End of Class questions

Will I keep blogging and why?
I think I would keep blogging, but it all depends on how much time I have once I get a job. I have my own blog on another site, but haven't been able to keep up with it because it's been so busy trying to graduate.

Best & worst part of the class?
I think the best part of the class was that I got a lot of information about how journalism and reporting is changing because of the internet. What I didn't like was that the course was changed within a few weeks of the start of the semester and it was so utterly changed that it really doesn't resemble the former class. I really wanted the experience with newspaper design because that's the industry I'm heading for and I have a decent amount of layout skills from my work at the Outlook about a decade ago, but I really wanted to be able to get some more skills and help with the newer programs. Also, the number of blogs each week was really difficult to keep up with. Even though I have a smaller course-load than many others, I had a hard time trying to keep up with them. Doing 3 a week, like we did at the beginning of the semester was perfect. I could spend the time I felt they deserved working on them and make them quality posts. But when we started doing 5 a week, that was just too much to keep up with. My other courses gave me some other work to do, and I found that it was next to impossible to do everything that was expected of me just in this class, let alone the others. And, the free topic ones were impossible nearer the end of the semester because I was completely out of ideas!!

One Improvement:
I think that one great improvement would be to split the class in half. One half is newspaper design and layout and the other is spent learning about the internet.

What is Web 2.0?

The term "Web 2.0" was first coined at "a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly Media and MediaLive International" (What is Web 2.0). The two companies were trying to determine if when the dot-com industry started collapsing, the web was going to go with it, and if this was going to be an overall trend for the internet buisness. Dale Dougherty, vice-president at O'Reilly, said that no, the downfall was simply a new beginning, which he called Web 2.0. Some examples for this new web were "Google AdSense, Flickr, BitTorrent, Napster, Wikipedia, blogging...cost per click, web services, participation, wikis, tagging, syndication" ( What is Web 2.0). One major piece of the Web 2.0 is the web as a platform or jumping off point for users searching for more information, user controlled content, services instead of packaged software, etc. (See What is Web 2.0 for flow chart) They outlined three example comparisons: Netscape vs. Google, DoubleClick vs. Overture and AdSense, ans Akami vs. BitTorrent. The first program or website were the mainstays of Web 1.0 while the second program or website are newer mainstays of the new Web 2.0. Another piece of Web 2.0 is "harnessing collective intelligence," or that the companies are embracing the ability to link to other people who have the information they may be looking for or who may be able to add important information to the discussion. Basically, not being scared to link to other sites. It doesn't mean you'll lose buisness, it just means the user will get more information from multiple places. Also, included in the collective intelligence is blogging, where great information can actually come from the user. Next, they discussed how the newest big-thing to own instead of a company that creates things that people use to access the web is data. "The race is on to own certain classes of core data: location, identity, calendaring of public events, product identifiers and namespaces" (What is Web 2.0). They also discussed that instead of having huge pieces of software people use for the internet, people are now looking for services. Companies must change their core operating procedures to: "Operations must become a core competency and Users must be treated as co-developers" ( What is Web 2.0 ). Another important piece is that software and services be universal and applicable to numerous types of devices. And finally, they discussed making the web full of rich user experiences.

Yourhub.com

Yourhub.com is meant to be a site where everyone in the community can go to find out news about their community specifically. However, it all depends on the area. Some areas have a very interactive community, while others seem to be taking some time to get the hint about the site and what they’re supposed to do with it.
The southern New York section, which I chose because it was closest to my location, was practically empty. There was one news story that wasn’t posted by the buffalonews.com, but I’m not sure it can be considered a news story, simply because it was more like a press release for an inline skating facility, Xtreme Wheels, written by the woman who runs the day-to-day operations. I know I haven’t written a news story in awhile, but last time I checked, that’s called a conflict of interest for news.
The rest of the site specific to southern New York was all shovelware. It was all pulled straight from Buffalonews.com. The community calendar has a lot of items on it, but I think they’re only from other sites for New York and not specifically for the southern site.
Bluffton.com had a lot more contributors from the community. Even the featured bloggers on all the New York sites are the same, including one that is from buffalonews.com. I think that yourhub and bluffton.com are two completely different sites. Bluffton.com is successful because the newspaper has made it clear to the public that their input is valued. I don’t think the same can be said about yourhub.com. It seems like buffalonews.com is rushing to get these sites launched, without spending the time making sure that people will actually go to them and participate. Plus, with Bluffton.com, the users are shown that what they say has an impact or is even included in the news the paper reports. I really don’t think that buffalonews.com can say the same.
Also, when looking to see where the money comes from on this site, I ran into a problem. It seems that either buffalonews.com has taken down the page that held its FAQs and the other important information about the site in general, and the site that holds the advertising rates, or they just haven’t put them up yet.

Project 2: Sidebar

The sidebar contains videos that give students advice from other students who are already in college on college life.


“Having problems with your roommate?” by The Brandon Show
College students giving advice on how to deal with bad roommates and how to make your dorm room more comfortable.


“Hello Alice Productions: College Life"
College students go over important college activities such as parking, laundry, and the cafeteria.


“Transition into College” by clari710
A college student gives incoming freshmen advice on dealing with drinking, roommates, and money.


“Day in college life” by Inaecis
A group of college students takes viewers through a typical day in college and also shows ways to cope with the rigors of college life.

Project 2: Links to Further Information and Resources

CollegeBoard.com “Plan for College”
Students can find information about topics that will be important when they go to school and advice to help pre-college planning

CollegeBound Teen Magazine
Students can find articles that will give them information about issues and challenges before they arrive at college and after they are there.

College Confidential: College Life
Students can find information about “getting ready for college & life on campus.”

Next Step Magazine: Your Life, After High School
Students can find advice, planning guides, information about college in general or specific colleges, message boards, and college counselors. Also, the site has a section specifically for parents.

Oklahoma State University “College Prep-101: Helping Students Prepare for College”
Students can find information about pre-college and at-college steps and challenges, along with other information that may be helpful for students.

The Princeton Review “Colleges & Careers”
Students can find information on specific colleges, specific majors, and college advice.

Sallie Mae “College Answer: The Planning for College Destination”
Students can find information and read stories, all from other college students.

ScholarStuff Chat Network
Students can find other students and can share stories, ask questions, or answer other students’ questions.

Student.com: The Student Center “College Advice Message Boards”
Students can find answers to questions that have already been asked or can ask their own questions to the site’s “advisors,” other college students.

Suite 101 “College/University”
Students can find articles written by contributing writers who are either college students or experts.

Yahoo Answers “Higher Education”
Students can read former posts from other students with questions or post their own questions and have them answered by their peers.

Project 2: Story

The day you’ve been waiting for is finally here. You pull up outside of the three-story, classic brick building that will be your home for the next nine months. A slow, excited smile spreads across your face. You have arrived at college! The freedom you have been waiting for your whole life is just around the corner, once your family finishes helping you move in.

As you take each trip up the stairs, loaded with everything you think you’ll need (and naturally, some things you won’t) for the next few months, scenes from movies like “Animal House” and “Van Wilder” pass through your head and with each one, your excitement doubles until you can barely contain yourself. You’re exhausted from moving in, but at the same time, feeling as though you could explode at any moment from all the energy coursing through your veins. It’s perfectly normal to feel ecstatic, excited, and really nervous about being on your own, with no one telling you what time to come home or what you can and can’t do. However, you have to be careful.

“Life on campus has many distractions that can keep students from managing their time and keeping up with their studies,” (Prentice Hall Student Success Supersite). All students must find the balance between studying and extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, some learn this lesson too late. Erin Barraco, an administrative assistant, realized too late in her college career that good use of her time would have made all the difference in her success.

“I knew that I was in college to get an education and my degree, but I also knew that college was supposed to be fun. I thought an education in some particular life lessons was also attached to the college experience. It just seemed like I couldn’t balance the two ‘educations’ I was to receive from my time at college.”

“Actually going out was usually reserved for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, but the rest of the week, we spent most of our time in someone else’s dorm room. While others may be doing work, or even at class, I’d be playing a video game or even taking a nap. Instead of going back to my room and getting my books, I would find something else to do, and usually that something else was more tempting than getting my work done,” Barraco said. "Thankfully, I did manage to graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2005, but only because I put my school work and studying before everything else."

Incoming freshmen are expected to learn, or even already know, how to apply the correct time management skills to succeed in college. Some students were never forced to try to make time for their responsibilities when they were in high school, either because they had less demands on their time or because their parents made sure they obeyed a set schedule. When those students go to college, they have to quickly learn ways to make sure they devote enough time to school work in order to succeed. Some have a hard time trying to achieve the correct balance between work and play.

Jaime Cannici, a 2004 graduate of Monmouth University, learned that without an effective time management plan, she couldn’t succeed at college.

“As soon as I got my first batch of midterm grades, I realized I was doing something wrong. I had never done that badly before, so I had to figure out what it was that I was spending too much time on and then start using some of that time for my school work. It may have taken me a little while, but I finally found the correct balance, and was able to have fun while I was at school, but also do well in all of my classes.”

Students who are concerned about their ability to effectively manage their time can find a great deal of good information on the Internet. One site, prepared by the University of Northern Iowa, gives a student a long list of ideas for ways they could become more successful: “Sites to Promote Academic Success” Also, the publisher of many educational and school books, Prentice Hall, has a site, “Prentice Hall’s Student Success Supersite,” that lists more tips for a student to succeed in college.

University of Connecticut professor David B. Miller tells his students something that other incoming freshman could benefit from: “you’re going to have to attend classes religiously, and learn time management skills, study skills, social skills and note-taking skills, and it’s all going to fall on your shoulders” (“Orientation emphasizes study as key to smooth transition to college”).