Start: Yes. Finished: Get Real.

My first draft is complete, and it even surprises me that it looks the way it is! It took some time to work on, seriously, but I officially have about 4 and a third pages of writing for my essay on traveling. After going through that workshop yesterday, I have to say that I am personally surprised at not only the feedback I got, but on how I reviewed myself as well. I say that because I am too hard on my own work, not kidding. I really do overjudge my own works of literature, and I always have.

The feedback that I received was good enough for me. I think that my challenges right now are to go ahead and try and make my own points make a little more sense to me. They show the points about my blogger I'm following in the paper, but it doesn't appear until much later in the paper than it is supposed to. I think I need to try and fix that, and bring it more forward in the work. If you have seen the draft, can I get some help, please?

-Jake

Not much to start with, but Its a start. Sorta

So, I think I've got my research started on my essay. But, I only think so.
I have chosen to do my essay on traveling. But more in depth, I'm thinking about doing something from a cultural aspect. What I mean by this, is that I plan to take a look at some entries on my chosen blog, and then I'll analyze them from a culture standpoint.

I like the blog I chose. Its about one person who has been traveling the world since 2007. At the top of his page he shows where he currently is in the world, with a date of the post. His posts are from a personal, and an informative point of view, which I believe will help me to support my paper best.

However, I am having some problems with my research. I have decided to change my topic to culture from something else, and I still have yet to figure out where I can see what I need.... But then again, I haven't really looked in depth at this blog too. My bad.

Oh well, the point is, I'm started on my research, and if I keep looking at this particular blog, then sooner or later I'll find some stuff I can use, right? Right.

Blogging: Digital Media and Society

So, I just finished reading Blogging a few minutes ago, and wow, its very interesting, but also incredible too, in a few ways. For one thing, I find it hard to believe that blogging has been around for as long as it has been. According to the book, blogging has existed almost as long as the internet itself has, which means to be that blogging is older, yet it is still growing in popularity. From regular people, to a family using the same blog, to also travel agents posting brochures through each blog post, with one for each area or country.

What I thought was most interesting and also incredible was that businesses also blog. That fact was probably the most interesting thing I read in the whole book. To me, I wouldn't think a business would blog, because they are always so busy and wouldn't have the time to do anything like a web log. But the book says that they use blogs to do a variety of things. One of these reasons, is so that these participating businesses can follow conversations about them which exist online already, and to reply to them. This is a very good reason to me, and I believe that it works well, since a company could listen in, or read the comments posted about them, and use those comments and topics to grow their business, and format it to satisfy the wants and needs of the consumers and clients. So, what I mean is to use them to grow, and improve what they have already started.

Another thing I think is very intriguing is the usage of hoax blogs through the past. These have gotten very negative impacts, but these only happened after the revalation of them being fake. There have been two very big blogs in history that were the biggest hoaxes. One of them was a written blog, and the other was a video blog. These both had very interesting views to them as the two stories continued, but after a while, they were revealed to be fakes. However, the video blog was meant to be fiction from the beginning, so this made the views even more odd. Furthermore, these blogs eventually helped to increase the amount of popularity that blogging has today.

That was the biggest shocker to me surprisingly, and, overall, I think that Blogging was a unique book to read, and I would recommend this book to either bloggers, history buffs (people who like to learn history) for the internet, and anybody in general who would like to read a good book.

Until the next post, keep following me here. I'd like to see some comments please! :)

- Jake

Likes, Interests, or Wants, of Blogging

So, when I think of blogging, I tend to gather lots of thoughts. I like reading in many forms, but when it comes to types of blogs I like reading, I really can't explain what I like. I honestly think that the styles of blogging that I like range from informative blogs to also personal blogs, especially ones that have to do with emotions and relationships. I don't know why I like reading relationship blogs, but they interest me.

I believe that I want to try and learn more about both styles, personal and informative blogs, but this blog will be an informative blog to the best of my ability. I do like to learn about new things that interest me, and informative blogs are a source where you are able to learn new things, which is what I as a blogger like.

Who Am I As a Writer?

This question is very confusing, yet understandable at the same time. You ask me this: Who am I as a Writer? Well, I'll try.

When I think of myself, I think of me as a novice, yet not. I don't think that I am in any category of skill level for writing.

I struggle, yet I complete.

I analyze, yet I also can't.

When it comes to writing, I describe myself, Jake Wheeler, as a work in progress. I may not be great at writing, but I also do not suck at it. Time is what I rely on to create my pieces of text.

Follow me, and I will show you how I can write.