Social Networking replacing Emailing

For a while now, people have used email and it used to be a very fascinating thing to have. But in today's society, people often think spam/junk mail when they hear email. I know for one thing I do not use my email often at all because of all the spam I have. I didn't even sign up for half the stuff they send me! Anyways, I go on Facebook instead and talk to my friends there. It is quicker and easier and more entertaining than emailing. A lot of people use Facebook for that reason. Today it is much quicker to talk to your friends on Facebook than trying to call their phone! Believe me there are tons of Facebook addicts out there and some of which are starting at young ages like eight years old. 


I feel as though, for now, Facebook replaced emailing but soon something will replace Facebook. There will always be upgrades to technology which is why there are new social networking sites (from Myspace to Facebook: upgrade), newer phones with more GB on them, newer computers/laptops being created. Actually they do have a touch screen PC out now and my friend bought it already. The point is that, internet along with other technologies, is always changing and right now Facebook is the main use of communication over email but some day, someone will come up with a new social networking site or even better! and Facebook would become a thing of the past.


Read a great blog referring to this, it is more about the positives of Facebook use today! I recommend it especially if you do not have a Facebook yet and want one. Remember about Facebook, that if you do not set your privacy settings, everyone can see what you are posting on there! Be careful.
http://www.cit.cornell.edu/policies/socialnetworking/facebook.cfm


Good luck! 

Internet Blogging/Chatting/Social Networking...Dangerous?

In our society today, any person can use the internet, despite their age, gender, race, etc.
I feel, even though I love the internet, it is not a safe place for kids to be. I can understand
use of internet for research but when it comes to Facebook, Myspace, AIM, etc... most kids
do not know what they are getting into. There are billions of people in the world and most, if
not all, can use the internet. Not every person out there is safe or stable. There are sick people
out there who will contact young kids in anyway for their sick gain. I feel the internet should be
supervised for kids under 13 years old because there have been many cases where children have
gone online without parental supervision and talked to one of those pedophiles.

I read a blog here http://www.crime-research.org/articles/Fried10/ and it talks about how the

internet is not so safe after all. It mentions, "In a recent study conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), "by 2002 some 45 million children will be surfing the net." That is a scary estimate and that is only back in 2002! The estimate by now has to be much larger. This blog also mentions about "chicken hawks" which are pedophiles who go on online chats looking for under-aged victims. It truly is disgusting. I feel in todays society, however happy I am about us technologically advancing, i think parents need to step up and watch over their kids, for their safety because even though it may just be a computer to you or harmless fun, it could be potentially dangerous to your kid's life.

How blogs are being misused..

Many bloggers out there, today, love to design and personally edit their own blog to what they like. Whether it would be the text color to the background image. It is whatever appeals to the writer's senses. But, what about the readers?


I read Jacob Nielsen's "Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes" and he has made some good points about how blogging can be so insightful and it is such a wonderful thing to have to express yourself. It can even be as simple as posting a link; not having to have to do so much research. Sometimes readers love something short and to the point about a topic. The first mistake most "unofficial" bloggers make is they do not add a biography. Without a biography how will people know who you are? And if they like your work, it is only beneficial to put yourself out there. 


According to Jacob Nielsen, "Even if you don't have formal credentials, readers will trust you more if you're honest about that fact, set forth your informal experience, and explain the reason for your enthusiasm." Which is true, honesty is the best policy, even in writing. You do not have to make a blog ridiculously long for it to be a good blog. Even the shortest of blogs like mentioned above (just using a link) can be successful in gaining readers. There are many good tips in "Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes." It talks about adding serious headlines instead of goofy ones, adding a photo of yourself for reference and recognition, etc. I recommend it to any person who thinks they need tips on enhancing their blogging skills. (I will post the link to his article below, for all to read.)


Now, to sum up everything mentioned, a blog is not just there for colorful backgrounds and cutesy text. It is a gateway to your creativity or passion in writing. It is something to get you started in life, if you do want to become a serious writer. Yet you do not HAVE to write about serious topics/genres. There are many genres of writings out there like  variations of fiction, sci-fi, romance, poetry, etc. it is just the fact that a writer should present themselves as mature, understanding, and organized, if they want to be taken seriously.


Good luck


http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weblogs.html

What makes a piece of writing horrible

There are many mistakes writers can make and they are often clear to the reader. What makes a piece of writing horrible is anything from fragments, misspellings to getting one's emotions too entwined with what they are writing about. When you are writing, you have to consider the reader's needs and how they will respond to your work.

Some people will most likely get offended if anything negative is written, directed towards their religion or faith, culture, etc. You have to watch your words and express opinions in the most appropriate ways to avoid such conflicts. Just like Jen McClure's "A is for "Authenticity," Not "Asshole" - A Call for Civility in the Blogosphere mentions, "C'mon people, being "authentic" doesn't mean you should say whatever comes into your head. And, just because you can use your blog (or podcast or online video) to say whatever you want about whomever you want, doesn't mean that you should." I entirely agree with this statement. Censorship is a must for a good piece of writing.

Any person has the potential to be a good writer, however, there are steps you must take to become one. First, you cannot just say what comes to the top of your head. You must have your thoughts organized, clear, and concise, in order to be a good writer. If you are skipping from one idea or topic to the next without any transitions, writing thoughts without fully thinking them through, getting emotions involved, which will offend your readers. Make an argument make sense and factual, not offensive, all over the place, and too emotional. Creativity is optional but it helps with writing as well. Writing can also be bad if it is boring. Having a sense of creativity or ability to make a topic, whether you like it or hate it, somewhat interesting is a gift and it does help out a lot in the long run.