Commenting on stories online is a whole different animal than making comments on Facebook. Or so that’s what this assignment has taught me about the online comment culture. Commenting on Facebook is generally an easy thing to do. When Facebook first introduced the comment feature I thought it was one of the worst ideas ever. However now that it’s been established for a decent amount of time I’ve come to realize that many of the comments left are actually useful.
For example, my buddy changed his status on Facebook asking a question about what he should do involving classes. The comment thread that ensued included a bunch of classes people had taken that could he could take that would help him with his major requirements. Other times on Facebook people will post a status about something humorous and it is these statuses that seem to gather the most comments.
Another one of my friends put up a status about how he bombed an exam (stated in a humorous manner) and the comment thread already had 20 posts at the time I left my comment. The best part about comical statuses (from what I’ve noticed) is that the original poster will often times leave comments in the comment thread as well, making the interactions that much more personal.
The main difference between commenting on Facebook and commenting on public forums is that most of the time you don’t know the other people who are leaving comments before or after you. I would assume that because of this often times people have self-censored what they wanted to say because they were worried about what fellow commenters would say about them. It’s completely different leaving a comment about one of your close friends compared to leaving a comment about a nationally-known columnist’s article on ESPN.
My experience involving public forums was quite different from my experience leaving comments on Facebook. I noticed that the three webpages I left comments on kind of did their own thing with no interaction involving the comments I left. From my own experience and from what I’ve noticed people don’t particularly care all that much about what others are saying and generally just care about getting their opinions heard.
Very rarely were people leaving comments about prior comments. This was very different from Facebook where more often than not people were leaving comments about something someone other than the original poster had said. It was really an interesting thing to see. Much of the time people had many of the same opinions as those who had commented before them. But instead of saying something like “…much like ______ said…” they just went on and said what they wanted seemingly oblivious to what other people had said to them.
Regardless of which media is being used, comment culture has become a huge part of the online community and is something that aspiring writers will have to become accustomed to.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I'm not as dumb as I actually look.
Here's my letter on the New York Times website. It's also in Section A page 26 of today's (Tuesday's) New York edition of The Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/opinion/l16toyota.html?ref=todayspaper
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/opinion/l16toyota.html?ref=todayspaper
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Letter to the Editor (2)
To New York Times in response to "http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/business/global/09toyota.html?hpw":
Everyone seems to have forgotten just how reliable Toyota has been for years and years. Yes: rapid acceleration and faulty brakes are a huge problem for an automobile manufacturer and a huge risk to the public. But why all of a sudden do people seem to have turned their backs on a car company that for years and years put American brands to shame?
The public seems to have forgotten that nearly all major automobile companies have produced recalls for problems with their vehicles. For years and years consumers were told that the Ford Explorer had the highest probability for rollover among its other SUV competitors on the roads. Did that seem to stop people from buying them? Absolutely not. So why when Toyota, a company known worldwide for its vehicles’ reliability, issues a recall do people become so vehemently opposed to buying its vehicles?
Think about it people.
Why I chose this article:
I chose to write a letter to the editor about this article because of all the negative publicity Toyota has received lately. The media has unfairly represented Toyota recently and I felt the need to write to the New York Times about the article they published which criticized the automaker.
I drive a 1993 Toyota Corolla that has 263,000 miles on the odometer and I could not be happier with the way it performs. My father bought me the car when I was 15 for $100, and other than minor maintenance one would expect on a 17 year old car it has been unbelievably reliable. I cannot figure out why the public seems to have turned its back on Toyota so quickly. I completely understand why the public would be so worried about an issue like this. But it’s not as if other major automobile companies have never issued recalls before.
For years Toyota was the envy of the automotive world. Its sales were through the roof and its vehicles were renowned worldwide. The dependability and affordability of Toyota helped bring down American companies like General Motors and Saturn. So why is it that all of a sudden the company that was the talk of the town has become a taboo subject? It really makes no sense to me.
Do people really think that Toyota is just going to sit back and not do anything to correct the problem? Sure their reputation has taken a bit of a hit. There is no conceivable world where Toyota will just sit idly by and watch the empire it formed crumble. Give the company a chance to fix all the problems and show just what it’s made of.
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone.
Everyone seems to have forgotten just how reliable Toyota has been for years and years. Yes: rapid acceleration and faulty brakes are a huge problem for an automobile manufacturer and a huge risk to the public. But why all of a sudden do people seem to have turned their backs on a car company that for years and years put American brands to shame?
The public seems to have forgotten that nearly all major automobile companies have produced recalls for problems with their vehicles. For years and years consumers were told that the Ford Explorer had the highest probability for rollover among its other SUV competitors on the roads. Did that seem to stop people from buying them? Absolutely not. So why when Toyota, a company known worldwide for its vehicles’ reliability, issues a recall do people become so vehemently opposed to buying its vehicles?
Think about it people.
Why I chose this article:
I chose to write a letter to the editor about this article because of all the negative publicity Toyota has received lately. The media has unfairly represented Toyota recently and I felt the need to write to the New York Times about the article they published which criticized the automaker.
I drive a 1993 Toyota Corolla that has 263,000 miles on the odometer and I could not be happier with the way it performs. My father bought me the car when I was 15 for $100, and other than minor maintenance one would expect on a 17 year old car it has been unbelievably reliable. I cannot figure out why the public seems to have turned its back on Toyota so quickly. I completely understand why the public would be so worried about an issue like this. But it’s not as if other major automobile companies have never issued recalls before.
For years Toyota was the envy of the automotive world. Its sales were through the roof and its vehicles were renowned worldwide. The dependability and affordability of Toyota helped bring down American companies like General Motors and Saturn. So why is it that all of a sudden the company that was the talk of the town has become a taboo subject? It really makes no sense to me.
Do people really think that Toyota is just going to sit back and not do anything to correct the problem? Sure their reputation has taken a bit of a hit. There is no conceivable world where Toyota will just sit idly by and watch the empire it formed crumble. Give the company a chance to fix all the problems and show just what it’s made of.
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Letter to the Editor (1)
To Boston Globe in response to "http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/02/07/the_price_of_umass_law_school/".
As a Massachusetts resident, I closely followed the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s plan to acquire the Southern New England School of Law. As a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I look at this plan and see a huge burden on future students interested in attending the new law school. Student fees at UMass have increased every year since I began attending this University in 2008. The campus here in Amherst has been established since 1863 and is always undergoing change. There are constantly new projects and improvements being made to areas on campus, some of which I have never even set foot on.
As a member of the UMass community, I fully support the attempts this University partakes in to make higher education affordable for everyone. But as the article states the idea of trying to transform the already under-par Southern New England School of Law will be a daunting task for a University already struggling to keep affordable higher education within reach. Just ask UMass Amherst alum Ken Feinberg, “pay czar” for the Obama administration, if he thinks this process will go according to plan.
Something tells me he might say no.
Why I chose this article:
I chose to react to this article because the activities of this University are very important in my life. I like to keep up with what’s happening in regards to my education and see how the University plans on improving upon it. I first heard of the University’s plan to try and open a public law school a few months back and since then have been following the periodic updates about the process when they surfaced here and there.
I really liked this Op-Ed piece because it really showed just how flawed the plan is in regards to trying to keep education at all the UMass campuses affordable. I couldn’t help but agree with everything said in the article. Ever since I first caught wind of what the University was planning to do I was very suspicious of how they were going to actually make it happen. As a resident of Massachusetts I care about exactly what me and my parents’ tax money is being used for. If it’s going toward a project that has no chance of success then I feel like more people should know about the University’s plan and should contribute their opinions on the matter.
Jeff Jacoby hit the nail on the head with everything he said. Much like him, I absolutely support the idea of a public law school. Coming from a family that has always been faced with economic struggles I am a huge supporter of affordable high education. But the fact of the matter is that the University’s claim that this entire project will be paid for by taxpayers’ money is outrageous. And I felt the Globe should know how I felt.
As a Massachusetts resident, I closely followed the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s plan to acquire the Southern New England School of Law. As a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I look at this plan and see a huge burden on future students interested in attending the new law school. Student fees at UMass have increased every year since I began attending this University in 2008. The campus here in Amherst has been established since 1863 and is always undergoing change. There are constantly new projects and improvements being made to areas on campus, some of which I have never even set foot on.
As a member of the UMass community, I fully support the attempts this University partakes in to make higher education affordable for everyone. But as the article states the idea of trying to transform the already under-par Southern New England School of Law will be a daunting task for a University already struggling to keep affordable higher education within reach. Just ask UMass Amherst alum Ken Feinberg, “pay czar” for the Obama administration, if he thinks this process will go according to plan.
Something tells me he might say no.
Why I chose this article:
I chose to react to this article because the activities of this University are very important in my life. I like to keep up with what’s happening in regards to my education and see how the University plans on improving upon it. I first heard of the University’s plan to try and open a public law school a few months back and since then have been following the periodic updates about the process when they surfaced here and there.
I really liked this Op-Ed piece because it really showed just how flawed the plan is in regards to trying to keep education at all the UMass campuses affordable. I couldn’t help but agree with everything said in the article. Ever since I first caught wind of what the University was planning to do I was very suspicious of how they were going to actually make it happen. As a resident of Massachusetts I care about exactly what me and my parents’ tax money is being used for. If it’s going toward a project that has no chance of success then I feel like more people should know about the University’s plan and should contribute their opinions on the matter.
Jeff Jacoby hit the nail on the head with everything he said. Much like him, I absolutely support the idea of a public law school. Coming from a family that has always been faced with economic struggles I am a huge supporter of affordable high education. But the fact of the matter is that the University’s claim that this entire project will be paid for by taxpayers’ money is outrageous. And I felt the Globe should know how I felt.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Analyzing Letters to the Editor
Letter 1:
Almost everyone in Massachusetts had their own opinion of the election of Scott Brown to replace the US Senate seat of late Ted Kennedy. One of the best ways to let these opinions be heard is by writing to a newspaper or magazines and hope to get your piece published in the “Letters to the Editor” section. In my search for letters on this topic, I came across this letter on MassLive.
This letter was an interesting piece on the responsibilities of the Republican Party now that Scott Brown has been elected. Rather than writing about how Brown has to step up and prove that he was worthy of the win, the writer chose this platform to send a message to all Republicans. It was a very interesting writing style and I’m glad that the publishers of The Republican decided it would be a good idea to print this piece.
I’m sure plenty of people wrote into The Republican saying that Brown’s election was a travesty and that Massachusetts failed the country. And I’m not going to say I don’t disagree with these people. But as this writer said, the fact of the matter is that Brown won the election by using powerful campaign methods and by sticking to his guns and not backing down. And this writer is correct in what she says. The Republican Party needs to follow in the footsteps of Scott Brown and realize how to run a successful campaign the next time elections roll around. And the GOP absolutely needs to realize that Brown’s campaign strategy was the perfect way to rattle things in Congress.
Watch out Democrats, the Republicans are coming for you.
Letter 2:
Another letter to the editor that I found dealt with the success of the New Orleans Saints and their influence on New Orleans and Louisiana. As any NFL fan would know, the talk of the league this entire season has revolved around the resurgence of the Saints and how the team feels like it is carrying the city of New Orleans on its collective shoulders. Everywhere you turn some announcer or sportscaster is saying those exact words. As this person wrote on Boston.com, people seem to have forgotten how badly New Orleans was affected by Hurricane Katrina nearly five years ago.
As I read this I realized how right this person is. I haven’t given a second thought to New Orleans or Louisiana in quite some time. And when I hear the reports on ESPN I immediately think that things must be going great in New Orleans. But as the writer of this letter knows firsthand, things in New Orleans are nowhere near back to normal. Businesses and locals are indeed still struggling and the city and surrounding locales are far from the place they were before Katrina struck.
What stands out the most to me about this article is the fact that it came not from a professional writer or journalist, but from a citizen who felt the need to enlighten not just the public but also the writer of the article on what is actually going on in New Orleans. I give her the utmost credit for submitting this letter to The Boston Globe and just as much credit to the Globe for publishing it. This is a perfect example of how in this day and age even non-professionals can enlighten the masses.
Almost everyone in Massachusetts had their own opinion of the election of Scott Brown to replace the US Senate seat of late Ted Kennedy. One of the best ways to let these opinions be heard is by writing to a newspaper or magazines and hope to get your piece published in the “Letters to the Editor” section. In my search for letters on this topic, I came across this letter on MassLive.
This letter was an interesting piece on the responsibilities of the Republican Party now that Scott Brown has been elected. Rather than writing about how Brown has to step up and prove that he was worthy of the win, the writer chose this platform to send a message to all Republicans. It was a very interesting writing style and I’m glad that the publishers of The Republican decided it would be a good idea to print this piece.
I’m sure plenty of people wrote into The Republican saying that Brown’s election was a travesty and that Massachusetts failed the country. And I’m not going to say I don’t disagree with these people. But as this writer said, the fact of the matter is that Brown won the election by using powerful campaign methods and by sticking to his guns and not backing down. And this writer is correct in what she says. The Republican Party needs to follow in the footsteps of Scott Brown and realize how to run a successful campaign the next time elections roll around. And the GOP absolutely needs to realize that Brown’s campaign strategy was the perfect way to rattle things in Congress.
Watch out Democrats, the Republicans are coming for you.
Letter 2:
Another letter to the editor that I found dealt with the success of the New Orleans Saints and their influence on New Orleans and Louisiana. As any NFL fan would know, the talk of the league this entire season has revolved around the resurgence of the Saints and how the team feels like it is carrying the city of New Orleans on its collective shoulders. Everywhere you turn some announcer or sportscaster is saying those exact words. As this person wrote on Boston.com, people seem to have forgotten how badly New Orleans was affected by Hurricane Katrina nearly five years ago.
As I read this I realized how right this person is. I haven’t given a second thought to New Orleans or Louisiana in quite some time. And when I hear the reports on ESPN I immediately think that things must be going great in New Orleans. But as the writer of this letter knows firsthand, things in New Orleans are nowhere near back to normal. Businesses and locals are indeed still struggling and the city and surrounding locales are far from the place they were before Katrina struck.
What stands out the most to me about this article is the fact that it came not from a professional writer or journalist, but from a citizen who felt the need to enlighten not just the public but also the writer of the article on what is actually going on in New Orleans. I give her the utmost credit for submitting this letter to The Boston Globe and just as much credit to the Globe for publishing it. This is a perfect example of how in this day and age even non-professionals can enlighten the masses.
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