Annotated Bibliography 10: Improving public perception of Bats

Hoffmaster, Eric, Jennifer Vonk, and Rob Mies. “Education To Action: Improving Public Perception Of Bats.” Animals (2076-2615) 6.1 (2016): 1-9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Bats are generally seen as disease carriers which has given the public a negative image of them. Their connection to vampire lore has also made some people fearful of them.  The article is trying to change the peoples perception of bats buy stating how they are a vital and valuable part of the ecosystem, providing a variety of essential services like pest control and plant pollination. Bats belong to the Chiropteran order which is large and diverse, these creatures can be found at seaside or desserts. These amazing creatures are estimated to save corn farmers 1 billion USD globally by preying on agriculture pests. Researchers have believe that bat boxes would be economically viable for farmers to use compared to pesticide. Yet bats are the victim of turbines, human encroachment, and pesticides. The articles points out how people showed be trying to protect bats considering their important to the environments and how they might if their perception of bats changes.

Annotated Bibliography 9: Sociability and gazing toward humans in dogs and wolves: Simple behaviors with broad implications

Bentosela, Mariana, et al. “Sociability And Gazing Toward Humans In Dogs And Wolves: Simple Behaviors With Broad Implications.” Journal Of The Experimental Analysis Of Behavior 105.1 (2016): 68-75. PsycINFO. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Sociability is defined as the ability to approach and interact with unfamiliar people. The article is mainly about the study that was conducted to compare sociability and gaze behavior in domestic dogs and human socialized captive wolves in order to identify the relative influence of domestication in the human-dog bond. Gaze behavior is when people or animas direct their gaze to visible hand movement goals. Two experiments were conducted the results were that dogs showed higher levels of interspecific sociability than wolves even when no attention was available.  Studies have shown lifetime experiences are important in the development of the bond between dogs and humans. For example , shelter dogs remained closer to passive unknown humans then pet dogs, but also showed more fear-appeasement behavior. One of the most important consequence of domestication is that dogs and humans have become social partners, the dogs forming an attachment with their owners.

Image result for domestication of wolves and dogs

 

Exterior Site: Atlanta Zoo in The Jungle

zoo-atlantaThe moment you see the Atlanta zoo you feel like your about to enter the Jungle, a jungle in the middle of a city. In the front is a bunch of potted plants and tree shrubs all around. Their is a wooden archway that with vines on it, there’s two entrance doorways with security guards and admissions attendants.  The ticket attendant is there to sell and check tickets that gives you permission to enter the zoo, while the security guard is their to make you are carrying no weapons that could pose dangerous to other people in the zoo. There’s also a sign attached to the front of the wooden archway with the words Atlanta zoo in white which stands out against it’s first green background. Looking around you’ll see mostly  2 or more people entering the zoo together and I believe the main purpose of the zoo encourages this. Because even though the zoo has attractions you can enjoy on you own the main attraction is being able to view the amazing wild animals which is more enjoyable when your sharing the experience with another.  There’s also two buildings on beachside of the entrance with teal color roofs facing each other allowing you a clear few of trees in the background. The zoo has a very spacious design (open space) shown in the gaps they leave between each architectural structure because they want visitor to be able to to take in as much of the zoo as possible.

 

Annotated Bibliography 8: Selection for ‘environmental fit’ from existing Domesticated Species

Lawrence, A B, and E Wall. “Selection For ‘Environmentai Fit’ From Existing Domesticated Species.” Revue Scientifique Et Technique (International Office Of Epizootics) 33.1 (2014): 171-179. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

The articles is about the history of animals breeding. Which has a very long history in which farm animals where breed for human benefits. Using a process called selection, in the articles selection refers to the genetic improvement of animals with artificial selection. Recently the practice of animal breeding has become more sophisticated, increasing the speed of production traits. For example, the rate of growth (increased) in animals. However there’s also been some well documented evidence of negative fertility and health issues in high yielding dairy cattle. The author of this article is trying to explore the questions surrounding breeding and welfare. Concluding that there is a better need for an understanding of genotype and the environments effect on health and welfare traits in order to get breeding programs to improve environmental fit in animals.

Bibliography Article #7:Vunerability, Dependence, and Special Obligations to Domestic Animals

Weber, Eli. “Vulnerability, Dependence, And Special Obligations To Domesticated Animals: A Reply To Palmer.” Journal Of Agricultural & Environmental Ethics 28.4 (2015): 683-694. Business Source Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

The article is a reply to Clare Palmer’s argument that most people have a “special obligation” to assist domesticated animals. Because Domestication creates Vulnerability and dependency and most humans benefits from the institute of domestication. Palmer believes that even if they have not consented to such obligations or bred domesticated animals themselves.  However, Eli Weber disagrees stating that palmer has given no reason for people to accept this claim and that even if there’s such a thing as special obligation and that vulnerable and dependent beings give rise to special obligation, just because we benefit from these animals does not mean we have a special obligation to them. That the special obligation Palmer disuses refers to the “moral obligations which are borne to a subset of individuals rather than all individuals with direct moral status”.  Concluding that voluntarism explain the prevalent intuition to often assist domestic animals because of special obligation but rarely wild animals.

Summary 6: Better Online Living through content Mode Ration

King, Melissa. “Better Online Living Through Content Mode Ration”. Model view Culture 28, ( 14 October 2015), web. 6 March 2016.

The title of this article is Better Online Living Through Content Mode Ration written by Melissa King. The article is about how content control offers features like block and ignore functions, content/trigger warnings, block-lists and privacy options, which is helpful to people who need to moderate their time online. Some users may suffer from PTSD and need to avoid topics and people that trigger their anxiety. Post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) can occur after you’ve been through a traumatic event. Other users may simply understand the limits of their patience and choose to make their online experience less irritating.  The other topic is about the argument against content control like how the reactions are out of .

Some of the users who use these tools are labeled as weak and sensitive. So the criticizing of social modern tools leaves users in a culture that pressures people to experience far more catastrophe. Any issues that arise becomes entirely the victims problem when their attacked online and how they need to” just deal with it”.  A good example of this would be cyber bullying. Content control is helpful in limiting the worst of these effects which can cause PTSD if it’s very severe or long enough.

One Major argument against content control it that people blow the abuse and harassment they receive out of proportions.  Also, how they should try to be “less sensitive”. The argument draws an informal parallel to Exposure Therapy, which is a type of therapy designed to combat severe anxiety through gradual and exposure to its source. Its not about having random internet strangers hurl insults and thetas and somewhat they want to become mentally durable. However, without controlled exposure some suffering from PTSD is likely to have their trauma magnified when face with trigger content.

Also, another argument against content control rely on the myth that it’s just mean words on the internet with no real threat to safety. The idea is that harassment can’t cause PTSD according to pop culture its something that only veterans can get. For example, licensed clinical psychologist/ professor of Psychologist Caleb Lack specializes in treating anxiety states that ” Bullying has long been known to have a severe impact on the mental health, particularly if the bullying is repeated and prolonged”, ” Yes, you can get PTSD from twitter”.  He also goes on to stat that its specifically the bullying or harassing that could lead to PTSD or PTSD symptoms. long-term exposure to threatening situations like harassment can for fact cause problems and is one of the major causes of PTSD.

Blacklists is one of the more recent content control to be added in direct response to hate groups. Like Gamergate, TERFs, and white supremacists. In response it has gathered vehement objection  and reproach of users, mostly using legal action. The most compelling argument comes from people who do not harass or threaten people, who are in “middle of the road” and paint both sides on the issue as unreasonable. Suggesting that dialogue is in order to solve the whole harassment problem.

 

Summary 5: Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments

The title of this Article is Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments written by Mary Hocks. There are  two main topics of her article one is how visual rhetoric operate in academic hypertexts. The other one is the three key terms of Visual Digital Rhetoric: audience stance, transparency, and hybridity and how each effects the transformative process. Analyzing the three terms/ hypertexts on the article Monitoring Order and the television program Xena The Warrior Princess.

Visual Rhetoric also known as visual strategies is used for meaning and persuasion, its importance amplified by visual and interactive hypertext and media writing. Hypertext( non-sequential) writing is defined as the underlying concept defining the structure of the world wide web. For example, professional Anne Wysocki created a hypertext titled Monitoring Order and professional Christine Boese crafted a hypertext titled  ” The Ballad of the Internet Nutball”. Another example, is a website on the theater performance topic of colorblind produced by Spellman college students enrolled in a Shakespeare course.  Hock stated that by putting their work on the web, the students were creating ” New Knowledge For A Real Audience”. Also, since the appearance of hypertext and other new media it’s difficult to separate words from visuals or privilege one over the other

Audience Stance refers to the interaction of the audience with the online piece of writing and Aristotelian concept of ethos; the audience can effect the audience interaction with the website. Transparency refers to the way in which  the outline writing resembles the culturally familiar scenes with their own conventions. Which includes print, graphic, design, film, and web pages. Hybridity refers to the way online writing mingles visual and verbal elements in its overall presentation. Which can be the aesthetic response in online writers and in audience.  For example, Boese does a ethnography and analysis of the fans and cult like dedication to the television program Xena the Warrior Princess. She describes the audience stance as the opening screen though music, images, text, and hypertext structures.

Boese creates ethos that is engaged insider, co-participant, and scholarly investigator, that assumes an engaged online audience of fans. She also refers to the audience fans as the ” co-authors”. Her visual strategies are also important to her argument used to motivate and engage in the online culture called the Xenoverse. Yet Boese interface design is not very transparent offering an unfamiliar multidimensional structure, which takes advantage of non-linear hypertexual form. Using multiple frames, linking strategies, and multiple media. Bouese uses several forms of navigation like a  picture of Gabriele ( who is one the main characters and sidekick to Xena) that leads to the narrative reading texts.

Hocks demonstrates she knows that she addressing a knowledgeable professional audience. She begins her article by addressing the recently scholarly emphasis on ” the central role of the visual rhetoric for writers”. She also takes into account recent scholarly work that tries to combine rhetoric with hypertext by authors like Gary h. and Patricia Sullivan.

 

 

 

Hocks, Mary E. ” Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments”. College composition and Communication 54.4 ( June 2013): 629-56. web. 5 March 2016.