Tuesday, May 13

We started today by finishing our review of vlogs and video diaries. We determined that the purpose of the video diary is to document/record one's own experience and make it public. We also decided that the audience--while it is available to the public--is mostly the diariest himself or herself. It is largely "written" for the self. By contrast, the purpose of the vlog is to entertain and attract as large an audience as possible. We reviewed the different formats different vlogs use to entertain: the rant (funny complaint), commenting on already-popular internet videos, mimicking popular videos/video games/characters.
While the purpose and audience of the vlog and video diary are different, the elements they have in common is that they are similar media formats. Both would also be useful in creating a dynamic, complex Twitter Narrative.

I introduced your Final Presentation Assignment, described in the link to the right. After class, it was proposed that you do this as a group, rather than individually, which I agreed to. We will discuss the stages of this on Thursday, though I would like everyone--as an individual--to think of 3 possible subjects for your presentation that sound complex.

We then moved on to talk about hypertext and how it is different from print text. We determined that print text is linear--you open a book and start at the first page, then move to the second, then the third. It is limited--and navigated--by space.

By contrast, hypertext is not linear, but nodal. Each node is a point of connection that branches further and further away from the original center.

We practiced this idea using a Google Doc where you identified the different nodes. Many of you identified proper nouns (or people and place names), which is good. I also added ideas as nodes (such as "war draft" and agoraphobia). These proved to be useful nodes with many points of connection. Even the year 1979 proved to be useful. It had many connections, but one of these connections was the decision to compensate Kent State victims and their families for their loss. This naturally connected to the Kent State shootings, which connected to the Cambodian Involvement. Etc. etc.

For your assignment, I asked you to identify as many nodes as you can in your own essays that you posted to your blog for today's class.

Assignment:

- 3 possible topics for your faux TEDTalk

Check blog links on class blog home page (make sure these links are active and linking to the correct site so that you can get credit for your work)

- Continue work on Twitter Narrative (think of vlogs and video diaries)

- Find nodes in your blog essay