Ideas for Out-of-Class Project #6

My idea for our sixth out-of-class project, in which we will share a piece of UPS-wisdom with the class through a short powerpoint presentation, is to elaborate on something I've learned as a result of my environmentally-focused major. Throughout my time at UPS, I've definitely encountered some "ah-ha" moments in various environmental classes.

Currently, I'm trying to choose between a funnier, versus a more "wise" piece to share. The funnier of the two involves an analogy with salmon (basically, even as an undergraduate, you are still a young "smolt," about to embark on a much larger journey once you leave campus as a graduate) and the other comes from an environmental-history class, which taught me to start thinking about my life as one integrated with the natural world, rather than separate from it.

Both pieces have stayed with me ever since, and I'm sure they either one would be a fun subject to tackle in a powerpoint.

"What Technical Communicators Can Learn from Comics"

This was a cool article. It is very interesting to think about the rhetorical potential of comics, especially their ability to relay a lot of information in fairly short order. The visual aspect of comics helps too, as author Opsteegh writes, by getting people to remember information.

But in thinking about the article's central point -- that comics can be used to help technical writers, especially in creating how-to manuals like that of the army's M16A rifle or Google's new Chrome internet browser -- I believe a larger issue becomes revealed.

In the last line of the article, Opsteegh ends with what was perhaps meant to be an uplifting comment on the future of comic-technical partnership: "as the functional literacy of Americans falls lower and lower, technical communicators will see more and more use for comic-book-style manuals."

I find it interesting that the author uses the ever-diminishing literacy rate of Americans as a send-off point for his readers. It paints a picture of technical writing, especially with the help of comics, as a way to profit off an uneducated population. Seems to me that before we write technical manuals attempting to help people, maybe we should first help them learn how to read.

"Ten Rules for New Technical Communication Graduates"

As I read through Angela Petit's article, one comment immediately stopped me on the page:

"new graduates may discover that the biggest adjustment they make as they begin their careers is to unlearn the rules that helped them excel in the classroom, and learn the sometimes contradictory rules that govern their new workplace."

Maybe it's because this idea of unlearning relates to a current thesis paper I am writing, or maybe the general concept just intrigues me, but I think it's fascinating that the lessons we learn in school are so disconnected to the world we actually enter. The consequences of this, as Petit points out, usually require that we act and work completely opposite to the rules we spent so much time memorizing in school. But what does this say about our education system? What does it mean that we have to "abandon" what we learn, especially from higher institutions, to actually succeed in the careers we entered college to prepare for in the first place? It seems like an awful lot of learning, with not much to show for it. Makes me wonder if we should all revert back to the guild system, where students learned the craft they wanted to pursue by becoming an apprentice, shadowing someone who actually knows what they're doing instead of "going to school" for it first.

"The Game's the Thing: Working at Electronic Arts"

I thought that this article was a little lame, and definitely did not feel very inspired to go work for a video game company. For one, I have never been much good at playing them (unless you count MarioKart, circa Nintendo64) and I also could never work for a company where your writing responsibilities revolve around what a virtual-Al Pacino says in Level Two of The Godfather The Game. While I'm sure it feels pretty good to work for Electronic Arts (EA), a internationally recognized company, and while working and writing for them demands a certain level of focus in between Madden games, I cannot see this writing-arena as worthy of much more than a high score.

"The Grammar of Fun"

The most interesting piece Tom Bissell's article, "The Grammar of Fun," is the discussion of layers of meaning within "Gears of War:" a recent video game masterpiece. In the article, Cliff Bleszinski -- the creator of Gears of War -- hints to the author that apart from the "testosterone-filled chainsaw-fest" that pretty much encapsulates a Gear of War gamer experience, there is something else not-so-subtly hidden beneath the surface: a "'going home' narrative."

This got me thinking about all the levels of plot and narrative that can lie in something as virtual, and other-worldly as a video game, as well as the ways in which virtual reality becomes just another place where we project how we think the world should be. Bleszinski, also known as CliffyB, describes how he misses the house where he grew up in Boston, and reveals that Gears of War carries a parallel story, where the main character Marcus Fenix also experiences a sort of "homecoming" (but with "some of the most harried and ridiculously frantic fighting in the game" thrown in too)."When you start to peel back the layers of the Gears world," says CliffyB, "there's a lot of sadness there."

I wonder if it might be happier without the chainsaws?

Product review assignment: smittenkitchen versus The Pioneer Woman

It seems to me that over the past decade or so, cooking – and perhaps the idea of food in general – has evolved into not only a source of entertainment, but obsession. Once a fairly banal activity reserved for busy-bee housewives, cooking and entertaining have taken on new meaning in today’s society. One scroll through the popular Food Network channel on cable television says it all: the sheer variety of entertaining styles (from Napa-Valley casual to deep Southern charm) combined with unending genres of cooking (from Everyday Italian to 30-Minute Meals) and enthusiastic on-air personalities (where to begin – Giada? Ina? Rachel? Paula?) all together point to the heightened level of attention we give to our food.

It is this sense of satisfaction in creating, watching, and of course eating good food that I have chosen to compare two “products” that help spread this love to the masses. That’s right, I’m talking about food blogs.

Gone are the years when good recipes were hidden and guarded like a chest of buried treasure. In fact, it seems even the age of publishing written cookbooks has fallen a tad behind the times. Nowadays, simply a regular old search engine can instantly provide both amazing recipes and cooking tips in any food genre you can dream up.

However, as with anything mass-produced, there are bound to be some blogs that rise to the top. These are the ones you read more often, the ones you e-mail or twitter or text to your friends, and of course, the recipes you decide to try for yourself.

But there is something else, too, that draws the audience in. While describing food is the main attraction, the personalities of the food bloggers themselves – much like the charismatic individuals on the Food Network – pull people in almost as much as their edible insights. The woman (or man as it were) behind the stove has become an equally intriguing subject for the public – just ask Julia & Julia.

Based on these qualities, I have chosen to compare two of the most popular food blogs: smittenkitchen (smittenkitchen.com) and The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com). Both written by women (and moms!), the food they create and the stories they share are worth experiencing. And, consequently, I have cooked recipes from each site.

So where to begin? How can you compare something like food blogs? Well, the answer seems to be to create easily identifiable categories. For this comparison, I have chosen to compare smittenkitchen and Pioneer Woman based on the following: food taste, recipe readability and directions, recipe variety, appearance and web design, and personality.

First: an assessment of smittenkitchen. After cooking a number of recipes from this site, I have felt pleased with not only the food’s taste, but also the ease (most of the time) in preparing it. As an aspiring college chef, my budget is tighter than most and my kitchen a little less stocked with the proper tools, but I have still found it fairly manageable to cook smittenkitchen dishes without skimping too much on ingredients, or style. Recipe readability and directions are clear, and the site also allows readers to comment, thus providing additional tips below the regular recipe from smittenkitchen followers (if you choose to view them). The variety of recipes is one of the strongest qualities of the website, providing not only an ever-growing catalog, but also categorizing the site’s recipes according to type and season. This makes cooking with local fruits and vegetables a breeze, since seasonal favorites are already highlighted for you. The blog's appearance is also a crowd-pleaser, with delicious, melt-in-your-mouth food photography depicting each new recipe that hits the homepage. smittenkitchen does, however, boast a high number of advertisements throughout the site, so be prepared for your recipes to be interrupted by ads in the margins. Finally, the personality of the author is a little mysterious. While the blog manages to include pictures of the author’s freshly born son, her Manhattan neighborhood, and the surrounding environment, you see very little of the author herself, other than the occasional hand holding a pot handle. One suggestion for this site might be to include a brief biography with a picture of the author. That way, the audience could learn a little more about her, in addition to viewing her beautiful dishes and adorable baby boy.

On to the Pioneer Woman. Where smittenkitchen leaves something to be desired in the “personality” category, “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond – the site’s author and creator – wears her story on her sleeve. Not only does the site provide pages upon pages of photos and stories about her family and life on their farm, but also describes the journey Ree took to get there. In a story she’s titled “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels,” Ree describes her shift from big city to country lifestyle, complete with all the trappings of a clichéd romance. But, instead of Cinderella’s magic slippers, Ree wears cowboy boots.

Ironically, however, it is this attention to detail that can detract from the site’s use as a “food blog.” This is because, in addition to cooking, Ree also includes photography tips, home-decorating ideas, and lessons from home-schooling her four children too. In this way, Ree’s attention to the actual “cooking” part can seem to sit on the back burner. Nonetheless, the taste and ease of cooking her “cowboy friendly” recipes is right on target, once you can find them. As far as variety, Ree includes recipes that demonstrate her ability to do more than make chili or grill a steak: there are delicate recipes, as well as hearty ones. And finally, the appearance, while detailed, is also heart-warming, especially in the photos she shares of her children, her husband, and friends that visit the farm.

In the end, the decision comes down to personal preference. For the online food-blog-addict that likes a direct approach, smittenkitchen’s easy-access food directory can point to exactly what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you prefer to get caught up in a good story, or spend a few minutes fantasizing about what it might be like if you lived on a farm, take some time to listen to the Pioneer Woman before biting into your homemade cornbread.

"Surprising Facts about Product Reviews"

I find it interesting to contrast this article with the one about Walter Mossberg. Towards the end of the "Walter" article, the author mentions that Walter, probably due to his popularity within the field of technology journalism, doesn't feel constrained by the pressure many feel about writing a product review "first." I find this comforting, in a way, that he does this, since it means there are still people out there that care about truly testing a product out and aren't just hurrying through, trying to meet a deadline or beat the competition out for the "first review." I think it's cool that Walter cares about taking his sweet time, and also think it's the show of a good critic that he takes the time to consider the product and then truly present his opinion, even if it doesn't mesh with the popular or mainstream view. Those reviewers that become seduced by the quick review, probably haven't spent as much time as Walter and might not provide as complete (or realistic) a look into a product's functionality.

"Critical Mass: Everyone listens to Walter Mossberg"

I am struck by two things when I read this article.

First, it is amazing to think about how many threads of journalism there are out there, shown here in the form of "technology journalism."

Second, it baffles me that products like the "Treo," for example, can prompt blogs or social networks simply to establish a "community of [the product's] users."

How remarkable (and maybe sad?) that we are so "connected" to technologic products like this, that our sense of community revolves around people that use the same thing. No longer are our reasons for interacting based on similarities outside the technological realm... like music taste, hobbies, or playing on the same sports team. I think it is a scary thing that journalism is taking this turn. It makes me worry for the future of the larger genre, especially considering the impact journalism can have on the surrounding community (as the article's author, Ken Auletta, clearly wants to highlight).

"How to make money writing for the web"

I really like this article's emphasis on the importance of reading different types of writing, and then deciding for yourself whether it works... or doesn't. With any type of professional writing, and especially in the process of cultivating your own sense of style, it seems a must to discern what writing you like to read, and what writing makes you fall asleep, or worse -- get angry at how bad it is.

Everyone always thinks that their style of writing is the best, and makes the most sense, but until you have really read what's out there, and perhaps experienced something that does the trick better than you can, you cannot stand fully confident of your product. Reading and writing, as a rule I believe, present the most important form of "research" for anyone that wants to become a good writer. And, it's something that never stops: you have to read, and read a lot of different things, to write well. And you need to write often, bad or good, to write well.

"The Dumbing Down of the Dailies"

It is a sad thing to think that the first things to go when newspapers get into trouble are the arts. In a world where I feel like the arts are constantly undervalued and underfunded, it pains me to think that not only are writers let go, but their cultivated expertise in various realms of the arts is lost. For those of us that fail to make time for things like writing or painting or singing, critics of the arts (or those that write an arts-related column or feature-story) provide a window into that world that reminds us of its value. If I had to read about business or depressing current events everyday, I feel like my creative spark would get deflated by such uninspiring news coverage. Public discussions of the arts are not only fun and interesting to read -- I believe they are necessary for our well-being.

Critical Review: Matika Wilbur's "We Emerge"

Beginning today, the University of Puget Sound’s Kittredge Gallery welcomes the work of Matika Wilbur – a native of the Tulalip/Swinomish tribe and emerging northwest photographer. Wilbur’s reception at Kittredge opens today, from 5:00-7:00 PM, and the exhibit plans to be shown until November 13^th, 2010. The particular collection currently featured at Kittredge is entitled “We Emerge,” and encompasses a series of large, black-and-white prints that aim to explore the duality of Native American identity. Wilbur’s work successfully evokes a feeling of questioning and uncertainty, while simultaneously establishing a clear message of pride in her native heritage.

Immediately upon entering the gallery, I feel confronted by Wilbur’s photos. The gallery’s white walls stand punctuated with giant, unframed photographs, most of which contain a pair of eyes that look directly back at me. The artist’s statement – a must-read before continuing on through the exhibit – provides an interesting, and well-written description of Wilbur’s intent with her collection. Themes of identity struggle float to the surface, and it is clear that Wilbur, a relatively young artist, has experienced her own identity crisis -- trying to find a place to belong within the thin, remaining pieces of her native culture.

Especially within today’s modern world, the clash between the traditional (and rapidly disappearing) lessons of Wilbur's tribe and that of the Western mind, complete with “stimulus packages,” is more than enough to inspire “We Emerge.” Wilbur underscores this conflict in multiple ways: both in the arrangement and subjects of her photographs, but also through their form. Her decision to present an exclusively black-and-white collection lends obvious emphasis to the theme of duality by presenting, through her chosen medium, such a classic color contrast.

Moving counter-clockwise around the gallery, the first picture I meet is that of a woman, dressed in what appears to be traditional tribal wear, covering her eyes next to a paved road. This particular piece is an interesting place to start, as it is the only photograph of the collection where the subject’s eyes are not visible. Compared to the other photographs, in which Wilbur hauntingly captures human eye contact, this initial piece – entitled “Beginning” – powerfully communicates a sense of fear, and perhaps unwillingness to confront the present, as a native woman in a largely artificial, “paved” country. The symbolism of the road is another effective visual cue, suggesting an inability to see where to go next.

While many of the photographs focus on a single human subject juxtaposed against a symbolic background, a few of them contain two subjects. One notable piece shows two women, one noticeably darker in skin tone than the other, sitting next to each other in identical physical orientation. Both pairs of feet nod inward, as if the women feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, and they each look outward, unsmiling. The title of the piece says it all: “Two Indians Enough to be Indian?” Almost immediately, differences in physical appearance between the subjects stand out, with skin color pronounced as a source of struggle. While the women outwardly appear to share little in common, Wilbur indicates that they might belong to the same tribe, or share some type of indigenous identity. Here, the artist seems to play with the assumptions of her audience, particularly on the topic of race and skin color. By bringing these factors into the collection’s “conversation,” Wilbur invites anyone who has ever felt an identity struggle motivated by race to join in, to feel a sense of understanding emanating from her artwork.

One of the most provocative photographs of the collection comes near the end of my circle through the gallery. Entitled “It Was a Gift,” the photograph’s subject stands, hands out-stretched, seemingly offering the viewer two ears of corn. Moving up to view the subject’s face, however, presents a different, contrary emotion – a look of disappointment, sadness, and anger. The woman in the photo even appears to be tearing up – endowing the portrait with a much deeper, realistic level of emotion. Aligning with multiple other pieces in the collection, “It Was a Gift” confronts the viewer with piercing eye contact from the photo’s subject. Without trying, I am consumed with feelings of guilt, along with an unpredictable, and surprising level of understanding and empathy.

It is this “relationship” between viewer and subject that truly speaks to the power of Wilbur’s work. As a photographer, Wilbur has brought her own struggle with identity through to her audience, provoking the questioning of not only personal, but national identity as well. By presenting at-times harsh, yet profoundly human images, Wilbur is able to beautifully emphasize both a pride in her difference – as a remaining tribal member – but also her “sameness” as a human being on this planet. It is here where Wilbur’s search for identity can be met by those from a variety of backgrounds, working to discover the same sense of belonging. In addition, Wilbur’s images offer a feeling of support for anyone in search of identity: through the palpable sense of pride Wilbur feels, other similarly conflicted identities, whatever their form, will hopefully be inspired by Wilbur’s perseverance with her own.

Kittredge Gallery is open from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. On Saturday, the gallery is open from Noon-5:00 PM. The gallery is located on the University’s campus, at North 15^th and North Lawrence Street, in Tacoma’s North End neighborhood. To find out more about upcoming shows or featured artists, the gallery can be reached at 253-879-3701 or online at www.pugetsound.edu/kittredge.

"News You Can Lose"

Imagining what it would be like to live in a major city that lacks any type of major newspaper, as this article supposes may happen soon, is a tough pill to swallow. I agree with the author that something, hopefully, would jump in to save these newspapers (or at least the really big ones), turning them into something like a non-profit in order stay alive. And, although the most recent recession has hit hard, a part of this story plays like an old record: arts-based organizations losing appeal and support in light of economical downturn. People prioritizing their way away from the humanities, from writing, from art, from music, when wallets start to shrink. It's the same old story I've always heard, but it isn't getting any easier to listen to.

"To Save Themselves, US Newspapers Put Readers to Work"

I don't know how I feel about this article, about the idea of normal citizens (as in, non-journalists) being able to submit, and be published by regular old newspapers. A part of me is all for it -- I like the idea of getting more people to write things down, to tell their stories, and to get excited about sharing them with the world... even if they might not meet standard journalistic conventions. However, the fact that newspapers are relying on this, relying on other people to do their job for them, and perhaps even taking advantage of people's interest to share -- that I have a problem with.

"Goodbye to Newspapers?"

I think the most humbling message of this entire article can be summed up in a quote from the former editor of the Los Angeles Times, John Carroll:

Under the old local owners, a newspaper’s capacity for making money was only part of its value. Today, it is everything. Gone is the notion that a newspaper should lead, that it has an obligation to its community, that it is beholden to the public….

It is here where I stopped reading, and took a breath. Sometimes it's hard to imagine the impact newspapers have had on me, since I feel I belong to a generation that, if not raised on the internet, has certainly been slowly weaned off print media to a much easier, faster, accessible, flashier form of getting information. And I don't like it. The idea of big newspapers like the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal, losing a base ethic to provide quality information, even if it fails to acquire the highest profit possible, offers a window into a scary world. Even now, when I compare writing a paper on my computer versus writing an entry, by hand, in a journal, or making a handmade card on a piece of paper, I'm astounded by the difference. The feeling of satisfaction, of pure creative energy going into something new.

I hope that voices will emerge to speak for the lonely newspaper, who is about to be abandoned in this world.

Profile assignment: Inara Verzemnieks

One of Inara Verzemnieks’ favorite bumper stickers reads, “Visualize Tacoma.”

The sticker was born out of the early-nineties: an era when Tacoma, Washington – Inara’s hometown – had begun to reinvent itself from industrial wasteland to underground arts hub. The sticker embodied a hopeful transition, the ability to imagine what the town could be before “visualizing” it into reality. But the sticker also represents something else: two pieces of Inara that define both her, and her job as a professional writer.

Firstly, there is an aspect of taking pride in where you come from. Born and raised in the northwest, Inara loyally claims Tacoma as her home, as well as admits her annoyance when fellow Tacoma-natives – instead of taking the time to describe their smelly, yet beautiful town – default to strangers that they simply live “close-to-Seattle.” “You are so defined by the place you grew up,” she says, “and I love that I’m from Tacoma.”

The second piece lies deeper. Embedded within “Visualize Tacoma” is a larger message, noting the possibility that comes with change, and the value in being present for the stories unfolding around us. Inara’s magnetism to the writing profession is rooted in this beautiful uncertainty of life, and the work we all go through to make sense of it.

Around the same time as Tacoma’s rebirth (and, hence, the birth of the sticker), Inara was about to graduate from Stadium High School, across Commencement Bay from her neighborhood on Browns Point. As a senior, she had already fashioned herself into quite a writer – beginning with her neighborhood newsletter, but soon to include both underground journals and her high school paper. By the time she graduated in ’92, Inara knew she had found her calling.

Now a full-fledged writer, Inara’s connection to the evolving world of creative non-fiction draws inspiration from the idea of discovery: “I was never interested in breaking news, or political or process stories. I was interested in deeply inhabiting people’s lives, in writing stories that are ‘undecided,’ where you can take the reader along with you and they don’t know what’s going to happen. When you read a breaking news story, there’s not a whole lot of discovery. I like thinking of stories as a vehicle for discovery.”

Finding “the time and space” to write them, however, took Inara on a bit of a journey. She started out at the Oregonian, where she found a home as a reporter and writer for the Features department. Thirteen years later, Inara discovered that the position, while essential to her growth as a writer, could no longer satisfy the direction she intended to go: “Working at the paper was critical to me, it was critical to help me find my own voice. At the same time, I chose it, in part, for practical reasons: a consistent paycheck and benefits. After awhile, I didn’t like these practical reasons because they locked me in. They made me compromise a lot for other reasons.” For Inara, the real challenge then became finding the answer to this question: “how do you construct a life that allows you to [do what you love]?”

Today, Inara is trying to do just that. After being accepted into the University of Iowa’s prestigious MFA program, she is currently pursuing a two-year fellowship that, for lack of a better word, rules: “It’s a gift. I am paid to be there, to write, and there is no obligation. Just write, take classes, and interact with other writers.” Along with the other ten fellows, Inara attends workshops and classes like “The History of the Essay,” which as proven to be more work than she anticipated. “It makes sense… they’re just trying to flood your brain with everything,” she admits, “but I just left a job with a lot of structure. A part of me wasn’t ready to jump back into more of that.” Only a month into the program, however, she recognizes that she is still very much in an adjustment period and eagerly looks forward to the rest of the fellowship.

Her projects, while consisting mostly of class assignments, have recently begun to take a more individualized shape. Before arriving in Iowa City, Inara had five to ten things on her plate, but now realizes that gaining “traction” with just a few is a worthy goal. “I have started adapting the assignments to accommodate my own projects,” she says, in the hopes of using the fellowship experience to retain some of the momentum she feels with certain stories.

One such story links back to Inara’s own roots. As a first-generation Latvian-American, Inara grew up listening to her family’s stories. Raised primarily by her grandparents, Inara became especially aware of the story of her grandmother’s sister, who fled to Siberia to escape Latvia’s War of Independence. Incredibly, her great-aunt survived the journey, and Inara recently traveled to Latvia in an attempt to reconnect with this part of her past. While she never imagined “writing a memoir” during her fellowship, Inara also admits that, “Siberia is on my mind:” “I find myself feeling this ‘journalist hesitancy’ to write about myself. There’s some resistance there, but I feel like something important is happening and I don’t want to let that go.”

As she delves into a new phase of her writing career, Inara has followed her instincts to a place where the writing she loves can be honed and nurtured. At the same time, she does not pretend like any of it has been easy. In fact, she entrusts me with the best advice she can think of for a college writer eager to find a home in the industry: “If you believe in telling stories, you must make your choices to protect that. Don’t compromise. Defend your passion, and build your life so you can do it.” Although she ultimately decided that the paper was not for her, she admits that “money is an issue” and that “there are no easy answers to this, to writing well while wanting the security of a solid paycheck. It’s not easy, but,” she encourages, “you have to hold tight to that love.”

Before we hang up, I tell Inara what my favorite bumper sticker is – given that I consider myself somewhat of a Tacoma-native these days. “It says ‘Admit it, Tacoma. You’re Beautiful,'” I tell her, and she laughs. I guess it proves another piece of Inara’s advice: that “you have to write to know what you want to say.”

"Profile Article of Delancey Street’s Director, Dr. Mimi Silbert"

Another look at different ways to tell a story, author Halle Stockton deserved to win a first-place journalism award with this piece. Her look into the life of Mimi Silbert and her work at Delancey Street -- a non-profit dedicated to empowering the lives of former criminals and drug addicts -- was powerful, and also inspiring. If I had to critique her work, I would say that she relies a little too much on the emotions of her audience, sometimes bordering on sounding "cheesy." I think this might have been avoided if the author could have provided some direct quotes from the subject herself, instead of simply getting the views of those around her. This might have made the article feel a little more personal, rather than simply conveying repeated praise for the subject.

I definitely felt like I'd like to learn more about both Silbert and Delancey Street after reading the article, which I think is a big success for Stockton. She exposed pieces of this woman, and her story, that invite the audience to probe deeper, especially since much of the article sounds too good to be true. I'd like to visit Delancey Street and see for myself! Way to go, Mimi.

"For Hire: Fine Art Appraiser"

Cate Lineberry's article for Smithsonian.com shows one way to write a business-profile that doesn't fit Gerald Grow's model, yet still provides an an interesting, and informative look at someone's job. The article focuses on Nan Chisholm, who works for Sotheby's as a fine art appraiser, as well as appraises art on the PBS program "Antiques Roadshow." However, the article is set up more like a face-to-face dialogue, with questions explicitly stated on the page, and the interviewee's direct responses sitting below.

In a way, I think this style of "profile" is effective because it feels more casual, and you can skip around depending on what questions intrigue you most. On the other hand, it feels less like a complete, thematically arranged "story" and more like a dictation. I, personally, would prefer more of the story-type arrangement because I think it requires a little more insight and work on the part of the author. It doesn't take much to put together a question-and-answer piece following an interview. On the other hand, if you like an easier read, this is probably the right form for you.

"A Formula for Writing the Business Profile Article"

Moving away from the interview process and into the writing process, this provides a more in-depth structure for putting together a business-profile. I am always hesitant when I read things like this because I don't like to feel like describing people, especially, should take such take on such an arbitrary segmentation. I tend to lose a lot of my writing style when I try to adopt these rubrics, although I do admit they have some useful tips.

For example, I agree with the author -- Gerald Grow -- that beginning the article focusing on the person is important. This ties in with providing interesting lead-ins in general, since people are almost always more interested in the people within the business than the business itself. I also liked the suggestion of including both the "subject in business environment" and "subject in home environment" topics, but I still find it difficult to make this sound natural and not formulaic.

I appreciate the rubric, but I think it's important to write what sounds good, and to write what sounds good to you. As long as you can creatively and accurately portray the person and what they do, I think you've done your job.

"How to Conduct an Interview"

This is a basic how-to guide containing tips on how to conduct a successful interview. I like the emphasis on the "story" aspect, and how finding and collecting someone's "story" is better than simply writing down the "breaking news." It's actually very similar to an idea that came up during my own interview this past week: the ability for well-crafted creative non-fiction to lead to some kind of "discovery" among its readers that breaking news fails to do. With creative non-fiction, the reader has less of a clear idea what is in store for them, apart from perhaps the title of the article, and embarks on something new when they sit down and read it. I like the idea of applying this to interviews, and to writing in general.

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

The thing I thought about most after reading "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" was the idea of how the medium through which you choose to communicate ultimately effects how and what you communicate. The anecdote about Nietzsche and his typewriter is a perfect example... and how funny that he, like so many people today, bought and started using the typewriter because of its convenience, only to have it take over his writing so noticeably that even his friends could tell.

It makes me wonder if there will ever be anything better, no matter how "advanced" we become, than a pencil and paper. The fact that it takes a long time to write anything of length, that you have time to consider your words carefully, to think through your message long and hard as you write it out... this, I think, is as fundamental to the process of writing as anything else. It IS writing.

So, maybe we should thank Google... not for its search engine superpowers or lightning fast web results, but simply for existing as the polar opposite to the considered, written word.

Now, we know. Google isn't making us stupid, it's offering a window into a virtual world where true writing disappears. It's pushing us -- in a way -- back the way we came.