Long Term Effects of English 402

As this is my last blog post for the class I thought it would be appropriate to write about what I have learned and what the long term effects of this class may be for me. As I stated in my first blog I have never been a fan of English classes. I am happy to say that this one was a different animal all together. This was the first time I enjoyed an English class and felt that it would be directly applicable to my real life. Of course not everything was applicable as I do not see myself becoming a copywriter or a freelance author. Although I enjoyed those sections as well. Actually I had the most fun with the pitch letter because I got to write about something I knew. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I had no idea that anyone could write in to a magazine. In fact it sparked my interest a little, not because I want to become a writer, but because the challenge of being published sounds intriguing. Will I actually follow through with it? Probably not any time in the near future, but at least now I know the opportunity exists. If some day I become passionate about something and feel the need to be heard, I know where to start. If that doesn't work I can always take what I learned from Tom and publish a book on Amazon.

The most important thing I took from this class was an awareness of rhetoric. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) this is the one thing that will definately stick with me and that I have seen in my life already. I notice rhetoric in everything now, and I suspect people of trying to sell me something with every word they speak. Which leaves me with the question, have I become aware or paranoid? Probably a little of both, but for now it doesn't seem to be hurting anyone so I choose to believe that it is a useful tool that I can use to my advantage.

Tom Sumner's Lecture

Guest speakers are always very interesting because we get to hear how technical writing is applicable in different facets of the real world. What struck me most was the fact that Tom edits computer science books but is not an expert in the field. I was very surprised to hear that editors do not have to know the material to be effective editors. I think it would have been beneficial to have a non-computer-science person edit the books that were used during my initial training. Tom mentioned that sometimes people are able to write their own book and get it published without editing if they are the professor of the class that requires the book. I believe this is what happened in my experience. The books I was assigned for Comp-Sci at the University of Colorado in 1999 were all written by a professor at that school. Which explains why they didn't make any sense at all. It was basically just a collection of excerpts from computer programs with virtually no explanation as to what it did or why. It was fun to hear Tom's perspective on it and get a little confirmation that I was not fully insane.

Another thing I found very interesting was the idea that people can publish their own work through Amazon. It is exciting that anyone can get published and really opens up the possibility that I could be published if I felt so inclined. It is a little concerning however, that ANYONE could publish their work and the market will become saturated with books written by people like me. Which quite frankly is disturbing because I would most likely write crap. It seems like it would become extremely difficult to weed out anything that was worth reading from the mass of amateur attempts at greatness.

The Persuaders

I had noticed over the past couple of years that the product placement in TV shows had become more obvious and the frequency had increased. What I didn't know was the reason behind it. After watching the Persuaders it makes perfect sense. I had thought it was just the actors selling out like Bob Harper on the biggest loser. He went from being a personal trainer to a spokesman for sugar free gum and nalgene bottles. The show went from an inspirational reality show to a two hour infomercial. It was very disappointing to find that it was a direct result of my actions. I am guilty of recording all shows and fast forwarding through the commercials. I almost never watch live TV any more. With Comcast On Demand there is virtually no need to watch a show when it is being broadcast. It is interesting to note however that Comcast has found a way around the consumers impulse to fast-forward through commercials during on-demand programming. At least with my box the On-Demand programming is not as responsive to the control commands and will not jump forward or back to the intended stopping point. Because of the way it is programmed you are forced to watch at least a portion of the commercial or miss part of the show you are trying to get to. Very frustrating, but now I understand why they do it. They ensure that the product is seen, sometimes 3 times if you are persistant like me and try to get it to stop at the right place. I hate commercials, but frankly I would much rather have commercials that can not be skipped than have them take over the show.

Don't get me wrong, product placement is ok when it is done well. It has become a game in my house to identify what type of cars NCIS or CSI's drive. If you watch closely you will see that in certain episodes every vehicle you see them drive is a single brand. In the next episode they mysteriously have new cars. Sneaky product placement but it is smart because it peaks my interest and now they have me looking for it specifically. This is a brilliant tactic because it doesn't annoy the viewers.

English 402 Real World Application

Because of our segment on tone in professional writing I have become very aware of the tone in messages at work. The tone was always there and before this class I usually had an emotional reaction to it. I wish I could say that because I now recognize the tone I can separate my feelings, but unfortunately that is not the case. What I have found is that my response has changed.

One of the issues I see frequently in e-mail chains is an escalation of negative tone. The first message may be a little abrupt with each response a little more severe, until upper management is being copied on what has become a written tongue lashing or tattle-tell session. This happens frequently between departments or shifts due to varying priorities on certain tasks.

One specific example that comes up routinely is for a quality monitor that requires cooperation from multiple departments. In the most basic terms one department delivers the material and another department completes the test. A schedule has been set in place to minimize impact to production. If the material is not available on schedule the e-mails start flying. Before long we have management from both departments copied on an e-mail chain indicating that NO ONE knows how to do their job. Although this can be amusing as a by-stander it is not at all productive. Because of this class I was able to see that it all began with the tone of the first message. I was able to neutralize the situation through a diplomatic e-mail explaining to both departments the necessity of the test and the benefits of staying on schedule. As a result I am now the person BOTH departments contact if any material goes missing. I just haven't managed to figure out how exactly that benefits me. I need to find a way to use these powers to reduce my workload instead of increasing it.

Media Kits at WSU

Here is a link to an online media kit provided by Washington State. WSU Nutritional Media Kit

Technical Writing Analysis

I chose to analyse Michael Sasser's version of the technical writing assignment for this week. I found it to be fairly obvious that Michael has experience with this type of instruction as he created a very concise re-write with a professional tone throughout. He begins with a clear description of what he is providing instructions for as well as why we would want to map a shared drive. Another point that made me feel he was technically inclined was the fact that he started the instruction numbering with 0 instead of 1. This is an interesting approach and would be acceptable in a technical environment however it may seem odd to anyone outside the industry. In this case his audience would be internal to the company so it may be expected. On the other hand, instruction step 0 is not an action step and is more appropriately labeled with a 0 instead of a 1 for this reason. Michael is polite and uses the word please. I also noted that he included the Help Desk as an option in addition to Network Administrator. In most large companies the help desk would be a more appropriate contact so it would be important to note.

For the most part the instructions are very good but I did notice that Michael used "her computer" in step 1. and "she" in step 8 which assigns a gender to the user. Throughout the rest of the instructions the user is gender neutral.

Michael's interpretation of the intended audience was different from mine. I wrote my version for the end user whereas Michael's version appears to be geared at someone helping another individual set up a drive with most steps beginning with "The user will need" or "Have the user". This implies that the user will not be setting up their own drive. There is nothing wrong with this interpretation I just found it interesting.

Michael also did a great job including details and examples such as he did in step 7 "\\server\mainfolder\applicationfolder\" If the instructions do not have screenshots it is important to give the user an idea of what they are looking for. This makes it very clear that they are doing things correctly. He also did a very good job explaining why someone would want to reconnect at logon and what that function will accomplish. He did an excellent job in step 8 stating that the user will need to map the network drive again if they log in to another computer. This may seem like common sense however having worked at a help desk myself I am painfully aware that it is not common knowledge.

Overall I though Michael made a vast improvement over the original version, he should be careful with the "her" and "she" though, this makes it seem that only girls have issues setting up drives. With those two little words omitted, Michael's version is something I would expect to see in the professional setting.

Creating a Shared Drive

How to Set up Shared Drives on Windows 95 or later

Analyzing for Rhetoric

I think it is disgusting that so many people out there take advantage of bad situations. I am shocked that there are so many scams out there preying on students and people who have lost their jobs. I have heard of some scams where people offer to employ you and with the first paycheck you cash they steal your identity and bank account information. This is not only unethical, it also seems illogical. Seriously, how much money can an unemployed person really have to steal? In my book it is right up there with banks charging overdraft fees when they KNOW for a fact that you don't have any money. But I digress.

I got a message last week in my university e-mail about a student job offer. Of course I recognized it as a scam, but the Rhetoric used was impressive. I could see how someone in a desperate situation could fall victim to their trickery.

The message was from Kim and is copied below. The black font is the original message and the blue comments are my analysis of the rhetoric. Enjoy!

Dear Student, Appealing to my Ethos - They obviously know I am a student because they sent the message to my university e-mail account.

I would like to invite you personally to become a part of our team. Again with the Ethos, now I have been personally invited. They also use Pathos by making me a part of their team.

In the time of crisis more companies are downsizing, moving overseas and outsourcing many of their positions. The buzzwords "crisis", "downsizing", and "outsourcing" strike a nerve in most Americans these days. They are forging an attack on the pathos with this sentence.

Because of this, a brand new opportunity has come about. We are looking for people to work as professional distance-based typists. If you’re eager to use your skills to make some additional cash, then you might want to consider a home typing position. Here they throw in a little logos if you stretch the definition by telling you a little about what they are offering. Again the appeal to the ethos by suggesting we have skills and the pathos by letting us know we can work from home with the family.

No experience is needed.Our requirements for distance-based typists are:-Computer with Internet access.-Good Typing Skills.-Basic Internet knowledge.-Basic Computer and Typing Skills. Logos - Not really selling anything but making it appear that the reader is qualified for the job. Obviously if one did not have Internet access they could not receive this e-mail.

You will not have to devote full time hours. These assignments can be done on your time.They may be done in Internet cafes or where ever you can get Internet access.All data entry operators work from home and are independent contractors.You typically set your own hours and work from home on projects that are enjoyable! This appeals to my pathos by making me feel like I would be really REALLY happy if I had this job. Some of the key phrases that pop out at me are "on your time." "set your own hours", "work from home", and of course "enjoyable!" I would get to work for myself AND enjoy it, sounds pretty fantastic.

Average monthly earnings start from $1000 to $3000 or more. Reel them in with the logos, facts about the cold hard cash.

If you are interested just reply to my email! Lets round it out with some ethos, make it about the reader's interest.

Best Regards, Awe she really cares, that touches my pathos.
Kim Nilson

Confidential Tone

Link to Completed worksheet

I was very excited about this particular assignment. The idea of analyzing the tone of some of the messages I get on a daily basis got my head swimming with ideas. Some of the recent messages I have gotten are so negative and abrupt one can't help being offended. I began sorting through my mailbox to find the perfect message to analyze. With each new message I pulled up it became more and more apparent that posting any of them on the Internet would be a very poor decision. I would be risking my own job by potentially breaking the non-disclosure agreement through accidentally leaking something they felt was proprietary, while simultaneously outing one of my co-workers. One thing I know for certain, an angry co-worker does NOT get nicer once they have been outed. So I went with my gut on this one and decided to go with something a little less interesting.

Delta Airlines was very excited about the following message.
"For a limited time, take advantage of American Cellars Wine Club's new customer offer. Enjoy great tasting wines delivered right to your front door — you'll earn 2,500 miles, and the wines are only $6.99 a bottle. Get a free 6-piece Cellar Master Wine Tote (a $37.95 value) and free shipping on your first order just for signing up today!"

As this is a sales pitch the tone is positive as expected. "Enjoy great tasting wines delivered right to your door" implies that I will be happy about what they have to offer. It will benefit me and be convenient. Of course they go on to tell you about additional perks to get you excited. One thing that caught my eye was the exclamation mark at the end of the message. To me an exclamation mark can either be interpreted as aggressive or excited. In the context of this message it conveys an excited tone. I can almost see the perky blond flight attendant tilt their head grinning from ear to ear with a sparkle in their eye, "ting!" The message also conveys a strong sense of urgency. Catch phrases like "limited time" and "signing up today" make the reader think that they have to act quickly to "take advantage" of this offer.

Although I would have much rather analyzed an e-mail from a co-worker, I suppose the Delta Airlines sales offer provides a better option, at least where job security is concerned.

Rhetoric and Modern Communication

"Rhetoric" is one of the words used in English courses that has always intimidated me. An assignment to write about Rhetoric was a little frightening to say the least. To be honest I really didn't know where to begin. As a student I have heard the definition of Rhetoric multiple times. Unfortunately when the subject came up in our last class I caught myself searching my memory for anything at all that came close to resembling a definition. No such luck. As we discussed the subject in class I began to realize why I didn't have a clear definition.



In my world every communication uses rhetoric naturally. Whether intentionally or subconsciously everyone is trying to persuade whomever they are communicating with. When people communicate with peers or close friends they constantly search for validation. The common phrase "You know what I mean?" comes to mind. If whomever they are speaking with does not agree the most common response is to go into more detail or re-iterate what they have already said. I find myself using all three forms of Rhetoric we discussed in every day life. I am personally a logical thinker so I approach nearly all aspects of my life logically first. If logic does not work I appeal to the emotions, if that doesn't work I find a way to make it relate to my audience personally. It is a natural human desire to want others to agree with you or see your point of view.



Unfortunately politics have given rhetoric a bad reputation. When people use the art of persuasion to influence people negatively it begins to lose some of it's natural beauty. Like most things in life, no matter how useful a tool can be in the right hands, it is just as devastating in the wrong ones. Once society realizes that all modern communication has an underlying desire to persuade them, people may lose the ability to see things for what they are. I have found that in the workplace people are constantly searching for a hidden agenda. It is sad to think that the pure form of communication has been so thoroughly tainted that we can no longer take things at face value.

Communication and Academic Writing

From the time we start our academic endeavors at 5 years old, the English language and written form is an integral part of our education. The alphabet is the first thing I remember learning. At the time we have no idea what it will mean, or how agonizing the individual components of that catchy little tune could become if strung together in the right manner. I progressed through elementary school blissfully unaware of the fact that English would be a constant requirement throughout my entire academic career. It wasn’t until Mrs. Fischers 7th grade English class that I realized my true feelings about writing. I found that because questions for essay papers do not have a right or wrong answer, the grading is entirely subjective. For an obsessive compulsive over-achiever this is completely unacceptable. From that “C” forward I hated anything that had to do with English or writing. I even spent a year abroad in a vain attempt to escape the wretched subject. Of course English was a required course, even in Sweden. The best part about taking English abroad was that I actually appeared to be good at it. How can we call something a rule when there are so many exceptions to it? I have long felt that the ability to write an essay paper is about as useful as cursive. In the second grade we were forced to learn cursive. They convinced us that cursive would be the ticket to a successful life, that all teachers throughout the rest of our education wouldn’t accept any papers unless they were written in cursive. Interesting theory, but it really didn’t pan out for them. In fact I have never had a teacher, professor, instructor, or boss who would accept anything written in cursive. The same logic applies to writing. I am an engineering student who works for a Japanese company. If what I have to say can not be communicated through the use of a graph it really isn’t worth saying. The written word is virtually useless in my career field because all meaning is lost in translation. Verbal communication or graphical representations are the only effective means of communication in the real world. Not to mention, the second you write something down a paper trail is created. I have found that this can later be printed and presented out of context to make you look like a fool. In summary, although communication skills are extremely important, one must recognize that communication and Academic Writing are not synonymous, nor are they interchangeable.

Welcome to 402 Test

This is the first of many blogs to come. The purpose of this particular post is to test the system and verify my technical capability. Unfortunately my creative writing talent is virtually non-existent so this is all I have to offer. Hopefully with the help of this course the content will become more entertaining in the future.