Chapter Seven: Goals

I enjoyed this chapter a bit more although I still find the material difficult to understand at times. I think the overall chapter concept is that the more time you spend in the early stages of project developement, the better chance you have for success. You should thoroughly understand your client (the business), their customers, and the data you'll write about. Looking at user scenarios (use cases) is a good way of assuring that the user's needs are being met. An interesting point the author made, which I totally agree with, is that information needs to be conveyed in an entertaining manner. No matter how good the information is, if a writer cannot keep the user's attention, the information will not be read and is therefore useless.

Chapter Three

Okay, I'm going to vent for a minute. I hate the fact that the author compares writing for multimedia with writing linear pieces in every chapter, down-playing the difficulty of linear writing. In chapter three, the author says: "Multimedia is far more challenging than structuring a linear piece...because multimedia is made up of many discreet units of information that can be connected in a myriad of ways." I understand his point, but can he express it without belittling novelists, essayists, and screenplay writers? Honestly, nearly anyone can set up a decent multimedia website by using a template, but how many people can write a novel and get it published? Judging by the usage errors in the text on the CD, I doubt the textbook's author could. The information in chapter three was interesting, and possibly useful, but without jabs at linear writers, I would have enjoyed the chapter more.

Chapter One: Interactivity and the Writer

I read the chapter twice, and I still only understood half the information. I guess it will take some time to get used to the terminology such as recognizing the difference between "multimedia," "interactive multimedia," and "interactive media." I am used to linear communication, so that is what I enjoy. Although I use interactive media to access information on the internet, I've never heard of most of the video games and interactive websites the author mentioned. I hope future chapters focus on information sites such as the T. Rowe Price example and not games or game sites such as Half Life 2.

Technology/Literacy Autobiography

I first learned how to use computers when I was in junior high school, if you can imagine that. I had a programming class. We used these huge cards to write commands; I believe the system was called FORTRAN. Later, my parents purchased an Atari computer video game. We spent countless hours playing pong. My first experience with contemporary computers was about fifteen years ago when I purchased estimating software for a collision repair shop that I owned. This software enabled my estimators to assess damage on vehicles quickly. An estimate that would take an hour to write could now be completed in ten minutes. What a time saver!

My first experience with the internet was around fifteen years ago also. I learned to upload photos of vehicle damage to insurance companies to save them the trouble of sending an adjuster to my shop.

I avoided social networks for a long time. I have never been on MySpace or Twitter. About a year ago, a friend set up a page on Facebook for our triathlon club. To access the page, I needed to create my own account. I did. I found Facebook very addicting, spending perhaps an hour a day on the site. Luckily, the effect wore off and now I only access my account periodically.

I think supplementary online support can help me with this course as much information is available on any topic. This is the main advantage. The disadvantage, of course, is that anyone can post anything. There is no review process for much of the information on the internet. To limit this disadvantage, I must visit several sites to verify the information I obtain.