i wikipedia'd it

Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project based on an openly editable model (according to Wikipedia.com). There are over 3 million articles and almost 22 pages. 13 million registered users and 17 hundred administrators. Wikipedia has taken the world by storm. Jimmy Wales outdid himself when he thought, "wouldn't it be great if we could just have a collaborative knowledge base system that can be edited and written by anyone?" Yes because that's what we were all thinking we needed.

It's a great resource...to find out if Lindsay Lohan is in jail again and how long she'll be there. It's a great tool...to randomly read swedish literature. However the whole "anyone can edit it" thing makes me weary. If my professors didn't already tell me I couldn't use wikipedia, I probably still wouldn't use it. Any Joe Schmoe can get on there and say Shakespeare was actually a Roman bullfighter and call it truth. There just isn't any accountability for solid work.

The internet is full of false truths and imaginary work. It's just a side effect of web based technology, however to believe everything written on the internet is to be seriously misled. That's the bottom line.

We live in that glorious age where my generation only communicates through technology and at some point we're just going to have to learn and communicate things the old way, otherwise what will we have gained from our lives other than viruses and illegal music at the end of the day. I just think it'd be nice to really know all of my facebook friends...like in real life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go wikipedia Justin Beiber

we created Razzle Dazzle

Razzle Dazzle: a noun and/or adjective that could or could not represent sparkly objects and/or be a dance club; commonly referred to in a positive light, possibly under the assumption that everyone around maybe knows what the heck you're talking about; our group name.

In class today we created group power team Razzle Dazzle consisting of the coolest people in tech writing: Jessica, Madison, and Joshua. Took the internet, sketchy name, sites, and a rundown of our favorite things, to finally come up with the name Team Razzle Dazzle. Our group has serious aspirations for this team building activity and we plan to make it dazzle...or something rather.

Brainstorming will be interesting in this group because we're all talkers. We're all opinionated. We're all just a bit controlling. And we really like to talk, especially Madison (just kidding). So I think we decided to section off part of our meeting times to get all our "How was your day" talking out of the way so we won't be tempted to talk about lots of other random stuff.

My goal for this project will be to listen. I constantly set this as my goal because I do tend to get a little spacey. In any situation where a person is talking for longer than 4 minutes (I have timed in the past) I can get a little distracted. In classes I'm usually a little better, because I'll write notes or participate because that keeps me active and engaged. But put me on one of the top three floors of the Cooper Library and watch my eyes wander because there are just too many people walking around that place.

watch out world here comes Razzle Dazzle,

i acted like a girl

Good thing I am a girl, because otherwise my choice of instructions would have been questionable and therefore not credible. A girl's guide to everyday make-up consist of a few very basic essentials: foundation, blush, eye shadow, mascara, and the ever-changing lip gloss. In a world where society's first impression of anyone is physical attributes, a girl will want to look her best. It's ultimately not just about appearance either, but about the way looking good can make a person feel.

My instructions are to provide very comprehensive and fun, yet organizational steps to make a young girl's morning a little more interesting. Through my own personal experience, I included some back ground on the history of make-up and a mini pep talk to keep the reader interested. Pictures and colors are always a necessary feature when addressing the hormonal teenage society and a few exclamation points doesn't hurt, instead keeps the spacing out at a minimum. Appealing to a the young and fanciful whims of young girls is something that I know very well and if I can draw in that audience of boy-crazy and hyperactive imaginative girls, then my job will have been successful.

We all have our areas of expertise and when we use that we can be extremely persuasive people. The best part about doing what you know, is you always win.

Now if I could just learn how to change a tire, my well-rounded personality will have no persuasive limits.

i had crazy instructions

Okay so my IKEA instructions were pretty useful. I mean I haven't fallen through so far, so I'm gonna say it was a success. However when I decided to share my IKEA bed frame instructions with the group, I learned some very misleading things. Un-knowingly I had provided ample entertainment for the group. Basically the instructions consisted of pictures and the most amusing part was the first page:

Funny pictures really, but the best part was the second picture which somehow is supposed to tell you that you shouldn't build the bed on the floor but instead on carpet. Question: Does a picture of a carpet merely need a few short lines attached to a square to constitute a carpet? Answer: Depends on your artistic visual capability. 

You know how in therapy sessions, the therapist shows you inkblots and then each person will probably see something different? Yah, that's this IKEA stuff. When you use pictures there is going to always be some controversy. People see the world differently in all aspects. Some see what they want to see and others see what they think should be there. Instructions have to become general because of this indiscrepancy. They have to encompass a great group of people and ultimately show a person exactly what needs to be done.

Good thing I'm using photos for my instructions....

Leaving no room for interpretation,

yours truly