Webspite

Initially, the website project was daunting (and still kind of is). In learning to assemble a website, organization, clarity, and neatness are key, especially when it comes to the website folder itself, that houses the content, style sheets, and template for the site. The content itself  was difficult to assemble due to the fact that I did not have ten portfolio items immediately ready; I had to get creative and really dig to find things that I could include on my site, which included things I made for work, such as flyers and newsletter articles. This revealed a usefulness for the website that initially never appeared; that compiling things I made in a professional environment in a “showcase” to direct potential employers to. In that sense, my website can be used as a place to house all of the work I’ve done at work, and therefore be an excellent accompaniment to my resume. Further, it could be a home to writings and other pieces in the future.

In general, having a ready-made template for the website made it that much easier to drop in materials as needed. Dreamweaver makes designing the website simpler by allowing the user to see where an element of the page exists in the code by clicking on it.

The greatest challenge was not understanding what any of the code actually means. It became apparent that it is incredibly easy to disrupt the code, and ultimately break the site. Not knowing or understanding why it would happen became incredibly frustrating and discouraging. There are plenty of resources on the Internet to learn about coding, however, and probably plenty of Dreamweaver tutorials on YouTube. It will probably be beneficial to really learn this skill to be marketable in the workplace and perform as a multi-faceted employee to a Public Relations firm in the future.

As far as tying the website to social media projects throughout the semester, the website is beneficial in that projects and posts have a home. There’s a legitimate link that can be placed in a professional social media bio that can direct viewers to any posted work, and allow people to get to know the individual a little better. A website can be fully customized in ways that a Facebook or Twitter profile cannot, which will allow viewers to get a more dynamic sense of the person. In order to get the most out of the website, traffic must definitely be encouraged to it. By allowing users to see unposted content, there can eventually be a level of exclusivity provided to the audience.

This experience was a challenge and took me out of my comfort zone, but building a website is worth getting a better understanding of in personal time. Such a skill will come in handy in the future, especially when it comes to the impending job search. Having a website with a convenient portfolio space will be great to have on a resume, and an even better element to link to in terms of a professional social media account.

Video Shmideo.

"Self"

"Group"

Creating a video meant to communicate a specific topic (in this case “time”) is a challenge considering the limits of the project, namely no speech, or text; just images and movement to call an understanding to the topic. Initially, the group for this video project consisted of a group of three, then a group of two, back to a group of three. The initial idea, which was underdeveloped due to a lack of understanding and ultimately a group member’s dropping of the class forced the twosome to scrap what was planned and come up with something new. Then, another member was taken from another group, and the twosome then had a third. The dynamic of the group was great, and the members were open to ideas and creativity and worked well together. The initial idea of the flagship three was to wear articles of clothing, use music, or basically any item from each group member’s adolescence, and compare these items to what they are today. This idea was a little problematic, considering that at the time of publishing, the writer had gained some weight and has basically the same taste in music. With the new three, the idea was to show how procrastination and choosing hobbies and enjoyable activities over studying and homework would result in failing an assignment. Although this approach to the topic may seem cliche or overdone, the group felt that a humorous route would be the best one to take. The group had only two weeks to put it all together, and are proud of the work they did.

The group shot is what culminated first in discussion: each individual group member appearing in a classroom, getting handed a piece of (poorly graded) paper, and reacting to it in a way that reflects acknowledgement as well as denial to said received grade. In group discussions, humor was important, and it was a desirable avenue to explore. Each group member used hobbies or pastimes to communicate distraction and procrastination. One individual went to the gym rather than even try to open their school bag; at the end of the day they ended up watching super-satisfying videos of soap being cut. Another individual tried as they may to really get some work done, but after some maybe not so careful consideration, decided to play video games as their work piled up. Another individual was trying to do the right thing, but read comics instead. After deciding it was time to go back to work, it was still difficult, and the work done was little to nothing, in a callback to an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. And so, these three “self” videos were inspired and realized after first filming the final shot. Oh, but, the final shot was filmed over again. The group, after finishing their individual shots, decided that the final group shot needed a little more finesse. A nervous group headed the shot, while close-ups followed; in this way the group was able to capture each individual’s personality in a more successful way in these reshoots.

Struggle is a word that accurately describes this project. Working in new software is always daunting. Working in software without being properly taught to use in the expected class setting is a living nightmare, complete with cold sweat and an errant screech or two. A few YouTube tutorials later, and the nightmare is lessened to an entertaining daymare. Premiere Pro is difficult for a beginner with no prior video editing experience, especially with a project due in an ominous timeframe, and considering this particular group’s circumstance. After using YouTube to learn how to use the software, the difficulty diminished, and the fun began. Assembling and editing videos became easier to understand, and the process of cutting clips, using transitions, filters, and text effects were tools to craft a creative message. In time, the editing process became the best part for this writer. However, the pressure to know what is completely unknown is not fun; no one wants to be responsible for a group suffering from ignorance.

In terms of difficulty posting the final group and self videos on social media, this was never addressed in class, and therefore an opinion cannot be cast in this situation. At the time of writing, the “Self” video file was too large for Blogger to upload, and beyond a personal YouTube account, there is no other place, without instruction or suggestion, for the video to be uploaded to.

Crafting shots and shooting them was difficult in the sense that in order to make the message make any sense at all, the shots had to be clear, clean, with little distraction to get in the way of the topic. In film, every shot, every prop, every cut, every image, are deliberately placed, suggested, and positioned to give specific elemental pieces to the story telling. In the case of a short film, time is of the utmost importance; any second sacrificed to a non-essential thing has the ability to compromise the message. Pets, offscreen bystanders, maybe even a dirty dish could compromise a shot. It became important that in structuring the message, so structuring the shots was equally vital to the video as a whole. In general, crafting movement, such as from one room or area to the next was the biggest struggle, even though such footage may make the cut for merely a second or two. Making a smooth physical transition from one place to the next can look sloppy, especially with poor camera operation or just plain poor character acting.

Every communication medium has its strengths and weaknesses. Photographs capture a split second, but may not always get the right ones. In turn, photography has the opportunity to engage viewers, and stop them in their tracks.  Audio, like Podcasts, tend to work for solid expression. Many, though, need a visual aspect to consumption. Video satisfies that need for so many, and as a communication major, the ability to appeal to audiences in any communicative format, being written, visual, or auditory, is one that should be exercised regularly, and practiced as often as possible, but maybe guided better.

WikiHow to Code

Referring to Wikipedia is the first step in the process of proving anyone wrong. Such a resource at the tap of a finger is a convenient utility that most modern humans take for granted. Speaking of human, there is a human side to this resource that is often overlooked or rarely considered. Wikipedia is "governed" by a horde of humans who write, source, cite, correct, and edit these information pages on a daily basis, usually without pay. This amount of work is not small, and these individuals do this to ensure the world has access to good, correct information.

Creating a WikiHow page is the layman's entree into the world of coding, as well as the work that goes into informing people. In today's tech-centered world, learning to code is a skill that is now often taught in public schools. Mitch Resnick, a teacher, author, and inventor of Scratch, a website that teaches coding to school-age children, argues that not only is the ability to code a valuable skill, but a form of literacy and communication. In his opinion, coding is a way to express oneself in another language; individuals can create programs, websites, apps, and even art in this way.

In order to get started in creating a Wiki, it helps to know what exactly a Wiki is. IBM has a comprehensive explanation of Wikis on their website, and describe Wikis as "a collection of editable pages about a specific subject and is used by a team to collaborate on content about the subject." A page administrator first settles on their Wiki topic, creates the page and the URL, and, if necessary, names other administrators that can operate on the page. Users can then add pages and information, make edits, et cetera. 

In writing a WikiHow article, there are many steps that can be used to successfully communicate a step-by-step instructional process. It is important to have clear directives, otherwise the steps can get confusing or hard to follow. It helps having another individual go over a draft of the steps in order to clarify things the writer may not have noticed as hard to understand or too vague. It helps when the writer writes about what they know. If the process is something the writer is unfamiliar with, writing it down can often get lost on the writer. Further, the steps must be a usable process. An abstract concept can get lost in subjectivity, and may not be feasible in a utilitarian sense. Photos aid in the explanatory nature of Wikis, especially WikiHow articles. No matter how well someone may explain something, sometimes the visual representation of the step is what allows the instruction to "click;" individuals absorb information differently, and it helps to be conscious of the audience when writing anything, especially when the article is used to instruct. Recipes lend themselves to communicating steps very well. 

Learning to teach others is a valuable skill. Teaching is a difficult and multi-faceted form of communication that can be utilized in any aspect of an individual's day to day life. Learning to teach oneself is a skill that can be coupled with the aforementioned. Sometimes, it can seem easy to get lost in the daily instructions that abound. Sometimes, however, all it takes is a heading to Google or WikiHow to get the information that others may not be able to give us.

Activism, Altruism; Accessibility, Apathy

When I first learned about the Dakota Access Pipeline and the efforts of the Standing Rock Sioux with the help of hundreds of indigenous activists, it was not through the mainstream news, local or national. It was through native photographers and artists I follow on Instagram; these individuals were posting with the intent to spread awareness, incite outrage, and spur a call to action. This worked in their favor, and eventually the press was called to North Dakota to cover the situation, which in turn resulted in national media coverage. This turned the tide in the court battles for a time, until the 2016 election occurred, and turned back all that exposure and progress with a gaudy signature on an executive order. We often forget that rather than projecting an image to the world, we can do more with our individual platforms, and do real good with them.

At 25, I can remember the Pre-Internetaceous Period, a time where 8-year-olds devoid of cell phones brazenly stomped through the grass and outdoors like the Tyrannosauruses of millennia past. I hate to sound like a dinosaur myself, but it really was a simpler place in our living timeline. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, though. There’s a reason why simple is a synonym for ignorant, and the Internet and social media are antidotes for that symptom. We are exposed to information at such a rapid pace that in order to slow it down, we get to decide what we want to consume. This seemingly limitless source of information is now accessed by these unsurprisingly woke new children of the Webaceous Period, characterized by 10-year-old Neanderthals who have “Class of 3028” proudly emblazoned in their Instagram bios.

The insights we get from others are based solely on the information they present and the image they try to maintain; whether we can intrude on that is up to the poster. Everything is an illusion, and for many, that illusion is fragile and incredibly difficult to maintain. MySpace was just a simple networking site, home to one’s IRL top 8 friends. Then, through amateur HTML, it became the place to carve an identity for oneself, a tool to become someone different. Then came Facebook, which wanted a real name and a real job and a real school. Then that changed, when anyone could make multiple, often fake, profiles. Anyone watch Catfish? The 2016 election? Eventually, in walks Instagram, which was primarily for photography. Then it became a powerhouse human marketing tool, selling lifestyles too good to be true but still seemingly accessible with the right amount of FaceTune.

My point here is that no matter what comes next in the world of social networking, the social responsibility will inevitably be lost to the importance of social imaging. We want to be seen as cool, unique, exciting, interesting, and fun. But get a glimpse behind the screen and we all have that same double chin as a result of watching Netflix on our laptops in bed.