, it must be good for me!”
Does it try to invoke feeling, use admirable people to persuade, or describe a common situation?
This ad does invoke feelings and uses admirable people to persuade the audience to purchase a Volkswagen. Some of the feelings that the ad invokes are humor, the desire to be popular, and the cliché phrase “keeping up with the Jones’s.” The ad also uses a number of admirable people to persuade the audience as well.
Would you make a purchase based on the information presented?
I would not make a purchase based on the information presented if nothing more due to the large investment a vehicle is. Also, I think with how good marketing has gotten in today’s world, almost all commercials have to be looked at skeptically and research has to be done on the specific product. I will admit that the ad made me look around their website at the product they are releasing, the GTI mkV and look at all the specifications for it.
Source 2: Volkswagen David Hasselhoff TV Spot
Answer the following in regard to each of the two examples in a 100- to 200-word response:
Who paid for each example to be created?
CNN obviously paid for the interview with Rudi Giuliani; or I suppose that you could boil it down to the commercials that air on CNN, ultimately pay for the interview. Volkswagen pays for the commercial with David Hasselhoff.
Can you detect a slant—that is, a secondary opinion conveyed by the examples’ creators?
I could detect a slant in the CNN clip; it seemed to me that Larry King was trying to bait Giuliani to be political in the interview. Controversy sells and it seemed that King was trying to get Giuliani to contradict and not support President Bush. I did not detect a slant in the Volkswagen commercial – I thought it was very witty and humorous.
What does each example reflect about society at large? Is it credible? Explain your answers.
The CNN clip reflects society’s dilemma of one major element and one minor element; the major element would be the war in Iraq and the minor element is what needs to be done at the sight of the World Trade Center. Both of these issues are credible due to the fact that these are dilemmas that society is struggling with; the clip did not offer any solutions to these two issues which would have jeopardized its credibility. The VW clip reflects society’s focus on the entertainment world – this commercial might not have been humorous to someone who does not know who David Hasselhoff is. However, since America in particular seems to be heavily focused on celebrities and Hasselhoff’s previous and current “limelight endeavors” the commercial is humorous – it compares a German-American to a German made car.
Answer the following in regard to the news clip in a 50- to 100-word response:
Are you skeptical of the sources’ credibility? Why or why not?
So far as the CNN clip, I think that with today’s news media, you always have to be skeptical as to what you hear as many of the outlets are very biased as to one party or the other. However, this particular Larry King interview was simply and interview of Giuliani’s experiences from 9/11.
Do you detect any bias? Why or why not?
I did not detect a bias with the CNN interview – it was just an interview and did not broadcast any particular message.
Answer the following in regard to the video ad on one of the links above in a 100- to 200- word response:
Does the ad make a claim?
The ad does not come straight out and make a claim; in fact it does not even say anything about a specific product but just about the company.
What fear or desire does the ad play into?
The desire that the ad plays into is two-fold; it plays into the humor aspect and plays into the “star power” factor. This particular VW ad shows Hasselhoff; other ads show other celebrities including Heidi Klum. By showing people that are easily recognized and are household names, individuals assume that “if David Hasselhoff likes it then it must be good for me!” Humor is another marketing technique because it lightens the mood and makes the company or entity seem human and genuine.
Does it target an existing fear or desire or does it try to create a new fear or desire?
Another one of the desires that this invokes is popularity; this is certainly not a new desire. This compares how popular David Hasselhoff is in other countries to how popular Volkswagen is in other countries. This also plays on the “if it’s good enough for him, it must be good for me!”
Does it try to invoke feeling, use admirable people to persuade, or describe a common situation?
This ad does invoke feelings and uses admirable people to persuade the audience to purchase a Volkswagen. Some of the feelings that the ad invokes are humor, the desire to be popular, and the cliché phrase “keeping up with the Jones’s.” The ad also uses a number of admirable people to persuade the audience as well.
Would you make a purchase based on the information presented?
I would not make a purchase based on the information presented if nothing more due to the large investment a vehicle is. Also, I think with how good marketing has gotten in today’s world, almost all commercials have to be looked at skeptically and research has to be done on the specific product. I will admit that the ad made me look around their website at the product they are releasing, the GTI mkV and look at all the specifications for it.
Critical Thinking Assignment: Argument Credibility Peer Evaluation
One of my assignments was to evaluate a peer's assignment. The first section in italics is hers (or his) assignment. The second half is mine.
Title: America's Oil Crisis
Source: CNBC.com
Link: www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=766289001&play=11.
What claims are being made?
There are two claims being made in this video. The first is that the cause of high crude oil prices is due to stagnant supply rather than supply and demand and speculation by investors. The second claim is that the price of crude oil will markedly and rapidly decrease within the next two years.
Do the claims conflict with your personal observations?
The information in this video paints a very different picture of what I am used to hearing and reading. For almost two years now, in regards to crude oil prices, I have heard everything from supply and demand issues to speculation. This individual is explaining the problem in a way that I haven't heard yet. In essence, I would say that it is a conflict but not in the true sense of the word.
What background information do you have about the claims?
The claims are coming from the World Bank, which has been a reputable source of information for almost half a century. Economists have looked to the World Bank's Global Development Finance Report for over forty years now for strategy and information. The claims they are making seem to coincide with how the Energy Market's have been acting in regards to the price of crude oil. (source: worldbank.org)
What is the expertise of the author, if any?
The individual providing the information in the video is Dr. Uri Dudash, the Director of the International Trade Department of the World Bank. Dr. Dudash has been with the World Bank for 16 years and in the field for more than a quarter of a century. He has a BA and MA from the Hebrew University and a PhD from Harvard University. He is defined as an expert in international trade (source: worldbank.org)
Is the author biased and untrustworthy, or unbiased and trustworthy?
I find Mr. Dudash to be very unbiased. He makes the claim that the oil market's are being affected by stagnant supply, but does not discount other areas of concern such as supply and demand and speculation. I have done background research on him, and based on his credentials and reputation in the field, I find him to be very trustworthy.
Do you think your classmate accurately identified the claims? Explain your answer.
I think that the classmate did a great job of identifying the claims of the video. I watched the video several times and could not find anything that I would have commented on differently.
Your classmate has compared the claims against his or her personal observations; how do the claims agree or conflict with your own personal observations? How are the observations made by you and your classmate the same or different?
I would respect anyone’s response to the original question as it is simply asking for input and asking for an opinion in response to a certain topic. I do think that this is an interesting different point of view as to the “oil crisis” but I do not accept it; it is an interesting theory but I side with the supply and demand theories.
Your classmate has compared the claims against his or her background information; how do the claims agree or conflict with your own background information? How are the background analyses of you and your classmate the same or different?
The only background information that I have on this specific topic is what I read about online, what I see on the news, or what I hear about on talk-radio. I applaud the classmate on researching the source of the information; that is the best way to determine the accuracy of the source.
Do you feel your classmate made an accurate judgment about the author’s bias or trustworthiness? Explain your answer.
I think that the classmate made an accurate judgment. Not only did they take what the interviewer said as trustworthy, they researched the author’s credentials and past history.
Which concepts from the feedback tutorial did you use to conduct this peer review?
I feel that being positive is the best way to give constructive criticism. As soon as someone senses a hint of negativity, they become very defensive and it is likely that any criticism, even if valid, will “go in one ear, out the other.”
Title: America's Oil Crisis
Source: CNBC.com
Link: www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=766289001&play=11.
What claims are being made?
There are two claims being made in this video. The first is that the cause of high crude oil prices is due to stagnant supply rather than supply and demand and speculation by investors. The second claim is that the price of crude oil will markedly and rapidly decrease within the next two years.
Do the claims conflict with your personal observations?
The information in this video paints a very different picture of what I am used to hearing and reading. For almost two years now, in regards to crude oil prices, I have heard everything from supply and demand issues to speculation. This individual is explaining the problem in a way that I haven't heard yet. In essence, I would say that it is a conflict but not in the true sense of the word.
What background information do you have about the claims?
The claims are coming from the World Bank, which has been a reputable source of information for almost half a century. Economists have looked to the World Bank's Global Development Finance Report for over forty years now for strategy and information. The claims they are making seem to coincide with how the Energy Market's have been acting in regards to the price of crude oil. (source: worldbank.org)
What is the expertise of the author, if any?
The individual providing the information in the video is Dr. Uri Dudash, the Director of the International Trade Department of the World Bank. Dr. Dudash has been with the World Bank for 16 years and in the field for more than a quarter of a century. He has a BA and MA from the Hebrew University and a PhD from Harvard University. He is defined as an expert in international trade (source: worldbank.org)
Is the author biased and untrustworthy, or unbiased and trustworthy?
I find Mr. Dudash to be very unbiased. He makes the claim that the oil market's are being affected by stagnant supply, but does not discount other areas of concern such as supply and demand and speculation. I have done background research on him, and based on his credentials and reputation in the field, I find him to be very trustworthy.
Do you think your classmate accurately identified the claims? Explain your answer.
I think that the classmate did a great job of identifying the claims of the video. I watched the video several times and could not find anything that I would have commented on differently.
Your classmate has compared the claims against his or her personal observations; how do the claims agree or conflict with your own personal observations? How are the observations made by you and your classmate the same or different?
I would respect anyone’s response to the original question as it is simply asking for input and asking for an opinion in response to a certain topic. I do think that this is an interesting different point of view as to the “oil crisis” but I do not accept it; it is an interesting theory but I side with the supply and demand theories.
Your classmate has compared the claims against his or her background information; how do the claims agree or conflict with your own background information? How are the background analyses of you and your classmate the same or different?
The only background information that I have on this specific topic is what I read about online, what I see on the news, or what I hear about on talk-radio. I applaud the classmate on researching the source of the information; that is the best way to determine the accuracy of the source.
Do you feel your classmate made an accurate judgment about the author’s bias or trustworthiness? Explain your answer.
I think that the classmate made an accurate judgment. Not only did they take what the interviewer said as trustworthy, they researched the author’s credentials and past history.
Which concepts from the feedback tutorial did you use to conduct this peer review?
I feel that being positive is the best way to give constructive criticism. As soon as someone senses a hint of negativity, they become very defensive and it is likely that any criticism, even if valid, will “go in one ear, out the other.”
Critical Thinking Assignment: Argument Credibility
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8083e831
The above link is a video report from www.nflcom about the Denver Broncos and their outlook in 2008.
What claims are being made?
The claims in this video are that the Denver Broncos will be a better team by improving their run game. The reporters, Solomon Wilcots and Rich Eisen, suggest that the lack of a good running game is what has been affecting the Denver Bronco’s lack of success.
Do the claims conflict with your personal observations?
The claims do not conflict with my own personal observations. The Denver Broncos have always been known for running the ball well with anyone. While the Bronco’s have still run the ball better than a lot of teams in the league, their running game has not been up to the Bronco’s expectations.
What background information do you have about the claims?
I am an avid Bronco’s fan and have been so for many years. I follow several Denver Bronco blogs (www.milehighreport.com primarily) daily, and am a youth football coach. I do consider myself somewhat familiar with football.
What is the expertise of the author, if any?
The two authors are very experienced. The NFL Network (the source of the video) has found a niche in only reporting in the NFL. Solomon Wilcots is a former player and Rich Eisen is one of the, if not the only, anchors of the NFL Network.
Is the author biased and untrustworthy, or unbiased and trustworthy?
I think that the main reporter of this video, Solomon Wilcots, is neither of the two above options; I think he is biased but trustworthy. He is reporting not just facts but things that he personally feels. However, he does not report things that are inaccurate or true; he takes what has been proven with facts and offers his interpretation.
The above link is a video report from www.nflcom about the Denver Broncos and their outlook in 2008.
What claims are being made?
The claims in this video are that the Denver Broncos will be a better team by improving their run game. The reporters, Solomon Wilcots and Rich Eisen, suggest that the lack of a good running game is what has been affecting the Denver Bronco’s lack of success.
Do the claims conflict with your personal observations?
The claims do not conflict with my own personal observations. The Denver Broncos have always been known for running the ball well with anyone. While the Bronco’s have still run the ball better than a lot of teams in the league, their running game has not been up to the Bronco’s expectations.
What background information do you have about the claims?
I am an avid Bronco’s fan and have been so for many years. I follow several Denver Bronco blogs (www.milehighreport.com primarily) daily, and am a youth football coach. I do consider myself somewhat familiar with football.
What is the expertise of the author, if any?
The two authors are very experienced. The NFL Network (the source of the video) has found a niche in only reporting in the NFL. Solomon Wilcots is a former player and Rich Eisen is one of the, if not the only, anchors of the NFL Network.
Is the author biased and untrustworthy, or unbiased and trustworthy?
I think that the main reporter of this video, Solomon Wilcots, is neither of the two above options; I think he is biased but trustworthy. He is reporting not just facts but things that he personally feels. However, he does not report things that are inaccurate or true; he takes what has been proven with facts and offers his interpretation.
Critical Thinking Assignment: Revising an Inadequate Message
Identify areas of vagueness and ambiguity and discuss how you could clarify the email’s message using the writing principles addressed in the text.
Hi class,
I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways. Not just reading but writing too. Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world. Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal. In critical writing, writers construct sentences with clear intentions. Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry. Business reading is reports, memos and articles. My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals. She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman. So critical writers are better than business writers. But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too. It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.
Thanks,
Owen
Personally, I do not feel this is a very well written as there are many areas of ambiguity vagueness within the text. Owen, the author, seems to jump around from thought to thought without explaining his thought process or using evidence to support his points. For example, “Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.” We, as readers, can only guess as to how you go from talking about the necessity of reading to clear writing being the hardest thing in the world. Owen’s writing is also very vague at points: “She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman.” Why is the aunt a better writer than the uncle? Is this because she is a professor and instructs others on writing or is her writing just “better” than the uncle’s? The whole message in general is also not grammatically correct which when reading is the same as listening to a conversation with someone who cannot construct a complete sentence. For example, “…has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal”; this should be written as “…has to write business reports which can build rapport and be interpersonal.” This whole message seems more like a rough-draft than the final product. Almost every individual sentence can be taken as a separate talking point; after writing this, Owen should re-read what he has written and analyze every sentence and think where he can go with that message.
Hi class,
I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways. Not just reading but writing too. Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world. Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal. In critical writing, writers construct sentences with clear intentions. Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry. Business reading is reports, memos and articles. My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals. She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman. So critical writers are better than business writers. But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too. It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.
Thanks,
Owen
Personally, I do not feel this is a very well written as there are many areas of ambiguity vagueness within the text. Owen, the author, seems to jump around from thought to thought without explaining his thought process or using evidence to support his points. For example, “Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.” We, as readers, can only guess as to how you go from talking about the necessity of reading to clear writing being the hardest thing in the world. Owen’s writing is also very vague at points: “She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman.” Why is the aunt a better writer than the uncle? Is this because she is a professor and instructs others on writing or is her writing just “better” than the uncle’s? The whole message in general is also not grammatically correct which when reading is the same as listening to a conversation with someone who cannot construct a complete sentence. For example, “…has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal”; this should be written as “…has to write business reports which can build rapport and be interpersonal.” This whole message seems more like a rough-draft than the final product. Almost every individual sentence can be taken as a separate talking point; after writing this, Owen should re-read what he has written and analyze every sentence and think where he can go with that message.
Critical Thinking Assignment: Critical Thinking and Writing
How does critical thinking affect you as a reader and writer? How can thinking critically improve your writing?
I think critical thinking can affect an individual both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, thinking critically can allow you to get more information from what you read. Instead of just reading what is actually put in front of you and “in one ear and out the other”, using critical thinking while you read can allow you to appreciate the reading on different levels. Utilizing critical thinking, you can now digest what the purpose the author had to write that specific selection: was their purpose to persuade you or to inform you and why do they want to do that? You can also analyze the message: was the author using a lot of emotion to stir up feelings inside of me or do they not seem so enthused and there are required to write this for work?
Critical thinking can also benefit you as the writer and not the reader. Knowing that you utilize critical thinking when you read about something, you should plan that other people that read what you have written will use critical thinking. The readers will be analyzing what you wrote and why you wrote what you did. Knowing this, you can plan ahead to make your writing as effective as possible.
I think critical thinking can affect an individual both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, thinking critically can allow you to get more information from what you read. Instead of just reading what is actually put in front of you and “in one ear and out the other”, using critical thinking while you read can allow you to appreciate the reading on different levels. Utilizing critical thinking, you can now digest what the purpose the author had to write that specific selection: was their purpose to persuade you or to inform you and why do they want to do that? You can also analyze the message: was the author using a lot of emotion to stir up feelings inside of me or do they not seem so enthused and there are required to write this for work?
Critical thinking can also benefit you as the writer and not the reader. Knowing that you utilize critical thinking when you read about something, you should plan that other people that read what you have written will use critical thinking. The readers will be analyzing what you wrote and why you wrote what you did. Knowing this, you can plan ahead to make your writing as effective as possible.
IT Communication Assignment: Ineffective Presentations
Provide an example of a presentation you viewed but felt was ineffective (the presentation could have been a TV commercial, a speech, an instructor’s lecture, or another type of presentation). What would have made the presentation more powerful? What are some key elements you will consider when designing a presentation to give in front of a future boss or manager?
Being in the military, I cannot even begin to imagine how many classes and presentations that I have witnessed and were ineffective; I think a lot of the problem is forced creativity. The most effective presentations, especially ones that include visual concepts, are the ones where the author has had a passion or desire to complete the project. I compare it musicians and artists; they started making art and music because it was something they loved and enjoyed. However this quickly becomes a job more than a passion. While in the military, you are often forced to give a class or a presentation that not only you have given hundreds of times, you have witnessed others give hundreds of times. The thing that could have made the presentation more effective is some passion from the speaker.
If I were incorporate key elements when designing a presentation to give in front of a future boss or manager, not only would I incorporate the appropriate visual elements for the type of presentation, I would inject a little life and passion into my presentation. No one, whether a CEO or a mail clerk, wants to see a presentation given by someone who talks like Ben Stein.
Being in the military, I cannot even begin to imagine how many classes and presentations that I have witnessed and were ineffective; I think a lot of the problem is forced creativity. The most effective presentations, especially ones that include visual concepts, are the ones where the author has had a passion or desire to complete the project. I compare it musicians and artists; they started making art and music because it was something they loved and enjoyed. However this quickly becomes a job more than a passion. While in the military, you are often forced to give a class or a presentation that not only you have given hundreds of times, you have witnessed others give hundreds of times. The thing that could have made the presentation more effective is some passion from the speaker.
If I were incorporate key elements when designing a presentation to give in front of a future boss or manager, not only would I incorporate the appropriate visual elements for the type of presentation, I would inject a little life and passion into my presentation. No one, whether a CEO or a mail clerk, wants to see a presentation given by someone who talks like Ben Stein.
IT Communication Assignment: Benefits of Visuals in Technical Writing
Describe some of the benefits of utilizing graphic design or visual elements in a technical document. Identify at least three types of graphic or visual elements that can be added to technical communications. What must a technical writer consider in order to use these elements effectively?
There are many benefits to utilizing graphic design or visual elements in a technical document. If you have ever heard of the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”, it is absolutely true. Personally, I am part of a team developing a web application; a lot of our time so far has been in developing effective interfaces and graphics and then coding around this framework. With so many different web applications that essentially do the same thing, the consumer will pick the one that is the most presentable and does everything they want it to do.
You can also think of an instruction manual. You can write 1000 words on a specific step of removing some item, modifying the hookups, and installing an OEM part. After reading those 1000 words, the reader might only know as much as they did before reading; however with a few images demonstrating the step, you can almost entirely remove your written instructions now that the reader can see exactly how this is done.
Finally, using images rather than words is sometimes just the most efficient, effective, and cost efficient way of information. Think of a consulting company that needs to be a produce a document explaining what computer hardware their client needs. No one likes to read through pages of documents describing hardware components and their network connections. Instead, you can make a single page visual diagram listing each machine, the hardware, and their network connections. This is an easy to look at and understand document, most likely it took less time to produce than writing something, and the customer better understands what they need.
To effectively utilize any of these methods or reasons for using graphic design or visual elements, I feel that the technical writer needs to have a good sense of empathy. The writer must become the potential reader for a moment and to read (not proofread what they just wrote) and look at the images that they have provided. If the images are effective, the point is made, then the writing is a success; if the images are lacking then they need to be revised.
There are many benefits to utilizing graphic design or visual elements in a technical document. If you have ever heard of the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”, it is absolutely true. Personally, I am part of a team developing a web application; a lot of our time so far has been in developing effective interfaces and graphics and then coding around this framework. With so many different web applications that essentially do the same thing, the consumer will pick the one that is the most presentable and does everything they want it to do.
You can also think of an instruction manual. You can write 1000 words on a specific step of removing some item, modifying the hookups, and installing an OEM part. After reading those 1000 words, the reader might only know as much as they did before reading; however with a few images demonstrating the step, you can almost entirely remove your written instructions now that the reader can see exactly how this is done.
Finally, using images rather than words is sometimes just the most efficient, effective, and cost efficient way of information. Think of a consulting company that needs to be a produce a document explaining what computer hardware their client needs. No one likes to read through pages of documents describing hardware components and their network connections. Instead, you can make a single page visual diagram listing each machine, the hardware, and their network connections. This is an easy to look at and understand document, most likely it took less time to produce than writing something, and the customer better understands what they need.
To effectively utilize any of these methods or reasons for using graphic design or visual elements, I feel that the technical writer needs to have a good sense of empathy. The writer must become the potential reader for a moment and to read (not proofread what they just wrote) and look at the images that they have provided. If the images are effective, the point is made, then the writing is a success; if the images are lacking then they need to be revised.
IT Communication: Writing for an Audience
The following is another homework assignment. This assignment was to draft an email that was basically demonstrating how you can make chicken s#$t into chicken salad.
Good Afternoon!
I notice that everyone has been having a very productive quarter so far. At Panther Brass, we can notice the increased sales on our client (you!) end and can infer that business has been good for you – congratulations! At Panther Brass, we pride ourselves in always being able to supply companies with the highest quality brass and copper plumbing fixtures that we can manufacture; if we wouldn’t want it in our own homes or businesses, we won’t make it! We applaud the companies that we supply as having the same standards that we have.
Unfortunately, we have discovered a critical flaw in a key brass part that we manufacture. This flaw originates in one of our furnaces and has resulted in a bad “mixture” of brass that is actually within standards of other name brands but fortunately, not within our standards. This faulty brass mixture results in improper expanding and contracting with water temperate and potential failures along the life of the fixture or valve.
At Panther Brass, we have a strict process from the sale of the specific item to you as a customer all the way to the delivery of the ordered item back to you as the customer. Once you have placed an order and submitted it to your Panther Brass representative, they then submit the order to the closest geographical manufacturing plant. In the event that your order is a custom order, it will be produced within 24 hours of being received at the plant. This 24 hour buffer period allows us to make sure that all measurements and specifications will work in both yours, our and our, intended use. If your item is a stock order, then more likely than not we already have your specific fixture sitting on a shelf “with your name on it!” Unlike other companies that spot check items to check for faults, we thoroughly check each individual item. We do this to ensure that not one item slips through the cracks. Once we have your specific item you have requested, we then ship it as per your shipping instructions; whether it be individually or in combination with another order to minimize shipping. We believe that as the customer, we are here to serve you, not the other way around which is many company’s business models. However and whenever you want an item shipped, we will make sure that it happens. We follow this strict procedure of sale, production, and delivery as we believe that it results in the best product for you.
During our last production cycle of item number 55573 (temperature control valve), we noticed that the furnace where these items originate was malfunctioning. These valves are located on all of the CV, CW, and CX models which translates to 76% of our production. On Thursday 6/5 we submitted item 55573 for extensive testing; upon in depth testing of item 55573 by our Research and Development department, we have noticed that the brass does not adhere to the heating and cooling expansion mandates that we have set aside for this item. When you have a soft metal, such as brass, in contact with water at differing temperatures, the metal needs to be able to be adaptable for the water. For example, when things get hot, they expand. Normally this is not a problem; you have hot water in a pipe, it causes the pipe to expand slightly, and the fixtures that connect the different pieces of pipe expand at the same ratio and there are no leaks. When cold water runs through the pipe, the pipe and fixtures all contract at the same ratio maintaining no leaks. This elasticity (expansion to contraction) is crucial in plumbing fittings; it is the reason that these fixtures are made out of a soft metal such as brass. If we made them out of anything else, such as something more brittle, the part “wears” out over time and cannot stretch or contract like it used to and you result in leaks. The amount of elasticity versus durability of the fixture is controlled in how we “cook” and mix our brass in our furnace. Our inspection of the furnace resulted in the realization that the temperatures it was reporting to our monitoring computers was in reality 30 degrees cooler. This allowed in brass that feels the same, looks the same, and seems the same, but that troubles might result from in 5-10 years.
We apologize that we first discovered this problem yesterday (Thursday) and are reporting this to you on Friday, the end of the work week. While we understand the complications this might have in affecting your anticipated delivery dates at the beginning of next week, we at Panther Brass thought it would be wiser to present the solution to this problem along with the problem. There will be a short delay in all CV, CW, and CX fixture models; we anticipate an extra 10 day lead time on your orders. This lead time will allow for possible replacement of the furnace, testing of brass it is producing, and manufacture of item number 55573 along with other items.
We do want to alleviate any concerns over other materials that have already delivered with this same defect. We tested all CV, CW, and CX models and found that only 60% were defective, we still had an earlier 40% that were the “oldest” that were fine that had not shipped yet. This tells us that this problem has occurred between that 60 and 40% mark and that none have shipped.
We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to resolve this problem. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you and hope that this will not result in any sort of financial or customer service loss to your company. We understand that the needs of many businesses are different from each other and this momentary loss in production will not affect you; we also realize that this could be a huge problem for companies who do large volume orders. Due to the differences in our clients, we will be handling each situation in a case-by-case basis; we understand that the concessions that BusinessA requires are not sufficient nor practical for BusinessB and vice versa. We hope that this personal approach shows our commitment to each business. If you do require some form of allowance, please contact your sales representative.
Again, we at Panther Brass deeply apologize for the inconvenience this has caused your company. We ourselves started out as a small business with 15 employees 32 years ago. We understand working with supplying companies that have many contracts can sometimes be a headache. Being a former small business, we strive to give our clients the type of attention that we wish we had 32 years ago. We hope that your commitment to Panther Brass as your supplier remains as solid as our commitment to your company. If you have any questions comments or concerns, you can contact me directly and I will do everything in my power to satisfy your needs.
Nick Taylor
Chief Production Manger, Co-Founder Panther Brass
123.456.7890 – Direct Line
nickt84@gmail.com
Good Afternoon!
I notice that everyone has been having a very productive quarter so far. At Panther Brass, we can notice the increased sales on our client (you!) end and can infer that business has been good for you – congratulations! At Panther Brass, we pride ourselves in always being able to supply companies with the highest quality brass and copper plumbing fixtures that we can manufacture; if we wouldn’t want it in our own homes or businesses, we won’t make it! We applaud the companies that we supply as having the same standards that we have.
Unfortunately, we have discovered a critical flaw in a key brass part that we manufacture. This flaw originates in one of our furnaces and has resulted in a bad “mixture” of brass that is actually within standards of other name brands but fortunately, not within our standards. This faulty brass mixture results in improper expanding and contracting with water temperate and potential failures along the life of the fixture or valve.
At Panther Brass, we have a strict process from the sale of the specific item to you as a customer all the way to the delivery of the ordered item back to you as the customer. Once you have placed an order and submitted it to your Panther Brass representative, they then submit the order to the closest geographical manufacturing plant. In the event that your order is a custom order, it will be produced within 24 hours of being received at the plant. This 24 hour buffer period allows us to make sure that all measurements and specifications will work in both yours, our and our, intended use. If your item is a stock order, then more likely than not we already have your specific fixture sitting on a shelf “with your name on it!” Unlike other companies that spot check items to check for faults, we thoroughly check each individual item. We do this to ensure that not one item slips through the cracks. Once we have your specific item you have requested, we then ship it as per your shipping instructions; whether it be individually or in combination with another order to minimize shipping. We believe that as the customer, we are here to serve you, not the other way around which is many company’s business models. However and whenever you want an item shipped, we will make sure that it happens. We follow this strict procedure of sale, production, and delivery as we believe that it results in the best product for you.
During our last production cycle of item number 55573 (temperature control valve), we noticed that the furnace where these items originate was malfunctioning. These valves are located on all of the CV, CW, and CX models which translates to 76% of our production. On Thursday 6/5 we submitted item 55573 for extensive testing; upon in depth testing of item 55573 by our Research and Development department, we have noticed that the brass does not adhere to the heating and cooling expansion mandates that we have set aside for this item. When you have a soft metal, such as brass, in contact with water at differing temperatures, the metal needs to be able to be adaptable for the water. For example, when things get hot, they expand. Normally this is not a problem; you have hot water in a pipe, it causes the pipe to expand slightly, and the fixtures that connect the different pieces of pipe expand at the same ratio and there are no leaks. When cold water runs through the pipe, the pipe and fixtures all contract at the same ratio maintaining no leaks. This elasticity (expansion to contraction) is crucial in plumbing fittings; it is the reason that these fixtures are made out of a soft metal such as brass. If we made them out of anything else, such as something more brittle, the part “wears” out over time and cannot stretch or contract like it used to and you result in leaks. The amount of elasticity versus durability of the fixture is controlled in how we “cook” and mix our brass in our furnace. Our inspection of the furnace resulted in the realization that the temperatures it was reporting to our monitoring computers was in reality 30 degrees cooler. This allowed in brass that feels the same, looks the same, and seems the same, but that troubles might result from in 5-10 years.
We apologize that we first discovered this problem yesterday (Thursday) and are reporting this to you on Friday, the end of the work week. While we understand the complications this might have in affecting your anticipated delivery dates at the beginning of next week, we at Panther Brass thought it would be wiser to present the solution to this problem along with the problem. There will be a short delay in all CV, CW, and CX fixture models; we anticipate an extra 10 day lead time on your orders. This lead time will allow for possible replacement of the furnace, testing of brass it is producing, and manufacture of item number 55573 along with other items.
We do want to alleviate any concerns over other materials that have already delivered with this same defect. We tested all CV, CW, and CX models and found that only 60% were defective, we still had an earlier 40% that were the “oldest” that were fine that had not shipped yet. This tells us that this problem has occurred between that 60 and 40% mark and that none have shipped.
We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to resolve this problem. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you and hope that this will not result in any sort of financial or customer service loss to your company. We understand that the needs of many businesses are different from each other and this momentary loss in production will not affect you; we also realize that this could be a huge problem for companies who do large volume orders. Due to the differences in our clients, we will be handling each situation in a case-by-case basis; we understand that the concessions that BusinessA requires are not sufficient nor practical for BusinessB and vice versa. We hope that this personal approach shows our commitment to each business. If you do require some form of allowance, please contact your sales representative.
Again, we at Panther Brass deeply apologize for the inconvenience this has caused your company. We ourselves started out as a small business with 15 employees 32 years ago. We understand working with supplying companies that have many contracts can sometimes be a headache. Being a former small business, we strive to give our clients the type of attention that we wish we had 32 years ago. We hope that your commitment to Panther Brass as your supplier remains as solid as our commitment to your company. If you have any questions comments or concerns, you can contact me directly and I will do everything in my power to satisfy your needs.
Nick Taylor
Chief Production Manger, Co-Founder Panther Brass
123.456.7890 – Direct Line
nickt84@gmail.com
Vista M1530 to XP Pro M1530
I am the owner of a Dell XPS M1530. If you were to follow that link, you would see all the wonderful things that being the proud owner of an M1530 would get you; sleek design, speed (3GB RAM), big monitor, etcetera etcetera. There is one bad thing about M1530 though; it comes default with FREAKING VISTA!!!
I enrolled in college in January of 2008 and needed a laptop to do all my schoolwork on. If I was going to have to fork over some of my hard earned cash for a laptop, I didn’t want a crappy one; I figured I’d go all out (a restrained all out) and get something newer, nicer, and something that would be relatively top of the line for about 90 days. I had never delved into Vista and heard all the horror stories but, at the time, the world seemed to be embracing Vista. I figured that being with me being an IT major, I ought to at least know a little bit about Vista.
Whenever I go out on a limb and go against the grain and embrace something that everyone else is knocking, I tend to get a little defensive. So when my Vista “crash-proof” laptop had the blue screen of death in less than a week, I conveniently deleted the event from my memory like everything else that was on the computer. After a complete reinstall of OS and everything, I was on my way. Well, on my way except for several Dell components which took a little longer to catch up; for example I had to type in the WEP key every time I changed from one wireless network to the other – regardless of how many times I had been on it before, regardless of the countless network card driver installs and reinstalls.
Miraculously, one fine morning 4 months later, my laptop remembered a WEP key and I only had to re-enter everything 1 more time. Isn’t it amazing how you do the same exact process over and over again to a computer expecting results and nothing happens. Frustrated you give up resigning yourself to the fate of doing things the long way (like entering a WEP key every time you change networks) when computers are supposed to enable you to do things the fast way. Then one day, on chance, you repeat that step that has become so familiar to you and, miraculously, the computer accepts it and it works. Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It’s apparent to me that Al was fortunate enough not to have lived in the modern computer era.
Other than my brief early confrontation with Vista, I was fairly impressed. The GUI had a nice sleek design, and it was very easy to pick up the new way of doing things. I was so used to navigating easily and flawlessly through XP, it took me a little bit to learn the in and outs of Vista. Finally I realized why Vista was so easy to learn.
Vista, apparently, was created for people over 58 (no computer knowledge) and children under 3. There is not one advanced thing that you can do efficiently on Vista. Vista was made for not even technologically challenged people, but technologically retarded people. I would laugh to myself before cursing under my breath for 5 minutes while I read all these comments about the “ease” of networking Vista with XP machines.
Finally, upon chance when I was bitching about Vista to my brother-in-law, we decided to “evolve” (or is it reverse evolution?) from Vista to XP Pro. I had to blather about something to warranty a blog post on this but I cannot steal someone else’s thunder; they have done a fantastic job describing the steps to doing this migration at this forum post.
The thing that makes that link so great, is the availability of the drivers. It took me maybe 2 or 3 hours to uninstall Vista and install XP, maybe an hour to install all the drivers, but it took me 3 hours just to find the drivers. The problem I had was that since M1530 only comes to the factory with Vista, I couldn’t find any XP drivers for it. This forum poster has conveniently put together a package of all required drivers for converting a Vista OS M1530 to a XP Pro OS M1530.
Good luck and congratulations on your evolution!
I enrolled in college in January of 2008 and needed a laptop to do all my schoolwork on. If I was going to have to fork over some of my hard earned cash for a laptop, I didn’t want a crappy one; I figured I’d go all out (a restrained all out) and get something newer, nicer, and something that would be relatively top of the line for about 90 days. I had never delved into Vista and heard all the horror stories but, at the time, the world seemed to be embracing Vista. I figured that being with me being an IT major, I ought to at least know a little bit about Vista.
Whenever I go out on a limb and go against the grain and embrace something that everyone else is knocking, I tend to get a little defensive. So when my Vista “crash-proof” laptop had the blue screen of death in less than a week, I conveniently deleted the event from my memory like everything else that was on the computer. After a complete reinstall of OS and everything, I was on my way. Well, on my way except for several Dell components which took a little longer to catch up; for example I had to type in the WEP key every time I changed from one wireless network to the other – regardless of how many times I had been on it before, regardless of the countless network card driver installs and reinstalls.
Miraculously, one fine morning 4 months later, my laptop remembered a WEP key and I only had to re-enter everything 1 more time. Isn’t it amazing how you do the same exact process over and over again to a computer expecting results and nothing happens. Frustrated you give up resigning yourself to the fate of doing things the long way (like entering a WEP key every time you change networks) when computers are supposed to enable you to do things the fast way. Then one day, on chance, you repeat that step that has become so familiar to you and, miraculously, the computer accepts it and it works. Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It’s apparent to me that Al was fortunate enough not to have lived in the modern computer era.
Other than my brief early confrontation with Vista, I was fairly impressed. The GUI had a nice sleek design, and it was very easy to pick up the new way of doing things. I was so used to navigating easily and flawlessly through XP, it took me a little bit to learn the in and outs of Vista. Finally I realized why Vista was so easy to learn.
Vista, apparently, was created for people over 58 (no computer knowledge) and children under 3. There is not one advanced thing that you can do efficiently on Vista. Vista was made for not even technologically challenged people, but technologically retarded people. I would laugh to myself before cursing under my breath for 5 minutes while I read all these comments about the “ease” of networking Vista with XP machines.
Finally, upon chance when I was bitching about Vista to my brother-in-law, we decided to “evolve” (or is it reverse evolution?) from Vista to XP Pro. I had to blather about something to warranty a blog post on this but I cannot steal someone else’s thunder; they have done a fantastic job describing the steps to doing this migration at this forum post.
The thing that makes that link so great, is the availability of the drivers. It took me maybe 2 or 3 hours to uninstall Vista and install XP, maybe an hour to install all the drivers, but it took me 3 hours just to find the drivers. The problem I had was that since M1530 only comes to the factory with Vista, I couldn’t find any XP drivers for it. This forum poster has conveniently put together a package of all required drivers for converting a Vista OS M1530 to a XP Pro OS M1530.
Good luck and congratulations on your evolution!
Friday, June 6, 2008
DreamSpark
I just wanted to make sure that everyone eligible knows about DreamSpark. This is a package that Bill Gates / Microsoft has put together to offer a lot of programs to college students to stimulate the mind. I recently participated and got some GREAT programs out of it. The programs and the links are:
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
XNA Game Studio 2.0
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual Web 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual J# 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Virtual PC
All of the above programs can be found on the DreamSpark website here. Keys for the programs that require them are also provided and they work. You got to love it when you have so much money you can “throw it away” so that in 5 or 10 years you’ll have people that are familiar enough with what you threw away that they will come work for you and make you lots of money.
So in order to be eligible you need to be able to prove that you are a college student. There is a list of colleges that if you coincidently attend you can type in your IRN or SSN and they can verify you that way. I personally attend the University of Phoenix and it was not provided but I simply had to take a screen shot of my schedule and IRN and email it and they verified me. Since this is Microsoft, you will need to have a Microsoft email whether it is Hotmail, MSN, or Live.
I believe this promotion is being offered through different scholastic sites but the one that I used was JourneyEd which was very easy. If you take the link I provided, it will take you right to the DreamSpark checkout page or you can search on their website for Item Number 11111726.
You got to love Bill Gates; I added up the actual retail value (ARV) of everything he is giving away and need to post how much it is on its own special separate paragraph. I just want to remind you this is the value of what you get for FREE!!
MORE THAN $2,856
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
XNA Game Studio 2.0
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual Web 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Visual J# 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft Virtual PC
All of the above programs can be found on the DreamSpark website here. Keys for the programs that require them are also provided and they work. You got to love it when you have so much money you can “throw it away” so that in 5 or 10 years you’ll have people that are familiar enough with what you threw away that they will come work for you and make you lots of money.
So in order to be eligible you need to be able to prove that you are a college student. There is a list of colleges that if you coincidently attend you can type in your IRN or SSN and they can verify you that way. I personally attend the University of Phoenix and it was not provided but I simply had to take a screen shot of my schedule and IRN and email it and they verified me. Since this is Microsoft, you will need to have a Microsoft email whether it is Hotmail, MSN, or Live.
I believe this promotion is being offered through different scholastic sites but the one that I used was JourneyEd which was very easy. If you take the link I provided, it will take you right to the DreamSpark checkout page or you can search on their website for Item Number 11111726.
You got to love Bill Gates; I added up the actual retail value (ARV) of everything he is giving away and need to post how much it is on its own special separate paragraph. I just want to remind you this is the value of what you get for FREE!!
MORE THAN $2,856
Thursday, June 5, 2008
IT Communication Assignment: Collaborative Writing vs. Individual Writing
Identify and explain at least three advantages and three disadvantages of the collaborative writing process. In what situations might an individual writing process be preferable?
There are situations when writing collaboratively seems to be much more beneficial to writing a major document than writing one individually. One advantage to writing collaboratively is “Collaboration offers wider expertise and skills than just one writer may possess” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). The fact that there are more people’s personal experiences contributing to a paper is beneficial in that there is that much more experience to write about. Another advantage is “A group will offer divergent opinions, raise more questions, and point out more problem areas than a single writer will” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). This advantage is basically summarized by the saying “two heads are better than one”; the more people you have, the more fresh ideas your group and your document will have. Finally, “Collaboration offers the opportunities for co-workers in business and industry to know and respect each other more intimately and thus work more productively. Differences in length of company tenure, gender, and multicultural concerns should be brought to light and worked out democratically toward a shared group and organizational goal” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). This advantage will benefit the paper in the fact that it is much more likely to be written critically and account for a larger percentage of the target audience’s concerns.
While there are definite advantages to writing collaboratively, there are disadvantages as well. One key disadvantage is “Unless the contributions of each are clearly appreciated, members may feel that they are just replaceable nonentities in the scheme of things, and the document will be of low quality” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 26). This is appreciable in the fact that one must stop and think of the entire group and take pride in a group effort rather than an individual effort. Another disadvantage is “A group may tend to emphasize getting along together rather than being critical of other’s opinions or concentrating clearly on the subject, which may lead to groupthink, the negative flip side of teamwork” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). I think that this is a very easy to accidently accomplish in today’s “politically correct” workplace; everyone is so afraid to step on someone’s toes or offend them that the document that the team is collaborating on to construct may suffer. One last disadvantage of writing collaboratively is “There may be disparities in the workload, and some people will inevitably have to work harder than others, causing resentments that must be addressed and mollified” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). I think that this is the biggest disadvantage to writing collaboratively; while someone might simply have high goals and is working very hard to contribute to the team, another individual could misconstrue this “sucking up.”
There are many times when writing an important document might be easier if it were written individually rather than collaboratively. A school assignment is a great example of a situation when individuality might be better. As a student, I do not want to be responsible for other’s ideas that I do not personally agree with but am forced to document as it would be a group effort on the paper.
VanAlstyne, J. (Ed.). (2005). Professional and Technical Writing Strategies: Communicating in Technology and Science, Prentice-Hall.
There are situations when writing collaboratively seems to be much more beneficial to writing a major document than writing one individually. One advantage to writing collaboratively is “Collaboration offers wider expertise and skills than just one writer may possess” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). The fact that there are more people’s personal experiences contributing to a paper is beneficial in that there is that much more experience to write about. Another advantage is “A group will offer divergent opinions, raise more questions, and point out more problem areas than a single writer will” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). This advantage is basically summarized by the saying “two heads are better than one”; the more people you have, the more fresh ideas your group and your document will have. Finally, “Collaboration offers the opportunities for co-workers in business and industry to know and respect each other more intimately and thus work more productively. Differences in length of company tenure, gender, and multicultural concerns should be brought to light and worked out democratically toward a shared group and organizational goal” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). This advantage will benefit the paper in the fact that it is much more likely to be written critically and account for a larger percentage of the target audience’s concerns.
While there are definite advantages to writing collaboratively, there are disadvantages as well. One key disadvantage is “Unless the contributions of each are clearly appreciated, members may feel that they are just replaceable nonentities in the scheme of things, and the document will be of low quality” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 26). This is appreciable in the fact that one must stop and think of the entire group and take pride in a group effort rather than an individual effort. Another disadvantage is “A group may tend to emphasize getting along together rather than being critical of other’s opinions or concentrating clearly on the subject, which may lead to groupthink, the negative flip side of teamwork” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). I think that this is a very easy to accidently accomplish in today’s “politically correct” workplace; everyone is so afraid to step on someone’s toes or offend them that the document that the team is collaborating on to construct may suffer. One last disadvantage of writing collaboratively is “There may be disparities in the workload, and some people will inevitably have to work harder than others, causing resentments that must be addressed and mollified” (VanAlstyne, 2005, p. 25). I think that this is the biggest disadvantage to writing collaboratively; while someone might simply have high goals and is working very hard to contribute to the team, another individual could misconstrue this “sucking up.”
There are many times when writing an important document might be easier if it were written individually rather than collaboratively. A school assignment is a great example of a situation when individuality might be better. As a student, I do not want to be responsible for other’s ideas that I do not personally agree with but am forced to document as it would be a group effort on the paper.
VanAlstyne, J. (Ed.). (2005). Professional and Technical Writing Strategies: Communicating in Technology and Science, Prentice-Hall.
Critical Thinking: Discussion Question
Identify areas of vagueness and ambiguity and discuss how you could clarify the email’s message using the writing principles addressed in the text.
Hi class,
I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways. Not just reading but writing too. Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world. Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal. In critical writing, writers construct sentences with clear intentions. Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry. Business reading is reports, memos and articles. My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals. She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman. So critical writers are better than business writers. But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too. It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.
Thanks,
Owen
Personally, I do not feel this is a very well written as there are many areas of ambiguity vagueness within the text. Owen, the author, seems to jump around from thought to thought without explaining his thought process or using evidence to support his points. For example, “Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.” We, as readers, can only guess as to how you go from talking about the necessity of reading to clear writing being the hardest thing in the world. Owen’s writing is also very vague at points: “She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman.” Why is the aunt a better writer than the uncle? Is this because she is a professor and instructs others on writing or is her writing just “better” than the uncle’s? The whole message in general is also not grammatically correct which when reading is the same as listening to a conversation with someone who cannot construct a complete sentence. For example, “…has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal”; this should be written as “…has to write business reports which can build rapport and be interpersonal.” This whole message seems more like a rough-draft than the final product. Almost every individual sentence can be taken as a separate talking point; after writing this, Owen should re-read what he has written and analyze every sentence and think where he can go with that message.
Hi class,
I don’t have a lot of time to explain but off the top of my head answer is as a reader critical thinking affects me all ways. Not just reading but writing too. Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world. Though I don’t the average writer has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal. In critical writing, writers construct sentences with clear intentions. Business people write fast because the business people I know are always in a hurry. Business reading is reports, memos and articles. My aunt is a university professor and she writes articles for journals. She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman. So critical writers are better than business writers. But critical writing like argumentative essays have structure, so business writing has structure too. It’s not a matter of one kind of writing being harder than the other it’s that the structure is harder.
Thanks,
Owen
Personally, I do not feel this is a very well written as there are many areas of ambiguity vagueness within the text. Owen, the author, seems to jump around from thought to thought without explaining his thought process or using evidence to support his points. For example, “Sometimes what I read I must write about later like this discussion question so clearly I have to read. Clear writing is the hardest thing in the world.” We, as readers, can only guess as to how you go from talking about the necessity of reading to clear writing being the hardest thing in the world. Owen’s writing is also very vague at points: “She is smart and a better writer than my uncle who is a businessman.” Why is the aunt a better writer than the uncle? Is this because she is a professor and instructs others on writing or is her writing just “better” than the uncle’s? The whole message in general is also not grammatically correct which when reading is the same as listening to a conversation with someone who cannot construct a complete sentence. For example, “…has to write business rapports which can build report and be inter personal”; this should be written as “…has to write business reports which can build rapport and be interpersonal.” This whole message seems more like a rough-draft than the final product. Almost every individual sentence can be taken as a separate talking point; after writing this, Owen should re-read what he has written and analyze every sentence and think where he can go with that message.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Critical Thinking: Discussion Question
How does critical thinking affect you as a reader and writer? How can thinking critically improve your writing?
I think critical thinking can affect an individual both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, thinking critically can allow you to get more information from what you read. Instead of just reading what is actually put in front of you and “in one ear and out the other”, using critical thinking while you read can allow you to appreciate the reading on different levels. Utilizing critical thinking, you can now digest what the purpose the author had to write that specific selection: was their purpose to persuade you or to inform you and why do they want to do that? You can also analyze the message: was the author using a lot of emotion to stir up feelings inside of me or do they not seem so enthused and there are required to write this for work?
Critical thinking can also benefit you as the writer and not the reader. Knowing that you utilize critical thinking when you read about something, you should plan that other people that read what you have written will use critical thinking. The readers will be analyzing what you wrote and why you wrote what you did. Knowing this, you can plan ahead to make your writing as effective as possible.
I think critical thinking can affect an individual both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, thinking critically can allow you to get more information from what you read. Instead of just reading what is actually put in front of you and “in one ear and out the other”, using critical thinking while you read can allow you to appreciate the reading on different levels. Utilizing critical thinking, you can now digest what the purpose the author had to write that specific selection: was their purpose to persuade you or to inform you and why do they want to do that? You can also analyze the message: was the author using a lot of emotion to stir up feelings inside of me or do they not seem so enthused and there are required to write this for work?
Critical thinking can also benefit you as the writer and not the reader. Knowing that you utilize critical thinking when you read about something, you should plan that other people that read what you have written will use critical thinking. The readers will be analyzing what you wrote and why you wrote what you did. Knowing this, you can plan ahead to make your writing as effective as possible.
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