Finishing up Project #4

Even though I am on my way to completing this project, and I have learned a lot about writing for a social cause, I have run into many problems regarding the socialgo website that have really been frustrating me. The one aspect that I gained from WRT235 and had the greatest impact on me was the importance of aesthetic appeal in technology-based writing. I have not only learned what the meaning and importance of this is but I have also learned techniques to enhance aesthetic appeal and have gotten several opportunities to apply them to my work. Trying to figure out how to best use the applications of the socialgo website has been extremely frustrating. For some reason no matter what format, layout, or color scheme I use, I never quite get what I picture in my head. After several hours of playing around with the website I got it to look somewhat like what I imagined by applying the URI logo “Think Big” as my background and creating a color scheme to go with it. The design portion of this project has defiantly been the most challenging and frustrating element.

As I come close to finishing this project I can defiantly say I took a lot away from it. I learned the way in which technology-based writing acts as a powerful catalyst for social change, and the way in which to go about creating a social networking site. The aspect of this project that I took the most from was learning how to, and attempting to, write with passion and a strong voice that comes through the text in the hopes to ignites passion in an audience, enough passion to prompt action for change. 

Abolish The Dry Campus Policy

After my initial postings on my website, "Abolish The URI Dry Campus Plan," I began brainstorming ideas for my blog posts and discussion fourm. I had already decided that the purpose of my particular blog would be to persuade people to join my cause, rather then to explain or inform. So my blog posts are based more like arguments for the elimination of the dry campus policy. I wrote each blog with one main point regaurding my opinon on my cause. I also used the sources I had already found on my subject to gather facts that supported my point of view. Although my blog posts are more argumentative and persuasive, I still tried to write in a tone that woudl spark passion and possibly action in my readers.
One theme that is consistent throughout everything I wrote for my website is the fact that the only way we will see any sort of change is if we, as a student body, unite, make our opinions heard, and take action.
Throughout the writing process for this project I realized the significane of the way in which my voice came through my writing. Taking this course has taught me a lot about technology-based writing, and during this proejct I really got to apply the techiniques I have picked up during this class. This project really made me concentrate on writing in a way that would not only catch someones eye, but I was forced to try to write in a way that would actually ignite action, which was a lot tougher than I thought it woule be. I went through many revisions of my posts before I felt that they portrayed the right amount of passion to reach my readers.

Social Networking

When project #4, social networking, was assigned I had a feeling that it would be the toughest project yet. To be honest I was a little intimidated and nervous at the thought of not only creating my own website, but one that reveloved around enacting social change. It sounded like a lot of hard work and unfamilar material, and because I was unable to join a group I had to dive into this project on my own.
First I chose an issue that I not only believed in, but one that I felt I coudl really pour my writing into and relate to a local level, and the cause I settled on was to abolish the dry campus policy here at URI. I chose this topic because obvisouly it pertained to me personally, being a 21 year old and living on a dry campus, but also because I have actually spent time previous to this project disscussing this injustice with some of my friends and fell really strongly about it.
Next I attempted to explore the socialgo website. At first I thought I had a good grip on how to use it, but during the process of creating my website, I found out that I was very wrong. The first trouble I ran into was simply just trying to figure out how to best format my website. Before I even began composing text for  the website, I found myself extremely frustrated with this project, especially because I didn't have a group to navigate with. After a lab session in class I began to get a better feel for how to use the website, and I finally began writing.
I first created a mission statement and a welcome note to all of my potential members. I really tried to write with a lot of passion to grab the attention of my audience and keep thier intrest in my cause. I then write an "about me" blurb in order to make my profile more relatable to those who might read it.