Fandom Writ Large - LOST

As it relates to common media, I agree with Jenkins in that the internet is "fandom writ large."  Sharing ideas with other fans, reading up on past events, and possibly interacting with the ultimate content provider is made much easier through the internet.  The greatest example of this in my personal experience has been with the show Lost.  I had not watched the first four seasons of the show.  I only began watching it midway through season five when the island began jumping through time.  I had no idea what the hell was going on.  However, I was able to go to the website "Lostpedia," and over the course of about a week, I was able to be completely caught up on the show.  In fact, I had more thorough and irritatingly pedantic appreciation of all the subtleties that were woven in.  I came up with my own wholly rational and entirely inaccurate theories of the show along with the site.  In this case, I was truly taking part in a fandom.

On a broader scale, I suppose if you define an interest in something as fandom, all of the internet is fanservice. 
- I'm a fan of physics; I'll update the wikipedia article on the double-slit experiment.
- I'm a fan of not driving aimlessly; I'll go on Google Maps.
- I'm a fan of not being in debt; I'll go pay my credit card.

I don't think that definition is necessarily accurate though.  My biggest question is: how do you define fandom?
Additionally: does participating in this kind of group setting get in the way of your own personal appreciation and interpretation of something?

In-Class Exercise 2

Sarah, Nicolette, Matt

Rhetorical Affordances of Blogs:
Good things:
- The ability to embed visual and audio media as well as hyperlinks.  Gives the chance for the blogger to give cross-references and explain them.
- More pathos due to the blog being more personal.
- Catalogue of everything they've written which aids in the memory aspect of rhetoric.
- Blogging gives the ability to edit, and perfect what you say without the chance for live errors that come with public speaking.
- Never concrete - you can keep evolving and editing a post if a mistake is found.
- Flexible context

Problems:- Lack of credibility with blogs.  Anybody can do it without credentials.  Lack of ethos with the author.
- Lack of understanding of how public blogs and the fact that what they write is permanent along with the controversy it might cause.
- People might not worry about form too much because "it's just a blog" and is more informal which can detract from credibility.
- Trusting audience too much to ignore or fix mistakes

Focusing on Audience
- Comments and polls allow a relationship with the reader that published newspaper articles or speeches can't give.
- Can focus on a charitable cause or give ad space for people with a common business interest with the blog.
- Can make certain posts private and limit it to certain readers.
- Get to focus more on author's personality through how they write.
- Someone can stylize your blog however you want to bring a reader in.
- There is not a set time frame in which a blog post must be read unlike the concrete timing of a daily newpaper or a speech.

Audience Interaction:
- Adding a forum component for readers to interact with each other.
- Live video chats or text chats
- Bloggers can share personal details about themselves in order for the reader to learn more about the author which can make it seem more personal.
- Polls, Contests
- Maintaining a back-and-forth with your reader (comments on redesigns, format changes, etc)
- Keeping a steady stream of content and not taking your audience for granted
- Don't alienate your audience by deviating too far from the niche of your content

Introduction to the Machine

Hello.  My name is Matt Rutkowski, and I am an English Major at U of M.  I've only been interested in English since my freshman year, but I've been absorbed in it since.  More than anything else, I am interested in the comedic aspects of the language.  Jokes are funny sometimes, and I like it when they are.  Outside of the university, I play drums, write music/stories, DJ at the WCBN Radio Station, play a few sports, and have made a hobby of convincing myself that I'm going to start working out tomorrow.  I'm also a huge fan of slightly awkward and stilted introductions.

I was attracted to the digital for class because I spend a lot of time on the computer.  I was hoping that taking a class on it would give me an academic perspective on my habit, and would possibly help me justify the fact that I often stay up way too late watching British comedy clips like this one.  To that end, Michael Wesch's video only served to show that I could waste a lot of time online, but not why I would.  The first thing I ever did on the internet was download midis of Mario Kart 64 songs.  Rainbow road was the prettiest.  The internet is has moved on rapidly since.  Access to audio, video, information, and socialization are practically instantaneous.  There is a proliferation of content and as users of that content, we define how this content is organized and made available.  Look at me go.

The most interesting point of Wesch's video is how he makes the point that interaction with the web has become so much more than simple text.  However, he uses only text to make his points.  This dovetails into the common perception of rhetoric as well.  Things like style and delivery as well as pathos seem very much tied into verbal speech.  There is an lack of personal interaction from video to viewer or article to reader or audio to listener.  Much of rhetoric is made more difficult in online form. 

But Wesch proves it's not impossible.  When the video cuts to the phrase "The machine is us," there may be a definitive emotional reaction from the viewer.  He accomplishes this not by interacting with the viewer themself, but by interacting with the text on screen.  By starting with a human hand editing handwriting, the video starts from a human perspective.  From there on out, we know that all of the reformation of the text seen is done by a person and not by a generic concept of a "machine."  The viewer has a connection to the video, and this generates some of the emotional response necessary for fully formed rhetoric.

In addition, noting that he's an assistant professor adds to the ethos.  Effective use of logos in his content and creativity is made clear by the fact that the video remains interesting after the three minute mark.  It's also a very inventive method, especially for the video being four years old.  That this is surprising only serves to bolster his point that technology is moving extremely quickly.  The older this video gets, the more effective it becomes.

January 9 - In Class Assignment

I've always been a fan of quick and simple breakdowns of concepts in flow chart form.  I've also been a fan of handwritten text in digital form, but that's less relevant.  Granted this is a rather basic breakdown of the concept of rhetoric, but it's easily accessible and a quick reference for someone who is just learning what rhetoric is.  It outlines the concepts of logos, pathos, and ethos succinctly, and works to give one a starting point when analyzing an argument.  It also circles the idea that the most common appeal people make is emotional.  Being aware of that can help people take a step back and analyze the argument more for what it objectively is.