Chie Ginama's Report on "Acquiring Cyberspace Citizenship/Chie's Experiences as a Cybercitizen"
Why I
Chose This Report:
I chose this report because it was a very interesting
account of how Chie approached her Psychology 409 class and how she progressed
throughout the course to overcome her fears and frustrations. It's
always interesting to view approaches to the internet through another person's
eyes because there is so much that one can learn from them and one is also
able to relate their experiences to others. Her thoughts and reactions
towards the internet literacy exercises made me think of my thoughts as
I went through them. She had some prior experience with the internet
and the on-line world, but she also found that as she went further and
further into the exercises, they became more and more challenging.
I had the same feelings as she did going through the exercises, but unlike
her ratings of the exercises, mine were more towards the middle of the
scoring distribution. I chose this report over others because it
gave me a feeling that there are others that feel as I do and knowing that
I was able to sympathize with her thoughts and feelings on the internet,
I knew that her report would be one of my final picks.
Steps That Led Me
to This Report:
When I first began my browsing of the generations,
first my plan was to navigate the generations fairly close to the generation
that I am in now. This took me to generations 6 and 7. I took
note of their topics and I picked reports at random judging each report
on content, comprehensibility, and how appealing it was to my eyes.
I viewed about 10 or 11 reports and the time I took viewing each one depended
on how long it kept my interest. I noticed that there were some reports
that had a very nice graphical interface, but the content was not interesting
at all. Some were too wordy that it lost my attention very quickly
while others were so vague that I didn't really bother reading the content.
I knew that Chie's report was going to be one of my final picks when I
noticed that Chie combined a nice graphical report with very explicit content
and well thought out responses. I read her interesting introduction
which explained how she approached the class, and I felt that I would have
wrote something of the same sort if I was in her shoes. Bottom line,
because I could relate to this really well, I decided on picking this report.
Topic of Report:
Chie's topic was her approach to the internet
and Psychology 409 in terms of her previous experience with computers and
her later emotions of coping with tasks on the computer. Giving us
a recount of her ratings for the activities she had done over the weeks,
she explained in detail the frustrations, successes, and feelings she experienced
as she did them. Like I said before, her experiences were like mine
as I took on the internet literacy exercises. As I read her comments,
I noticed her confidence slowly drop as she did the later exercises.
I felt the same as she did, but her ratings were a lot more extreme than
my ratings. Later, she also explored past generations and found others
that felt as she did when she did the exercises. She also did a little
mining into the earlier generations also, but I found that her explorations
weren't as elaborate as this present exercise expects. Finally she
wrapped up everything in her conclusion and also included some inspirational
words as she encouraged everyone not to be lazy and to never give up.
This inspirational conclusion helped me to visualize finishing this report.
It's always enjoyable to have some inspirational words as I engage in any
activity.
My Reaction
and Involvment With Report:
Chie's report was very involving because it allowed
others to sympathize with her and to go on a quest with her to take on
the challenges of the online world. I know what she, and what many
others out there, felt as they engaged on their quest into the world of
the internet, but I don't believe that I could have been more inspiring
than Chie in terms of her forging ahead in the hard times and not giving
up when she wanted to. I would, like her, want to display to future
web users, and students of the psychology 409 class, a confidence that
we all should have when approaching tasks such as these reports.
In terms of her presentation format, it was very
basic and easy to navigate, which is always a good quality of good sites.
The only criticism that I would have for her report is to have a table
of contents for her ratings and reactions. That would have been a
good addition and it would help the navigation of her page a lot more.
Comparing
This Report to Others:
The content and appearance of this report was
very simplistic and straightforward. It had very few, quick loading
pictures which allowed the page to load up in a snap, and her content was
descriptive as well as helpful in many parts. Other sites sometimes
filled the content too much which led to a long and tiring recount of their
experience on the internet. Others also didn't have enough pictures.
Pictures always liven up a report, especially if they are relevant pictures,
and I found that many of the reports had practically none, and others had
pictures which didn't relate to the report at all. I believe that
each of the pictures on a web page should have some sort of meaning.
A lot of the differences may be due to the gender of the page maker.
Many females like to use colorful graphics while males like to stick straight
content and very plain pictures.
Why I Chose
This Report:
What impressed me about this report was that
it took me on an engaging journey along with him into the world of internet
search engines. I gained a lot of knowledge from his explanations
of his searches through the three search engines, Infoseek, Magellan, and
Alta Vista. Giving explicit detail on his search, such as the number
of returns he got back and the explanation of boolean constrictors, Shane's
report helped me view the different search engines in a different light.
Shane's presentation of his topic was excellent as he gave a great example
of what the search engines represented to himself in his introduction.
Another factor that I took into consideration is that although the topic
of search engines can be a very general one, he managed to sum up a lot
of good points in a few paragraphs. I certainly enjoyed reading the
quick summary to search engines, rather than a long report which reported
on things I didn't comprehend or were too technical.
One very good point he brought up was that the
search engines are like hunting dogs who are only as good as their masters
have taught them to be. This was an interesting comparison and a
very true way to look at the search engines.
Steps That Led
Me to This Report:
While browsing through the generations, I saw
that Shane's generation was doing reports on search engines. Being
interested in utilizing the search engines more efficiently, I browsed
through 5 or 6 of these reports for about 10 minutes each, hoping that
I would find quick and easy information on what I was interested in.
I also wanted a report on search engines which was fairly recent because
with the internet and its search engines being improved day after day,
I wanted a report which I could easily apply to the present day.
Being that he was of generation 4, I believe that he stood in the middle
of the generations, but his information applied very well to the present
day as I tried some of his tips with the search engines. His report
title about search engines made me curious on what he had to say on it.
Then his comparison of the hunting dog and search engine really caught
my attention because he related it to something that we all understand.
This is the point where I read on and chose his report as one of my final
picks.
Topic of Report:
Shane approached his report with the internet
search engines in mind. He examined the use of three search engines,
Infoseek, Magellan, and Alta Vista, and explained the pros and cons of
each search engine. He also explained his procedures for narrowing
down the number of results to a query, and also some helpful tips regarding
the use of boolean searches. He gave examples of how many results
the search turned out and also how the help files for the search engines
gave him some useful tips on how to use them more effectively. What
I also enjoyed in his report were the few advantages and disadvantages
of each search engine, such as how Alta Vista uses an algorithm to determine
what results are returned for the search.
Shane's report really broadened my view on the
search engines and allowed me to think of various options in engaging in
a search on the internet.
My Reaction
and Involvment With Report:
My knowledge on the search engines aren't as
extensive as Shane's, but as his suggestion was to read the help files,
I'm sure that if I were to do that some time then there would be no doubt
I also would be able to take on the search engines as successfully as he
did.
Shane's content was very descriptive and helpful.
He managed to explain the ins and outs of the search engines very clear
and to the level of the average reader. I was happy with his content
and presentation because being clear and concise were his obvious goals,
and I believe those are qualities of a good page. Unfortunately,
there were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors that definitely needed
to be cleaned up. Seeing grammatical and spelling errors is a sign
of unprofessionality and simply a lack of proofreading. He may want
to freshen up on a little of that. His explanations were also very
clear and easy to understand as he explained something very complicated
with normal, non-technical words.
Hopefully I will have the chance to strengthen
his topic as the search engines have developed along with the internet.
New and exciting features have appeared since Shane's generation and I
know that he, as well as I, will only get better with the search engines
in time.
Comparing
This Report to Others:
Other pages in Shane's generation had either
too little or too technical information about search engines. There
were even some that had such a terrible background that it was simply too
confusing to read. Being that this report was from one of the earlier
generations, a possible cause of the bad backgrounds and terrible content
could be due to new dealings with web pages and its creation. It
could be that Shane's generation didn't really have the experience or standards
to base their reports against, so without a standard, it's very challenging
to create something very new and innovative. Despite that, I believe
that Shane really got a grip on the search engines better than others in
his generation because he approached the help files with an open mind.
I don't remember the other reports mentioning anything about the help files,
which are offered to help one use the search engines. Shane's digging
into the down and dirty earned him a pick as one of my favorites.
Kristin Subia's Report on "How Drivers Communicate with Each Other"
Why I Chose
This Report:
I was impressed first by the topic of how drivers
communicate. After this was established I chose a report that I could
relate very well to because driving is something that I do everyday and
being that I want to improve my driving, I chose Kristin's report.
It gave me the input that was necessary to realize what other drivers are
thinking about. As a driver in Hawaii, I see many of the things which
were mentioned in her report and I also do many of the things which were
mentioned also. Her report related to me very well and I knew that
it would be one of my final picks as soon as I saw her table of contents
and introduction. I always enjoy something that I can apply to my
everyday life, and Kristin's report did exactly that for me.
Steps That Led
Me to This Report:
The topic of how drivers communicate was what
first caught my eye. It immediately caught my interest because the
driving situation here in Hawaii has become a lot worse, so with this report,
I was hoping to get another opinion on how drivers are in Hawaii.
I looked through about 6 or 7 reports and found that they didn't really
have the observations that Kristin had. Her table of contents listed
each point that she planned to cover and I liked that because I was interested
in almost every aspect of her table of contents. I couldn't really
relate to the other reports as well as Kristin's one because the others
were too in depth and didn't represent the observations of a real driver
on Hawaii's streets. When Kristin's report gave me a feeling of sitting
in the driver's seat, I knew that this was one of my final picks.
Topic of Report:
The topic of Kristin's report was on her observations
of how drivers communicate. She first gave us some observations on
the communication of drivers in a variety of situations such as making
turns and changing lanes. She then gave a recount of the types of
communication and its effectiveness in what direction the driver wanted
to go and in aspects such as tailgating. I also found her information
on how drivers react to another driver who uses a certain mode of communication
very interesting and worth to be applied to everyday driving. Some
of the feelings I had while reading these topics were, "Do I really do
these things on the road?" and "I wonder if others react the same way that
I do?"
Finally she gave recommendations on how to make
driving a more pleasant experience, presented some related articles concerning
communication of drivers, and some suggestions for future generations to
explore the communication of drivers. This information was very useful
because it got me thinking that I should drive more courteously for both
the safety of myself and others.
My Reaction
and Involvment With Report:
Relating to Kristin's report was a very easy
task for me because I do find that driving is a very stressful task.
It's usually not yourself that you have to be aware of, but rather it is
the other driver that you do have to be very aware of. As a driver,
I notice many of the things stated in her report, but I usually take them
for granted. I don't really think about the consequences or advantages
of certain gestures or means of communication between drivers. Reading
her report forces me now to take communication between drivers more seriously
and to also respect everyone on the road. I would think that trying
to observe communication between drivers would be a very interesting task
for anyone to take up.
What I think that should have been included in
her report is more of a comparison between the drivers in Hawaii versus
the drivers in the European countries. That content would have been
a very interesting as it would help display the nature and courtesy level
of different countries. If drivers are more courteous in the European
countries, then she should have used that as an example that drivers in
Hawaii should follow.
Comparing
This Report to Others:
I didn't really relate well to the other reports
of the same generation because many were very vague and non-interesting.
The one thing that I really enjoyed about Kristin's report is the level
of detail that she offered. Her descriptions and interpretations
of the communication gestures were very significant and I found that her
report elaborated well on those topics. Like I said before, she gave
me a feeling that I was really in the driver's seat observing these means
of communication and by this report I will be sure to take communication
between drivers more seriously.
Kristin's presentation was laid out very well.
Her background color contrasted well with the word color and everything
was clear and concise. Her table of contents was mapped out very
clearly and was very easy to navigate. The table of contents was
one of the main things that caught my attention. Some of the other
reports didn't have a descriptive table of contents so those reports were
just browsed through. Although, many of the other reports were fairly
well done in terms of content and graphical clarity. This increase
in web page appeal may be due to the fact that these reports were from
generation 6.
Heidi
Easley's Report Number 2
Why I Chose
This Report:
Although this report may not be the best in content,
the entertainment value was priceless. The creative and comical content
is what caught my eye as I perused over the many monotonous reports.
The relation of people to some very simplistic cats was a very good comparison
to the drivers who scratch and claw their way through traffic, the drivers
who think they're going to get farther than everyone. This relation
grabbed my attention from the beginning and I never turned back.
Despite being short and not being graphically adept, it was a very appealing
story that incorporated how different types of drivers interact and communicate
on the road.
Steps That Led
Me to This Report:
I browsed through about 8 reports and found that
many of them were the same monotonous reports that I have been reading
for the sake of my report. Like the others, I perused through the
reports looking for very simple and interesting content, which I found
in many, but none which had the creative flair as Heidi's report.
Most of the other reports were basic, fundamental, and just plain content
of driving issues. After reading many reports of the same basic standard,
it was very enjoyable to come across a report that had a lot of creative
flair and broke away from the standard report guidelines. Being that
I was very much entertained by this, and by breaking up the monotony of
looking at reports the whole day, I knew that this would be my pick after
reading the first few sentences.
Topic of Report:
The topic of this report was about the dangers
and solutions to a driver's worst nightmare which is being tailgated.
"Sharing" the road was the one solution, or rather the word, that would
solve all tailgating and most importantly, accidents. I enjoyed how
Heidi incorporated the different types of drivers into cats whose names
slightly reflected their type of personality driving on the road.
Relating the cats in her story to other people in some other generations
was a clever way to expand the report. Besides being very entertaining,
she also covered many aspects of tailgating and how the drivers who engage
in it can affect others as well as themselves. A very interesting
and creative concept indeed.
My Reaction
and Involvment With Report:
As for my involvement with the topic, I have
been tailgated many times in my driving career and I do agree with her
that "sharing" the road is definitely a solution to that problem.
With Heidi's report as a guide to pair different tailgaters with, I know
now how to react to tailgaters. As for creativity wise, I don't know
if I could have been that creative on a topic that is moderately serious
in terms of driving and courtesy on the road. She really integrated
the comical characters really well with human tailgaters, and by doing
this, she took a little seriousness out of it and brought it down to a
level where all drivers can say, "Hey, I'm like that cat! It's really
funny!"
For presentation, I found that the page was very
plain and uneventful, but where the page lacked in color it made up for
with entertaining content. In addition to this, a table of contents
would have been very nice. It should have included more content on
the topic of sharing the road and how to get people to share the road,
or rather some possible solutions to the problem.
Comparing
This Report to Others:
Many of the other reports were a lot better than
Heidi's on in terms of content and presentation, but they all fell into
the boring category of just a basic report. Being that she was from
generation 5, I would expect the pages to be getting a little more advanced,
but not up to par to the pages that the generations as of present are doing.
That would probably be the cause for pages with very few graphics, but
many had good content. Like I said before though, Heidi's report
was the best in terms of creativity which many of the other reports lacked.
I guess having a creative mind pays off.
My Report
Compared to Others in My Generation:
The other reports posted on the web are very
interesting reports compared to mines. I feel that they have explored
the prior generations well to the point that they have a deep understanding
of how the generations have progressed and what kind of valuable information
they can achieve from them.
Some other pages have clear and very big navigation
tables which help the browser know explicitly where they want to go.
I feel that my table of contents is adequate and simple, but others have
gone to great depths to improve with a graphical interface.
Others approaches on the content was similar,
but some reports may need a little more elaboration on a few of the topics.
Other than that, I believe that we all did a great job taking on our generations
file!
Suggestions
for Future Generations:
Some of my suggestions in mining the generational
curriculum is to approach everything with an open mind. Be sure to
open yourself to all opinions, reactions, and criticisms because that's
what will make you a better person not only on the internet, but also in
the real world. Another thing that you may take notice of is to focus what
you want to see when you're mining the generations. I read pages
from a few genertaions and found that there was a large difference in textual
content and graphical content as the generations became more current.
Knowing that current pages hold up to date information, I searched those
pages first then went into the older generations just to get an idea of
how much technology changes and how technology changes us.
Being a member of generation 8 has helped me
recognize the differences and different creative flairs each and every
person has. Being a member of this community has also furthered my
knowledge by consorting with others whenever in need of information or
by our simple email discussions which covered a number of topics.
Being a member of any internet community is a very rewarding experience
and I would recommend it to any and everyone!
