It’s been awhile since I’ve last posted. Last semester was a tough one for me, but I managed to accomplish the things I had set before me. I took and passed the qualifying exams at the end of August, I wrote and had approved my full proposal, and I submitted …

I recently learned that I passed my qualifying exams: the day would be September 9, 2011. It was a hot day, and I had been waiting 11 days, on pins and needles, awaiting a call from my chair. As I typed…no, I won’t bore you with the narration of the big …

I’m not sure how one is supposed to feel when she reaches this moment, but I was over-the-moon happy. What moment is this? Finally having my pre-proposal approved and quals date set.
I went through three revisions of the pre-proposal with my diss chair before we submitted it to the entire …

Having read a range of materials this term, some familiar and some new, on what topic do you want to research or read more about and why?
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Can’t pick just one topic. So much fascinates me. Three topics I’m interested in learning more about are game culture and what TC can ...

As a user of visual media online, what aspects of interactivity and visual presentation have you come to expect in online publications and Web sites?
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I have to say that I think I’m pretty old school when it comes to what I expect from online publications and Web sites. What does ...

I have submitted my behemoth of a paper, “Where We Stand: On Being Mommy Bloggers of Color” to my professor. Am I happy with it? Actually, I think I am. There’s some good material there and in revisions, it will get better. Because I love Wordles so much, I of course …

What does your set of commonly used social media tools say about you as a participant of the human + machine culture? Give examples to illustrate.
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I will try anything once…just about.
That’s my short answer.
Here’s the longer answer.
I’m fairly immersed in the h+m culture. I’m a heavy participant. I remember ...

As a technical communicator, what tools comprise your toolset? What advantages do they have over other tools? What one dream tool would you add to your list (something you’d like to learn)?
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Interesting set of questions because this time next year, I could be listing yet another set of tools.
The Tools I ...

What topic(s) are you considering for the paper? Discuss one or more alternatives in detail and explain its relation to some of the concepts and theories we’re reading (or are going to be reading).
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Tentative Title: Blogging While Black: Mommy Bloggers
Idea: In this course, we’ve talked about how digital writing ...

If you were to think of digital literacy as a two-tiered model, standard skills and advanced skills, how would you characterize each?  Speculate as to what skills will be required in the not too distant future (say 5-10 years)?
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In last week’s Internet Writing class, we ran into several graphics that ...

It’s interesting. I have an office with a big desk, nice chair, and everything, yet I do 98% of my work at my dining table.

Why? Well, there is a big thing missing in my office: a TV. I work well when I have background noise, and typically, what’s background noise …

From reading chapter 6, “Narrative Theory” in Writing for the Internet (Baehr & Schaller):
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"Sight, sound, and motion added to bad writing might entertain some readers, but it will not translate into effective storytelling." ~Samuel D. Bradley
[Makes me think about what we read in regards to news writing in new media. It's ...

Which new media theorist, which you have read (either avidly and/or recently) would you want to read further? What ideas, concepts, books, and articles interest you most and why?
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Hard questions. There have been many theorists I have read that deal with hypertext, identity on the Internet, narrative in cyberspace, virtual ...

Chapter 2 of Baehr and Schaller’s Writing for the Internet: A Guide to Real Communication in Virtual Space reads like a who’s who of theories, particularly from mass communication:

Critical Theory – seeks change in the dominant social order and notes how communication is controlled by the in-power group and used to exert …