Wikipedia Article Presentation - Key Points

Here are some of the key points discussed in the Wikipedia article:

-More people use Wikipedia than Amazon.com or Ebay
-Wikipedia ranks with programs like Facebook and MySpace with the amount of users
-It contains 2.2 million articles... and growing
-Wikipedia is the first site that comes up when using a Google search
-It started as a nonprofit purpose that took less than 8 years to create
-"Editors" are those who add or refine Wikipedia articles
-"Deletionists" are those who "guard" Wikipedia
-From the beginning, the Wikipedia project was supped to be like an encyclopedia
-The project absorbed articles from the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica (which is public domain). It also absorbed Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Nuttall's 1906 Encyclopedia, Chamber's Cyclopedia, Aiken's General Biography, Rose's Biographical Dictionary, Easton's Bible Dictionary, and various other celebrated works.
-The real reason that Wikipedia grows so rapidly is because "The main thing about Wikipedia is that it is fun and addictive," said Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia
-Brion Vibber (one of Wikipedia's 1st full time employees) explained the attraction to Wikipedia is because it's not only a place to research, it's also "more like an online game, in that it's a community where you hang out a bit, and so something that's a little bit fun."
-Articles can be adjusted, deleted, and revised at anytime and by anyone
-Example, on Jan. 11, 2008 the entire entry on the aardvark was replaces with "one ugly animal" and in Feb the aardvark was described as a "medium-sized inflatable banana."
-Example, in Dec. 2007 someone altered the article on bedbugs so it read like a horror movie
-Antivandalism software VoABot II reverts edits
-Vandalism on Wikipedia spiked in Aug 2006 after comedian Stephen Colbert invited his viewers to post made up facts about the increase in population of African elephants
-The University of Minnesota studied millions of Wiki edits and found that most were mad by a tiny percentage of contributors
-For those looking to be a continuous contributor to Wikipedia, John Brighton has a manual book called Wikipedi: The Missing Manual
-Broughton himself has made more than 15,000 Wiki edits which puts him in the rank of the elite top 1,200 of all editors. He promises that "the information you absolutely need to avoid running afoul of the rules" is in his handbook
-Broughton also has a rule he calls "Ignore all the Rules" which states: If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participating in the wiki, then ignore them entirely and go about your business.
-Now, there are rules and policy banners that guard Wikipedia. There are strongly urged warnings and required tasks, as well as normal procedures, notability guidelines, and complex criteria for various decisions. This is called "instruction creep" which is defined by Wikipedia as something that happens "when instructions increase in number and size overtime until they are unmanageable."

Link to Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.org

Blog #7 - "Flashmobs"

Up until class last week, I had absolutely no idea what a flash mob was (I guess I was living under a rock). Now that I am aware of this, I was really intrigued by it all. I would never have thought of something like grabbing a group of people and freezing at a supermarket for like 20 minutes... never crossed my mind.

As far as print, there could be a variety of underpinnngs. For example, a spontaneous piece of mail delieverd to the addresses of a select group, a chain letter that is ongoing, an editorial in a weekly newspaper, there could be an ad in a college newspaper like we have here at Kean, and various others. I think digital media and technologies may have a better way of reaching people. For example, text messaging is one of the main ways people interact today. A text sent to a group could definitely spark a flash mob. Also, emails and MySpace/Facebook comments could also generate a flashmob or flashmob activity.

I believe digitial communications may spread the word faster. Emails, comments, and text messaging can all be sent and recieved in the matter of seconds. Text messaging is something the world (especially students) rely on. If someone creates a text message, you can forward that same message to numerous people.. similar to an email. MySpace and Facebook (although I'm not 100% sure on how they really work - I'm probably the one person that does not have either), also have an email and commenting system that could spread the word of a flashmob rather quickly. Blogging can even be a source used in generating a flashmob. Bloggers have the ability to post and comment on just about anything.

As far as future changes and remediation, I believe that since new technological advances seem to be created everyday, there could be or will be a variety of new and exciting possibilities. If people can get groups to freeze for twenty minutes or tango in the mall food court, what will they think of next?

Blog #6 - Final Draft of "Literacy & Technology Narrative"

From as far back as I can remember, I always loved to read. I loved reading wonderful books in the comfort of my home. Reading was always such a huge part of my life. Since I was little, my parents always thought it was extremely important to read. Each night before I went to sleep, I would chose a book and either my mother or father would sit and read it to me while I fell asleep. As I got older, I used to love accompanying my mother on trips to Barnes and Noble. My mother is an avid reader and flies through literature quicker than anyone I know. I always aspired to be like her. I remember being so proud when we bought my first "chapter" book because I felt just like my mom - I was a big girl now! That book was the first of many chapter books. In 5th grade I remember all of the girls used to love reading The Babysitter's Club while the books enjoyed Goosebumps. In school we were urged to bring a book in so that after a test we could quietly sit and indulge. I always happily obliged! Now, I am twenty three years old and I still love to read! My latest venture is the Twilight series that was graciously given to me by my aunt who is also a lover of books!


I not only established a love for reading, but a love of writing as well. Obviously writing is a huge part of school work but for me, it's more than just that. When I was young, I used to write notes to my parents and grandmother. They were always written on a piece of construction paper in crayon. This letter writing came in handy as I approached fifth grade and my parents decided to move. I was so upset that I was moving away from my friends! To help ease the pain of moving, my grandmother suggested that my friends and I become pen pals and we did! During the few months I was away, we moved back a mere three months later, I exchanged letters with my friends and it made me feel like I was still in Holmdel. I also tried my hand at writing short stories for fun and not just school work. I bought pretty colored notebooks and remember trying to write scary stories just in time for Halloween! I also kept a journal during my middle school years. That journal is overflowing with memories that I love to go back and read every now and then!


When I entered middle school, technology really became a huge part of my life. The Internet was just coming into full swing a wreaking havoc on William R. Staz Middle School in Holmdel. Everyone was so excited about it! AOL became the world to all of us! The minute we got out of school, we all would race home and hop onto AOL where instant messages would fill the screen - you would think there wouldn't be much to talk about considering we were all just together a mere few minutes ago! AOL was undoubted the center of attention for all of us and the minute it came into the picture, the book shelves starting filling with dust. Reading was so passe to most of us.. especially with this new world we had at our fingertips! My parents were not to keen on the Internet taking over our lives so they would set limits for us. That also helped stop fights between me and my sister.. the two of us would constantly argue over the computer! After a certain time the computer was either shut off or reserved specifically for school purposes. My mother still urged us to read and I still loved doing so, even with this new phenomenon.

Email and search engines are also perks of the Internet. Email helps to quickly send messages from anywhere in the world at warp speed! You can send an email from NJ to China and receive a response in less than ten minutes! Search engines such as Yahoo and the infamous Google have also profoundly impacted my life.. especially for school work. Search engines make it possible for us all to access important information and research what each subject deems necessary. There is no longer a hassle of making time out of your busy schedule to run to the library. You can access Internet information anytime you want - all day and all hours.

After the Internet phenomenon, along came the next... cell phones. Cell phones came out just as I was leaving middle school and entering high school. I remember the first one my mother had.. it looked like a cinder block! It was so bulky and heavy.. it even had an antennae that you had to pull up before making calls! I got my first cell phone when I was a freshman in high school. It was a simple black flip phone that I mainly used to call friends after school or my mom when I needed a ride. After that phone came several others. When Motorola came out with the first color screen phone, I ran out and bought one! This phone had so much more to offer- aka text messaging. Text messaging became another great love in the lives of students and added the gray hair to the heads of several of my math teachers! I remember becoming so adapt to texting that I didn't even have to look at the screen to see who or what I was texting! Cell phones advance at such a rapid pace that it seems as if there is a new phone out every single day. My latest baby is my iPhone which I have fallen head over heals in love with and has become my life line. It feels as if my entire world is connected to that small piece of equipment. I can email my teachers from it, keep it touch with friends, find directions in in case I am ever lost, access the Internet just about anywhere... the list goes on! I also refuse to drive without my phone. Personally, I panic if it's not in the car with me. I travel a great distance to school - I live 45 minutes away - an God forbid if something ever happened, like a breakdown, flat tire, etc., I feel like I am protected, in a sense, if my phone is with me (especially since I am unfamiliar with everything in this area - other than Kean itself). I remember when I was younger and cell phones did not exist. My mother used to have to find a payphone if something ever happened. Nowadays, payphones are few and far between. You basically need a cell phone with you.

Through the years, technology has made so many fantastic changes in our society. We live in an age where you no longer need to dial telephone numbers to connect to friends and family, cellular phones no longer have buttons that need to be pressed, and typewriters belong in the Smithsonian - not on your desktop. Now that I am older, I have become more reliant on the technological aspects of society. I still enjoy reading a great book, especially if there is sun beating down on me, a nice breeze, and sand between my toes, but I am definitely more dependent on the technological aspects of society. I have no idea what I would do without a computer for school work. It has become such a necessity! And like I said before, I refuse to drive without my cell phone! It just makes me feel more secure to have it with me (along with the car charger that is a life saver!). In my opinion, our society has improved tremendously thanks to the technological advances made available to us.

Blog #5 - Thoughts for Wikipedia/Hypertext Article

Honestly, at this point I am a bit all over the place when it comes to ideas for my wikipedia/hypertext article. I have a few things in mind:

Possibility #1: I was thinking about writing how the advances in technology have helped students and teachers.
Possibility #2: The cons of the Internet such as identity theft, cyber bulling, exploitation...
Possibility #3: How technology is useful in the classroom and how I intend to incorporate technology in my future career as an educator.

I'm still thinking of more but these are three topics that I can see myself writing about. If I think of any more decent ideas, I will post those also.

Blog #4 - Draft #1 Literacy & Technology

Literacy is such a broad term in today's society. Someone is considered literate when they are able to read, write, and comprehend material. Technology has given a entirely new meaning to the phrase literate. It no longer has to do with reading books and hand writing papers, computers have introduced us to new languages and applications that we have come to rely on. Personally, I grew up with both paper and computers and my life still revolves around a mixture of both. I enjoy reading books and writing. However, the technological advances in today's times have introduced me to new ways of life. We live in an age where you no longer need to dial telephone numbers to connect to friends and family, cellular phones no longer have buttons that need to be pressed, and typewriters belong in the Smithsonian - not on your desktop.

It all started when I was very little. I loved to read and my parents showered me with many books. My favorites were the fairy tales made famous by Disney like the Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Just before bed each night, I used to sit with either my Mother or Father and choose a story that they would read to me. Reading was such a humble part of my life as a child. It enabled me to have a strong relationship with my parents and made reading a very joyous part of my life. Now, as I have gotten older, reading is both a requirement and a pleasure. As an Education/English major here at Kean University, I am required to take a variety of English courses. Reading and being technologically savvy is very much a standard in each course. You still have to be able to read, write, and comprehend the material but computers make life much easier. You no longer need to sit with a pen and paper or worry about spelling... computers take care of all of that for you. A simple click of the mouse can check to make sure you have no spelling errors or grammatical errors, you can receive a word count in the matter of seconds, and you can set up your document without breaking out a ruler.

Computers also come in handy for a variety of reasons. The Internet makes it possible for us all to access important information and research that each subject deems necessary. There is no longer a hassle of making time out of your busy schedule to run to the library. You can access Internet information anytime you want. Computers also provide us with networking capabilities such as email and instant messaging. If you have friends or family members across the globe, an email can reach them within minutes instead of waiting days, or even weeks, for your mailed message to reach them. Also, you no longer need to dial a phone and pay obscene amounts of long distance charges. Instant messaging is free for the most part and very useful. There are also features like web cams that can provide you with the physical portrait of a person. I know this feature is extremely useful and valued for the families and friends of soldiers.

Like computers, cellular phones also have various capabilities now. They are no longer just for making telephone calls. You can access the Internet, email, text messaging and more all with either the click of a button or the tap of your finger. From a personal point of view, I do not know what I would do without my iPhone. I know that sounds awful but it really is like my life line. It feels as if my entire world is connected to that small piece of equipment. I can email my teachers from it, keep it touch with friends, find directions in in case I am ever lost, access the Internet just about anywhere... the list goes on! I also refuse to drive without my phone. Personally, I panic if it's not in the car with me. I travel a great distance to school - I live 45 minutes away - an God forbid if something ever happened, like a breakdown, flat tire, etc., I feel like I am protected, in a sense, if my phone is with me (especially since I am unfamiliar with everything in this area - other than Kean itself). I remember when I was younger and cell phones did not exist. My mother used to have to find a payphone if something ever happened. Nowadays, payphones are few and far between. You basically need a cell phone with you.

All in all, I believe we are all affected by technology because our society is so dependent on it now. It almost seems as if computers, the Internet, and cellular phones have been around forever. We all have grown accustomed to and have learned to adapt to these new advances. Personally, technology has been a gift - a very cherished gift! Time is precious and very rare, I believe that technology helps us save time. Like I said, you no longer need to queue time out of a busy schedule to take a trip to the library, you no longer need to run to the post office, and during the holidays, standing in line at the store is an option. Without technology, especially as a student and future educator, I have no idea what I would do with out it.

Blog #3 - "Lankshear & Knoble"

In my opinion, this article was very informative and an easy read but it was quite lengthy. I noticed that it covered various topics we discussed in class which included discourse and literacy. I liked how they described social aspects as the primary factor of discourse. The people we grow up with, our home life, our parents, our siblings, our family members... they all contribute to our primary discourse. Secondary discourse is associated with groups we are recruited to like our friends, work place, school, and religious worship places. Discourse communities are friends, family members, coworkers, gangs, peers, students, gamers, religious groups... the list goes on.

I found that the mindset table was very interesting as well. In mindset 1, people assumed that the world is the same it always was, only now we have more technological advances. Also, this is based more on the individual. In mindset 2, people realize that the world is very different from the past and is continuing to grow rapidly. The second mindset credits technology for the drastic change and is based more on the collective. Personally, I agree with both sides of the table. I am a mix because I believe that both sides have valid points.

Another aspect of the article that I found interesting were the differences between web 1.0 and web 2.0. Web 1.0, users are not in control of their own data. The "webtop" is a platform used to engage, create, and consume applications and informational artifacts. Web 1.0 has an "industrial" nature. Web 2.0 is much more broad and is considered "post-industrial." It focuses more on services and enabling than on production and sales.

Blog #2 - "Course Readings"

Since we have only read a few pieces so far, the one that stuck out the most for me was the first reading, Is the Internet a US Invention. While reading this, although at times it was a bit tough, it really opened up an entire world of Internet/computer related vocabulary that I was not accustomed to. For example, it explained terms that I see each and everyday but had no clue as to what their meanings were. I learned what http, html, and tcp/ip stood for. I also learned what packet switching was which was something I never even heard of. I also learned what the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was and so on. We also went over digital vs analog in great detail which was something that was a bit tough for me to read. All in all, I believe this was a helpful piece for the course and our class discussion only made it better.