Reconsidering Some Prescriptive Rules of Grammar and Composition

The author proposes that writing and editing decisions should be based not only on prescriptive grammar but also on "Organic" grammar ( the grammar "hard wired" in our brains), research in cognitive psychology and human factors, research in other relevant disciplines and reflection. I believe that grammar mavens apply logic to language use. I believe that the capacity for language is hard wired and not merely a cultural artifact. For instance, since my mother has always said 'warsh rag' instead of 'wash rag' i find myself always repeating it the way that she spoke it.  I strongly agree with the fact that we organize an organic grammar as a child. For instance, my Spanish teacher in high school decided that she was going to introduce her newborn baby to both languages, Spanish & English. It is significantly easier for a child to learn languages at their critical period of language acquisition. I never really considered violations of organic grammar, such as when the reader becomes aware that something did not get processed properly.
As stupid as it sounds, I never considered the different problems between languages until this article.  For example, subject/verb agreement. The article uses the example of the word data. "The Latin word data is the past, plural, passive participle of the verb dare which means to give. Therefore, the literal translation of data is "things having been given," and every editor knows that plural nouns such as data take plural verbs such as are"(268). I could not imagine learning English as my secondary language for the reason of subject/verb agreement. Everything seems so confusing, and unless you work in the profession, it is hard to write and speak accurately all the time. It seems like we have the most confusing language, because words are not meant literally like they are in other languages. For accurate English skills, it requires more than following the traditional rules of English composition. Although this article had very interesting points that I had not considered before reading, it was a rather boring article. It just didn't seem to catch my attention or prompt me that it was actually worth reading. It was probably my least favorite article that we have read this year.

Walking The Labrinyth of Multimedia Law

Multimedia products can contain several types of media such as text, graphics, film, audio, animation, software, recorded or generated music. I believe that the context and the intentions behind the multimedia industry is important. For example, if I take a clip off of google images and use it for my personal based website, I do not believe that someone will haunt me down for a copyright violation. However, if I turn a google image into a brand local for my new business, a copyright violation may be suitable. The intentions behind the copyright is extremely important. If a copyright source is used in education, the intentions and purpose is very different than if it was used  in a business environment.
I find the debate of illegal music downloading to be very controversial. In the debate of illegal downloading, most people believed that the intentions behind the downloading made it justifiable or not. People believed that if they were downloading music for their own benefit it was justifiable, but if the person was downloading to sell than it would be considered wrong. The issue is the fact that every download takes from a potential sale to the artist. Whether or not you steal from the artist at a faster more direct rate does not matter. I believe that if you like a particular artist you will support them by actually buying their music.
The right of privacy is another interesting debate. The question of privacy and public information treads a thin line. I'm not sure that convicts should be displayed on the front page of the newspaper. It may be public record to find out where the criminals are and what crimes they have committed. It is a totally different thing to display private, embarrassing information for all of the world to see.
Although this article provided a useful checklist for documenting a multimedia element, it seems too cliche. I am not sure that anyone would actually follow the checklist step by step, but it has many useful tips that can be generalized.I hope that the future of multimedia becomes more simple. I believe that like everything else,with time, we will have multimedia down nearly to a science. Attorneys and the entertainment industry should become more comfortable with various laws.
Multimedia use has changed significantly with technology.

Understanding How Still Images Make Meaning

It became clear to me that those of us who communicate primarily as writers face three significant challenges in this new multi-model communication environment. To ensure that our documents are most effective for readers/users we must
1. Understand how the text and still images work together to make meaning together for readers/users.
2. Know when still images enhance or detract from text, and vice versa.
3. Be able to effectively discuss the issues of multi modal communications with other members of the document's production team.

I agree that images can change the viewpoint of text while generating conflicting perspectives. Images change the whole image of a document. It changes the meaning of the same words. It can make it hard for a writer to convey their total meaning when following strict layout and design.

DreamWeaver

I feel that I am having a lot of  trouble catching on to DreamWeaver. I find that I am able to do something once, but cannot seem to master it the second time. Maybe taking better notes on how to do things we learn in class will help me. I am having trouble deciding on the actual design of my website. At this point, it may be easier to just use a certain template for my web page. I now understand why some people prefer templates. I think it would be a lot less stressful if the design was already picked out for me. I know that the design and images I provide on my web page will effect the text of whole the web page. I am also really having a hard time deciding what information I want to put on my website. I'm not really sure which pieces would help benefit my web page.

Single Sourced Documents

The technological autobiography was a definte blast from the past. It never really dawned on me that the amount of advances that my generation has experienced first hand in two decades surpasses those of my grandparents. The information has always been available for my generation to learn. The concept of single sourcing raises a lot of curiosity for myself as an English/Marketing double major. As a marketing major, consumers unconciously are exposed to single sourcing. From a Marketing point of view, single sourcing can breed a love/hate relationship just as it can for the English field.. If a new single sourced "template"  was incompatible to consumer's needs than it would breed a hate. In contrast, many consumers love and adapt to many new single sourced templates. As a writer, I have mixed feelings about single sourced documents. I feel that the structure is often times a good way to set boundaries..but it also sets limitations for the writer.

Writing for the Web Versus Print

Guides to ALL web writing

Judy Gregory provides seven key ways that writing for the web differs from in print. She also makes her audience aware that sometimes the guidelines don't always apply. There isn't strict guidelines for every article written on the web. Web writing doesn't have a genre because the similarities aren't very consistent.. Her following statement offers an alternative to the "outlined" guidelines.
“Because this broad approach to advice about the Web is not always helpful, I offer an alternative-genre- and conclude this article by arguing that genre-based comparisons and guidelines may be more helpful for practicing writers than comparisons based only on medium. These comparisons can encourage writers to be guided by their audience’s needs and their communicative purpose, rather than being guided by the medium for which they write” (276).
     So web writing doesn't have one genre?For once, a form of writing that isn't filled with straight requirements.  I feel that the limitations on writing for the web are almost too broad. It seems like there are or should be more criteria on the perfect web page. Writers for the web need to have broad creativity because the criterion for a good website is situational and always changing. For me, writing for the web seems a little overwhelming because of the lack of direction that comes along with it. It seems a lot easier as a writer to simply do the writing and allow someone else to complete the layout and design. Sometimes the text is enough to concentrate on when I'm writing. I’m not so sure every writer prefers to deal with the layout and design of their own text.Some writers don't want to be bothered with anything other than words. The people who do prefer to write for the web certainly acquire an advantage over those who just choose to write print. There are multiple skills used when completing a whole website page rather than just writing the article.
        I wonder if readers really prefer to read on the web rather than text. If there was a preference it isn't to be based on how attention seeking the piece maybe. The preference ultimately is based on the convenience of the reader. Accessibility is my best guess for why people would prefer the web. They simply want the easiest, quickest way to find accurate information when they need it.
Gregory states that “readers are no more captive in print than they are on the Web. The decision to read is always a conscious one. Ultimately, (Dervin 1983) recognizes that information can’t be pushed onto captive audiences. Instead, readers will access what information interests them (or answers their questions) at the time that is more convenient to them and see the medium that they choose” (280).     The quote implies that the readers attention is not directed simply because it is a print or web document. This is true, the actual medium of the text does not purely cause the readers attention, but readers are more captive to the Web because it is more readily available. Majority of readers have easy accessibility to the Internet. Today, the Internet is the most convenient medium for many people. Although, the intentions of both mediums may be the same, many times web articles are more appealing purely because of their accessibility.