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.