Week 4 Keywords & New Project Plan

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Audience

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In thinking more about the projects and the final weeks of the class, I have made some important changes to the plan we discussed last week.  To do these projects right and well, I want you to have more time than two weeks.  Therefore, we will break up the final four blogs, presentation, and final exam to help you each (and collectively) work on the project.  You will remain in your respective groups and yet post individually.  Additionally, the posts will be more focused and directed than your first two formal blogs, as follows:

Post 3: Medium (due by Friday, August 29 at 12:00 pm)

Post 4: Audience (due by Friday, August 29 at 12:00 pm)

Post 5: Focus on one keyword from week five and do a semiotic analysis (more on this later, due by Friday, September 5 at 12:00 pm)

Post 6: Formal reflection on the course, writing in a blog medium, and the final project (due Friday, September 12 at 12:00 pm)

Notice that you have two posts due this coming week.  I will be looking for very focused analyses of your group's platform/software application and the issues of medium and audience.  For example, what is the medium in which you are performing your "experiment" or group project?  Be careful not simply to describe it, but analyze the medium: name more than its features, for example, by providing theories for why such features exist.  Why does Second Life allow for, or even encourage, people to manipulate skin tone?  Can users manipulate gender to such an extent?  By asking such questions, you should engage with other keywords, so that you are developing a theory about the relationship between these virtual media and identity, for example.  For the second post due this coming week, ask yourself questions such as: who is the intended audience for YouTube/AmericanSingles/Second Life (respectively)?  What evidence can you provide accordingly?  

Again, you will be posting individually, but you must use the experiences you have had in your group to help you analyze these questions of medium and audience.  I also encourage you to post early and ask for comments from other members of your group before the final deadline.  In other words, help each other with the writing process as well, and as always, I am available to read over anything and help you improve before posts are due.   I will also post examples/models for you by Tuesday on the issues of medium and audience for my project on Google Earth. 

For now, there is no additional reading for the week, outside of your keywords.