Hypertext

Sounds scary, but after some investigation I don’t think it is that complex.

Essentially, a hypertext is a link within a text medium that links to another text.

I was initially a little confused as hypertext sounds exactly like a hyperlink, which I am very familiar with. After a little research I discovered that they are more or less the same thing. Hypertext is any text that contains hyperlinks. 

We were asked to view two pieces and see if they pertained as hypertext or not.

‘Joyce’s Twelve Blue‘ is a very hypertext heavy sort of ..story? I guess you could call it.

It features a series of pages, each with a hyperlink to a different section. I’m not quite sure what was going on to be completely honest. I don’t mean to be offensive but I wasn’t sure if all the sections were supposed to relate or simply just be an example of how hypertext works in general. The colours and the overall layout do not appeal to me at all. It’s dark and difficult to follow; which may be due to the fact it was created in 1996. General web page design has dramatically improved in this time, so perhaps it is the older format that is unappealing to me.

Matt’s ‘Engaging blogs‘ was much more interesting for me personally. If something is visually appealing it makes it so much easier to read and engage in. This is clean, modern and easy to follow. I’m not 100% sure if this is technically considered as hypertext as the linking medium is a graphic; not text. The links are to the same piece of work, just different sections.

Through analysing some different examples I feel much more confidently about hypertext and it’s purpose in the online community.

Michael Joyce. 1996. Blue: Michael Joyce. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.eastgate.com/TwelveBlue/. [Accessed 23 March 2016].

Matt Kelley. 2011. Engaging Blogs. [ONLINE] Available at: https://prezi.com/bsh6dof2wg-0/engaging-blogs/. [Accessed 23 March 2016].

Reading #2

Network literacy was admittedly not a term I had heard of before. Adrian Miles’ article helped me to understand that to be network literate is to consume and contribute on equal parts.

This makes sense – however, as a new blogger I was still a little confused as to what this exactly meant. Miles’ breaks it down as:

• Acknowledging that the content you share is accessible to others, as is their content to you. The basis of network literacy comes from the ‘sharing’ aspect of the online community.
• Different services and websites can be managed by XML or RSS. XML standardises publication of information so it can be shared whereas RSS is a system based on XML that allows for exchange of information between services. (These terms are completely new to me, I feel I will need to read up a lot more as it seems very confusing and complex right now)
• Using ‘tags’ in social software systems makes its easier to categorise and find relevant content. The categories formed and their relations are called ‘tag clouds’.
• An RSS feed is ‘syndicated, time sensitive information that can be automatically published to you – if you have chosen to subscribe to it’. (Miles 2007) Miles gives the example of CiteuLike’s RSS subscription. If you subscribe to their RSS feed for a specific tag; each time a reference is uploaded with that tag you are notified. If you as a user upload a reference with a tag someone else has subscribed to; it will go to their RSS feed.
• Being network literate requires practice. You need to know a little about web coding and possessing the skills to find your required information and sort through what is relevant.

This is all new to me, and whilst I find it a little confusing and overwhelming – I’m sure as the course progresses I will gain a broader understanding. It’s the XML & RSS that is really confusing me at the moment as I literally have never heard of them before. It’s easy to see that predominantly being network literate is about participation in these networks; contributing & sharing others content.

Miles, Adrian. Network Literacy: The New Path to Knowledge [online]. Screen Education, No. 45, 2007: 24-30. Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=805521387210748;res=IELAPA&gt; ISSN: 1449-857X. [cited 22 Mar 16].

Creative Commons

Another term I was completely unfamiliar with before doing this course. It is easy enough to understand, however. Creative commons acts like a license for bloggers to use that helps others understand how they want their content to be shared.

The site is quite easy to navigate around. You simply fill in a few questions about how you would like your content to be shared and they generate a license for you – for you to display on your blog. The purpose of creative commons is to allow public permission for sharing & using content. This depends, of course, on which license the person has on their page.

I decided to choose the Creative Commons attribution-noncommerical 4.0 license. This allows other users to share and adapt my work, but does not allow for commercial redistribution of my work. Appropriate credit must also be given for when someone does use my work. My reasoning for selecting this particular license was because I post a lot of photos, and I would not want someone else to take credit or make money from my own work.

 

Reflection

In my previous post I experimented with media for the first time on my blog!

I am hoping to use my blog as a platform to write about some places I have visited in Victoria, and hopefully encourage my readers to delve into some of the beautiful places our state has to offer!

Aesthetically, I feel the pictures seem a little out of place. I may need to do some tweaking of my theme to give my ‘nature’ posts a little more context. (Lilac background seems a little irrelevant to what I’ll be posting about)

The photo quality is another issue. I take all my photos just using my iPhone 5, which doesn’t have the best quality. Photos look seemingly okay on such a small screen, but once uploaded to a computer it definitely doesn’t look as good. Unfortunately, being a student and all – I don’t see this aspect of my posts changing anytime soon.

The photos are a necessary addition to what has been a very text heavy blog so far.

 

 

 

Redwood Forest, Warburton

The Redwood forest has to be one of my favourite places I’ve ever visited. There are hundreds of redwood trees planted in perfect symmetrical alignment; meaning you can face any direction and see a clean path line.

Beyond the Redwoods, there’s a magical overgrown forest that has a river hidden amongst the dense bush. I have been there multiple times but am always exploring new parts that I haven’t seen before. I think that’s why I keep going back, to venture around with my friends and get lost!

I took the following photos there (with my iPhone 5 – apologies for the quality..)

If you are ever in the area I would highly recommend giving this place a visit. It is truly humbling to be in such a quiet, serene space.

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Getting personal..ish

It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of society. It is so important to just take some time out now and then to appreciate what it is to be human. Appreciate our planet.

Getting out amongst nature is one of my favourite things to do. I am so lucky to live in Melbourne, where I am just a 30 minute drive from some absolutely incredible places. Lush, green rainforests in one direction; dry, barren bush land in another. Amazing gardens,  spectacular cliff faces – I could go on and on.

There is just something about being amongst beautiful scenery that I am addicted to. Especially places that are for the most part untouched by man. Nature in it’s purest form.

I want to use this blog to explore my hobbies a little further and to hopefully encourage some of you to get out and about more. Watch this space.

 

 

Reading #1

I was initially quite hesitant to start blogging, as I haven’t had much experience with blogs in the past. I was worried mainly about structure & content, and how to maintain and upkeep a ‘blogging’ schedule.

Interestingly enough, most of my worries dissipated after reading Miles’ piece. The article talks about how blogging is an amazing, flexible writing medium that can be so beneficial for students and their learning.

I like how Miles’ compares blogging to journaling but with the assumption of an audience. As he says, this means writing has to make sense to others reading it. (Can’t make any promises..) It is a quite daunting thought however, to know that what I am writing is viewable to virtually anyone. I mean, I would never let anyone read my personal diary.

I also really like how blogs can be used to self critique. It will be so useful to look back at previous posts & see what skills I can build & improve on.

Overall, I think the point is really.. to just write!

Miles, Adrian. Blogs in Media Education: A Beginning [online]. Screen Education, No. 43, 2006: 66-69. Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=374037672250272;res=IELAPA&gt; ISSN: 1449-857X. [cited 11 Mar 16].

Class Discussion

Through class discussion a few key points were raised that are relevant to my blogging;

Challenges faced in trying to distinguish between academic and personal posts. It may be difficult to gain momentum without having a personal interest also discussed through the blog. I will be trying to gain an audience and thus will be focusing on a particular interest and writing about this. I will be trying to incorporate my personal posts whilst adhering to academic structure.

Maintaining regular posting. Gaining momentum stems from regular posting and this will be a crucial part of building my blog. Ensuring I post consistently will be a priority in my writing.

 

 

 

Student Charter

I endeavour to present my blog as a reflection of myself as a student. The student charter is relevant to my blog as it encourages me to instill creative, passionate and fair notions into my writing. I will ensure all work is honest, fair and respectful of all students/staff.

I will express my individuality by writing about topics that I feel strongly about and thus promote self expression and independent thought.