Websites

This week there a web site that we were instructed to look over for help on the concepts that we are currently learning. The web site was the “Mission Critical” web site. At first glance anyone can see the problem that the web site is outdated in its look and really needs to be updated. Although, the web site itself contains a wealth of information that pertains to the concepts that we are learning right now. Also the web site gives you exercises that are supposed to be used to reinforce your understanding of the concepts.

This week we were really instructed to look at the “Introduction to Causal Arguments” section of the web site. This section a lot of information about causal arguments and it gives you specific exercises for this section. Again though, the formatting and old school appearance really takes away from the cite making it hard to read and less interesting because there are only words on the page.

Horoscopes

“Quickie

 Be careful to whom you show affection -- you don't want to send the wrong message.

Overview

You are still feeling fantastic, and should be able to get yourself embroiled in sweet situations that are nothing but sheer pleasure. It's fun while it lasts, and should make for good memories.”

This horoscope seems a little more specific than most that I have read in the past because it tells you the emotions that you are feeling. However this is still not specific enough to make the prediction believable. I really can’t say that I believe in horoscopes, they are just too broad of subject matter that any person can adapt to their day. Like in the horoscope that was for me a Taurus it says I’m feeling fantastic and anyone can say it applies to their life if there was a small glimmer of happiness in their day.

This itself proves the entire thing to be falsifiable in the way that there is too broad of a population that this may apply to and there can always be someone who disputes it. Overall the concept of horoscopes seems to be falsifiable because they are supposed to be general and they can apply to too many situations.

Incorrect Conclusions

I really do make a lot of incorrect conclusions. I work in retail so I meet many new people every day and meeting those people creates biases towards certain people like if a person is looking up a lot it usually means that they are lost and need help finding something and if they are talking on a cell phone you shouldn’t ask them questions or even say hello because they are busy.

There are many people who fit into these categories and that makes me think that everyone who is looking up a lot needs help and every person on a cell phone doesn’t want to talk. Although, I am wrong a lot of the time, I either end up asking the person if they need help or just not saying hello. Not everyone fits so not everyone needs help who is looking up needs help and sometimes people on phones say hello to me. I find out that I am incorrect by asking the people or not talking to the other people.  

Media Messages

When analyzing media you really need to look at the messages the media is sending to people. Media Messages are usually underlying messages that make people thing in a certain way. These messages are not always underlying though sometimes they are blatant messages that are said directly. They can even be messages that evoke the necessary emotions to elicit an emotional response.

An example of an underlying message in media is in movies. Movies seem to always contain a message in the end that is not always directly stated in the movie it may just be clear from the actions that the protagonist takes through the plot of the movie. This type of media messaging is mostly seen in children’s movies.

Directly saying media messages is mostly seen in news. There is usually a call to action type message in news coverage in which they tell how people need to act or think a certain way.

Emotional responses that come from media are usually through nonprofit organizations or other organizations that are aimed to help people. These messages usually are there because they want people to feel like they need to help. Which helps to promote their organization.

Hunt VS. Sadler

In the article “Internet Plagiarism Among College Students" Brook J. Sadler and Russell Hunt discuss the act of plagiarizing with college students. Sadler argues that plagiarism is very bad and it can hurt the student, professors, and other students in the class. She sees plagiarism as a very detrimental thing that is dishonest that really undermines a student’s education. Also she believes that professors are hurt by plagiarism because it causes them to not work as hard to teach the students what they need to know.

On the other hand Hunt is arguing that, plagiarism is not a bad thing and instead of trying to stop it students should have easier access to plagiarism. He says that it actually helps students because it lets them get information out without being hindered. He also says that there is an advantage for professors because it helps teach the students.

While I do not think that plagiarism is morally right I do in fact believe that Hunt does have a better argument. He presents his argument in a better way, he breaks his argument up into sections without making it repetitive. Also he looks into the counter argument and engages with it.   

Media and World Views

In today’s world the media is all around us. There are advertisements everywhere we look there are news broadcasts on every type of technological medium. Media is what controls today’s world. It pushes one candidate up for presidential elections, and it even influences people as to what toothpaste to buy from week to week.

Media does not only influence what we do and what we buy, it also grooms us from a certain age to think and hold certain values close to us. Like for instance in today’s children’s cartoons and movies there are always those hidden moral messages in the end of the show or movie. An example of this is in the movie, “Finding Nemo” the end message is to never give up. While this is not directly stated it is implied throughout the movie. It is moral media types of programming like this that give children the start off that makes them listen to the media.

Misleading Language

   While it is true that companies are not allowed to directly deceive you, in other words do false advertise, they can mislead you with language. These misleading types of languages are examples of rhetorical devices. Rhetorical devices are uses of language that, in a sense make fun of or take a play on a person’s lack of knowledge of something.

   An example of a rhetorical device is sarcasm. Sarcasm is used by companies to falsely make their product seem more appealing by possibly making it seem like it is the cool thing to get the product by making fun of or putting down another person that may seem nerdy. An example of this is in commercials of like body spray where there is an attractive guy who uses a spray and gets the girl and then the shy guy gets left behind because he doesn’t use the spray. Misleading language is an effective way of advertising by playing of a person’s emotions.