All posts by tchambers6

tl;dr

Don’t waste your time

3 Comments

“There’s too much noise, too much poorly written, overly written, defensively written and generally useless stuff cluttering your life.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. Texts that are too long distract the reader from important information, and far too often sway off subject. For this blog, I will propose that in certain cases long texts distract the reader and make it harder for the author to connect with his audience.

In article on learningenglishbetter.com, an author argues that some words are unnecessary because they “describe words whose meanings are clear.” An example of this could be: the tall building. Every building is tall we do not need the word tall to accurately describe a building, unless of course it is surrounded by buildings that are shorter than it and we need some sort of specificity in deciding which building. However, normally we conceive of every building as tall. So using the word tall to describe a building is unnecessary. Similarly, the addition of words to communication can worsen the ability you have to reach an audience. While in class yesterday I couldn’t help but notice that a fellow pupil of mine was using horrendously ambiguous vocabulary to describe a very simple idea, which is normally the case in most undergraduate course. The pupil used words including “voyeurism,” “existentialism,” etc. These words do not make the conversation any easier for the rest of the class to understand and using such a harsh vocabulary makes it harder for people to understand where you are coming from. The same can be said of using too many words. Say I ask you a question: “How is the weather today?” If you respond “Oh the cumulus clouds, and the propensity of the sun shine shooting downwards creates a beautiful serene landscape from which I can easily conclude that there is an omniscient creator whom serves his creations with the best intentions. Reflective of this sunshine, I can see myself wearing an outfit that would match the types of temperature and precipitation levels in a desirable, as well as, cute way,” then you are not communicating with me at all. I asked “how is the weather today?” not “what’s going on in that crazy head of yours?” Similarly, if I’m looking for a way to change a light bulb, and you begin giving me the ideology behind electronics, I’m not going to be too pleased. The problem with lengthy texts is that they often sway off topic, and start entertaining other ideas not relevant to what the author’s aim is. Similarly, lengthy texts are boring and more often then not waste the reader’s time. Of course this is only my opinion. But honestly, would you rather read the book or see the movie? If you choose the first, then you’re choosing it for some reason other than efficiency. If both of the following texts contained the same amount of information, which one would you read an 800-page novel or a 1 page description of the novel? You would be insane to pick the first.

As far as the internet goes people don’t want to read 100 page descriptions of a movie, or 25 page descriptions of directions to the nearest gas station. They want information that gets to the point and stays there. Think about it in this context, if you pulled over to the side of the street and asked for directions to the nearest gas station, because your gps died or something else happened leaving you to approach a complete stranger on the street. And the stranger proceeded to give you a 45 minute explanation, how would you feel? You would feel like your time had completely been wasted, and you should have never even tried to speak to a stranger on the side of the street. That’s how I feel with most of the readings I encounter. Get to the point already, I don’t have time to read this 400 page book that has no specific aim and just arbitrarily moves from subject to subject. Instead, give me the summary and 3 days of my life back.

 

http://learnenglishbetter.com/content/index.php/all-articles/71-unnecessary-words

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/01/the-fatal-arrogance-of-tldr.html

Project and Role Selection, Researcher

Blog #5: Statement of Interest

1 Comment

For the project we are undertaking in applying our technical knowledge acquired through our coursework in technical communication I am interested in assuming the role of a researcher. Being a very well read and communicatively proficient individual, I have the ability to communicate complex ideology and information in a straight-forward approach easily understandable by my desired audience. I can recollect various information at a moments notice making me the ideal candidate for this position. My qualifications for this position include over three years of experience in philosophical text analyzation and regurgitation through the written form of communication modality. I currently have an Associate’s of Arts degree in philosophy from Georgia Perimeter College which shows my dedication to my degree as well as my previous accomplishments in the college atmosphere.

Time for me is a key factor in my decision to apply for the role of a researcher instead of the role as a project manager. I do have 6 months of management experience at a local health club in Atlanta named Athletic Club Northeast as well as the necessary faculties to be able to assume the role of Project manager, but I do not have the necessary amount of time available for this position. The reasons I do not have the ability to assume the role of project manager are the fact that not only am I full time student working at the senior level of my degree in philosophy which includes rigorous coursework as compared to the previous class levels, but also when I am not spending my time studying or completing assignments for college I am working as a server. It would have been an honor to guide a group of people in this journey we will depart on in technical communication, but I simply do not have the time or resources to assume such a role. Therefore, I will repeat my desire for the role of a researcher or at very least a copywriter. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tyler Chambers

[EDIT: In the event that no other individuals interested in assuming the role of a project manager come forward, I would be open to the idea of assuming the role of a Project Manager. There has been a history of Project Management in my family and I have the previous experience working in a management positions. Similarly, Socrates believed that philosophers should always assume leadership roles because of their acquired wisdom and judgement and I am inclined to agree with him in this particular situation.]

Audiences and Literacy

Blog Post #4: Literacy – More Prominent than Ever

Image 2 Comments
found at www.avon.k12.ma.us

Literacy, the ability to read and write, is a skill that can be applied to any business or workplace situation. Written communication is a major communication modality used to communicate complex ideas through a relatively fast and easy medium. With the rise of internet technology over the past decade the need to write and interpret texts across the internet has called for an increasing need in individual literacy. The role of textual literacy in the 21st century workplace is more prominent than ever.

“Illiteracy costs United States businesses and society at least $225 billion annually because of lost workforce productivity, crime and unemployment” (Sessoms 2013). Illiteracy in the United States is a growing problem with new forms of communication modalities such as youtube.com and other internet mediums that allow citizens of the United States to acquire information through videos and other non-written forms of communication. Since every form of communication is not found via videos on the internet the need to interpret written texts found outside of these internet platforms is becoming a more pressing issue. Written communication is an everyday occurrence in the workplaces of the United States. My father, a project manager of Macy’s website development team, has to sift through hundreds of emails on a daily basis that consist in written communication. Many other jobs include similar tasks. Even though other forms of communication modalities exist in modern day workplace scenarios, such as oral communication, no other modality thoroughly expresses ideas and information in such a concrete way as written communication. Written communication allows an individual the ability to display information in a specific way that is not replaceable by other forms of communication. This is because written communication allows the user the ability to edit, postulate advanced ideology and cite justification from other written references in an easy and understandable format. Written texts have the ability to last for a longer time than oral communication which can be useful if an individual wants to reference a written text at some point in the future.

In the case of my father, emails consisting of written texts allow for an easy way to understand and respond to any sort of problems that need quick solutions. Written communication allows my father the convenience of understanding quickly what problem he or another person in his development team has encountered and the ability to express clearly and concretely what measures should be used to fix it. If these problems were to pose themselves through another modality of communication such as a video it would take my father a longer time to make a video in response to the problem his team is facing. Fittingly Gail Sessom writes that “Workers who cannot read and interpret basic signs and instructions compromise safety, slow production and cause errors that affect profits” (Sessom 2013). Not being able to read or write in workplace setting can be the decision between whether or not a worker will make a product or deliverable by deadline. If an employee is spending their time interpreting information through a video or audio medium it will take the employee longer to load the video and audio, understand the information and reply to the situation then it would if the information was presented in a written from of communication. In most workplace scenarios written communication is a necessity, no other form of communication modality can display information in such a fast, convenient and proficient way as written communication; therefore, making it one of the most prominent forms of communication in the workplace.

 

Works Cited:

Sessoms, Gail. (2013). Effects of illiteracy on business. Chron. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-illiteracy-business-22898.html

 

Beyond the Resume, Uncategorized

Blog #3: Alternative Resumes: The Alternative way to find that new job you’ve been looking for

Leave a comment

In an attempt to get a job after school and finally move out of my parents’ basement an alternative way of presenting myself might be necessary. An easy way to diversify my resume from the thousands of others received by potential employers could be accomplished through using different formats or visual mediums. In this exposition, I will present two examples of alternative resumes that I find appealing to broadcast my skills into the world of internet technology.

The first alternative resume that I stumbled upon is called a Visual CV Resume, an example of this can be found by clicking the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URePVwUy2U. Visual CV resumes broadcast an individual’s abilities in an easily viewable format. Nothing bothers future employers more than looking through countless resumes which all appear to be carbon copies of each other. Employers are looking for something new, something different and something innovative. With the rapidly changing world of commerce brought on by the dawn of social media, companies are struggling to find the hot new trend or medium in which they can better advertise their product. What better way to show future employers that you are in keeping with the hottest new internet trends than putting your personal skills on to a new, bold format that is representative of a Visual CV Resume. Personally, I would be able to benefit from a Visual CV Resume because I am a creative person who has big ideas, and this particular medium allows you to put music behind a graphic design and narrative that appeals not only to the sometimes dreary and boring corporate world, but also to the new up-and-coming world of social media and technology.

Social-networking is an constantly expanding industry fueled by people who wish to remain in contact via the internet. Social media is almost unavoidable in today’s technologically savvy population. What better way to represent yourself to a future employer than by putting your list of specific qualifications onto a format that is easily viewed by a large percentage of our population. The following link is a representation of 3 intriguingly different profile resumes: http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/. Social Media Resumes give future job employers “direct access to an individual’s ever-expanding professional network of connections and involvement” (Lauby 2010). This shows future job employers that their prospects are not only qualified, also connected. As the old job search cliché goes “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” In the case of presenting yourself through the use of a social media website you can break this old cliché by showing employers what you know AND who know. Being a very social person I find it necessary to connect with people constantly in order to find what jobs are opening, what’s going on, who is succeeding professionally and why. For these reasons a good professional online profile (whether it be Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook) is a necessity.

In conclusion, Alternative Resumes serve a multitude of functions in diversifying yourself from the average job-seeker using traditional resumes. Hopefully, some of the formats I have presented will prompt you to consider approaching your job search in a different way.

 

Works Cited:

Lauby, Sharlyn. (2010, Oct 05). 4 digital alternatives to the traditional resume. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/digital-resumes/

 

Foote, Andy. (2013, Feb 07). 3 Stunningly Good Linkedin Profile Summaries. Retrieved from http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/

 

Duc, Truong Tran. CV presentation Resume (video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URePVwUy2U

Blogging and Social Media in the Workplace

Blog Post #1: Corporate Blogging and Ethics

Leave a comment

Blogs have completely revolutionized the way that we communicate in a professional setting. Using the internet allows us to communicate using smaller amounts of time and larger amounts of information, but with the use of blogs also comes responsibility (Yeganeh, Bauback, and Darren Good, 2011). When using blogging in a professional and even non-professional setting a certain set of ethical guidelines should accompany the blog post because: the lines between business and personal blogging are beginning to be blurred, and there are legal and non-legal repercussions to reckless blog posting, and ethical guidelines allow the blog-post viewer to be protected from advertising and other undesirable content.

Information on the internet is literally so easily accessible that almost anything that you are looking for can be found in just a few simple clicks. Since the internet has progressed and continues to progress the line between what is personal information and what can be accessed or perceived as professional information on the internet has began to blur. Since most personal blogging websites (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.) can be viewed by future employers and other business savvy people, I think it is responsible to accompany some set (whether loose or strict)  of ethical guidelines to personal blog entries because the blog poster may never know whether or not their content is being viewed by a third party.

The internet used purely for personal use is subject to a wide array of different uses and guidelines all of which are subjective to the person’s own set of personal guidelines and decisions, but in a corporate or business setting there are various sets of legal and non-legal risks that accompany blog posts (Strother, Judith A., Zohra Fazal, and Melinda Millsap, 2009). Communicating certain types of information in a corporate setting can lead to serious consequences. Blog journalists in corporate settings are liable to the same rights that govern traditional journalists making them or their companies liable if they post comments on internal rumors (Strother, Judith A., Zohra Fazal, and Melinda Millsap, 2009).

How many times have you read an internet blog and half-way through the blog realized it was an advertisement? I have done this a lot, and it is always frustrating. There are laws governing the advertisement legality of internet blog posting, and for good reasons (Smuddle, 2005). The audience or blog-viewer can become victim of the harsh reality of the internet. There is a lot of content broadcasted across the internet that many people would find offensive and even harmful. It should be in the interest of the blog-viewer and blog-writer to be mindful of the way certain content on the internet affects other people.

 

Sources cited:

 

Strother, Judith A., Zohra Fazal, and Melinda Millsap. (2009). Legal and ethical issues of the corporate blogosphere. IEEE Transactions On Professional Communication, 52(3), 243-253.

 

Smudde, Peter M. “Blogging, Ethics And Public Relations: A Proactive And Dialogic Approach.” Public Relations Quarterly 50.3 (2005): 34-38. Business Source Complete. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.

 

Yeganeh, Bauback, and Darren Good. “Metaphorically Speaking: Micro-Blogging As A Way To Reframe Workplace Interaction.” OD Practitioner 43.3 (2011): 12-17. Business Source Complete. Web. 29 Aug. 2014