Reflection on Open Letter Draft

In this post I will be explaining what I have learned from both the peer review on my draft and my reviews of my classmates' drafts of the Open Letter assignment.

Worthington, Paul. "Pencils and Moleskines 04" 01/03/2006 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic 

For this assignment, I peer reviewed Katherine and Thomas' drafts.

Did you demonstrate an ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer?

• I think that I was able to think about myself as a writer in both in the past and the present, as I talked about how I have improved. However, in my draft I think that I could elaborate more on how my writing itself has changed (other than simply saying that I am able to write in different genres). I could talk about how I  can more easily talk in a personal tone (because of the listicle) instead of a formal one. 

Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned? 

• Somewhat. I definitely talked about what I have learned about the concept of a "genre", but not much else. I also talked about what I have experienced in both this class and through the assignments, but I don't think I really analyzed what they taught me or how they helped me improved- and if I did, it was superficial. 

Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing?

• Not as much as I probably need. I did provide hyperlinks and referenced some of my first blog posts through quotes, but with the more important later assignments I only provided hyperlinks. I think that adding a very specific example of how my tone has changed (like within the listicle) could help my analysis to become stronger. 

Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?

• While this is something that I will probably end up revising later on, I think that I did explain my decisions properly, for both the effective and non-effective ones. Especially with when it comes to my time management.

Did you use specific terms and concepts related to writing and the writing process?

• Yes! Especially when I was discussing what a genre means to me after this course. I discussed conventions and the concepts of said conventions pretty well. I also talked about different examples of genres that we have written in throughout the semester. However, in regards to terms I think that I could add more in my current draft. 

Draft of Open Letter

This post will serve as a link to the draft of my final project- an open letter.

William Arthur Fine Stationary. "Letters Play Important Roles in our Lives" 05/25/10 via Flickr.
Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Peer reviewers,

As you read this draft, keep in mind that this prompt was very vague and I was not quite sure what to write about. So, please let me know if there is enough relevant content about this course and what I have learned. Also, please tell me if I have explained what I have already written down well enough. 

Thank you all so much!

You can find my draft here.

Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In this post, I will be reflecting on not just my process- but my overall writing experience within English 109H.

Schubert, Jörg. "thinking of a masterplan" 1/25/14 via Flickr.
Attribution 2.0 Generic  

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?
• I would say the biggest challenge would be having to change the way that I wrote before college. In my very first blog post, I had said that I was a "Heavy Planner" and a "Procrastinator". In college, it's difficult to be this type of writer when there is a lot of preparatory work and other courses that need time and attention as well. Therefore, finding the right way to organize my time was a challenge- but I feel as if I have found a good balance (even though it can still be improved).
2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?
• I learned that I can write in many different genres and in many different tones. Before this course, I had only written analysis on classic books and personal statement-like genres. So, my tone was usually very formal and academic. However, especially with this past project, I have been able to understand how to better write in a tone that is interesting and fun. I never thought that I would write a Buzzfeed article in a college course, even though now I can see its worth. In this type of genre, the author usually has a tone which is humorous and personal, which I think that I replicated well.  
3.  What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.
• I understand that a "genre" is simply a style of writing. However, within this style there are many guidelines and (especially) conventions that the author must follow in order for it to be considered as a piece of work within the genre. Understanding the concept of a genre is helpful for both when given an assignment about a specific genre or in the future when publishing pieces of work for a specific audience. In both instances, you should understand the conventions within a genre and, at least for the last scenario, find a genre that works best with the audience you are writing for.
4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?
• I think that I will use the planning style that this course has taught me when I am writing papers in the future. Along with this, I will be able to use the time management skills that this course has taught me. I have learned that work is better done when split up into small steps, which can be used for any sort of assignment (not just a paper). Finally, I have learned how to properly analyze another author's piece of argument and what to look for within their text. This will be especially helpful to me in the future because I will need to so some sort of research, and in this research I will need to look at scholarly articles. 
5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
• I would say that my most effective moment was once I sat down and figured out a proper schedule for me to finish these deadlines in a timely manner. This was at the beginning of our second project. One day, I took a few minutes before starting on my nightly routine of homework and decided that if I could work on my blog between classes (when given the time), I would have less to do at home. From there, I found a good way to organize my time for the rest of my classes as well.
6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
• I think that my least effective moment actually lasted for about a month at the beginning of the semester. One, I would put off all of the deadlines that I needed to do until Friday. However, I thought that the actual due date for the deadline was at 11:59 AM, not PM. So, I was going through my work stressing myself out and not being able to focus on the key details within my work.

Revisiting My Writing Process

In this post I will be reflecting upon my past semester in regards to my writing process. I will be referencing two blog posts (1.10 and 1.12) that I wrote in the beginning of the course.

Brain POP. "The Writing process" 05/17/10 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

For my writing process, I think that it has definitely changed for the better. Mostly, I think that I procrastinate less and have been able to turn my "heavy planning" into something more productive, rather than just throwing all my thoughts onto a page as my first draft. For example, I feel that this past project (where we drafted our own piece of public argument) was the best experience I had authoring any sort of assignment. I started the deadline earlier than normal and was able to write a first draft that I was actually proud of a day ahead. From there, while I was working on the deadline I was able to slowly revise my listicle to work out all the details I needed. I actually thought my final draft was polished, which is something very different than how I normally end up feeling. Now, I think that I have the time management skills to spread out my planning and find time to revise my drafts.

For the referenced time management, it also changed for the better, even though it may have been less prominent of a change. I can still be considered a procrastinator, but to less of a degree. At the beginning of the semester, I was not following the plan that I had set out for myself. But, as the course went on, I found that actually following a set plan (revised to how my other coursework turned out to be) was really helpful in completing better assignments in a timely fashion. Now, I can usually finish the whole assigned deadline at least a day early, which leaves time to finish revising the project itself. 

Overall, I think that the way that this course was structured helped me to figure out a plan for my future classes, even if they are not on the subject of English. As I continue progressing in my college career, I think that I will end up finding the balance of the writing process that works for me and end up becoming successful in writing an assignment without being rushed and/or stressed out.

Reflection on Project 3

For this post I will be reflecting on my writing process for Project 3- my listicle. I will be using the questions from Writing Public Lives.

Dokkum, Remko van. "MacBook Pro backlit keyboard" 10/10/09 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic 

What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

• The amount of commentary from me about my topic and sources was changed. I did not have enough comments within my first draft, therefore, I added a little bit more in the second.

How did you reconsider your thesis or organization?

• I didn't reconsider my thesis or organization that much, as I felt that I did all that thought for my first draft. I still feel like my listicle is organized well because it looks like how Buzzfeed would organize an article. 

What led you to these changes? 

• The instructor meetings helped me to realize what I needed to change and add within my draft. Also, thinking back upon the purpose of my listicle helped me to really focus on what needed to be changed.

How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

• Depending on the way an author adds his or her commentary, it could affect their credibility either way. However, I made sure to keep my credibility by not adding any radical opinions or attacks to the other opinion.

How will these changes better address the audience or venue?

• I think that these changes add appeals toward my credibility, and therefore, my audience is likely to analyze what I am saying further and in turn my purpose for this article is fulfilled.

How did you reconsider sentence structure and style?

• While I did not change the sentence structure, I did reword a few things within my draft. First, I edited my conclusion to end on a more positive note-as Buzzfeed would. Then, I added some commentary about my sources after they were mentioned. 

How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?

• I think that these changes will really help my audience to understand that I want them to see the positive side of AI technology. Also, I think that adding my own comments can make the article more personal, therefore adding the appeal to emotion. 

Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

• I did change the way that I cited each image. However, I did not change much else in regards to the listicle conventions. 

Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?

• I feel like reflection helps me to understand what I can change about my writing and my process for the next assignment. For example, based on my last project's reflection I realized that I really needed to put more effort into my first draft. Therefore, for this project, I did the bulk of my assignment in my draft, so that now for my final draft I only have to edit the details and give it the polished look that it needs.

Publishing Public Argument

This post serves as both a link to my final public argument (yay!) and some information about the appeals used in my argument, along with the purpose and audience.

Search Engine People Blog. "publish-ud" 05/21/10 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic 

Here is the link to my final project. 

Some questions:

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------|-------X-------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------X-------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         _______ My public argument establishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument proposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         ___X____ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         _______ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employedi n your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

                    __X___ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

                    __X___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

                    __X___ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

                    __X___ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

                    _____ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

                    _____ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

                    _____ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

                    __X___ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

                    _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

                    _____ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    __X___ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

                    _____ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

                    _____ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

                    __X___ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

                    __X___ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

                    __X___ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    __X___ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ____ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

                    _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    __X___ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    __X___ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

                    __X___ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

                    __X___ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

                    __X___ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

                    __X___ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

                    _____ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

                    __X___ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platform and should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

Example 1
Example 2 
Example 3

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

This post will serve as a reflection on the peer review of my draft, as well as the direction of my draft overall.

Raether, Carl. "#mirrorgram #shamgramaday #reflection #distortion #dirty #old #keyboard #computer #shape #line #texture #artsy #weird" 01/31/13 via Flickr. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Hyperlinks to peer review sheets:
Charles 
Scott

• Who reviewed your Project 3 draft?
• Addie Stansbury and Charles Novak

• What did you think and/or feel about the feedback you received? 
• I feel that the feedback I got for my project was helpful overall. Addie and Charles were great in telling me what sounded awkward and what needed to be added, but also showed me what was good within my draft so I could continue that. 
• The instructor conferences were very helpful as well, as it mostly helped me to realize what I need to change in my argument itself.

• What aspects of Project 3 need to most work going forward [Audience, Purpose, Argumentation, or Genre]? How do you plan on addressing these areas? 
• For my specific draft, I think that I need to work on my purpose and argumentation the most. For my purpose, I really want to be sure to write about AI in a positive light, even enough so that the audience may start to see it in a good light as well. I think that this would help to get the younger generation interested in working with AI as well. As for the argumentation, after instructor conferencing I now realize that I need to add some more of my own commentary on each source that I present within my listicle. So, I will go through and add my own thoughts.

• How are you feeling overall about the direction of your project after peer review and/or instructor conferences this week?
• I'm actually feeling pretty good with my project so far! The instructor conference was all about helping me with the bulk of my project, but I do not need to change too much. Addie and Charles' feedback helped me with the details of my project, which is especially helpful because as writers, we sometimes neglect the details. With this feedback, I think that I can make my final project a strong one!

Draft of Public Argument

This post will be used as a quick description of what I want to revise in my draft and will provide a link as well.

Foy, Dan. "Pencil macro 'close up'" 01/01/04 via Flickr.Attribution 2.0 Generic

Peer reviewers,

Thank you for taking the time to read my draft! As you read through it, you will notice that I have left just a few comments on the big questions that stuck out to me. However, I would also like some feedback on how effective this article is on convincing my audience and how it expresses my purpose (getting the younger generation interested in AI). I would also like to make sure that my draft stays true to the listicle genre.

Thanks again!

You can find my draft here.

Considering Visual Elements

This post will be used to describe my thoughts behind what visual elements I should use in my listicle for project 3.

Capture Queen. "Color Your life" 09/01/06 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

Creating Visual Coherence:

Color Choices: 

1. What color choices best reflect the visual-rhetorical tone of my project?
• I feel that any color associated with technology- grays, blacks, and blues, would be best for my project. However, I would like these colors to be as bright as possible (light gray, baby blue) as to reflect the idea that this technology will bring a bright future.

Font Choices:

1. How might I vary the fonts used in my project for emphasis?
• I think that a project overall looks much better when there is the same font throughout. However, for this project I can switch the fonts but I would prefer to keep them in the same family at least, as to keep the article uniform and clean. 
2. Are the fonts appropriate to the visual-rhetorical tone of my project?
• In order to keep my font reflective of my topic, I don't want any sort of bubbled text. I would like to keep the font in a block style with a very clean look, like how technology is seen to be.

Shapes, Text Boxes, Headings and Lines:

1. If my project uses graphics- are these graphics appropriate to the visual-rhetorical tone of my project?
• In the case of my argument, I would like to use graphics that show people either being helped by technology or simply looking happy while using it. I would also like to possible show scientists working on AI to reflect the fact that there is a lot of thought behind what is produced in the field of AI.
2. If lines are used, do they create a clear visual flow for my project?
• When I use lines, like many listicles do, I will make sure to use them after each topic as to show the beginning of a new thought. 

Creating Visual Salience:

Image Framing or Anchoring:

1. Is the image in close proximity to the argument that it is illustrating or emphasizing? 
• I think that especially for this type of topic, it is best to keep the image close to whatever text it is relevant to. This is because most people don't get to see the research behind AI or don't even think about people using it- so they have a hard time visualizing it.

Creating Visual Organization:

1. Do too many visual images make your text busy or disorganized? If so, what images might you omit?
• In order to avoid this, I will leave images that are too similar to each other out of my project. For example, I won't have more than one image that shows someone smiling at their phones or more than one image that shows a scientist in full lab gear working on a project (unless it shows different tasks, of course).

Reflection:

To reflect, I read through Rachel and Sam's "Considering Visual Elements" posts. I learned that overall, no matter what genre, people usually like to keep their visuals uniform and professional. Too many colors or different font types can be distracting, and even if a fun topic is being discussed, the visuals shouldn't distract the reader from the text itself. What is written will persuade the audience more than the visuals. 

Project 3 Outline

In this post I will show you my outline for project 3, in which I will be writing a listicle about my opinion on AI development.

Wellness GM. "Typing on Keyboard- Computer Keyboard" 01/09/15 via Flickr.
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic 

Introduction:

Connect the Issue to Your Audience's World View- This is the best approach to use because my topic is actually pretty relatable in today's society. Everyone wants their phone or smart device to do more things and wants life in general to be easier and more convenient. 

• Start with a hook- discuss today's technology and how amazing it already is (mostly things that are in the public market, but mention technology that will be very soon).
• Move on to how this technology can be improved (and will be improved in the future).
• Talk about how people don't want AI technology developed and a quick reason why they are wrong
• Transition to main part of article

Body:

Major Supporting Arguments:

• Medical AI can help everyone or their loved ones at some point in their life
• AI is being used for good causes
• AI is already relatively everywhere within society 
• AI technology will eventually make the hardships of life much easier to handle
• AI has already helped many people the way it is currently

Major Criticisms:

• AI is a ploy by the government to violate our privacy
• We can't control AI well enough, will lead to AI overthrowing humans
• Waste of money
• Society will become lazy/won't appreciate Earth

Key Support and Rebuttal Points:

• AI developers already understand this concern and are not looking to invade privacy 
• Source
• AI will not be difficult to control once we figure out the working of its systems
• Source
• AI development is funded mostly by independent funding agencies. However, it is not a waste of money because AI has the potential to save lives.
• AI is going to be more focused on convenience- not necessarily like how we see in the dystopian sci-fi films. 

Topic Sentences:

• Today, everyone is concerned with who is in their business and why. This isn't any different from AI technology which is said to have the potential to invade everyone's private life and spread it to unwanted places. However, the developers understand this concern and are already looking for ways to keep the user of AI in control, not the technology itself. 
• So, who is to say that AI won't go rouge and destroy humankind? Well many scientists, including Alan Winfield, claim that the technology they develop, while complex, won't be difficult to control because the scientists will already know the ins-and-outs of what they produce.
• People usually don't consider things like first-aid kits or medicine a bad purchase, so why should AI be any different? AI is not only pretty cool with what it can do to make our life easier- but it can also save lives. 
• When we first think of robots, what comes to mind? I-Robot, Terminator, Wall-E, maybe the Roomba? Either way, the AI of the future won't necessarily be like how we see in the films. Instead, it will be simply focused on convenience and safety. 

Evidence:

Source- AI developers have good intentions, especially when it comes to the privacy of the consumer. 

We've been working with systems that can figure out exactly what information they would best need to provide the best service for a population of users, and at the same time then limit the [privacy] incursion on any particular user

Source- AI is not going to turn out how we see in common media and will be much easier to control than we think

• Part of the problem is that the term "artificial intelligence" itself is a misnomer. AI is neither artificial, nor all that intelligent. As any food chemist will tell you, beyond the trivial commonsense definition, the distinction between natural and artificial is arbitrary at best, but more often than not, ideologically motivated. AI isn't artificial, simply because we, natural creatures that we are, make it.

 Source- AI is already controlled by humans because we decide what technology does and doesn't know.

I think it is a mistake to be worrying about us developing malevolent AI anytime in the next few hundred years. I think the worry stems from a fundamental error in not distinguishing the difference between the very real recent advances in a particular aspect of AI, and the enormity and complexity of building sentient volitional intelligence.

Source- AI will be used for good: an example being that this technology is already being used to save lives.

• Within seconds, she had the name of another drug that had worked in comparable cases. “It gives you access to data, and data is king,” Mariwalla says of Modernizing Medicine. “It’s been very helpful, especially in clinically challenging situations.

 Map of my Argument:


Conclusion:
I think that leaving the audience with the Negative Consequences of not allowing AI to develop would be a good ending thought. A listicle's conclusion is very short, so I will simply leave them with the thought that the human race will never be able to develop further if we do not take advantage of this new technology.

Analyzing My Genre

For my project, I have decided to write a "listicle". In this post I will analyze the components of this genre and then I will present five examples that I have found in my research.

Forsyth, Ellen. "Fiction/genre sign - Burton Barr Central Library, Phoenix Public Library"
06/04/11 via Flickr. Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic 

Examples:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Social Context:

Where is this genre typically set?

• This genre is often found online on various websites.

What is the subject of the genre?

• The topics of this genre vary, but are usually about something that is popular in the media or something that has recently formed in the public eye.

Who uses the genre? 

• Often authors that want to inform their readers of something new or showcase their opinion on a matter use this type of writing.

When and why is the genre used? What purposes does it serve for the people who use it? 

• This genre is used when there is a new idea or a viral topic that has been presented recently. Often, it is used to simply describe an event or an idea and the context around it or it is used to showcase the author's opinion (and why the audience should agree). This helps the author because after their audience knows about their topic, there is now a knowledge "base" for the author to write more articles on this topic or anything related. 

Rhetorical Patterns of the Genre:

What type of content is usually included or excluded?

• Usually, authors include their main points of the argument and support on why it is correct. Also, they provide visual context and hyperlinks to other related readings. However, typically the authors do not include an analysis of the opposing side (most likely because they have a short amount of time).

What rhetorical appeals are used most often? Do you notice any patterns in regards to ethos, logos or pathos? 

• For this genre, the emotional appeal is used most often. More specifically, the images and headlines are definitely geared towards emotionally moving the audience, as well as the stories and diction used within the article itself. Humor is a main component to this appeal in regards to this genre.

How are the texts organized? 

• The texts are organized into lists, with each point being of one of the author's points of argument, followed by an image and the support for their argument. 

Do sentences in the genre share a certain style? 

• Not typically, but the sentences usually are not overly complicated and are concise in what they are explaining.  

What type of word choice is used?

• Informal word choice is used. When something needs to be explained, the term is defined within the same sentence. But, the diction within a listicle is humorous and contains strong imagery. 

Analyze What These Patterns Reveal About Social Context of the Genre:

Who does the genre include and who does it exclude?

• This genre is aimed toward a younger audience due to its informality and focus on humor and other emotional appeals. It does not focus much on the logical aspects of the topic, which older audiences tend to want to see more than the younger audience. 

What roles for writers and readers does the genre encourage?

• The writer in this genre is almost like a personal friend simply informing their audience about a topic and what they think about it. Typically, the author is also trying to persuade their audience about their opinion. The reader is simply a listener who is free to decide to agree or disagree as they please.

What values and beliefs are assumed about or encouraged from the users of the genre?

• The readers of this genre value conciseness in what they read, and would rather not focus on the details. Also, they appreciate humor and informality within discussions as it makes the topic more interesting and in turn more memorable. 

What content does the genre treat as most valuable? Least valuable? 

• The most valuable parts of this genre are the images and the points of their argument, as compared to the support, as most valuable. The least valuable would be the addressing the opposition.

Reflection: 

I read through Rose and Mark's posts and I have learned quite a bit about the different genres that my classmates are using for their projects. Before this assignment, I had never really thought about the genre when reading articles online. In fact, I didn't really know what the difference was between an editorial or an Op-Ed, or any other article online. After reading through their posts, I feel that it is very important to focus on what genre a text is written in and focus on what types of appeals are most important in this genre. What is the author trying to gain from you? What are you going to gain from the author? As I continue with this project, and future classes, I will now keep the common style of every genre in mind. 

Considering Types

In this post I will be using Writing Public Lives to determine what type of argument would be best for my genre and topic.

Arroyo, Adam. "Arguing Penguins" 07/08/2006 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

I feel that for my argument, I feel that the Position Argument style or the Evaluative Argument style would be best.

For the Position style, I have already thought about my own opinions on the subject and have realized that it is in that "gray area" that I have discussed in my last posts. Therefore, I wouldn't be "repeating what one side" said, but instead would showcase both sides of this argument to come to one conclusion.

As for the Evaluative Argument style, which I am leaning towards, it would work because I want to show the effectiveness of the policies surrounding AI development. I could include many aspects of AI, including in the medical and entertainment fields, to evaluate how AI would improve the world instead of harming it. 

As for what won't work, I feel that the Causal Argument and the Proposal Argument is not the best fit for my project. With this topic, there isn't much that someone of the general public can do to support the development of AI except talking about it and spreading the word. For the Causal Argument, I can' t think of enough causes of AI development that would convince my audience enough to make a difference.

Reflection:
I read through Rose and Jenny's posts. I think the main thing that I learned was that there is no reason not to include elements from all of the arguments into one, it is just about how you use them that defines the type of argument you are using for your purpose. For example, Rose wants to use the proposal argument but will include refutation and evaluative properties to help her convince her audience of her argument.

My Rhetorical Action Plan

For this post I will be developing my rhetorical action plan for my public argument. This will include my thoughts on my audience, genre and responses/actions of my article.

Indiawaterportal.org. "structure of action plan" 01/07/13 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Audience:

• Knowledge: My audience will not know the specifics of AI technology, but will instead only know what they have experienced themselves. Luckily, most people these days have a smartphone, and maybe even a smart TV (or any other "smart" technology). Therefore, they will know how it has improved their own lives. However, there is a wide belief that if AI were to get any more intelligent that it would invade an individual's privacy, which is something that I need to address.
• Values: Opposing my argument, I know that most people value their privacy and would like businesses to stay out of their personal lives. In support of my argument, many people enjoy convenience in many aspects of their lives, and now with the introduction of new technologies, there are many things that can make many things easier to do. Some people simply value the idea of technology and would support almost anything new that appears in the market. 
• Standards of Argument: I think that research that my audience can relate to their real-life experience would be best. For example, talking about some new technologies in development may get my audience more excited about the future, which is one purpose of my essay. I may have to translate some terminology but overall I feel that this will be easy to understand. 
• Visual Elements: I feel that including videos or photos of new AI technology being used in the lab, or even of new technology that is out in the market, would be best to include. This is because I can invoke an emotional response of from the new technologies that my audience will be able to use in the future and showcasing people whose lives have been improved from technology (most likely in regards to medicine).
• Purpose: I think my purpose is to mainly to expand my audience's knowledge on the concept of AI. If there is some legislation about AI in the future, then maybe this article will help to convince them that they should vote in favor of AI. However, until then, I would like my audience to not fear this future.

Genre:

1. Listicle

• Example 1, Example 2
• Function: This genre allows a lot of information to be showcased in a short amount of space, all while being pleasing to the eye. Also, because it is easy to read, a short article like this will be able to keep the reader's attention for longer and in turn, they will be able to remember the information that my article shared.
• Setting: This article is found online on quite a few websites. I could see it on a big website such as Buzzfeed.
• Rhetorical Appeals: I feel that all of the rhetorical strategies could be used for this topic. However, I feel that with this genre an emotional appeal would be best because the author must get the audience's attention in a short amount of time. Looking through statistics exclusively may not be as pleasing to read as stories.
• Visual Elements: For this genre there are many visual elements used. I will most likely use ebedded videos and pictures that pertain to this topic.
• Style: This genre is typically more informal. Therefore, I will attempt to create a more personal and informal tone, but not too informal as to harm my credibility. 

2. Editorial

• Example 1, Example 2
• Function: This genre is used to showcase the author's opinion in a short amount of time, but has the ability to be more in depth and scholarly.
• Setting: This genre is found online, in newspapers and in scholarly journals. I could see an editorial such as this in the New York Times, whether it be in their physical newspaper or on their website.
• Rhetorical Appeals: With this genre I think that taking the more logical route would be better for the audience. In my audience, the older half will be reading editorials and therefore, they will want to know the logic and research behind AI. This is not to say that I will not try to include an emotional appeal, thought. 
• Visual Elements: Usually, editorials don't include very many pictures, so possibly one or two pictures or even a video would suffice for this genre.
• Style: I feel that editorials are more on the formal side. Therefore, I will stay true to the genre and keep a formal tone, which will also help with the appeal of my credibility. 

Responses/Actions:

• Positive Reactions:
• People become excited about what's in store for the future of technology
• People become less afraid of AI taking over society
• Younger audiences think about their career with AI, or science in general, in mind
• Negative Rebuttals:
• People still don't agree with my argument/don't trust my credibility
• I could include more reading on this subject in my article. Maybe if they don't trust my word, the audience would trust someone else's on the subject.
• Audience allows AI to completely control their life
• I should mention the fact that there are still risks, and that we still have the ability ,as humans, to do things for ourselves. We shouldn't become lazy because of AI.
• People are still afraid of the risks of AI
• I will mention in my article that there should be precautions taken before AI gets too intelligence and that scientists wouldn't be so blind as to create a dangerous technology and mass produce it.

Reflection:

I read through Rachel and Jenny's posts to reflect. I have learned that there are a variety of genres to write in, some that I didn't even know about! Both seemed to understand the purpose of this project very well and know how to write on their topic. I also learned that all of the appeals can be used in any topic, but what matters is the emphasis you place on one or two depending on the genre and topic.

Analyzing Purpose

In this post I will brainstorm about what the purpose of my essay is and what I want to personally add to the public debate about AI. I will present both answered questions from Writing Public Lives and a mindmap of the thought process behind my purpose.

Mangold, Andy. "Brainstorm" 03/23/2010 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

What is the goal of your argument? What do you want your audience to think, feel, do, believe after reading it?

• The goal of my argument is to convince my audience to be optimistic about the future of AI technology. However, I also want to include the idea that we should be cautious as we proceed with this technology and don't rush to make technology as fast as possible, as when it finally does become a reality without the possibility of overtaking the human race, it will be a huge asset to society. I want my audience to feel proud that they are living in the modern age and look forward to the future of technology. If there are any younger readers in my audience ,I would like them to think about their career and consider if they are interested in a job in AI development. 

Plausible actions/reactions: 

• Audience agrees with this perspective
• Audience does not agree with this perspective
• Audience will use my post as a stepping stone to other arguments on this issue 
• They will think about how they can help AI development either within their career or in general
• They will further analyze their own AI technology (smartphones, TVs) right now

Not plausible:

• Audience agrees with everything that I mention 
• Audience develops their own AI based on my article
• Audience goes to those who don't support AI and try to convince them 

Consequences:

• Audience uses this post as a stepping stone to their own research 
• They look at more articles on the issue 
• They share the articles
• Spread awareness about the issue
• Younger readers think about their career 
• Possibly go into STEM major
• Help the cause of AI development directly 
• Readers of all ages think about their own devices
• Look into AI development
• Give ideas to companies
• More ideas for AI technology 

Possible Audience: 

• I would like my audience to mostly be people that are young to in their early 30s. This is due to the fact these are the people who will be around long enough to see some of the true AI technology go into effect. These are also the people who have the ability to change their careers (or begin their careers) into something that deals with AI development, so long as they are passionate enough about the subject.  While my article most likely won't be the main things that convinces them, I will assume that it will be one of the small things that had somewhat of an impact on their decisions.

Analyzing Context

In this post I will be looking at the "big picture" of my controversy. I will be doing this by answering questions about the context surrounding the debate.

Petit, Todd. "Magnifying Glass" 07/16/2006 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

What are the key perspectives or schools of thought?

• The main perspectives of this arguments are that: (one) this fear of AI is ridiculous because we have the ability to control it, as we have plenty of time before any sort of intelligent technology is formed. (Two) AI shouldn't be feared because it never may become a reality like we see in the movies, and (three) we should stop the development of AI as we are going about it now because we don't have the ability to properly contain it. 

What are the major points of contention or major disagreements?

• Some say that AI is too difficult to control no matter what precautions we take. Once intelligent enough, those who believe this also believe that the AI we created will have bad intentions and  will want to control us when given the chance. On the other hand, some people say that these things are very unlikely because the AI of the future will not be like how we assume it to be-or that the AI in the movies never going to become a reality. 

What are the possible points of agreement, or common ground?

• Overall, most agree that AI programming was a good idea at first with good intentions as it could really help humans to improve. Also, both sides, whether they agree with AI or not, tend to note that AI is very complex and may be difficult to control. However, with this second point some think it is impossible to control and others think that with a lot of work we can control AI.

What are the ideological differences?

• For those that oppose AI, they don't want to take the risk of having rouge intelligent technology that has the potential to end society, even though it may turn out with a good outcome. For those that support the continuation of the development of AI, they are willing to take risks because it is worth trying to help those currently rather than thinking about the future. 

What specific actions do their perspectives ask their audience to take?

• For the most part, each side simply asks their audience to either remember the risks but keep supporting AI or they ask that they take the risks seriously and ask that the audience either not support AI or that some of the profit made from AI technology should be put into funding for AI ethics.

What perspectives are useful in supporting your own arguments? Why did you choose these?

• I am choosing to support the AI industry for this project, or more specifically, a hybrid of the perspectives, but still in favor of AI. I feel that using the perspectives that understand the risks of intelligent robotics but are still willing to go ahead and try their best to control AI would be the best for my project. Luckily, most speakers that approve of AI are also aligned with this perspective. 

What perspectives do you think will be the greatest threat to your argument? Why?

• I think the greatest threat for my argument will be the specific one from Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates. They are both in the top of their field and most audiences would agree with them simply because they assume that the experts know what they are talking about. Also, they already have some established supporters, so that might be difficult to work with as well.

Reflection: 
To reflect, I read through Annelise and Lauren's posts on this topic. I have learned that in every controversy, the perspectives aren't black and white. Even though there are radical speakers on each side, there are those who are in a gray area and tend to agree with bits and pieces of each opinion, in turn forming their own unique belief. I still feel that my controversy is a good one to take part in as long as I recognize the gray area, which I guess I will be arguing on behalf of, and understand the context surrounding that as well.

Audience and Genre

For this post I will be identifying the audience for my project. I will also provide locations of where I might post this project for my specific audience.

Sayer, Brett. "Audience" 04/16/2014 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic 

1.) STEM students

• This audience would be interested because I am going to be discussing a big possibility of what will come within the next few decades, or the time that they will be going into their careers. Also, since they are STEM students, they are most likely going to be interested in most topics in science and can appreciate the thoughts behind every side of the controversy. 
• They might look for this article in...
• A Scholarly Article/Journal
• Example 1
• Example 2
• A Podcast
• Example 1
• Example 2

2.) General public interested/afraid of the future of technology 

• This audience would be interested because I will be discussing the future of technology and describing what good and possibly what bad can come from AI. Therefore, they can use my article to either change or confirm their interest/fear. Since they are in the general public, most of the time they don't get the information that students at a college or scientists in the field get, so they can use this article to get that information that they need. 
• They might look for this article in...
• A News Source
• Example 1
• Example 2
• A Magazine/Web Magazine
• Example 1
• Example 2

Extended Annotated Bibliography

In this post I will provide a link to my Annotated Bibliography for Project 3.

photosteve101. "Isolated Pencil on quad-ruled paper / cross section paper" 02/05/11 via Flickr.
Attribution 2.0 Generic

You can find my Annotated Bibliography in APA style here.

Narrowing My Focus

I will be presenting the three main questions that I have about the Artificial Intelligence controversy in this post. These questions are revised from my last post.

Hunter, Mark. "Focus" 04/22/10 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

• Are there types of AI that are trying to be stopped or is it all types of AI?

• I feel like this is a very important question to ask. In order to truly narrow my focus, I need to know whether or not it is the whole of AI being fought against. This is because if I were to write an argumentative piece about defending all of AI and it turns out that it was only AI on smartphones, my argument would be very weak and unneeded. Also, I need to know what types of AI to do more research on. 

• What types of cultures/people don't agree with where AI is headed?

• I need to know this so that I can view the counterargument. Understanding the counterargument is essential in keeping a balanced text that does not come off as too radical. Also, this somewhat related to my last question because when I research who does not like AI, it will most likely mention what they don't like about it. 

• Who are the main groups/individuals in this controversy?

• I have a feeling that it will be more companies and groups in this controversy rather than single people. However, I would like to know who they are so that I can further analyze both sides and the context around each argument. Also, knowing this will tell me what steps have been taken on both sides to be sure that their argument is heard or even enacted .

Questions About Controversy

For this post I will be presenting questions that I have about the context surrounding a controversy and discussions about it. I have decided that I will write about the Artificial Intelligence controversy for this project .

Drachmann, Alexander Henning. "Question mark in Esbjerg" 04/13/06 via Flickr.
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic 

WHO is involved in the controversy:

• Who first drafted AI technology?
• What are the big names in AI?
• Who are the main groups trying to stop AI from becoming a problem?

WHAT is up for debate in this controversy:

• Are there specific things about AI that some people don't like or is it AI overall?
• Are there types of AI that are trying to be stopped or is it all AI?
• How far does science plan to go with AI technology?

WHEN this controversy has unfolded (and the larger contextual details of that time period that may be relevant):

• When did this controversy start?
• When was AI first produced publicly?
• What type of AI made people angry enough to start a controversy?

WHERE this controversy has unfolded:

• What types of cultures don't like AI?
• What types of cultures do like AI?
• In what forms of media are people voicing their opinions?

HOW this controversy has unfolded in the media (including general popular media, scholarly media and social media):

• Have there been any substantial arguments in the media?
• Is the news covering this controversy?
• Are these arguments typically done in academic pieces or are they in social media too? 

Reflection on Project 2

I will be reflecting on what I have done, including my writing process and my thoughts, and what I have learned from project 2 within this post. To do this, I will be answering questions from Writing Public Lives.

AsiiMDesGraphiC. "Mirror Ball Reflection" 06/22/11 via DeviantArt.
 Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

• For me, what I wanted to revise most was the amount and depth of the analysis of each rhetorical analysis. Also, after reading some peer reviews on my draft, I decided that the conclusion would be something to revise as well.

2. Point to global changes: how did you reconsider your thesis or organization?

• I never really considered my thesis more than once. However, I did want to change the wording and specifics of my thesis within my introduction. For the final draft, I wanted to make sure that what I was discussing would be stated very clearly. As for organization, I assumed that introducing the context behind the author (and why would should consider context in the first place) should be first over anything else. Next, either one of my strategies would have worked for the second paragraph, but I decided that it would make the most sense to have statistics and then how the author presents those statistics in the next paragraph. 

3. What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?

• A consideration of the conventions of this type of essay led me to change my organization. However, when I realized what audience I was truly writing to, I wanted to make my thesis very clear for them.

4. How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

• To be honest, I don't think these changes would affect my credibility at all. If anything, I wanted to assist my audience in understanding my paper so that they could analyze it for themselves. 

5. How will these changes better address the audience or venue?

• For one, my audience will now understand what the paper is truly about instead of having to assume what points I was trying to make based on what was said.

6. Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentence structure and style?

•  After reading through the punctuation readings, I really reconsidered how I was writing. I typically write in the same style, which can get monotonous after a while. So I decided that I would change a few sentences around and overall change my style .

7. How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?

• I feel that since my essay is more interesting to read, it will keep my audience's attention and will also allow them to remember more. Also, I changed a few sentences so that they would be more clear.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

• Yes! I had to realize that this type of analysis is a little different than both literary analysis and a QRG. It was easy to realize that it is not like a QRG, but I continued to look at my article from a literary analysis background and couldn't quite get out of that style. However, after reconsidering the conventions, I understood better what I had to write.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?

• I think that taking the time to reflect on my writing helps me to understand what I should try to do better next time. Through my reflection, I will be able to see what I was wrong in doing and what I was right in doing, and then base my next assignment off of what worked. 

Reflection:

I read through both Annelise and Katherine's  reflections on their respective projects. Annelise and I found this genre somewhat difficult to write in due to the fact that we can actually use personal pronouns! We also both use these reflections to think about what we can do better for our next project. With Katherine's reflection, I agreed that the purpose and audience for this project took some getting used to writing in. Usually, my audience is simply the teacher or my peers. However, I feel that writing for this audience will actually be useful for my future academic writings. 

Project 2 Final

Hunter, Kelly. "32/365- Sparkly Part Hats" 08/25/11 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

Finally! In this blog post is the link to the final version of my rhetorical analysis for project 2.

You can find my final draft here.

Punctuation, Part 2

For this post I will be describing three new types of punctuation that I have read about in Rules for Writers. I will also be discussing what I found new or surprising, along with what I learned by revising my draft based on these three points.

Diesel, Chank. "Playdough Typeface - Punctuation question mark" 09/20/12 via Flickr.
Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic

The Semicolon:

• I usually mix up the uses of the colon and semicolon due to the fact that they are somewhat similar. But, in there respective areas, they can be very effective in creating a good paper. I would say that this whole section was new to me! A semicolon can be used in place of a comma when it joins closely related independent clauses.  Also, because this is something that I use often, I learned that a semicolon is used before a transitional expression, such as "for example".
• A revised example sentence from my draft:
•  "In turn, he is showing what good he has done for the world through his technology, making him seem more credible; and overall, more trustworthy."

The Apostrophe: 

• Although I feel that I know how to use the apostrophe pretty well, I often see errors in my peers' writing. So, I felt that I should look over the rules to make sure that I was not making any mistakes without knowing. I learned that an apostrophe should be used to show possession of an indefinite pronoun, such as "someone". I also learned that the plurals of letters or abbreviations should not have an apostrophe, which I have always found confusing.
• An example sentence from my draft:
• " Also, the audience would be more likely to trust someone’s opinion on AI who was first-hand experience with it rather than someone who has never worked with AI and is simply going off of their own thoughts."

Parentheses: 

• Iv'e always found the use of parenthesis as a cool addition to an author's writing, but, I have never known how to use them properly myself. I learned that parentheses are typically used to enclose supplemental material, minor digressions and afterthoughts. However, I also learned that it should be used to enclose labels to a list, such as numbers and letters. This could be useful because the topics that I will be writing on may require some lists. 

Paragraph Analysis 2

For this post, I will be analyzing one of my paragraphs that can be found within my draft for project 2. Similar to like we did for project 1, I will be breaking down the many components of a paragraph and deciding if what can be found within my own paragraph is effective or not.

 mathec. "Magnifying Glass" 11/20/12 via Public Domain Files. Public Domain Mark 1.0

You can find the copy of my paragraph, along with my comments on it, here.

During my analysis, I learned that there is much more development needed within my paragraphs, which is a key component for this kind of writing. I could also focus more in keeping my main ideas clear instead of being so vague. However, I feel that I effectively organized my paragraphs and included clear, smooth transitions. The linking of ideas was good at some points and worse in others, but I feel that once I add more to each paragraph, I will be able to link them well.