Jeana Chen's Report 1: My Travels Through G1 & G2

Report 1

My Travels Through G2 & G1

Blind Attempt

What is going on?! When I first read about this class, I was so excited. I thought this was my one chance to learn something I always wanted...this was my one chance to finally get on the information highway. So far, I have been hopelessly lost. I have been here, in this lonely, cold, foodless lab for the entire night...and I've only figured out one thing...I'm never going to pass this class (sob).

But I'm trying really hard. I am not even sure if what I am typing now would do anything on Netscape. Well, here goes!

(...after many horrible trials, saving the thing on my disk, ftp it back over 2 million times to find it looking exactly like the way it did on Microsoft Word as on Netscape, harassing Professor Raut...who had the misfortune to use the terminal next to mine, and then finally...just before 11 PM...)

It worked! It finally worked! What should I do now?

Want more on cyber frustration and how to get over it (or feel that you are definitely not alone), read my Report 2: My Adapting to the Internet

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Topical Index

My Experience in G1 and G2

What a traumatic experience! When we first got on the computer during our class meeting, I was anxious to get on the computer and see what Traffic Psychology reports were all about. I don't think I ever expected them to be on Netscape...looking the way they do. In fact, I don't think I had any clue what I was getting myself into until that day.

I first clicked into the homepages of G2. Most of them were so brilliant that I thought, "NO! This can't be happening to me. How can I ever make anything look like that?" In G2, all of the pages had beautiful backgrounds and icons. They looked as if they were made by professionals. To think they were created by students just last semester was astonishing.

Clicking over to G1, the difference was obvious. Now these looked more like the creations from someone like me--a computer illiterate college student. The pages were all on gray background, and there were hardly any icons.

To me, G1 was plain and ugly, but also...strangely comforting in the crudeness of their appearance. G2 was fantastic and nice to look at, but its pages definitely added a load of pressure and a few killer butterflies in my stomach.

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Topical Index

Appearance of G1 and G2 Homepages

Through my travels in G1 and G2, I noticed significant differences. The background of the G1 homepages are mostly in the standard Netscape gray. On the whole, G1 homepages were not very appealing. As a matter of fact, if they were not required, I wouldn't even bother to read them. Unappealing as they were, as I aimlessly surfed through them, I came across several reports that were quite novel, humorous and insightful. G2 homepages were much prettier in their appearance, but I find their reports somewhat shallow and redundant. They only repeated and linked to everything G1 has already discussed. As a suggestion to better future traffic psychology generations, I think introducing a different weekly (or biweekly) topic would increase the readability of their reports.

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Individual Appearances of Homepages

After surfing through nearly every homepage in G1 and G2, and realizing critiques on each would definitely prompt readers to skip my entire report before their sleep drool ooze over their key boards, I chose to stick to those with report contents which I've found to be interesting (in other words, non-sleep-toxic).

G1 Appearances

Since G1 reports were novel, I actually had a difficult time leaving them to go to G2. These were the reports I visited: Shane Akagi, Todd Takitani, Caroline Balatico, Jae Isa, Michelle Ota, and Kendall Mitsuyoshi.

Shane Akagi constructed one of the better hompages in G1. When I first clicked over to his homepage, I saw the dull, standard gray background and immediately felt a warm liquid, possibly bile, rising up to my throat. I guess I clicked onto G2 first, and so the vast difference between the appearance of their pages shocked me. Why was Akagi's one of the better pages in G1? First of all, he actually looked like he was organized, and of course...there was that cute little rainbow line dividing his name from the rest of the page. In other words, his page actually had some color ...some life. Although his homepage looked like a bunch of information squeezed tightly together (due to small font), his index and other files showed great organization. I only hope I can accomplish the same thing.

Todd Takitani's homepage was also on standard Netscape gray, he did not have any icons and no real organization. He did not divide up his reports the way others did, which makes it quite difficult to hop from one report to the other. The whole report just goes on and on. The worst thing is--many of his files and links, including his index--do not exist anymore. If it was not for that very humorous, very captivating first paragraph of his report, I definitely would have miss possibly the funniest report in G1.

Caroline Balatico's page, like Akagi's, was great in organization, but just like Akagi, she also squeezed everything together in that unbearably tiny, standard font. Although she did not have any colorful icons on the dull gray backgrounds, the terms she used to attract people to her links were cute and cheerful. Whereas guys would not have used "silly", "feminine" terms such as "happy", "joy", "morphin' time"--her titles gave the reports a certain mysterious, hedonistic appeal.

Jae Isa has, I think, the best homepage in G1. Although her background was also on the dull gray, she actually used some icons. But also because of these different icons, and her inability to adjust the font and icon size, her organized homepage looked messy. Isa's index showed terrific organization; it was really clear exactly what she has in each file.

Michelle Ota also had a great page. Like Isa, she used icons to add life into her page. Not as many or as different as Isa's, her icons actually clarified the links in her page. Because Ota did not put any spaces between her tiny font sized links, the red dots helped made them look less tightly cramped together.

Lastly, I visited Kendall Matsuyoshi's homepage. Like Akagi and Balatico, he had exceptional organizational skills. But, again, his files were all on the sickening, boring gray.

G1 homepages taught me several things:

1. Never, ever use standard Netscape gray as my backgrounds
2. Organization is essential
3. Icons keep readers from sleeping
4. Cheerful, attractive terms used on links can increase "click" frequency
5. Humor is the key

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G2 Appearances

For me, the content of G2 reports were not as interesting as G1. Although the appearance of their pages were much nicer, I somehow ended up looking at more G1 papers than G2...instead of the other way around like most others.

The G2 homepages I visited are Berna Collado, Alan Furukawa, Braden Kato, Letitia Lujan, and Sheldon Tawata.

Because Dr. James had instructed us via e-mail to contribute to Berna Collado's Confessions page, I jumped into it just after I visited some G1 pages. When I first saw it, I felt like I've been punched in the stomach. I didn't know how to make anything work at the time, and seeing the beauty of her page--I just knew I can never make anything that impressive. Her page really depressed me. Even now, I still think it is very nice. But I can see the flaws on her page. At first, I thought her words were really cute--she capitalized some letters within a word (like RePorTs, OtHeR, and DriViNg)--but it also takes an extra two seconds to figure out what those words really were. In her Confessions page, it is almost near impossible to stay patient and figure out what the words meant. So I just gave up. I don't think I was the only one who would just skip the page altogether. Everything else was good. In her index, organization was great but the icons were all different shapes of black, which makes it appeared a little cluttered up.

In contrast, Alan Furukawa had a much easier to read homepage. However, his background was of a neon color, and his page was definitely not as artistic as Collado's. What bothered me was, when the page first came on screen, I could not see anything past his heading and the icon. There were so much space in that first screen that if his page wasn't in G2, I'd wonder if it was just a bland, neon background. The same goes for his index, but his organizational skills were clear and to the point. His index was the reason I read his reports.

Braden Kato's homepage had an attractive heading. Disappointingly, the rest of his page was plain. He had two icons in total. His index looked so unorganized that at first I wondered if he just threw things in there off the top of his head. But the reason it looked so unconnected was because he organized not by individual reports, but in alphabetical order. If I had just passed by his page, I don't think I would visit his reports at all. I only stumbled into his report because his index contained the subject which I was looking at.

Letitia Lujan's homepage was one of the pages I liked most in G2 (and it's not because I'm also from Guam and her page really was a homepage to me). She had a very attractive heading. But it was quite a stretch, like Furukawa's, because the heading ran across the entire page. Lujan also centered everything, the jagged edges and the icons in front of the links made her homepage messy because her icons were not aligned. Despite of all these flaws, the Personal Album on her page was a really nice touch. Lujan also had an organized index. Although the links appeared rather uneven due to her number of subheadings under each file.

I think I shouldn't have clicked into Collado's homepage before everyone else. Because every homepage seemed boring after that. Take Sheldon Tawata's homepage, for example. It was very clear and precise. He did not use anything to clutter it up and I really like the simplicity. He can live without attractive icons and backgrounds. His page is a sheet of white paper, with a few sprinkles of words...Which the readers will surf right over! His index, however, is very organized. Neither his index nor his homepage contained any annotations. Tawata's page is probably the dullest page in G2.

What I've learned from G2:

1. Make reading and understanding the meaning of my links as easy as possible
2. Use distinguishable icons in index
3. Do not let my heading take up the entire first screen

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Topical Index

Content of G1 and G2 Homepages

To me, the reports of G1 are much more enjoyable than G2 because their topics were sought out on their own...without the influence or pressure from previous generations. Because the topics were novel, and they only have each other to work on, their reports appeared more in-depth and organized. With G2, they were pressured to read and identify with the reports from G1, moreover, they were supposed to improve the appearance of their pages. Anyone in G3 can tell you improving the appearance of their pages can be just as difficult and time-consuming as writing their reports. Therefore the lack of originality and readability of G2 reports should not be totally blamed on the students who wrote the reports, but on the lack of new topics for them to explore with.

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Topical Index

Different Topics

Because G1 and G2 had covered so many topics, I chose a few that interested me...or rather, the ones I personally can relate to when I'm in a car.

Most of the topics were discussed by the students whose homepages I criticized earlier. These were the ones I picked:

Accordion Effect
Tailgating...selfish, nasty pigs!
Convoys...its morality.
Speeding types. Why rush?
Pedestrians do not rule the road.
Bicycles...road rats or not?
Call Out...what's that?
Cutting In With grace.
Rubber Necks...who can resist?
Freedom to Drive
Blank out on the Road is my personal contribution to the contents of my report. Enjoy!
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Topical Index
Accordion Effect
As Kendall Matsuyoshi described, the accordion effect happens when the space between cars increase or decrease due to the change in the flow of traffic. Matsuyoshi said that he pulls closer to the car in front of him as traffic becomes heavy because he did not want other cars to cut in front of him.

I can identify with that feeling, but the accordion effect can be dangerous because it can eventually become a form of tailgating. Sometimes, getting too close to the car in front of you can cause accidents if the car brakes abruptly.
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Tailgating
Both G1 and G2 talked extensively on tailgating. According to Jae Isa, tailgating is "driving extremely close to the car in front." Isa said tailgating is legally unjustified because it leads to accidents, may be used to harass the other driver, and invades the privacy or personal space of the other drivers.

Shane Akagi also wonders why tailgaters are "so impatient, so selfish". He hate being tailgated but he cannot do anything about it. He doesn't even want to get angry...because his anger would not solve anything. Letitia Lujan agreed that tailgaters seem to think nothing but themselves while they are on the road. They have to get somewhere. They have important things to do. They drive better than the rest. But they are also the ones creating unnecessary stress for the driver in front of them.

I noticed I almost never tailgate. When I am driving, I am oblivious to the outside world. I go on my own pace, I don't really care if others tailgate me, race me, or pass me. If tailgaters won't leave me alone and make me nervous or angry, I'd either change lanes, drive even slower, or step on my brakes a few times.
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Convoys
In Todd Takitani's report, he described the four types of convoys. Takitani thinks that "losing" it and becoming upset in a convoy...especially during rush hour, is not because he hasn't accepted these as part of his "total driving experience", but because heavy traffic which causes someone to be late naturally will evoke life's "downs".

In Shane Akagi's report, he stated that he hate being in the middle of a convoy, and his friends criticized the way he drive in a convoy. I think he is not claustrophobic when it comes to convoys. But that being in the middle of convoys is often restrictive and suffocating. Like he said, he rather likes it when he is in the front of a convoy because he had freedom.

I had the experience of being trapped in a convoy on the freeway once. I couldn't get off at my exit because I was boxed in. Much like Letitia Lujan said, females tend to enjoy the sense of security of convoys. But she has found the way to ease her way out to the front whenever she feels the speed of the convoy is too slow for her. I, on the other hand, have yet to learn how...Crash into other cars? Tailgate till people speed up? Honk on my horns and yell, "Move over! I need to exit!"...Till I learn how, I'm just going to keep on "losing" it.
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Speeding
I picked this topic...I guess...because I speed all the time. Not like 70 or 80 miles per hour, just about 5 to 10 miles above the limit (is that so horrible?); and not on purpose, but because the cars around me often travel at the same speed. Yet, I don't feel pressured into speeding, unlike Jae Isa, I feel that if I can drive faster, get to my destination quicker, all the better, right? I mean, who wouldn't? Brena Collado have a different perspective...since she was viewing speeding during traffic situations. She thinks speeding is senseless because regardless of your speed, you'll always get to your destination no faster or slower than the others.

I disagree. First of all, no one--no matter how superb your driving skills are--can speed during heavy traffic. They may tailgate, may weave in and out...but never go over the speed limit. That's just common sense. When I talk about speeding, I mean on roads with a normal flow of cars. For me, I like to go a little faster than others, to avoid stop lights. But when I do see a stop light up ahead, I'd ease my foot off the gas pedal and sometimes--drive slower than the other cars. I don't mind...I'm not competing with anyone. I just like to be...myself.
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Pedestrians
Sheldon Tawata noticed that pedestrians use the same rules of traffic on the street in that they travel in the same direction. They too, get into convoys and accidents (bumping into each other at Kuykendall Hall during lunch hour).

But things are different on the roads. I was a pedestrian for quite some time...before I bought my car. To tell you the truth, many pedestrians think they have the right of way whenever the walk signal comes on. It doesn't matter if a car right next to them is trying to make a right turn into the street, while pedestrians are in the walk lane while the signal is on, they are invincible and blind to the world.

Sometimes they think they have the right of way and assume cars will automatically stop for them even if they are jaywalking. After I began driving again, I get very irritated when this happens. Some pedestrians will get into the walk lane even after the walk signal has begun to warn them not to walk anymore. I don't mind it when they rush over before my green light come on, but sometimes an elderly man or woman would crawl slowly by...the invincible syndrome? You got it.

I have to agree with Todd Takitani when he said pedestrians do not have the right of way anymore. However, I do not think motor vehicles should have the right of way, either. To be absolutely safe, I think both pedestrians and automobiles should be more sensitive to their surroundings. Look around before stumbling into the walk lane, and check the corner for pedestrians before making that right turn.
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Bicylcles
I don't like bikers. Why? First of all, which category do bikers fit into? Pedestrians...or vehicles like cars and mopeds? Because it seems like nobody have a clue. They get on sidewalks, cross walks, against traffic, in front of cars, change lanes with cars...but never, ever in those biker lanes. They are like little road rats...sneaking into any gap between cars. Sheldon Tawata noted that, since many drivers do emphasize the importance of respecting bikers, some bikers seem to have developed the persona that when they are on the street, everyone should "play by [their] standards".

Reading Letitia Lujan biked for two years. From her view, bicyclists are fragile things who dare not to compete with cars. She also gave some legal reasons for taking up so much space in the road. Which, I think is inadequate because while there are no cars around, taking up more space is okay, but taking up half a lane during traffic is not only hateful, but also stupid. At times when motorists are all rushing and impatient, doing something like that will only increase bikers' "fragility".

A few nights ago, a biker tried to keep up with my car at 11 PM (after work)! I'd see him at my bumper for about two or three stop lights. I was scared I'd hurt him...or that he'd come up and knock on my door or something. Finally I loosed him. But it made me wonder what was he trying to prove by getting so dangerously close to a car. Was it ignorance? Ego?
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Call Out
How many have no idea what this means? I don't (like I said, I'm oblivious to the outside world when I'm driving). Braden Kato really enlightened me on this point. Yes, now I know what those flickering hazard light mean...not that they are rushing laboring women to the hospital, but because some time during the course of my driving, I've pissed them off, and they want to show they can drive faster than me. How disappointed they must have been, when I just let them race off into the finish all by themselves!

No, I'm not going to race them now that I know what they want (besides, who would race the third-hand Honda I now own?), if I do encounter them again, I'll flash my lights too, let them race off by themselves, and have a good laugh.
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Cutting In
I don't really mind it when someone try to cut in front of me. As long as I have space. Michelle Ota was skeptical on how being cut in can possibly benefit driving behavior. Well, for weeks since I've been taking this class I've learned how. I personally hate it when some idiot, without warning, jumps right into the tiny space in front of me. For a while I wondered why I always wanted to curse and make gestures whenever that happens. I realized I was scared. I felt terrorized when cars suddenly move beside me or in front of me, just as I would if someone suddenly invades my personal space. I fear accidents would happen...I fear death.

But only if...if the car would SIGNAL! I don't mind being cut in if I had some prior warning. I especially like the kind of cutters who are gentle. They signal their intentions, wait a second or two...as if asking for permission, don't rush in right away, and then very gracefully and slowly...glide into the lane in front of me. I tell ya, when I get cutters like that, I'm more than willing to let them cut in, I'd even make some space for them!
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Rubber Necks
I agree with Berna Collado in that rubber necks sometimes hold up traffic because of their nosiness. But I think being curious is really a part of human nature; and if traffic is slow, most of the time it's not because of rubber-necks...(you can cut in front of them if you like) it's because of the accident.

Does that mean I am a rubber neck...defending my own kind? Well, I've done that a few times when I first started to drive. From doing that I realized even if I did slow down, sometimes it's impossible for me to see anything...or understand what happened if I did see something. Then I got into a few accidents of my own and I hate it--absolutely hate it--when people slow down to stare at me as if I'm a part of a show. Besides that, when people slow down to fulfill their curiosity, they get in the way of the police, ambulance and tow trucks.

What I do now is, when I see lights from police or ambulance vehicles ahead, I'd drive on, praying everything is okay and no one is hurt...if anything, I can always fulfill my curiosity with the papers tomorrow.
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Freedom to Drive
I lived on Guam most of my life, and I did most of my driving there. On Guam, there is no such thing as public buses...okay, we had those public transit shuttles for the handicapped, but they don't really count. My father bought me a car almost as soon as I got my license...at 16. When I first came over to Hawaii, I didn't have a car. All of a sudden I felt like I couldn't go anywhere. Yeah, yeah, here we have a really good public transport system. But I think we all hate the bus after riding them. The bus you're waiting for never, ever, come on time. While you're waiting there's always some poor homeless guy stretched out across the bench (sometimes offering you a joint or babbling to you...but that's another story). When it pours or blares you either get soaked or get toasted. Then, of course, the bus never parks inside your garage so you'll have to walk halfway toward your destination before subjecting yourself to those other tortures at the bus stop.

Other situations like, Jae Isa's, she actually dormed to avoid traffic. But the experience only led her to realize know how important a car is to personal freedom. Without a car, a person can feel totally caged. Like Isa, Caroline Balatico also emphasized the importance of having a car and how it can change your world. Balatico can borrow her parents' cars only when they are not using them. Or else she'd have to find other ways to get around. Balatico knows the importance of having her own car. Balatico also hate riding the bus (terrible things happen there), and would not ride it unless it's necessary.

After suffering two tardy lectures at work because of the stinking bus, I finally bought a car. Mind you, I'm just a desperate college student trying to make it out here on my own. But the third-hand Honda I bought was so reliable and convenient that I don't even care about its ugly appearance anymore. I actually like it...a lot more than the brand new car my father bought me back home.

Just like Kendall Matsuyoshi said, a car is a pride and joy. I love my car and the freedom it gave me to go wherever and whenever I please.
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Blank out on the Road
Most people I asked say I drive very well...except when I get distracted. I'd forget directions, drive onto the curb, run red lights...you name it.

Yet I firmly believe I am not the only one who gets distracted. I'm not nuts...I hope. On the road there can be many distractions--thoughts, conversation with the passengers, blaring radio, children, jaywalkers...blank outs.

How did it happen? To me...so many times! I remember driving to a restaurant once, and ended up (safe and sound) at my boyfriend's driveway. I only remember driving onto the highway...what happened to the stop lights along the way? What was I thinking? Total blank out.

I asked a few friends if they ever had this freaky phenomenon, one of them had the same thing happened to her once. It feels--I'm guessing here--like sleepwalking. You stop when others stop, you go the place you visit most often...when you're awake, you don't remember anything. Does anyone else have a similar experience? Tell me what happened to you. I'd really like to know.
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My Contributions as G3

I think my contributions will be significantly less than G1 and G2, they had to figure things out on their own, and I just benefit from their findings. However, I do think whatever I learned and questioned while constructing my files will make excellent suggestions to better the future generations.

One of which, will be the suggestion of introducing new topics to increase the readability of future reports. Another are the things I've learned not to do (e.g. use standard gray as my background) so that my pages would be more attractive.

Other than that, whatever I can contribute I will know--through further guidance from Dr. James.
My Homepage Jump right back in and check out some other stuff...
Topical Index Where you can find all my links.
Contributions...just when you thought you were the only wild one...You are not the only one who run stop signs and lights!
Email Me Please give me your kind comments and suggestions before you leave!

Report 1

My Travels Through G2 & G1

Blind Attempt

My Experience in G1 and G2

Appearance of G1 and G2 Homepages

Individual Appearances of Homepages

G2 Appearances

Content of G1 and G2 Homepages

Different Topics

My Contributions as G3