I shall end with Reflection...

In the process of creating Techblog, I experienced the distinct differences between a serious weblog and a personal blog. While writing for serious weblog, there are several things that cannot be overlooked or to be missed. To gain readers’ trust, it is essential to make sure that all the information provided in the weblog is credible, reliable and rational. Besides, topics of the posts should not be mixed. The topic range that I have chosen for this weblog is mainly about the media and technology issues. Jakob Nielsen (2005) states that, ‘The more focused your content, the more focused your readers.’ Mixed topics will probably cause confusion to the readers and they might just leave the blog. Lastly, we need to make sure that information and sources within the weblog are organised and the links have to be useful so as to make the readers’ reading paths easier. These are also the skills that we need to apply while writing for the blog.

In this weblog, interplay of prose, graphics and hyperlinks are all well designed. Thus, theories of document designing are applied throughout the process of creating this weblog. The placement of the posts is slightly more centralised compare to the other elements that are being placed at the side. The central elements are referred as Centre while the flanked elements are Margins (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 1996). Besides, the application of framing as a purpose to connect and disconnect the elements is obvious within the weblog. Information that falls under different categories like posts, profile, and list of blog archive is clearly segmented. Multimodal texts like written language, moving or still images (Walsh, M 2006) are included and some are framed within the weblog too.

Although blog is a platform that advocates freedom of speech, but still, as a good quality blogger, we need to act ethical while blogging. Filter of contents and topics need to be done cautiously so as to avoid any unnecessary copyright or defamation infringements. Lastly, stealing people’s words is equally offensive as stealing people’s properties. This appears to be the one last thing that has to be engraved on every blogger’s mind. Be ethical, be quality.



References

Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Bell, A & Garrett, P (eds) 1998, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford, chapter 7, pp. 186-219.

Nielsen, J 2005, Weblog Usability : The Top Ten Design Mistakes, viewed on 2 November 2007,
<http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weblogs.html>

Walsh, M 2006, ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, Australian journal of language and literacy, vol.29, no.1, pp.24-37.

YouTube equals to freedom?

Recently, a mass communication student Wong Meng Chee (Namawee) who studies in Taiwan had caused a big stir with his Negarakuku rap video clip posted on YouTube. The six-minute long video clip on YouTube was claimed to have insulted and lowered the prestige of national anthem of Malaysia (The Star 2007). If Namawee did not apologise to the government, he would have been taken to the court and face the charges. YouTube is a good tool for anyone to be famous for 15 minutes or a million views, even a prairie whose five-second glare at the camera can make it popular (Ingram, M 2007). YouTube is such a miracle for everyone.



Founded in 2005, YouTube is a site where everyone can upload their videos and share the videos (YouTube 2007). Everyone can watch YouTube and everthing can be on YouTube. Perhaps that is the reason why Malaysian government banned Namawee’s video when they first discovered that it was posted on YouTube. Why is YouTube so popular?

Analysing the site, http://www.youtube.com/, the most eye-catching elements are the colourful images of plethora of clips. As stated by Jon Callow (1999), colours can create certain feelings for viewers as each colour has been associated with particular characteristic. Colours may attract the viewers to click on the certain clip. Moreover, the clips are segmented into different categories using frames. Framing which is a type of ‘visual grammar’ not only making the information set within the site more organised, it can also evoke responses (Walsh,M 2006). It is convenient for viewers to select their favourite clips from different categories.

I will usually type a topic in the ‘Search’ box provided on top of the page and all the clips related to the topic will be listed out instantly. It is very easy, fast, and convenient. I find it interesting, as YouTube is practising freedom of speech and of media. For Namawee’s case, Negarakuku has been posted on Youtube before it was banned. It proves that the media flow in between YouTube is free. For those who advocate free media, YouTube is a good tool.



References

Callow, J 1999, Image matters: visual texts in the classroom, Primary English Teaching Association, Marickville.

Ingram, M 2007, When a million hits won’t do it, viewed on 31 October 2007,
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071027.wyoutube27/BNStory/Technology/home

The Star Online, Student must face the law, Cabinet, however, accepts his apology, viewed on 31 October 2007,
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/17/nation/18614032&sec=nation


Walsh, M 2006, ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, Australian journal of language and literacy, vol.29, no.1, pp.24-37.

YouTube 2007, About YouTube, viewed on 31 October 2007,
http://www.youtube.com/t/about


YouTube 2007, Broadcast Yourself, viewed on 31 October 2007,
http://www.youtube.com/