*Commonly Confused*

Today we talked very briefly about some of the common mistakes we make when we write. English is full of all kinds of traps and pitfalls for the writer to fall into.

This test lets you test your ability to recognize and avoid some of the more common mistakes. It is an LJ meme so it only takes a few minutes.

Of course, it's not required, but it is kind of fun. If you're feeling brave you can report back with your results. If you're not feeling quite as brave, feel free to share your reaction to your score.

Also, I posted a PDF of the writing process document that we talked about in class.

*Diagnostic Test*

One of the things we will be spending time with early on is the Diagnostic Test. This test can help you assess your proficiency with grammar. It will also help me determine where the common issues are and help me customize what we focus on during class discussion.

The format of the test is multiple choice. You should choose the incorrect example out of the four provided for each question. Of course, while this is not a graded exercise, it should still be a pretty useful.

Make sure you have taken the test by 10:00pm on Monday, October 10th. Print out a copy of the test and your answers before you submit it. We will go over the answers in class on Wednesday, October 12th.

*Information Addicts?*

It seems that, as a class, we get a lot of use out of the Internet. We use it for gathering information, emails, instant messages, gaming, shopping and more. But have you ever felt like the amount of information that you have at your fingertips is overwhelming? Some people are beginning to recognize liabilities in the information economy.

One emerging position is that having a dizzying array of media at our disposal can make us less efficient instead of more productive. However, the expert’s prescription in this case is simply to disconnect from the network for a while.

Have any of you felt overwhelmed by the amount of information that is thrown at you each day? If so, what strategies, if any, have you used to deal with it?

My Internet

The vast resources, endless uses, and accessibility of the internet has made it an inevitable part of my life. As a student, the majority of the information I use originates from the internet. As a gamer, I am able to interact, team up with, and meet people from all over the world on MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). As a friend, I am able to keep in touch with everyone whether they are just a few blocks down the street, or on the other side of the pacific in Taiwan (my old home).
With the internet, I am able to keep up to date with my interest in the latest technology and electronics no matter what language it is in. There is no waiting for the news, everything is instant, with the mere touch of a mouse click. With the internet I am able to download videos and music that would otherwise be unavailable and enjoy them with friends in the comfort of my home. Although I have definetly become dependent on the internet, I feel that it has become an important assistant to me, making my world a more convenient place.

*Reminder*

For next class:

• Hand in a draft of the Article Analysis with the cover memo
• Read Chapter 3

How I use the Internet

My first exposure to the internet came when I was about 10 years old. My dad had bought a brand new computer with a super fast 14.4kbs modem! I primarily used it to download PC game demos.

Since then I use the web everyday for school, be it checking classroom web pages, sending emails, or logging on to check my tuition statement. I also put the internet to use for driving directions, news, shopping, gaming and staying in touch with family via AIM or email. My dad travels extensively for work, but I have chatted with him over AIM from every continent besides Antarctica.

The internet has changed the way I live, and in most ways its been for the better. I have not been victim of any internet crimes, such as identity theft, scam emails, or virus's that cause permanent loss of files.

*Writing Memos*

For those of you who are looking for additional information about writing memos, check out your textbook. Chapter 15 offers a really good summary of the key points you should consider.

Also, I will format the title of my posts with *asterisks* so that they are easily discernible from the rest of the posts on the blog.

Things that the internet can be good for, maybe.

The "internet" and "computers" in general, from my perspective, can be thought of as "Google Terminals." In the future, all things web/tech related will be owned and operated by Google, and the human race will be all the better for it. When stationed at one of these terminals, I will typically check my Gmail inbox every ten minutes. I will be in constant contact with >1 of my colleagues via Google Talk. And I will shop for tasteful yet inexpensive material goods through Froogle. And when I'm not doing any of the aforementioned tasks, I will be looking at satellite images of the local area and campus via Google Maps in order to make myself feel like I've been outside.

How I use the Internet

These days I use it mostly to soak up information - Wikipedia, Googling for library docs, that sort of thing. My experience witht he internet started back in '94 (I think) with a dial-up account from a local ISP that dropped me in a UNIX shell (I had no idea what that was at the time). My fondest memories are reading sci-fi newsgroups in tin and downloading peoples' D&D mods from various ftp sites. I also remember downloading alot of 'demos' from people like Future Crew... I'm sure nobody remembers those now at all. They were kind of a first stab at enthusiast animation and music.

the internet through my eyes

For as long as I can remember, I have had exposure to the Internet in some form or another. In the beginning, the internet was merely a source of information for me; I’d use it to gather resources for assignments and projects. As both I and the internet developed, I started to use the internet for more and more tasks. Not only is it a great information and learning tool, but the internet allows for global communication, whether it’s with my friends and family back home, or my other roommates in our house. I can sample new music from artists that I’ve never even heard of. I can read information that no publisher would ever dare to publish. I can organise a travel itinerary, buy books online and look up cooking recipes. I can read local news from any city in the world. There is a countless amount of information at my fingertips on any subject that I wish to know more about. I’m sure that there is almost nothing that you could think of that hasn’t already been placed on the internet by someone, somewhere.

how i use the internet

I use the internet for three main purposes: information, communication, and entertainment. With useful websites such as Google and Wikipedia just a mouse-click away, I can look up any information on any subject in an instant. It is much easier to scroll through news headlines than to have to sit and wait for successive news stories on television. It is also much easier to organize information on the web (through indices, summaries, etc.) so that one does not have to flip through numerous books to find what one seeks. I also use the internet for communication through email and instant messaging, much like everyone else. As for entertainment, I usually download and listen to music and watch videos online more often than I watch TV. Basically, like someone before me said, I would be spending a lot more of time outdoors if I didn't have internet.

How I Use the Internet

I find the internet to be a very valuable resource, and a great convenience to my life. To begin with, I enjoy e-mail and instant messenger, and I feel that they let me communicate in a very fast and efficient manner. I also enjoy being able to check the news and weather any time of day and have them always be up to date. I like the ability to quickly search for a topic of interest and have as much information as I could ever need. More than anything though, I just like the fact that all of the things I need are in the same place so that as long as I have internet access I don't need any other reference material.

Obsessive, Incessant Internet Use

I get up in the morning and I sign on to the internet. Between classes I get online. After school I surf. Finally after I have dinner with my wife, I may get on the net. The only thing holding me back is my dial-up connection (free through the UW). Overall I find the internet to be a place of endless information. I get my news from the net, I invest solely online and most of my leisure time is spent there as well. Overall it’s a tool that makes my life easier and brings information to me faster and with more convenience

what the internet means to me

To me the internet is not something in which I kill time with, instead it's a tool to help me mostly in my education. I use it to research projects, get information and communicate with others. The projects I research are school related and usually entil me downloading one article or another form several different sources. The information I get off the web is information from class and school websites, such as homework or due dates. I do not use e-mail a whole lot, but when I do it is usually to clearify something with my teachers. The rest of my time spent on the internet is either looking at sports scores or playing online poker.

Online Cole

It is hard for me to imagine a world in which the internet does not exist. At least once a day, everyday, I get online. For the most part, I get online for entertainment--to check email, get sports, weather, or other updates, to play games, because I am bored and TV is lame--but I do sometimes get on for work related purposes; like research and other homework activities.
Most people seem to shop and so many other daily tasks on the internet, but I have not yet gone that far.

The Web is loaded with activities for everyone. For me, I logged into the internet almost everyday for communication, education, and enjoyment. One of the major aspects about the internet that I like to use the most is communication tools that it offers. I use email, instant messengers, and chat-room to communicate to people that I know. The Web also offers me a great learning tool. If I need to look up something for homework or something that I need, I would log into a search engine and I could look up just about anything. Other activities that I used the web for are music, videos, games, and downloading software to make my computer a more efficient machine. The Web has been a part of my everyday life and it will be in the future.

Jordan vs. the Internet

I would say the internet is pretty much directly responsible for increasing my procrastination when it comes to school. This is because almost all homework assignments require some sort of computer and internet use. For most people this might not be a problem but everytime I pick up my computer to start an assignment I get distracted and go look at sport scores for the day, illegally download music, check my facebook profile and email (I usually do this about 10 times a day minimun). I do use the internet though to check what is going on in the world and try to keep updated on current events. So, overall, I would say about half the time I spend on the internet is useful but at times it can be distracting and keep getting homework done in an efficient manner.

The wonders of the web

Most recently I've used the web to buy textbooks on abebooks.com. My usual web based activities include emailing friends in Olympia, looking at guitars way out of my price range, and learning about amplifiers and other audio equipment. This is my first post on a blog and I'm still not exactly sure how it differs from a message board but I'm sure I'll be filled in soon enough.
Cheers,
Dan

Jowell's Online Habits

The internet is embedded into my daily life. I use it to check my e-mail several times a day to keep up on recent affairs. There is nothing that spreads information faster than the internet. That is why I check the news online. From learning about the latest happenings around the world to reading up on trivial celebrity gossip, the internet quenches my thirst for all types of news. In addition, the internet makes the world a smaller place by uniting people all over the world. What a better way to use such technology then play computer games. Being able to frag people you do not even know is made possible because of the internet. I am also addicted to Final Fantasy XI. This massively multiplayer online role playing game or MMORPG consumes the bulk of my free time. I like it because I am able to play with a diverse community of thousands of people that provides a different experience every time I log on. The internet is a fun and exiciting tool that I use everyday.

How Steve Uses the Web

I use the World Wide Web for both work and play. Most of the time it is a procrastination tool as I chat with friends on AIM or read articles that most defiantly do not add any useful knowledge to my over capacitated mind. When I am being productive I use it as a business and a learning tool. I have learned HTML, JavaScript, and I am learning PHP with the help of some online tutorials. Thanks to Google, I am able to find guides and practice projects to learn these languages. I also build web pages for a hobby and a job. I have a few clients from local companies to companies over seas in Taiwan. Business is pretty steady, when I graduate college hopefully I can start a company with the clients I have now and some determination. But for now, as a student usually use the web for pleasure. If it’s not random surfing similar to what I mentioned before, it’s shopping or checking out new CD releases or movie reviews. Basically, I used the World Wide Web for everything.

How I Use the Web

I use the web for research, electronic mail, and instant messaging. I also take advantage of it for online gaming, online shopping, news, weather, and booking flight tickets to go home for holidays and special events. But lately, I’ve been catching myself learning how to modify my game consoles (Playstation 2, Xbox, Playstation portable, and Gameboy sp). The modification consists of adding a harddrive or a memory card so I can play music and movies on my consoles. If there wasn’t the internet, my life would be more physically active.

Wayne's Wide Web

The internet is a wonderful tool, in fact I am at work right now communicating to other students in my class via a blog. Without the internet I would have a much more difficult time shopping, because I do research online on many purchases before I buy them. I also use the internet as a communication tool with online journals, instant messaging and e-mail. Research and assignments for school are usually made easier with school webpages. I like always being able to go to a class webpage and find all kinds of new and old info alike. Also I can look up atricles online before going to the library to save time.

Using the Internet

I think it would be safe to say that I would be lost without the internet. I use it primarily for schoolwork, email, and instant messaging. However, I also utilize it for a host of other things, including renting movies, finding bus schedules, looking up song lyrics and downloading songs, finding phone numbers and obtaining directions, purchasing tickets, playing games, news, weather, and banking, to name a few. My first recourse whenever I need information is to turn to the internet, rather than anything "old fashioned" like a newspaper or library catalog. Though probably unhealthy and certainly addictive, I find the internet to be the most effecient and easily accessed tool for finding out what I need to know.

How To Add Posts

There seems to be some confusion about how you can add your own posts to the class blog. It's actually really easy. Simply go to Blogger.com and log in with the username and password that you created when you first started your account. This will lanch the "Blogger Dashboard", which lists all of the blogs that you can contribute to. Most of you will only see a listing for "TC 231".

Next to that listing you will see a button to add a new post. Click on that button and type in your post on the following page. When you are done, click "Submit Post" and let blogger do the rest.

Blogger can use standard HTML tags so if you know some basic code you can add hyperlinks, audio, video and text formatting. I have placed a link to common HTML tags in the right column of the blog. I encourage anyone who is curious about HTML to give it a try.

You can always send me an email if you are having any trouble.

How I use the Internet

One could say I use the Internet to check email, read news, search for information, communicate with others, and check online syllabi. This is correct, however the more accurate description of my online activity is procrastination. When I am home, I check my email every thirty minutes, even though I receive no more than 3 non-junk emails daily. I skim online newspaper headlines, but usually only read one article a day. If I was not introduced to instant messaging in high school, my GPA would have been much higher. Perhaps, via this Blog, this combination of the Internet and school assignments will morph my usage from procrastination to actual work.