Project #2: Wikitravel

1. Lincoln, RI: Add to already exisiting article
2. Pawtucket, RI: create itinerary
3. Providence, RI: create itinerary

If I decide to add to what already exists for the town of Lincoln, it will add value because since it is my hometown, I know of many places to go to and to eat at that are not currently on the page. If I decide to create an itinerary for Pawtucket or Providence, I will choose what I believe to be the best places to go to, to eat at, and to visit if you are spending a day in either Pawtucket or Providence.

Wikipedia

I understand that the intended purpose of Wikipedia is to allow the public to edit and make changes to the site, but I feel that the new feature, "flagged revisions" is a good idea because I wouldnt want to go online and read inaccurate information.  However, because it can be edited or revised at any time by anyone, I understand why professors do not want students to use Wikipedia as a source when doing any type of research paper or project, because it is not considered a reliable source for those reasons.

I wouldn't say that I use Wikipedia regularly; I use it on occasion.  I know that Wikipedia is not a reliable source, but I like to sometimes use it to get a brief summary/background on a particular topic.  I like using it because it provides me with an easily written, and easy to read basic summary. Most often, it is the first website that comes up. I have never contributed to Wikipedia, probably because I don't know more than what is already on it about a specific topic.

Marissa Mardo

Response to Wurman

I found this article interesting because I had never heard of an information architect before, whose job it is to "make the information understandable to other human beings."  This article caused me to stop and think when it stated that "the key to making things understandable is to understand what its like not to understand." I agree with the article when it asks how you can truly determine if you understand something by being able to explain it to another person. Being able to admit when you dont understand something is the most essential prerequisite to understanding.  By admitting that you dont know something often causes you to ask the questions that will enable you to learn. 


Marissa Mardo

Response to Stefanac/ 5 Ideas

While reading the article, I was very surprised to learn that "enthusiasts" are often labeled as "amatuers", which means "one who loves."  I found it humorous when I read that one of the tips for enthusiast bloggers is to "D it for love not money or fame." I agree that the most important tip is personality because the blogger needs to be able to express his/her true opinons/feelings through their writing/blogging.

Some ideas that I currently have for my own enthusiast blog are:

1. Fashion trends-clohing, shoes, purses, hair
2. Celebrity fashions on the red carpet/fashion police
3. Reality tv shows
4. URI campus life/events/news
5. Days in the life of myself as a college student/dorm life

Marissa Mardo

Post #1: Response to Rebecca Blood

I found this article very interesting.  I was surprised to learn that sites devoted to weblogs first existed in 1998.  The popularity of weblog sites grew til 1999; but in July 1999, due to the launching of Pitas, a free build your own weblog site, hundreds of of other weblog sites became available.  I was also surprised to learn that originally weblog sites were made to post links, commentaries, and essays; and could only be created by people who already knew how to make a website.  However, all of this changed in 1999 with Blogger.com.  Blogger.com gave bloggers the opportunity to record thoughts about anything, allowing self-expression.  According to the article, Blogger "consists of an empty form box into which the blogger can type...anything: a passing thought, an extended essay, or a childhood recollection." 

I was surprised when I read that blogs were first not intended for self expression.  Since I have never had my own blog and don't visit blogging websites often or hardly ever, I had never heard of Pitas, the blogging site that sparked the popularity of free writing blogs.  I believe that blogs are a great way for people of all ages to be able to express themselves through writing and pictures about anything they wish.   I believe for many people blogging can be done as a stress reliever or for enjoyment, allowing them to just "rant" about an interest that they may share with others. I think that Rebecca Blood's weblog site, Rebcca's Pocket sounds like a great site because like she said, it allows the blogger to "share his world."

I am looking forward to creating my own blog this semester so I can continually write about something that I am passionate about/interested in. I am excited that I will be given this chance to do something new and creative!

Marissa Mardo