All posts by kwoodlief1

Blog Project Prompts, tl;dr

Blog Post #9: Who is Responsible for the Burden of Truth?

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The internet has made available a plethora of information which can be accessed with just a few clicks. The reason the world wide web is so wonderful is because it allows us to compile and document information in ways different than ever before. However, this has created a sort of saturation of information; suddenly people are able to Google just about anything and come up with hundreds or thousands of webpage results. The user is then responsible for the daunting task of sorting out what’s useful and reliable from what’s questionable and irrelevant.

See, the ease of the internet is also one of its major drawbacks. Because it takes almost no effort to post something online, this means just about everyone can post their opinions, ideas, experiences, and wisdom on the web. Some of these people will be professional critics, journalists, and writers — others, however, will not. Something you may not realize is that there is a large portion of content posted online that is created by authors unaware of rhetorical contexts or the anomalies associated with an online audience. This may be one reason why so much of the content found on the internet can be inaccurate, irrelevant, or simply too long-winded and without a concrete point.

In embracing the internet we must also embrace that, due to the free-for-all nature of the web, it is the responsibility of users to discern the good from the bad. This realization sheds light on just how unfortunate it is that people are no longer taking the time to read lengthier pieces of text. Regardless of our desire for instant gratification and conciseness, sometimes it is necessary to engage ourselves in more substantial pieces of writing. Some subjects simply require a large amount of background information or explanation in order for a truly coherent and informative piece of writing to be produced on the topic.

Of course, it’s understandable that internet users are looking for short answers online. With the popularity of sites like Twitter that are based on short bursts of thought in 140 characters or less, it makes sense that people expect truly valuable ideas to be expressed in a concise way.

However, those unwilling to take the time to consider larger texts will have misconceptions and knee-jerk reactions. Take online news stories for example, which are often lead by a misleading title meant to foster attention and shock value. If someone only sees the title without reading the whole story, they will more than likely draw a lot of false conclusions and assumptions. I myself have been guilty of relying on titles alone for information about current events.

If users are unwilling to consider the whole story they are missing out on key information. It isn’t realistic to expect that everything online is useful information, so instead that must be replaced with an effort to sift through what exists and find the facts whether they are brief or verbose.

Copywriter

Blog Post #5: Statement of Interest

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My name is Kate and I am interested in taking on the role of copywriter in our upcoming service learning project.

I am the perfect fit for the copywriter position because written communication is one of my strongest skills. I am nearing completion of a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Rhetoric & Advanced Composition. My major is all about writing and I have spent my college career polishing my craft through courses like Editing and Business Writing. In my Business Writing course, I practiced writing commonly used business documents such as memos and emails in various professional scenarios. I also contributed to a grant proposal for CrossWalk USA in partnership with a classmate who is involved with the organization. In my Editing class, I contributed to a large-scale service learning project (60+ pages) for The Virtual HR Director, LLC. I practiced editing documents for grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, factual accuracy, political correctness, and layout. I feel my experience in editing as well as writing sets me apart as a candidate. I am also proficient in Microsoft Word and blogging platforms and am organized, reliable, and punctual.

I am easily accessible most of the time through phone, text, e-mail, or skype. I receive e-mail updates through my phone and can always give a fast response. I am not currently in the workforce and do not care for any other individuals so you can get in touch with me almost any time of day. I do commute to campus but all my friends live in Atlanta therefore I am near campus quite often. Otherwise, I have a personal car that makes travelling to meet easy.

I hope you will consider me for the position of copywriter.

Beyond the Resume

Blog Post #3: Alternative Resumes for Largely Non-Visual Fields

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Resumes have seen some dramatic changes in the past few years. Especially with all the technology available to us today, job seekers are constantly finding new and different ways to set themselves apart from the rest. One way this is done is through creative resumes.

Rather than the standard one-page list of skills and experiences that is the format traditional for a resume, people are starting to use different mediums and taking more visually appealing approaches than ever before. Someone looking to go into graphic design, for example, might benefit greatly from having a visually appealing resume filled with designs they created. Similarly, someone in video production might benefit from a video resume.

But because fields like writing, English, literature, linguistics, and even journalism are largely about text and content, these eye-catching resumes may be irrelevant to aspiring professionals seeking employment in one of these fields because they don’t communicate linguistic skill.

So, what do you do if you are seeking to appeal to the linguistic mode of your potential employers rather than the visual?

One way to incorporate writing skill into resume materials is through the personal biography. Because this element is mostly text and can be brief or detailed, it is a great opportunity to show writing prowess. For example, a poet looking for work might write,

“I went to Stanford U,
Where I learned to write haikus.
I graduated in 2002,
And now I want to work for you!”

Meanwhile, a creative writer might submit something like this:

“I stood triumphantly with my diploma in one hand, waving to the crowd with the other. My journey was finally complete, or so I thought. But really it was just beginning.”

Another way to optimize your professional presence for writing is through social media. This applies especially to blogs, which can be a great place to showcase your writing skills. So long as your posts are well-articulated, seamlessly edited, and non-controversial, blogs can be an easy and widely-accessible way to show your writing chops.

Of course, even in writing-based professions there are still some visual elements to be considered. Playing with text and layouts can get you noticed while still showing off relevant skills. Use of attention-grabbing colors, unique fonts, eye-catching text effects, and appealing spacial designs can be beneficial in making your resume stand out at first glance. Examples of resumes using text-centered approaches are below.

Blogging and Social Media in the Workplace

Blog Post #1: The Blogosphere, Negativity, & Corporate Personification

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By now, most internet users have heard the warnings: what you put on the internet never really goes away and can be accessed by virtually anyone. But when internet use is coupled with job functions, navigating cyberspace becomes even more complex. Even keeping one’s personal online identity in line with that of their employer or potential employer can prove nearly impossible due to the abundance and availability of information online.

Corporate blogging is one clear and large example of the intricacies involved in using the internet to develop and maintain a business reputation. Corporate blogs can serve differing functions, from providing information to persuasion and marketing to customer relations.

But blogging may not be the best medium for all corporate communications. Blogs do offer exposure to the entirety of the World Wide Web, which may be great publicity for some companies. Others, however, are intimidated by the vastness of the online audience and are more interested in reaching a target group or existing customer base, which most traditional blogging and social media platforms are not set up for. In fact, the blogosphere has grown so large that internet uses must sift through virtual tons of “blogorrhea” in order to find things that interest them (“Business…”). In many cases, corporate blogs have become devoid of all original content and are “being used merely to post static marketing materials as an extension of companies’ Web sites” (Havenstein 14). Where this is the case, it is questionable as to whether a corporate blog is even necessary or beneficial.

Regardless of their purpose or content, corporate blogs must be carefully managed in order to avoid backlash from the expansive online community. The problem with this, however, is that opinions on what is acceptable for corporate blogs are as varied as the millions of blogs in the blogosphere. There are several guidelines regarding etiquette and content in corporate blogging that are fairly universal:

  • Blog postings should be relevant to the corporation and reflective of corporate ideas and values;
  • Postings should be aimed at a general audience (unless the corporation targets adults only) without use of profanity or other offensive or insensitive words, phrases, or ideas, and;
  • Postings are not standalone entities and are not separate from sociopolitical contexts.

When these rules are broken, the course of action should include reprimanding and even firing of employees involved.

But where is the line between business blogging and personal blogging? In certain corporate blogging settings, some level of individualized contribution is required and it can be difficult to distinguish the individual from the business. In recent years it has become common practice for employers to fire employees based on statements made on blogs or social media whether on a business related pages or a personal profile. Because of ideologies dictating that a certain level of integrity must be maintained by corporations, when a business is thrown into a full-on scandal based on employee actions the internet backlash can become so intense that the only option is to terminate the individual indefinitely. With the continued idea that corporations are people, employees are forced to adopt the same image and values as their employer in order to secure their position. Corporate identity has risen above employee individuality, a phenomenon that has personified corporations in a deeply problematic way.

 

Works Cited

“Business: The blog in the corporate machine; corporate reputations.” (2006, Feb 11). The Economist, 378, 66. 29 August 2014.

Havenstein, Heather. “Corporate Blogs Take On An Edge.” Computerworld 41.31 (2007): 14-16. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.