Extra Credit!

Had you ever used a blog before attending RTF 305? If so, what was it's focus?

I have to admit, I did use a blog quite frequently back in my Junior High/High School days. I used to let out all of my teenage year adventures and drama onto the social networking site called MySpace. My blogs typically focused really on just my life as a teenager and what my weekend consisted of or what I thought was cool at the time. I would always include a viral YouTube video for my audience to see and comment on as well. I thought I was cool! :D

What were the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course?

The positive aspects were that everything was done electronically. No matter where you were, you could always do your homework in a timely manner since turning it in simply means posting it on the internet. Another positive aspect was that it saved paper. In a world that is trying it's hardest to go green, I believe that doing everything electronically could be a huge benefit in helping reduce waste.

What difficulties did you encounter in using the blogs? (both technical and conceptual)

Some difficulties were that the blog post assignments never went out at the same time. Sometimes I would get them on Wednesday, and sometimes I got them on Thursday. I felt as though even these days were late in the week to get started on a blog post, since I hate doing homework on the weekend.

If you had difficulties in using the blog, how were you able to overcome the difficulties you encountered?

I was able to overcome these difficulties by just toughening it out and staying up late friday or saturday night doing my blog. Sure it wasn't the best start to my weekends, but homework is homework and it had to completed one way or another.

What types of blog prompts were more or less interesting or difficult? (provide an example and rationale)

The blog posts that were most interesting to me were the ones where we got to use our own examples of shows that we watch. This way, we could be able to be graded on our opinion that we felt related to the topic. One of my favorite blog posts was the comparing hegemonies of different eras. For this specific blog post, I compared the show All In The Family to Family Guy. I found it interesting in comparing these two shows, especially because I was able to use one show that I watch regularly and love.

Would you recommend using a blog in future course, either in RTF 305 and other undergraduate courses at UT-Austin? (explain why..)

I would most definitely recommend using a blog post for homework assignments for RTF 305 and other undergraduate courses at UT-Austin. I found this way of doing homework very beneficial and easy to use. In a world where technology continues to grow every day, online homework is becoming more and more realistic. 

What would you suggest to change or improve the blogging experience in the future?

I would suggest making examples be mandatory. I know I always tried to use some sort of pictures of include a video because I know that seeing examples is very beneficial for the audience of the blog. If not for the audience, it is also helpful for the writer itself. If examples were mandatory, the writer of the blog would be forced to research a video on YouTube or a picture on Google images. I believe examples are very helpful in homework assignments such as these, especially in a media studies class.

Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.

Globalization!

Globalization can be seen as the mixing of various ideas, languages, cultures, people, an even nations. This bond eventually forms some type of connection globally that creates an impact on various media. Better opportunities for communication are made throughout these places. As we continue to grow in our technological world with a thing called 'The Internet,' we can see how easy it is for the idea of globalization to be seen in full effect. Globalization is usually seen as being driven by a mix of economic, sociocultural, political, and technological factors.

http://www.fusion-comics.com/Promotion/SacAnime_2010/part01/anime%20books01.jpg

One example of Globalization that can be seen is cultural imperialism, which is the idea that with the bonding of different people and nations, many cultures eventually become the same. An example of this is Anime books. These books originated in Japan for all of the Manga fanatics, however eventually over a time a culture formed in the United States, creating a rise in popularity, therefore a rise in demand and supply from Japan. 

http://barbieprincesscartoon.blogspot.com/2010/10/sailor-moon-top-girls-cartoon.html

Today, many can see how much of an impact these Japanese books have had on the United States as we can see many of these books in local retailers and various other stores. The Western World has shown a true love and popularity for this famous comic-style book as many are hooked on reading these 'backward books' that are written about characters that face drama and other various conflicts. Some anime has even taken the next step to being made into television shows here in the Unted States. Some examples of these shows include Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and Bleach. This Globalization shows how with the power of money comes to the power to create different media for various countries. There truly is no boundaries when it comes to globalization.

http://www.instantz.net/anime/Bleach.html

Like a Good Neighbor

One of my favorite ads right now is the State Farm commercial that describes how an insurance company is always there for their customers. To establish their claim in a more humorous and appealing way to their audience, they exaggerate their ability to always be there by magically popping up whenever they are automatically needed. Their jingle is "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," and in this particular case, they magically appear with a sandwich, a girl, and a hot tub to satisfy their customers.


The advertising appeal of achievement prominence and attention is when a company makes you believe that buying their product will be better for you in the long run. State Farm accurately tries to do this by claiming to always be there for you when you need them the most. Unlike other insurance agencies, they feel that they can provide much more personal support for their customers.