Chapter Five

Hello Everyone!

Although writing a blog is not requested for this week, I found a graphic on Facebook I thought was worthy enough to share… (I do apologize for the language though!)

This is quite relevant to what we’re learning in this course about fact checking and misleading our audience as journalists. I giggled when I saw it and knew I had to share for with the rest in Com 510 to enjoy. :)

I hope this October has been kind to you all this week!

Cheers!

RJ

Weekly Recap:

My iMac has arrived!!!!!! This purchase was long over due... I bought myself a (rare) Black Macbook in the fall of 2007 and it has been a wonderful computer, however, it has been dying a sad, slow death. The multiple design programs and games I installed really slowed my Macbook down so I have finally purchased an iMac and I couldn’t have been happier! Unfortunately when it arrived I was sick with a stomach bug so I didn’t get to “play” with it until today, but I am very, very happy with what I have purchased. I highly recommend it and I’m still learning about it. :)

Chapter Four

Hi Everyone!

I know we don't have a blog entry requirement for this week, but I thought I would still drop in to say hello. I am thoroughly enjoying this class because it is opening my eyes to a part of social media I have didn't put much thought to...

Going to a private liberal arts college, I took multiple English courses that helped me learn more about source credibility, but mainly in regards to writing papers. I keep that information in mind when I read any piece of information online, but it never occurred to me to think about this when it came to social media. (As I confessed in a previous post in regards to Pinterest.) 

The final project is definitely a great way to get involved and work with other students so we can collaborate ideas and different view points. I'm enjoying the opportunity to be creative as well. I am glad I chose to take this class in my first term because this information is already helpful.

I do recognize that I have been cutting it close with time in posting my discussion board notes for this course. I am not happy with myself for taking so long, but I'm glad that I realize what I need to work on. It may have taken a few weeks to adjust being back in school - even though it is just online - but I am determined to work harder to get everything done earlier in the week. I am also not one for excuses so I will not try to argue my way out of my procrastination. The first two weeks I was thrown off from my surgery, but I have no excuse beyond that so I'm just going to take charge of what I am doing wrong and make it better. Thankfully I have a patient professor! :)

Cheers!

RJ


Weekly Recap:
This week has been quite busy! I finally moved out of my apartment four hours away from where I am living now. It took a couple days to sort, clean, pack, then put everything in the truck, drive about 5 hours on the way back (traffic was not fun) and then falling asleep almost immediately when I sat down on my bed. Unloading the truck is not going to be an exciting time, but it will finally be nice to not worry about having my stuff at my old apartment anymore. :)

Chapter Three

Hello Everyone!

When deciding which article to choose, naturally I picked one found in the "Weird News" section on the Huffington Post. I thought it would be fun to find sources for an unusual post rather than sources for a political and religious articles. This was one of the first articles I saw when looking and found it to be is quite interesting..

9 Reasons You Might Have Been Suspected of Witchcraft in 1692

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marilynne-k-roach/9-reasons-you-might-have-_b_4029745.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Using the guidelines in Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources, I did research on the sources listed in the Huffinton Post article.

This article was written by Marilyn K. Roach, Historian, Illustrator, and author of Six Women of Salem: the Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials. Her book was written "to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials." Reading the description of the book, it shares facts about how many were accused and executed, what it was like to be present throughout the Salem trials. As for her credibility, I looked at multiple event sites regarding the trials and found that the she has multiple books on this topic and has spoken at Salem trial events. In Marilyn's entry in the Huffington Post, she mentioned a few of her sources for this article and the book itself. 


The sources mentioned and their credibility:

• Richard Bernard's "Guide to Grand Jury Men...in Cases of Witchcraft" Published N/A (Between 1568 and 1642)
• http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/2/101002249/
• John Gaule's "Select Cases of Conscience Touching Witches and Witchcrafts" Published in 1646 
• http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A85867.0001.001 http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/10/101010458/
• William Perkins's "Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft" Published in 1618
• http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=witch;cc=witch;rgn=main;view=text;idno=wit075 http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/21/101021973/
• John Demos's "Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England" Published in 2004
• http://ehr.oxfordjournals.org/content/120/489/1440.extract

I was pleased to find most of these articles were accessible in online libraries and learned that three out of the four were published during the time of the trails. I like that the majority of the articles used were from that time period instead of using information from other modern day historians. Being Puritan clergymen, the three sources would have been considered to be credible for that time period, but that does not necessarily make them credible sources.

With the unrestricted web publishing through mass media, anyone could write about anything and post it online for the whole world to see. For example, I could write an online essay about the Salem witch trials with information I gathered from history scholars and my fellow "history buffs". Because I, nor my sources were involved directly with the trials, my post would not be credible. This goes along with the discussion board for this week. Like the type of source mentioned in Kovach and Reosenstiel's Blur: how to know what's true in the age of information overload, the "Participant" source is where the source did not take part in the situation directly, but researched to get more information from another indirect source. It doesn't matter what topic you research online, it is easy for the internet to mislead people in regards to credibility, that's why we must be careful when doing our research.

If you happened to read the article I picked, I'm sure you are a little curious if I would have been burned at the stake or not. Out of 9 of the accusations, I just have three so it looks like I would have (mostly) been in the clear. Well, except for the fact that I have three major factors: I'm female, I come from an English Puritan background, and I am very stubborn and could be contentious (if necessary) when it comes to human rights. I may not have been in the clear after all. It's quite interesting to think about -- would you have been accused? I'm curious!

I hope you all had a wonderful week and am having a great start to the upcoming week.

Cheers!

RJ

Weekly Recap:
It was been quite the week! I had my post-op check up on Monday and was sent back to the hospital for some unexpected blood work and testing. We found that I have an infection, since I was not put on antibiotics after surgery, but I'm a fighter. :) I had an interview at a local University to be a coordinator of their service scholars - I should find out about that this week. I am very hopefully about that since that is where I am aiming to take my career. My college Homecoming was yesterday and it was so wonderful to see so many friends I haven't seen since last year. Overall, it was a pretty good week. It was nice to get out of the house for after two weeks of bed rest. How was your week?

Chapter Two

Hello Fellow Bloggers/Classmates!


How do I know what I know about social media? 
Now every social media sites are reliable. I have seen plenty of fake Twitter & Facebook accounts for celebrities and businesses. The people behind those accounts post silly things, which can actually hurt that individual or company, but to make sure you are reading from a credible source, I make sure there is a little blue dot with a check mark beside it to prove that the account is verified.

To break it down simply...

• Self taught

• Word of mouth

• TV

• Ads on YouTube

• Other social media sites

• The internet in general

Social media is everywhere - it is easy learn how things work thanks to the internet. I like to think I know a lot about Social Media, but how I know what I know is mostly from my own exploration. I have taken many PR classes during my Undergrad and utilized Facebook for group meetings, but that was the extent. Even though I graduated three years ago, social media didn't make as big of an influence on communication as it does now. I'm not saying it wasn't popular then, but it is relied on a lot more than a couple short years ago. 

Name one new thing you learned using a social media site today and explain why you believe it is true. 
I have a habit to kill time on Pinterest and StumbleUpon. While I was on there pinning everything I liked, I stumbled upon an interesting "DIY" a friend of mine posted... Did you know that gnats are attracted to the color yellow?! This is what I found on social Pinterest today. Apparently if you get a bowl with vinegar, dish detergent, sugar, water, and a couple drops of yellow dye, gnats will be attracted to it and get stuck. I didn't think gnats could see in color?? I am guilty to not research most Pinterest pins I post, I for some silly reason automatically believe it's true because my friends (who I trust) shared it and they have been pinned so many times. This week has made me realize that I am a bit too trusting when it comes to Pinterest. Everything else I make sure I get the facts before I share, but for some unknown reason, Pinterest is the exception. Hmm..

What source did you use to acquire this information?
I did a search on Google. To check if Pinterest post was true, I googled it and looked at a couple different articles. I came to the conclusion that there is no scientific proof. I looked at TLC, Lifestyle, and even a wiki page where people who believed that to be true shared their own ways to get rid of gnats. There was no solid proof that yellow is a color the gnats are drawn too. I'm quite disappointed - that would have been a cool tip to know.

At times, are social media sites reliable for obtaining credible information? 

Absolutely. I have seen many credible posts on Twitter and Facebook from news reports to concert dates to information on local events. One example of this would be the Boston Bombings. It was a tragic event, the bombings happened literally around the corner from where she worked so I was naturally nervous. If it weren't for CNN's Twitter updates I would have been in the dark and probably not even know about it until I got home. It was convenient to get information I needed right from an app on my phone. 

I hope you all had a splendid week!

Cheers!
RJ

Weekly Recap:

I'm not doing too well with keeping track of my days. How is it already Sunday?? I will definitely be more careful with my posts because that went by too fast. Good thing is, I am starting to feel MUCH better! It's been two weeks since my surgery and I am finally able to move without relying on someone else - it's amazing how much you use your abdomen muscles! I've also been sleeping... a lot. I'm no longer taking medicine for pain, which is definitely a good thing, but I still sleep an unusual amount of hours and it's hard to concentrate on one thing for more than 15 minutes. Thankfully I spent all week working on school little by little and piece it all together by Sunday - I just cut it too close today! I'm hoping that since I am starting to get more energy to stay awake for more than five hours I will be submitting homework much earlier than the day it is due.

This coming weekend is Homecoming where I went to Undergrad. I am very excited to be reunited with my good friends and to celebrate the 50th anniversary for the chapter at the school for my sorority. (I'm a ZTA, if you're curious.) I am very lucky to have had such a great experience during my time there so I am very happy to go back even for just a day.

Chapter One

Hello Everyone!

As I mentioned in my first entry "Prologue" I am making each blog post be as though they are chapters in a book. I hope you enjoy chapter one!


This first week assignment requests personal thoughts on the following questions:

What forms of new media do you use daily? 
As an active participant in the new media "world", you will find me on Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and of course E-mail every day - no doubt about that. Nes websites like CNN, and fun pages like Buzzfeed and Stumble Upon are just a few new media sites I play with on my iPhone, iPad, and Macbook almost daily. They are quite entertaining.
In past jobs, my daily work included creating and updating websites, wiki pages, and designing digital/email marketing.
Home or work, there is not a day that goes by where I do not use new media.


How has new social media influenced your perspective of events? 
In my perspective, both as an event attendee and event planner, social media has a major influence in events. The way this world works now is strongly influenced by all forms of social media. Silly Twitter updates, fun Instagrams, or exciting flyers shared on Facebook are great ways to utilize social media; this type of marketing has a major influence on society today. Personally, I am more attracted to an event if I can get the basic information in short postings with bullet points, not in long paragraphs. Also, if there is a link to webpage, the facebook, and/or twitter that are eye catching and give proper updates, I am more likely to attend if I feel that the event will be more fun rather than too structured and boring. Social media gives the opportunity to show the targeted audience more about the event itself through different media tools rather than just a flyer, a poster, or an ad. Making potential attendees go out of their way to get information is least appealing for someone in this society; it is more comfortable and convenient to get the information they want while at home.


Are these positive or negative influences?
Majority of the influences are positive, however, having a marketing and design background, some social media marketing tools can be very displeasing to the eye. 

I have noticed that news channel postings on Twitter and their websites make any news update seem like "Breaking News". This negatively reflects on that companies media and marketing due to making every story seem urgent and important. It is quite unfortunate, because when important situations are brought to the audiences attention, sometimes they are overlooked because it gets lost with the rest of the "urgent" news. At least, that is what I have noticed recently.

Social media, for the most part, positively influences events by reaching out to its audience in the most appealing and convenient way. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, social media gives more opportunities to reach out to the target audience in the comfort of their own home rather than looking at a flyer or a poster. The fact that social media can provide instant information, this confirms that social media positively influences events in society.

Hopefully my thoughts make sense - if you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to share!

Best,

RJ

Weekly Recap:

This week has been rather low key, but I had quite an adventurous start to this past weekend. Late in the evening on Friday (9/20) I was admitted to the hospital with appendicitis and had an emergency appendectomy a couple hours later. By the time the surgery came around it was barely Saturday, but it went smoothly and I was able to go home later that afternoon. The whole thing took me (and my family) by surprise since I was the very first person in our family to have appendicitis.

My first week of Graduate School isn't quite how I imagined. Since I got back from the hospital I have slept on average 20-22 hours each day - no thanks to the pain medications. Getting a masters degree has been something I've wanted for a few years now so I am determined to not let the required 2 week bed rest and the pain medications (that make me quite loopy) get in the way of my success. Hopefully the rest of you had a much more successful week!!

Prologue

Hello Everyone!

You are probably wondering why my first entry is titled "Prologue"... I have decided to write each blog post as though they are entries in a book. Being a book worm and a freelance writer, I thought it would be fun to add my personality to this blogging assignment. :) Along with the assigned posts I will include just a little bit about my week in a "Weekly Recap", that way I can share a little bit about my life outside of school to make things a little more personal. (I hope that's okay Dr. Feliciano.)

My only problem with writing in a blog is the fact that I tend to ramble - hence my blog name. I am also not afraid to share my view point while keeping an open mind, but I have accepted that to be a great quality to have. As for this class, I am very excited to learn with my professor & fellow classmates and to also learn from their thoughts through blogging, discussion board conversations, and course work.

In case you did not get to read my "Ice Breaker" post, I have included it below so you can learn a little more about myself and what I hope to get out of the class. If you have read it already feel free to skip over the italicized writing...

My name is Rachel, but prefer to be called RJ. :) My education background includes a Bachelors in Music Arts Administration with Marketing and a Certification in Wedding & Event Design. These past few years I have dabbled in a variety of fields trying to decide what I want to do professionally and after working for Non-Profits, Walt Disney World, and in event marketing, I have finally figured out where I want to take my career. A month ago I was laid off so I decided to take advantage of this time to work on a Masters degree and truly believe that SNHU will help me achieve my career goals.

The dream is to work in Higher Education to assist students in being a change agent in the community and support/encourage their involvement in community service and leadership projects on and off campus. I am confident that SNHU and this course will teach me the skills needed to best succeed in that role. 

Taking this course will be beneficial since I have a background in design, non-profit management, and hospitality. Most of my experience in with the creative side of businesses rather than analytical so I hope to learn the important basics and how to best utilize this communication tool. During my undergrad, I took a few Public Relations courses that lightly touched on new media, but they did not go into the nitty gritty details. I hope to be able to learn how to successfully reach out to my "audience" through best practices and knowing the foundation of New Media. I am very excited to get started! :)

Since I am already rambling quite a bit and this is just my first entry, I will be sure to make the following posts less overwhelming. I wanted to share a little bit about myself so you have a better understanding of who I am before I moved on to the first assignment. I do hope everyone has had a wonderful first week and I look forward to what is ahead of us!

Cheers!

RJ