Journal 10

I do agree that google is making us stupid. Although people do still read and write on their own, the majority of people do not do it by choice. They prefer to simply use technologies such as the Internet to make the process faster to find whatever they are looking for. Most of us are no longer forced to open books, read, and write. Therefore we now see that a lot of people are no longer spending time doing just that. I feel that the Internet is a shortcut to almost everything—its like taking the easy way out. There is so much information out there, so much we can learn from books and other things that are not technology related.

Journal 2

A close reading is not simply reading a text. A close reading is an analysis of a text that allows the reader to focus on every little detail and to look beyond the pages and find underlying themes or meanings. The purpose of a close reading is to allow readers to become more involved with a text so that they may pick out the small details, find the underlying themes, and find deeper meanings. While some texts may have the same little details and the same underlying themes, each text holds different meanings for each person. I’ve found that through close readings I’ve been able to look at texts differently and thus write better because of it. Even in Inquiry 1, I was able to take a text that isn’t in the form of a book and analyze it closely, pick out minute details, and form my own meaning based on my findings.

Journal 10

The internet, mainly google, has changed the way many people research and write papers.  With basic instructions and key words anyone can research and learn about different topics for their assignments.  It no longer takes specific knowledge of a topic or hours of research to write a good paper.  This is a good and bad thing.  Efficiency of writing papers has increased because it requires less time researching and therefore more time can be spent on writing.  However it is also a bad thing, research now is done quickly and affects the quality of one’s work.  By simply visiting a couple of sites a person can write a paper about any topic they desire.  In order to write a good paper, a person must research different types of print (newspaper, book, internet).  Google has allowed us to use all of the types of print online but few people take the time to research each of these.  The average person will type in a key word on google and click on the first two links that appear.  This is making the public lazy because less time is done researching papers and more time is spent surfing the web.  If the internet and google are used correctly a person can create a very well researched paper.  Another good resource that the internet allows us to use is chalk and wire.  This is a good resource because it allows writers to post all of their papers online for peers to view and comment on.    

Journal 10

The new medium through which people, write, research and otherwise utilize has changed the way the we as people act. With the internet being so readably available for a portion of the world, research has completely changed. Years ago, individuals would go to libraries and take out book after book to write a research paper. Today, students and researches don't have to leave their room. The can jump on the computer and have millions of resources right in front of them. Why you may ask did we change. People are always striving to create a more efficient environment. How can we make this stronger, better, faster. Many people believe the faster we can do stuff the more change we will create. And I believe this is true to some extent. This new medium has changed people, in the sense of certain skills they have. People today, often look for specific details, while people beforehand looked for articles that they could draw conclusions from. The world has changed, and people are changing to become more efficient.

Journal 8

This is an image of a satire about Google, done by The Onion. I think that it effectively makes fun of how Google is already running out of useful things to add to their site, so now they are just adding useless features that do not benefit us at all. I especially thought the one about introducing a service that allows users to find out how much flour they have left with a single keystroke, was really funny and effective, because it is so exaggerated but it kind of makes sense, because Google has already started doing this. I also thought the " I'm feeling lonely, miserable, and unlucky" button, was funny and effective as well, because it points out how completely unproductive and pointless Google's "I'm feeling Lucky" button is, in a comical way.

Journal 7

I hate opening doors, because I am terrified of static electricity and getting shocked.

Journal 10

I agree with the article's content in regards of how it is tranforming people on how to write, think, and view research. Google has pros and cons. There are many areas in the world where people can simply not afford to buy a newspaper or book. The interne is cheap, affordable and can be availible to virtually anyone who has internet access. One of the problems lies within the credibilty of the artciles. The layout of the articles on the search engine are based on how much the author of the website pays google for people to view thier source. There are many online databases, mostly university library databases that offer only credible sources. When it comes to research these databases are more accurate than searching on google.