The Inhumanity of it All: The affordances and losses of switching mediums and modalities,
a post presentation/activity discussion.

Shipka's Forum Prompt:
Response to Class Presentation

Try to make connections between your work and the readings. Try to make connections between your work and the work of your classmates. Be specific about what you did and why. The more details the better. Try to explain your reasoning as fully as possible. Passing (C-level) posts must be at least two good-sized paragraphs in length (approximately 250 words). Everyone must have posted by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 8.

W. Chewning's Response ·  C. Gatton's Response ·  P.C. Paul's Response ·  G. Masters' Response ·  P. Hartman's Response ·  C. Wychgram's Response

Y. Martin's Response ·  E. Sanchez's Response ·  B. Bauhaus' Response ·  A. Sheikh's Response ·  D. Wentworth's Response ·  S. Kibler's Response

D. Panchwagh's Response ·  M. deLauney's Response

         The directions I received on the 23rd were in the form of a drawing. It was a map of sorts, but not really. The drawing depicted the Fine Arts building and several other building that surround it. In the corner was a traced drawing of a Timex watch displaying the time and date of our class on the 2/28. The fine arts building, where are class is usually held, was marked with a skull and cross-bones. Footsteps led from the Fine Arts building to the ECS building. Of all the depictions on the page, the ECS building was the only one that was highlighted with coloring; the rest were line drawings.

         I got the message... I knew that I should go to ECS for our class on the 28th, but I still felt the need to confer with my classmates about it. We all verified that we'd be meeting in ECS, and I think that we all felt a bit of relief knowing that we weren't singled out.

         So, when we were given our instructions to model our first mini-project after the instruction we received, I knew that my end product would be a map-like drawing answering the question, "Who Are You?" Drawing a map of myself as a person was, at first, confusing, but I realized that the "places" I have been in the course of my life are very much a part of who I am today. Starting with my first memory, I "mapped" out several of the major "places" or stages that I believe have influenced my character. I used my own pen and materials obtained from the community table of supplies, including a sheet of stiff white paper (card stock) and colored markers, to create a visual depiction of my life. My hair in one drawing was gray only because Shipka wouldn't let me borrow the brown marker.

         My second project was to take the form of a newspaper article. I used a piece of newsprint, which I cut with my own scissors, and my own pencil to create a partial front page of a newspaper. When I used my own supplies, I did so because I didn't feel like getting up from my seat, and I wanted to leave whatever supplies I could for others to use. The article on the front page was, of course, about me. It was basically a re-telling of the drawing I had produced using words instead of images.

         I found these texts interesting and enjoyable to create. I didn't have any real trouble, but I don't think that my products and processes were as impressive as some of my classmates'. You guys kicked butt on these projects.

         Thinking about this activity in relation to the readings, I will admit that I did not initially make strong connections. I thought about the readings in a somewhat narrow perspective, concentrating on the changes in formats of newspapers and love letters over time and the combination of written and verbal qualities of emails. But, after speaking with others, I realized that these same ideas could apply to any number of genres and mediums. These projects, then, exemplify the ways in which what we communicate can change depending on the modes of communication we use to convey them. In this way, the projects relate to the readings in a much more meaningful way that I had originally realized.

         Thanks! This was fun... :-)

A response to W. Chewning's "Who am I? Hmmm..." by P.C. Paul
This is a cryptic message.

         I remember the essays.

         "A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse."

         Be seeing you.

A response to P.C. Paul's post by W. Chewning
Yup...that's a cryptic message. In fact, it's so cryptic that I haven't a clue what you're talking about! *shrug* :-)

Response to W. Chewning's post by P.C. Paul

Allow me to connect the dots now:
When you pointed to your first frame in your image and said that I nearly drowned at age two, the light bulb when off above my head. It said, "That was your non-fiction essay submission in Bartleby last year. Remember we discussed Bartleby in passing when we were in ENGL 301 Literary Analysis? Well as reviewers we do not know who submitted what. If we recognize the essay either from a class, the Writing Center, or otherwise, we are instructed to post the message "I know the author and I cannot participate" in the review of the essay. This also applies if it our own essay or someone else's within the Bartleby staff.

And now that text has reappeared:

         "When I was two years old, I fell into the deep end of my family's swimming pool. I have relived this experience over and over again in my memory - vivid images in blinding color, reverberating sounds, intense fear, confusion, and overwhelming helplessness. This movie in my head has been exactly the same for as long as I can remember - flashbulb images of what I saw as I looked up from the bottom of the pool - the blueness of the water shattered by shifting flashes of white light refracting through ripples on the surface - dull thumps sounding deep within my head as water filled my ears. I felt so heavy and I had no idea why I couldn't move. Panicked, I clawed at the water; I didn't know it at the time, but I was swimming. Slowly moving up slowly from the pool's cold cement floor, I fought against gravity with every bit of strength in my tiny body. As the smoothness of the water around me began to change, I became surrounded by the bubbles and fast-moving water from our pool-sweep (a device that floats just under the surface with dangling hoses that spray water to clean the sides of the pool). That beautiful blue and white machine is what saved my life. I grabbed one of the hoses and used it like a gym-rope to aid my desperate climb to the surface. Reaching the base of the hose, I latched onto the pool-sweep's aluminum frame and managed to lift my head into the air.

         I remember the strong taste and smell of plastic and chemicals in the water around the foam floats that kept the machine, and now me, from sinking. I don't remember crying when I could finally breathe again, but I did. I don't recall my mother jumping in to save me when she heard my screams. I have forgotten the ambulance and the paramedics that came; I don't even remember falling in. All I remember is the water, the pool-sweep, and most of all, the fear of death that I didn't even understand as it filled me. I feel very lucky that this is my memory, and not only my mother's.

         My mom says that almost immediately after my brush with death, I was drawn to the pool. I suppose that, being so small, I felt like I had conquered that big, seemingly-invincible swimming pool. What started out as a curiosity, and then instantaneously became my adversary, had ultimately become my passion. From an early age, my pool helped to define who I would be. Surprisingly, I've never been at all scared of the water."

         This is what I was referring by a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse. I wanted to let you know with that drawing I read the essay that this incident was revealed in. It was quite a powerful beginning also I might add. And so the cryptic message is no longer necessary, I was just...

A response to W. Chewning's "Who am I? Hmmm..." by M. deLauney
Bill. Glad you liked it! And I'm glad the map worked, although I'm not sure that I like that you labeled it "a map of sorts but not really"... j/k! lol! (hehe, had to say it.) So, do you think that the map would have been as conducive to your life story if you didn't have so many places that were important? Could you have still made use of it if the places didn't matter so much? If you feel like posting in again, would you go into the whys a little bit more? I mean, you don't have to be overly personal, but why did you choose those places and not others? Was it a conscious choice or were those the first that popped into your head? Why use card stock instead of plain paper? OK, it's almost midnight and I'm rambling, I'm sorry. I'm only trying to nudge you to discuss more of your choices. :) I agree with you that everyone's projects were really cool, including yours. thanks!

A response to all the posts by W. Chewning
Hey Maggie (and Sarah and DJ Lizzie) - First of all, no offense about the "map, but not really" description was intended. It was a map...but not really! Maps don't have pics of watches and footsteps on them. ;-) But it was effective, nonetheless!

         As for my map, I think that we can all think of "places" where we've been during the defining moments of our lives. Even if those places couldn't be found on a map, there are always places where we, as people, are in our lives. I was a bit of a bully in elementary school, and that's "where I was" in my life at that point. During that time, I was probably beating myself up more than anyone else, but that's another story. My point is that even if I had never been outside of Maryland, I would have been able to use places to represent the changes in me during my life. Whether it's Australia, Ocean City, North Charles Street, or a state of mind, I remember "where I was" when "who I am" changed...even if only a little. I chose the places that I illustrated because they were the major points when my life changed direction. I could have included many more, but I suck at drawing and time was short. Here's what I remember:

1 - The Pool. This is my first memory. I fell into the pool when I was two, and I am lucky to] have lived through it. Here's a snippet from an essay I wrote that sums up my memory:

When I was two years old, I fell into the deep end of my family's swimming pool. I have relived this experience over and over again in my memory - vivid images in blinding color, reverberating sounds, intense fear, confusion, and overwhelming helplessness. This movie in my head has been exactly the same for as long as I can remember - flashbulb images of what I saw as I looked up from the bottom of the pool - the blueness of the water shattered by shifting flashes of white light refracting through ripples on the surface - dull thumps sounding deep within my head as water filled my ears. I felt so heavy and I had no idea why I couldn't move. Panicked, I clawed at the water; I didn't know it at the time, but I was swimming.

Slowly moving up slowly from the pool's cold cement floor, I fought against gravity with every bit of strength in my tiny body. As the smoothness of the water around me began to change, I became surrounded by the bubbles and fast-moving water from our pool-sweep (a device that floats just under the surface with dangling hoses that spray water to clean the sides of the pool). That beautiful blue and white machine is what saved my life. I grabbed one of the hoses and used it like a gym-rope to aid my desperate climb to the surface. Reaching the base of the hose, I latched onto the pool-sweep's aluminum frame and managed to lift my head into the air.

I remember the strong taste and smell of plastic and chemicals in the water around the foam floats that kept the machine, and now me, from sinking. I don't remember crying when I could finally breathe again, but I did. I don't recall my mother jumping in to save me when she heard my screams. I have forgotten the ambulance and the paramedics that came; I don't even remember falling in. All I remember is the water, the pool-sweep, and most of all, the fear of death that I didn't even understand as it filled me. I feel very lucky that this is my memory, and not only my mother's.

My mom says that almost immediately after my brush with death, I was drawn to the pool. I suppose that, being so small, I felt like I had conquered that big, seemingly-invincible swimming pool. What started out as a curiosity, and then instantaneously became my adversary, had ultimately become my passion. From an early age, my pool helped to define who I would be. Surprisingly, I've never been at all scared of the water.

The essay goes on to explain how the pool was a big part of who I was throughout my childhood. It's probably where I had more life-changing experiences than any other single place, and I moved from that house when I was 12.

2 - Me Being Mean - I fought a lot when I was in elementary school. I'm not sure when that change in me happened, or why it happened, but they aren't my fondest memories. I don't like who I was when I was a little kid.

3 - Red-Eyed Bill - I don't smoke pot or do any drugs anymore, and I haven't for a long time. In fact, I don't even drink liquor...just beer and wine. But, early on in my youth, I was a stoner. I haven't been that same person for ~10 years, but I don't think that I am far enough away from who I was during that time to know exactly how my partying affected the direction of my life. I know how that during that time I had some very positive and very negative experience -- like any other time, I suppose -- but in the overall context, I dunno...I like who I am now, so I can't say that I'm sorry for how I got here, although if I knew then what I know now, I would have done some things differently. Hindsight, ya know...

4 - Ocean City - Working and playing at the beach. This place is definitely full of very fond memories for me, but I grew out of the lifestyle. My life there was non-stop in whatever I was doing. Even the winters, when NO ONE is left on the island, were non-stop this or that. The beach is great, and I love to be there whenever I can, but if I lived there again, I'd have to do something else besides work to maintain my social life. I need something fulfilling...

5 - Australia - I moved to Oz for more work and play. It was a great year, although full of challenges. I learned what it meant to be the outsider, the foreigner. Even though I spoke the language, I was not an Australian, and at times I felt like stories of my life as a "Yankee" was the favorite pastime of the people I met there. To make a very long story short, I met a girl while I was in Australia, we moved in together, and she came back to America with me. Our relationship was quite positive, and we got married. A year later, we went back to visit her family in Australia. We stayed for three weeks and had a great time, but as it got closer to the day we were to come back to the states, she became really depressed. She didn't want to leave her family and her country again. We went and looked at houses in Australia, thinking we could live there instead... or maybe move back and forth between countries... but if we had kids, how would that work? It wouldn't have been fair for us to ask them to have two lives in two places, and it wasn't fair of either of us to ask the other to do the same. Our relationship ended because we couldn't bridge the gap between our homes.

6 - USA - I've been here since I left Australia the last time. I found love again, right under my nose, and I still wouldn't change a single decision that I've made in my life, although I do regret some of them. In any case, I'm home...

7 - UMBC - Remember that "fulfilling" thing I was talking about? Well, that's what I'm shooting for by going back to school. I want to be a teacher, and maybe my classroom can be a positive "place" on someone else's life's map. That would be fulfilling... well, at least for a time. Who can say what they'll want tomorrow?

I think that's all I drew, right? Sheesh, I sure hope so!

A response to W. Chewning's "Who am I? Hmmm..." by B. Bauhaus
woooooo props for north charles street!!!!!

A response to B. Bauhaus's "Who am I? Hmmm..." by W. Chewning
Holla! *woof* *woof* *woof* <-- It's just the dog in me, ya know?

I was thoroughly confused about receiving the manila envelope, but when I found nothing in my envelope besides the Who Are you and Where are you going copies, I felt forgotten and even gypped for some odd reason. I suppose since I try to place myself in the background of the classroom instead of the foreground of it, I thought momentarily that I had been skipped over in receiving a piece of text/clue in my envelope. After class ended, Y. Martin and I walked out together and I was stopped by S. Kibler who then advised me to report to Lecture Hall 5 in the Engineering building on the 28th. I then felt even more like the outsider because I thought that I was the only one who was being sent to the Engineering building. After a few minutes into trying to solve this obscure sequence of events, I thought that maybe Kibler was doing her history on the questions Shipka has been asking us to answer on a piece of paper at the beginning of each class session. The reason why I came to this conclusion is because in one of my responses, (What inspires you most and why?) I answered: observing and listening to my peers. I thought that Kibler was sending me to Lecture Hall to people watch or something because this is what inspires me. I thought I had solved the equation, but still felt incomplete and decided I would send Shipka an email and receive her ‘okay’ before reporting to a different room on the 28th. I even tried to finagle my way into some clear answers from Shipka but all I received back from her was, “Hi C. Gatton... Listen to Kibler’s request and go to Lecture Hall 5 on Tuesday.” Even though, I didn’t get a reason as to why I was to report to this room, I was partially satisfied because I had some direction and the security to go to this room.

         Even on the day of the 28th in the class before 407, I tried one more attempt to find some answers; I saw that Martin had her piece of text that she had received in her envelope lying on her desk--a recipe. I wanted to see if she was inspired by cooking, in hopes to confirm my suspicions. She replied “Hell No!” and this shot down my suspicions of a student’s history project taking place. Yolanda then admitted to me that she had misread her text. Her piece of communication also contained a command to report to “Lecture Hall 5” in the form of a recipe and not but seconds later, Amber told me that she was also given a verbal message, like me, to report to Lecture Hall 5 in the Engineering Building. At that point, I felt both relieved and fooled in some way. I no longer felt like the odd (wo)man out.

         So this being the summary of how I perceived the verbal message as well as the process of my personal complications with it, I attempted to convey this through my first drawing. Not only did it depict my perception of the message, but it also reflects the person I am as to how I responded to the message. My first words to Sherese after she gave me the message were: “I need something to write this down.” First of all, how dorky sounding is that? Well as dorky as it does sound, it reflects me because for 1) I’m extremely forgetful, and 2) For some reason when I’m put onto the spot or singled out (which I had already felt like because I didn’t get anything in my damn envelope), I generally respond in the dorkiest words! I also wanted to show my thought/non-verbal process as well as my verbal answer within the message. I realized too without even noticing it that I needed some authorial direction before I felt secure in reporting to Lecture Hall 5. I tend to second guess myself sometimes and rely on others’ (usually those that I look up to/respect) for advice before feeling 100% secure in my ideas, actions... even in picking my outfits. And I’m not talking about running to my mommy when something is wrong—-I can handle taking care of myself when it comes to common sense or basic needs. An example of what I’m talking about is when I wanted to get my nose pierced a few years ago. I made a point to ask what others thought about the idea. Some told me sure, others said they “couldn’t see me with one,” and so on. I couldn’t just do it because I wanted to do it. I finally did it after heavy contemplation (with others more than myself in mind). Anyhow, I was happy about it when I finally did it, but it took just one negative comment to make me break and take the piercing out. My father said only days after it was done, “Why have you ruined your pretty face with that thing in your nose?” I felt discouraged and removed the jewel the following day.

         Back to my visual representation. Why did I use the pink paper and the use of three markers--two colored and one black marker? Time constraints were a major conflict for me. I always take my time with EVERYTHING. I would’ve never finished the drawing in the allotted time if I had used a whole box of markers instead of a few. Being aware of this about me, I grabbed three markers, two randomly chosen and the black marker intentionally. I liked the shade of the pink colored paper—-not too bright and not too light, so this was my pick to use as the drawing plate. I chose to use my own pencil first to sketch the drawing so that I could erase and re-draw if I had to. My mind is so chaotic with all the multiple thoughts running around that I can’t possibly use a pen to draw a picture or a rough draft of text! After using the pencil, I then outlined over it with a black marker so that classmates could see the picture from somewhat of a distance. In the picture, my mouth is drawn in a straight line, which I was trying to depict my confusion/uncertainty that I was feeling. In all reality, I think I just smiled, said the dorky statement, and then walked away. I wanted to draw Martin in the picture beside me because we had walked out of class together, but time didn’t allow me to do this so she was omitted from the event altogether.

         In my second representation, I was assigned to use the mode of a postcard to depict the “Who are you?” question with words. I decided to draw the Taj Mahal with the path in front of the structure. I chose a gift card up in front on the table of supplies because the drawings on the front of the gift card were ‘aesthetically pleasing’ to me. There were a bouquet of roses and two other images of flowers with colored/sparkling gems on them, which caught my eye. There was also a butterfly with gems on the image as well. I saw a piece of yellow card stock and decided to cut a rectangular shape out of it. Yellow isn’t my favorite color but I wanted the color to stick out behind the bland white wall it would be mounted on. I didn’t want to use a white background for any of my drawings with my classmates in mind (although at that point, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to draw). After the choice of the paper, I grabbed the first marker that I could get and hurried up to my seat to figure out what the hell I was going to do in the time frame I was given. I thought about some attraction that I could draw on the postcard since that’s what is usually on the front of the post card. I decided on the Taj Mahal for different reasons. For one, it is my favorite architectural structure along with the story that remains behind it. Secondly, I really embrace Indian culture. In addition, the Taj Mahal is almost unrealistic for it is absolutely breathtaking appearance, but once you’re out of its boundaries, reality strikes hard and there you are in the middle of the slums. To show a bit of me, I wanted to draw a physical path (in which there is one in front of the building) that conveyed the psychological need for direction, but also the need to stay in risk-free boundaries. I don’t take too many risks, generally choosing the safest route possible.

         After I decided to draw the Taj Mahal, my use for the images on the greeting card cover formed. To represent the romanticism behind the structure, I placed the roses and other images of the flowers beside the path. I used the butterfly to represent the perfection of the space, the unrealistic/ fantastical sense of the building and its surroundings—-but it is in fact, the perfection is limited. It’s almost too good to be true as its boundaries are between two separate worlds.

         On the back of the post card, I drew the horizontal lines, as a post card would have as well as the stamp location in the upper right-hand corner. Staying in the lines of the postcard (of course), I wrote something along the lines of, “To Whom It May Concern, I don’t know where I am going but I guess I will start with this path and see where it takes me. See you Soon! –Crystal” Again, the need for direction is being expressed here as does the picture, but also using the words to reflect the image of being at the Taj Mahal. The word guess is purposefully used to show that hopefully with time, I will learn to leave the boundaries laid out for me and take more risks.

         In response to the articles, I found the “Why Email Looks like Speech” to be most interesting to read. I’ve had several class lectures on this topic—-and of the different concerns that are arising, I wonder whether email jargon will revolutionize into society’s everyday verbal speech/interaction. The jargon used online is becoming so informal and abbreviated in order for people to respond more quickly. For example, LOL and JK started in chat rooms but are now being used in emails. Some emails that I receive from friends aren’t at all proofread before being sent. The sentences are full of flaws (somewhat like human speech—although, some people do correct themselves) and spelling errors, abbreviations, etc. Are we becoming too lazy to write out the full length of a word? To some extent, we do the same thing in speech—television is referred to as TV; facsimile--fax; United States of America--U.S.A.; and so on. I think that icons are now used to express emotions and adjectives, and not just nouns. The shortened word versions are also being used in text messages—u for you; ur for your; 2 for two; l8er for later; and so on. I am curious to see if our verbal communication will mutate into digital/virtual responses. I can only imagine someone saying something funny in a classroom and one of his/her classmates responds by simply saying “Smiley Face” instead of actually using a complete sentence such as “That was funny” or “Your comment made me smile.” The use of digital talk will become more efficient as well as sufficient than a longer, unnecessary ‘drawn-out’ expression. I think and hope that emails aren’t as informal as speech (unplanned/not well thought out considering the time between a response) but not as formal as a letter. I certainly do spell check my emails and plan out what I want to say and take the time to check my punctuation and other possible grammatical errors. I do not use exactly formal diction as I would in a letter, and this is why I believe each holds its particular function. As for text messaging, look at the space allotted for a message. It hardly gives the space to write out a message in long-hand, thus, short hand is more convenient and compatible within the phone space.

A response to C. Gatton's "Am I really eloquent?" by p. C. Paul
Way to go! A four page text. Looks like the experiment worked. Look at all the text it generated. Mine was six. "This" makes me feel better.

For this post, think about the text you received on Thursday the 23rd and the two texts you created in class on Tuesday the 28th.

Noted After the Fact on Saturday, June 21, 2014: One, the day I received "this" communication is not only my birthday, but the communication was delivered almost at the precise time I was born, 12:37 p.m. although none of my peers at the time knew this information. Second, this class met twice a week every Tuesday and Thursday. I note that the communication directive/mission was delivered on a Tuesday, the first day of a new week for the meeting of this class, hence we are returning back to this place having been away for four days.

         Looking back I find this to be not only ironic but also a synchronicity. In my blackboard post I refer and talk a great deal about the "Prisoner" playing the part of Number 6 because I do not know who is ever observing, capturing data, and collecting information for re-use in some various presentation/activity or history. In the episode, Many Happy Returns Patrick McGoohan, Number 6, is permitted by Number 2 to escape The Village in a very elaborate physiological mind bender in order to break Number 6 into spilling his guts as to why he resigned. Number 6 makes his way back to London, England and immediately goes back to his superiors to report on The Village and what he has seen having disappeared for more than a year. In this spy versus spy tale, his superiors lead Number 6 on with weave that they believe he has defected to the other side and play a charade with Number 6 leading him to believe that they are really interested in finding this encampment of spies who know too much and can never leave because they know too much. In his quest and help from his pilot, Number 6 finds the location of The Village, but his pilot is just another spy, and a member of The Village and jettisons Number 6 above The Village where he safely lands by means of a parachute. Number 6's attempt to escape is foiled once again and he returns back to his private dwelling. As soon as he walks in the door, Number 2 walks in (the same woman he met back in London, England when he was inquiring about the new ownership of his flat. In London, he was led to believe the woman who treated him so well was the owner of his flat, when in fact she was his new warden in The Village. Number 2 greets Number 6 with a cake in hand and says, "Many Happy Returns!"

         I find it ironic because like Number 6, I was returning to the "Shipka Spaces" having been permitted to "escape" for four days and had finally returned. If the girls knew that it was my birthday that Tuesday, when Ms. Gatton delivered the message to me (Gatton was simply a "messenger" for the three designers of this presentation and was in the dark as much as I was, therefore her resemblance to the situation of Number 2...) with a cupcake in hand, this would have brought the whole "Prisoner" theme full circle. As I said, the girls did NOT know it was my birthday and probably never heard of or saw The Prisoner. Shipka more than likely had seen it, but still I think the designers were playing with the serious academic theme and NOT The Prisoner theme. Still, the next Thursday when we met, I delivered a message answering the question of "Who are you?" and "Where are you going?" in a sealed envelope to Gatton with the word, "Resigned" hand-written on it similar to the introduction sequence of The Prisoner. I said to Gatton, "Number 2, see that Number One gets this," with a wily smile. Of course Gatton had no idea what was going through my mind or the game I was playing and said, "I'm just the messenger! Shipka gave me these to hand out to everyone." I said, "Be seeing you," and walked away.

Now back to the original Blackboard Post...
What is not covered or asked for here is when, where, how, and why this process began. I opened my invitation after the class. The message read as though I was in “Mission Impossible.” (I did apply at the FBI/CIA/NSA because it IS an interest of mine.) I received the thesis. In a Mad Dog LaDante (an old Mathematics Professor far in the past, who’s teaching style was “Intimidation.”) form and context it read:

Christopher Paul
English 407
Dr. Shipka
23 February 2006

By attending class on February 28, at 1 p.m. in Lecture Hall 5, Christopher Paul will assimilate theories of literacy, communication, and simulated learning.

         This is a concise and precise statement delivered with deadly seriousness. “Your mission is... and you WILL decide to take it. You have been briefed.”

         This places me in a position with my back against the wall. Its seriousness is the same as the aforementioned Federal Agencies, “You will tell us the truth for we have WAYS of finding out. In essence, this invitation in its seriousness only opens serious forms of communication and serious context. Oh, I could have played “The Prisoner” games, but didn’t. I gave you the cold, clinical truth to the questions placed before me. Unlike others, I KNOW what the two questions mean. I have heard them before and the answer being sought.

         The uninitiated would answer, “Eh, eh, I’m going to pass ENGL 407, graduate, get a job, get some clothes, a car, an apartment, a girlfriend, a wife, a few kids, a house, yada, yada, yada. But I KNOW that is not the question. It dances St. Vitas dance around the question. It does not strike at the center of the circle. So this question was like dagger to my heart. “You are you?” With that being said I provided the cold, clinical, core answer.

         Philosophy asks the same question, but removes all the objects one may draw upon form the external world in order to get to the internal truth. Think of this as being locked in a clinical white room with no means of escape. With cameras focused on you from every angle with the video reel rolling. The announcement broadcasts arrogantly through the speakers, “Who are you?” as you stand naked and every form of one’s communication is recorded. And so, you received the cold harsh truth.

         Actually, the whole line of reasoning sounds like this (I am #6, you are #2):

#6: Where am I?
#2 In the Village.
#6 What do you WANT!
#2 information. We want… information, Information, INFORMATION!
#6 You won’t get it!
#2 By hook or by crook, we will.

#6 Who are you?
#2 The new number 2.
#6 Who is Number 1.
#2 You are Number 6.

#6 I am not a number, I AM A FREE MAN!
#2 Hahahahahahahaha (diabolical laughter)

         I didn’t have to think heavily about my answer I have thought about it long enough, at least since 1993, it was just a matter of how to present such a pointed private question. My answer was best answered as a monologue of text, reiterating the answer through image so one as in all sciences may swing back and forth between text and image as most (70%) of us are visual learners. The problem with image only is the semiotics. I have to teach the reader how to read. I have to explain what the symbols equal as is always does in mathematical symbolism. This is no different in culture when symbolism is used and it is understood within that particular culture.

         On the other hand, my instructions were explicit. I knew what was behind the doors of Lech 5 intuitively: video recorders, digital cameras, art supplies, cryptic messages I would like to begin by saying that my day did not go at all well right from the beginning.

         I have to walk three miles to get to the UMBC bus stop to get in and my time was real close. When I arrived I stopped at the candy shop to get a sugar fix because I know I’m going to need it walking into Shipka’s space. The cashier of course, makes a stupid remark about my purchase. “I guess this (referring to my purchase) breakfast? Now If I was an smart ass SOB like my brother I would have responded, “You must be clairvoyant. What was your first clue, that it’s 10:30 a.m.?” Instead I was nice about it and ignored her ignorant remark assuming she was conducting polite conversation. I actually said, “I’ve got Shipka in 45 minutes and I am going to NEED the sugar rush to keep up.” Instead of asking “Who’s Shipka,” this dumb ass (read in “Milk Chan’s” voice) Liberal begins to give me a lecture on how I should be purchasing vegetables and fruit. This made me livid. She almost got it right between the eyes right then and there by reversing the roles and responding, “Thanks for the lecture, Mom!” or the traditional, “Who are you...” My diplomatic mind decided to leave in silence with her still babbling.

What were your two communication modes?
This is not an open-ended question. Text/Image and a To Do List.

Did you model your first response after the mode you were given (i.e., did you follow the form as closely as possible or did you create something completely new and original?)
I would say that the first response did model the mode I was given. I was left to my own devices as to how to express the message and therefore in my mind, the best way to convey the message was text and image where each shared equal importance. Many times I find words to be cumbersome and not necessarily for the purpose of “copping out” of writing. In other words, some say a picture is worth a thousand words. I kind of doubt a thousand but agree to at least a few hundred. Sometimes showing is more explanatory than telling.

         I really didn’t follow the form, yet I probably did. I took the question placed it at the top and fired away my answer esoterically as though it was a thesis statement. After the first question was answered it did not satisfy my soul. I had taken care of the purely analytical, philosophical, the coldly objective point of view, but the gut wrenching emotion that belonged in the text was lost. It was spread across the barren plain like a nuclear winter. The energy from the emotion had somehow disappeared. I switched my genre to poetry to re-instate the emotion. It satisfied me.

         The second question was answered similarly to the first, but I was emotionally drained at this point and could not find the poetry that would insert the missing emotion. The combined genre actually worked well because the poetry (emotion) was framed by the harsh truth (reality).

What were you trying to express with your two texts?
I wasn’t “trying” to explain anything. My text was seriously clear as it was “My Assigned Mission” to do so. My message as I said earlier could only be expressed in text and image in order to deliver the “precise” answer. There was no space for “writing between the lines” as in a poem or fiction novel. This was a de-briefing and my answer had to say exactly what I meant and exactly what I did NOT mean. A technical writer will tell you, “Writing can have legal, ethical, and life and death consequences, therefore your language must be precise” and it was. Not knowing whether the data would be revealed (public) or simply analyzed to never see the light of day again (private) I chose private. My texts became two different trains of thought hoping they wouldn’t culminate into a head on collision.

The First Modality: Text/Image
In some ways I was given the illusion that I selected it, in some ways, the terseness of the thesis statement steered me toward text/image, also that I was participating in 407, and the message itself also dictated the best form of presentation for the meaning to be conveyed.

         What was interesting was that in the image text two new statements arose that did not exist within the text. They were expressed through semiotics. I drew two signs that may not even be explainable by Shipka; therefore, so there is no mystery and so I am not accused of screwing with people’s heads, I will explain them.

         I was furious because there was no explanation whether these were meant to be Public or Private messages. I am a extremely private/public person and there is a clear line between the two for me. I am a “Hard” scientist. I analyze objects/artifacts/ideas for a reason: “My books are my only friends that don’t mind me reading into them.” And so I do not like being placed under the microscope. I know what it is like to be a specimen so I refrain from analyzing people. Had I known this would become a Public venue, my message would have been very different.

The Two Symbols in the Image

Symbol 1:

The circle with the letter P, a vertical line in the circle separating the letter P from I and the vertical line separating the I from the L equals PiL, an acronym for Public Image Limited. The symbol is always a black background with a white P, white background with a black I, black background white L. Public Image Limited was a post-punk group and the lead was John Lydon. Who was John Lydon? Well he came from a previous group and had a different name. You may have heard of him? His name was Johnny Rotten of (we’ve all heard of this group) “The Sex Pistols.” The philosophy was that the Public self and the Private self were clearly black and white. White representing the public self was meant to be brought out into the light and black, the private self was never to be revealed in the light. Hence Lydon’s argument was the presentation of one’s Public Image should be Limited. How cute.

Symbol 2:
The big wheel bicycle with the number 6 within the center.

This was a button or should I say "name tag" worn by all members of The Village. Each member was only known, greeted and addressed by their number. No one could leave the village and were under surveillance 24/7 by audio/video. Once I had entered the lech hall I felt as though I had entered The Village. The objective? Extract information.

The second modality: The to do list
The second modality was directly and explicitly assigned. There was no thought in this process either. The list looks exactly like the list taped on my computer. It is the five year plan or the steps I need to carry out in order to obtain that which will quench the immediate fire. The language is terse and clear. They are logical steps which lead to a five year goal. I’m sorry, but I agree with Shipka, I do not come from this place, I hate this place, I do not belong here, and "this" University and "this" degree are the only things that keep me here. The problem is when Morrissey said, “You can NEVER go home” he said the harsh truth. Home no longer exists. It is a figment of my imagination that only exists in my mind. Home is 13 years ago and has grown the same as I have. It is no longer the same place nor are the people who exist and no longer exist there the same. NOTHING is the same.

What materials did you use for each piece, and why?
Did you choose to use the communal supplies or your own? Why?

First Text:
8 ½ x 11 lined paper which was my own and the large rolled sheet paper. The 8 ½ was specifically designed for writing text and would be the best for communicating text. The text was written in black ink Friday afternoon because I anticipated the question. I answered the questions that were submitted to me in my packet, because with Shipka’s class I never seem to know exactly what I am supposed to have done other than my reading and any extra widgets of instructions handed out. I had ideas of what to expect and did not know what to expect but had an intuition after all I am a scientist and understand experiments. I try to be pro-active and not re-active, so I pro-acted.

         The large rolled paper was best for the image because I wanted the space to freely swing my hand so I could capture the flow of the magic markers/colored felt pens. My purpose for this is that even blank space sends a message and the strokes of the pen not shown on the canvas also have meaning. I needed the space in order to capture the energy of the flow of the creation. It was all part of the process.

         As far as the colors, I was limited by a late draw so I ended up with the leftovers. If I could have had the entire pack of pens, I would have made artistic decisions to express my emotions. I became constrained by what was available. I wanted to work in this broad sweeping style because it was an expression of individuality and rebellion. I was constrained in all other modes but the size of the canvas provided me the freedom to release much of the anxiety I felt only for it to return when we were asked to “present our message.” I was expected to perform as a laboratory rat and so I performed. This is what I signed up for. We don’t only read about the stuff, we do it.

         The other reason for choosing communal supplies is simple, they were made available, it was the best way to deliver the message, and it gave me some control over the situation. Another reason is because of the size and softness of the paper, I knew I would have to work on my knees and on the carpet so felt tip markers were the only thing that would not rip the paper.

Second Text:
I was specifically and explicitly assigned the second text. A To Do List is a memo to myself. All it needs to do is trigger the thought in my mind. It is a reminder and act as a flow chart of steps to do in sequence to completion. A little yellow pad and a black pen is enough. The black pen was my own the pad was communal. I didn’t have much to say and a little piece of paper was enough. I see a To Do List as a memory jogger. Something to maintain one’s focus.

Was it difficult or easy to create these texts?
I did not find difficulty in creating any of the texts. The first text I think I already said has been a program running in my head since 1993, the year I left “home” and I have lived in a few places since before coming to Maryland, and has been running ever since. The worse things get, the more often the program runs.

         The second text as I may have already said is taped to my computer monitor because I want to move forward with my life. It sets the five year plan.

Was one easier than the other? Why?
The difficulty or ease was the same. In essence, I was not caught off guard as some may have been. The questions for myself have profound answers and have a great deal of thought and emotional involvement committed to them. This is how I emulate “The Prisoner, #6.” I do not think about who am I. I KNOW who I am. I would not squirm and would end up turning the tables on the analyst asking the same questions: “Who are you? Where are YOU going?”

Did your communicative modes restrict the information you chose to present?
Of course they did. All modes of communication have their restrictions and limitations which is what the reading was all about. Both modes worked perfectly well for the message I chose to convey. The message was formed within the framing of the mode. If we were allowed to use an Aldus Lamp, Semaphore Flags, Smoke signals, Morse Code, Instant Messaging, yada, yada, yada the message would have to fit within the constraints of the mode.

Did the medium affect your message in any other way?
Okay this question is different. We switched from mode to medium and these are two different things. The message would have been very different if I was working in clay, finger paints, acrylics, oil and canvas, Paint Shop Pro, sand, Tinker Toys, Leggos, etc. The message would have to form to the medium. If it was a sculpture the message would be compressed to a few words at most.

Did you express different aspects of who you are because different mediums afforded you different options?
Of course I did. I had also thought of coming to dress for the part because I had that feeling we would be recorded. I just hate to dress well and then get on a bus, plus I only had three hours of sleep the night before. (Monday through Friday I usually get at least five to six.) I was in no mood to put on a public mask for the occasion but it was a highly thought of consideration, because I knew we would be on stage and expected to perform. My dress would have been a mode of communication to convey who I really am, because I am not who people think I am and I have to live within constraints everyday, all of which send messages. Given the opportunity, I would have brought in my own pens, my own crayons, and my own paper because I just have materials I like to work with best, but that would be outside the constraints. So to answer succinctly, with different modes and mediums I would deliver different messages of who I am. As was already seen in 324, music would be another definite way of communicating the same message. And as I said there, there has to be a clear focus of whether that message is public or private and one must also know the constraints of the mode and the medium.

Why did you choose to present the information that you did?
I think my answer to this question was clear at the top of this discussion. I would have liked a Heads Up as to whether this was Public or Private.

What did you learn/think about/realize/consider about the restrictions and freedoms different modes of communication afford you in different situations?
Others may have got more from this exercise than I did. Both my parents were artists. To communicate in symbolism is not odd to me. I bucked being an artist at age twelve. In 6th, 7th, and 8th grade I was in an advanced art class where the material closets were left wide open, similar to this class. An artist selects their materials according to the image/idea which they want to express. They can look at a canvas and see what wants to be relieved from it. But each material, especially when organic and natural, will behave differently. In other words, when doing wood carving no two pieces of wood regardless whether they are pine will behave the same. These are forms of communication also.

         Some modes are more restrictive some provide greater “degrees” of freedom. I say degrees because it is a wonderfully useful mathematical term that works splendidly here. You do not have full freedom ever. But modes do provide degrees of freedom. A 2 x 2 sticky note has some degrees of freedom. A 4 x 4 sticky note has a few more degrees. A writing pad has more and a legal pad still more. Each mode and medium has degrees of freedom, each mode and medium has constraints. A good artist and a good communicator recognizes these differences and chooses the mode and medium according to what they want to express. On the other hand, the mode and the medium also choose what the artist can express. The communicator works on the mode and the medium and the mode and the medium work on the communicator.

A response to P.C. Paul's "Not for the Faint at Heart" by M. deLauney
"#2 information. We want? information, Information, INFORMATION!"

         It wasn't so much about us wanting information as it was about us wanting you all to have something to write about while you explored these different modes.

         "it was just a matter of how to present such a pointed private question" Sorry if you thought it was too private, we just wanted something everyone could answer either surface-ly or deeply as they wished.

         "The problem with image only is the semiotics. I have to teach the reader how to read. I have to explain what the symbols equal as is always does in mathematical symbolism. This is no different in culture when symbolism is used and it is understood within that particular culture." That was the point we wanted you to explore the limitations of the mode. Likewise we are more interested in knowing if it was more difficult to write in one mode or another, regardless of the question. Sorry if I sound b*tchy, I'm tired.

         "I think my answer to this question was clear at the top of this discussion. I would have liked a Heads Up as to whether this was Public or Private." You mean the text you created?

         After talking with my classmates, I realized our envelopes had contained all different modes of communication. Our task was to answer "Who am I?" in the modes we had received, using the materials that were provided. I decided very quickly that I would not make a serious attempt at answering the question, which I thought served only to generate content for our modes; the emphasis of the task (and of the class readings thus far) was on the modes themselves. Besides, the situation was not very conducive to introspection.

         I decided to show my newspaper article within a wider context: held in the hand of a paperboy yelling "Extra, Extra!" out on the street. I figured this would draw attention away from the article itself (titled "Who is Greg Masters?") and emphasize the particular mode instead. The newspaper was three-dimensional, a folded section of construction paper taped onto another sheet, while the rest of the image was a two-dimensional drawing. I made the newspaper three-dimensional so that I could write a few sentences within it. (Of course I could not be expected answer the question satisfactorily in so small a space—but I had planned this "inconvenience.")

         The mode I was given next was a map. Once again, I settled on a solution that would not require me to examine myself or portray my identity. Using markers, I drew a continent that roughly approximated the shape of a human body. I named the sections of the continent things like "Rightlegia" and "West Armland." To make my map more realistic, I included a north arrow and a scale bar. Finally, as a compromising gesture, I included Topographical features like mountains and rivers to reflect my interest in geography. (My major is Environmental Studies.) But for the most part, I had again evaded the question—this time by way of silliness.

A response to G. Masters' "Methods of Evasion" by P.C. Paul
This is interesting. I did not inquire as to whether others received something different and was not aware there were differences in the invitations until we were in the “Black Box.” I didn’t bother to question others. It was not as though I knew what would happen, all I knew was these were my instructions, someone is running an experiment (who is unimportant), I’m expected to participate as one by one our turns will come, and that it was my responsibility to provide the facilitators of the study “clean data.” The use of the map is quite cleaver for yourself as was the Thesis Statement for me but what is the relation of the newsprint? I don’t quite get that other than Elizabeth is the Journalist?

A response to P.C. Paul's post by by M. deLauney
Christopher, I'm not sure what your question is here. Are you asking why we chose the modes we did for each of you?

A response to M. deLauney's post by P.C. Paul
P. C. Paul said “The use of the map is quite cleaver for yourself as was the Thesis Statement for me but what is the relation of the newsprint? I don’t quite get that other than Elizabeth is the Journalist?”

         M. deLauney said: “Christopher, I'm not sure what your question is here. Are you asking why we chose the modes we did for each of you?” That’s it! You hit the nail on the head. All experiments are purposefully set up. There are always “methods” to the madness no matter how it may seem to the lay person.

         It “appears” that the mode of communication for each individual invitation was marvelously crafted with the recipient in mind, hence the intention of the sender (not the messenger) was to use the mode the recipient would most likely understand.

         Does this help or did I make matters worse?

A response to P.C. Paul's post by G. Masters
P.C. Paul said: "It 'appears' that the mode of communication for each individual invitation was marvelously crafted with the recipient in mind, hence the intention of the sender (not the messenger) was to use the mode the recipient would most likely understand."

         Interesting theory. But could the sender(s) really know enough about each person at this point in the semester to make such judgments?

A response to G. Masters' post by P.C. Paul
G. Masters said, "Interesting theory. But could the sender(s) really know enough about each person at this point in the semester to make such judgments?" I'm going to place my neck under the guillotine and say for some of us, "yes." True, not all and that may be why some communication modes unfortunately failed as one reads the posts. The fail-safe I "assume" (I don't know because I knew where I was expected to be and to participate.) was a sign on the classroom door. For me, I think Elizabeth knows enough and some additional info could be obtained from Shipka because I did give her my web addy and we have talked so I think there was enough information to select a "best fit" communication mode at least for me anyway.

         I'm sure at the end of the semester we'll see the results of all this stuff of what everyone has done. It should be a great deal of fun to see what others have chosen to do to re-conceptualize the data.

A response to G. Masters' post by M. deLauney
I think it's really interesting how you successfully avoided the question with both modes. In this case, was it easier to avoid the question in one mode than it was in the other? :-) You talk about the physical form of the newspaper, but did you think about how language is typically used in that mode (and in maps for that matter) or did you just go with it?

A response to M. deLauney's post by G. Masters
Hmm... avoiding the question was probably easier using the map mode; at least, that idea took me less time to think. Maps have lots of easily recognized visual features, and I only had to take these and tweak them slightly to fit my purpose (for instance, by giving the scale-bar units of feet instead of miles or kilometers and by making the shape of the continent human-like). Newspaper articles are more text-oriented; I knew it would be difficult to produce a lot of prose and still avoid the question. So, I found a way to minimize the space that the article actually took up in my representation. But I did consider how language is used in newspapers, or was used in the era of paperboys yelling "Extra, extra!" out on the street. So in the few sentences I did write, I tried to imitate the overly dramatic and florid style we saw in the example of the South Pole expedition coverage from a hundred years ago.

         I don't know. So I wrote a poem, with large portions of the text borrowed from the movie "Greaser's Palace." Credited within the poem, of course. The reason I borrowed so heavily from an old movie no one probably recognizes was that it rocks. And because I think it rocks, I figured it might be a decent way of relating who I am to a group of people who probably couldn't care less. Not only would no one know what I was writing about, beyond Who am I, the vagueness--the purpose, in my opinion, of poetry--would also serve to answer the question. I chose the opening lines of the song Jessie sings in the movie to begin my poem because Jessie is the Christ figure in the flick and I may as well be God. "I'm a killer diller daddy with a pig in my pants." The rest of it goes something like, "A groove juice Jackson, won't you give me a chance/ solid sender/ Oh daddy beat me to the bar/ You hear me layin' it down/ Oh baby Jessie's back in town! Or something like that. I can't remember, and its on tape, not DVD, so I'm not going to damage the goods by fast-forwarding, stopping, and rewinding it to make this more complete. I figured since I was going with a Greaser's Palace/God theme with the poem that I might "borrow" some more--partly because the movie rocks, and partly because I can't write poetry--and I used another great line from the movie, where the Christ figure names God "Bingo Gas Station Motel Cheeseburger With A Side Of Aircraft Noise and You'll be Gary, Indiana." That might not make any sense, but hopefully everyone will want to borrow the movie, which would help them understand. I wrote the poem on a piece of my notebook paper, because poems should be written on notebook paper, at least in their nascent stages.

         The second thing I was asked to do was to create an image that depicted who I am. Or was. Or something. Was then, I guess. During the class. I drew a picture, again on notebook paper, of a stick-figure Phil. The stick figure's head was upside down. It's shoes were green. The green marker I borrowed from the table, which I used not because I wish I had green shoes, but because I started to feel as if I should use some of the supplies brought in by the presenters. The stick figure's head was upside down because--and here's the Who Am I part--I used to own a shirt that looked just like that. It said "Fix My Head." I don't know what happened to that shirt, and I'll be damned if I can find another one.

         I would just like to add that the Happy Birthday song is trademarked, or whatnot, and somebody owes somebody some money.

A response to P. Hartman 's "Here" by P.C. Paul
"So I wrote a poem, with large portions of the text borrowed from the movie "Greaser's Palace." Credited within the poem, of course. The reason I borrowed so heavily from an old movie no one probably recognizes was that it rocks."

         I must say you caught me on this one. I know the tile and nothing more. All I remember was the title vaguely mentioned in a hippie-wanna-be party in the musicians circles. There was some chatter about it and I don’t remember a word about it. There were very few movies I remember from that period other than David Lynch "Eraserhead," Rocky Horror Picture show which was probably our first multi-modal experience: Flashlights, water pistols, newspaper, rice, I forgot what else.

A response to P. Hartman 's "Here" by S. Natovitz
thank you. we have been waiting with baited breath for you to post so we could figure out what the upside face and green shoes meant... it makes sense now, so thanks. i feel better about the poem too, i didn’t think it was all quotes so i just smiled and nodded :-)

         Since both sculpture and comics place much, if not all meaning on visuals, I did feel it was fairly limiting for such a broad question as "who are you?" The clay was a better medium for giving directions as it was basically just a picture, but I think it's hard to express a complex idea using only visuals in a limited salad-box area, especially since clay is hard to work with and takes time to warm up. I would have used some of the other supplies, but I thought at first that we had to use the original medium only (including the salad box). So I chose an easier option and decided to show only who I was at a specific moment - the moment when I took the original text home. I was really only able to express my irritation at having been given a silly clay hairstyle, and my suspicion of such a weird form of communication. I mean, I send emails or leave little drawings or write notes all the time, but I've never left clay as a message. It seems too time-intensive for everyday communication, and it gets squished. It's also hard to make visual information unambiguous. Even the person who made the original sculpture had to put words on it, almost defeating the purpose of using a form that lends itself to symbolism. So even though I enjoyed mucking about with clay for a while, I don't think I'd try to use it for everyday functional communication. It's too arty, maybe... I felt almost as if I had to make my "who are you?" message more artsy, too, and I ended up putting more effort into it than I would for a simple drawing of the same thing. I noticed that with some of the other student's work, too - the other person who was assigned clay made a detailed little birdhouse sculpture using a few other supplies from the table to express something more abstract about herself. I don't think I would have understood that birdhouse = identity unless it was explained to me, so clay may not be the medium of choice for communication where simplicity and unambiguity are of great importance.

         The comic assignment was easier and more enjoyable because I'm used to reading comics. I would estimate that maybe half of everything I read is a comic, so I was pretty familiar with the layout and pacing of that style of communication. The only problem was that I didn't realized until I was finished that I had drawn the entire thing backwards (Japanese style) since that's the format I'm most comfortable with. I used white paper with pre-drawn squares of different sizes (since I already did the layout in my head before I started drawing, I picked the pre-drawn squares that best fit my idea) and a black marker (I don't usually draw in color). Once again, I found it really hard to express who I am visually (although I don't think I could do it in any medium inside of a 1.5 hour class period) so I chose to represent my relationship with my sister as part of who I am. Since it was a comic, I made it sort of exaggerated with super powers and stuff, even though I don't actually have super powers. I felt that the medium of a comic strip really necessitated the stylized expressions and actions so it could be readable even without the little bit of text that I included. [Shipka also did a comic, but I think she did more with dialogue and less with the visuals - different comic reading background, I guess? Even in a pretty straightforward mode of communication, there are still social, situational and personal variations.] The problem with using comics as for everyday communication is that they're labor intensive (but nowhere near so much as the clay) and that you really have to have the whole thing planned out and have reduced a story to a few meaningful still frames before you start to draw. It's not as spontaneous as say, a text message that can be shot off to a friend in less than a minute. I also sort of associate comics with something that's read for fun (even those educational comics in textbooks) so I might not find them appropriate in other settings where words would be more economical. However, comics have the advantage of being able to show stylized facial expressions in a way that words cannot. Using quick emoticons is almost a way of combining email/texting with a comic to make the text easier to understand.

         The texts we read for class mostly centered on email and text messaging, not the lesser used forms I experimented with in class. I think the casual, fun tone of a comic or clay text is similar to the casual, often very symbolic nature of a text message, but they really weren't comparable at all in ease and speed of use. I don't foresee Sculpty eroding the English language, but I've often been told that reading so many comics will rot my brain. My mental state is debatable but I don't blame that on comics. ^_^ It seems that the mainstream does not value the ability to interpret visuals with optional written dialogue.

A response to C. Wychgram 's "Choosing a Mode Appropriate to the Situation, or Vice Versa" by
"The text I received on the 23rd was a somewhat three dimensional clay sculpture inside a plastic box, and the communication modes I was assigned for the in-class activity on the 28th were clay and comic." You already took Shipka’s 324 didn’t you? So it was assumed you would understand the message.

         "Since both sculpture and comics place much, if not all meaning on visuals, I did feel it was fairly limiting for such a broad question as "who are you?" The clay was a better medium for giving directions as it was basically just a picture, but I think it's hard to express a complex idea using only visuals in a limited salad-box area, especially since clay is hard to work with and takes time to warm up. I would have used some of the other supplies, but I thought at first that we had to use the original medium only (including the salad box). So I chose an easier option and decided to show only who I was at a specific moment - the moment when I took the original text home. I was really only able to express my irritation at having been given a silly clay hairstyle, and my suspicion of such a weird form of communication. I mean, I send emails or leave little drawings or write notes all the time, but I've never left clay as a message. It seems too time-intensive for everyday communication, and it gets squished. It's also hard to make visual information unambiguous. Even the person who made the original sculpture had to put words on it, almost defeating the purpose of using a form that lends itself to symbolism. So even though I enjoyed mucking about with clay for a while, I don't think I'd try to use it for everyday functional communication. It's too arty, maybe... I felt almost as if I had to make my "who are you?" message more artsy, too, and I ended up putting more effort into it than I would for a simple drawing of the same thing. I noticed that with some of the other student's work, too - the other person who was assigned clay made a detailed little birdhouse sculpture using a few other supplies from the table to express something more abstract about herself. I don't think I would have understood that birdhouse = identity unless it was explained to me, so clay may not be the medium of choice for communication where simplicity and unambiguity are of great importance."

         I couldn’t make heads or tails of the clay either because my message was so complex. It just occurred to me seeing your post what message could have been delivered with the clay. If one had no clue as to who they are, they could have placed a blob of clay on a card with a message, "I don’t know who I am. Mold me!"

         "The comic assignment was easier and more enjoyable because I'm used to reading comics. I would estimate that maybe half of everything I read is a comic, so I was pretty familiar with the layout and pacing of that style of communication. The only problem was that I didn't realized until I was finished that I had drawn the entire thing backwards (Japanese style)" Kewl! "since that's the format I'm most comfortable with."

         Do you read Manga? If you do please talk to me. I am working on a research paper dealing with Manga and there some things I don’t understand in the semiotics. If you have time (who does?) can we talk?

         "I used white paper with pre-drawn squares of different sizes (since I already did the layout in my head before I started drawing, I picked the pre-drawn squares that best fit my idea) and a black marker (I don't usually draw in color)." Typical of Manga. "Once again, I found it really hard to express who I am visually (although I don't think I could do it in any medium inside of a 1.5 hour class period) so I chose to represent my relationship with my sister as part of who I am. Since it was a comic, I made it sort of exaggerated with super powers and stuff, even though I don't actually have super powers. I felt that the medium of a comic strip really necessitated the stylized expressions and actions so it could be readable even without the little bit of text that I included. [Shipka also did a comic, but I think she did more with dialogue and less with the visuals - different comic reading background, I guess?" I don’t know enough about this but the text bubbles I’ve seen are mainly American Texts. Manga uses Text Bubbles only when it can’t be said any other way.

         "I don't foresee Sculpty eroding the English language, but I've often been told that reading so many comics will rot my brain." People still say that? I wasn’t allowed to read comic books and still don’t. But many of the people around me do. Does that mean I have "Brain Rot?" I find people who read comic books have greater insight to symbolism especially in movies. I’m not including Anime because there are a tremendous number of symbols that are based on culture, religion and ancient myths the Japanese understand and we as Westerners don’t. "My mental state is debatable but I don't blame that on comics. ^_^" Cute. "It seems that the mainstream (Westerners) do not value the ability to interpret visuals with optional written dialogue." The East sure does and it’s a huge business and it’s mainstream.

A response to C. Wychgram 's "Choosing a Mode Appropriate to the Situation, or Vice Versa" by
your thoughts on the limitations and freedoms of each of the modes we read about and used/saw in class are great... we weren’t trying to say that clay would be as useful in all situations, or that it would threaten text, we just wanted people to see what pros and cons came with every mode of communication.

         i made your sculpture and i thought the exact same thing about having to use words on it at all. i wanted to do it with no words but i didn’t want to make the message to hard to decipher. the sculpture was given to you because we thought it was the farthest from what you were used to in bio, and the comic was given to you because you mentioned your interest in them. we wanted there to be a balance. your work was great and so were the insights.

         ps: sorry about the hair!!!! it wasn’t supposed to be your hair, it was just hair so that you could tell it was a girl... do you think i think you wear a big dress with a c on it too???:-)

         My first piece I had decided use markers and attempted to recreate the result of my recipe which was a cake implementing the authors on the recipe that we were discussing that day. I did like the replica of Shawna when she made a recipe of herself because that was also creative. My second media that I used was clay because I decided to do something weird and creative and so I made a bird out of clay and tissue paper flying over houses. I like using clay yet when your ideas can be whatever you want it leaves it open to crazy thoughts of wanting to do too much which would take a kiln, paint, paintbrushes and etc. I was rather sketchy as to where I was going originally with this idea but when I thought about it pigeons were used at one time as" messengers" so was relating that to our messenger who gave us the information.

         My main restriction was the time restraint. I sure if we had more time people would have came up numerous ways in which communication can be transmitted through various media and modes. The freedoms of the project actually was not the problem unless you are mentioning increasing the amount of supply for me personally. Overall the presentation accomplished the task successfully and the wheel of ideas were really turning in the class that day.

A response to E. Sanchez's "I am who?" by A. Natvoitz
i think you are completely right about the restrictions and flaws of your modes. maybe you cant ever really express yourself fully with any mode of communication, because none of them can represent an entire person. i think its interesting that you structured both of yours after the ones that you received.... perhaps you could have included more personal information in the email, like the article on speech and email discussed, emails are getting less and less formal. i understand your reasoning though. i thought it was particularly interesting that you chose the paper and pen because you were comfortable with them. the tools are just as important as the mode! both your messages were great, see you tomorrow!

         the mode of communication that was provided for me in the folder was the "to-do" list. i didn't really understand the relevance of this list at the time. on it were things like, "do laundry" and "burn a cd," which in turn reminded me that i really did need to do my laundry and there were a few CDs that needed burning that i just hadn't gotten around to yet. so, knowing that it probably wasn't required, but i had to do it anyway so i might as well, i did my laundry and burned those CDs. anyway, moving on to greener pastures...

         so, i'm assuming that the "to-do" list i received in the spiffy manila folder had more 'to do' (no pun intended) with the "where are you going?" aspect, and the assignment i was given in class (to re-present the "to do" list) was suppose to focus mainly on the "who are you?" aspect. well, i also know this because that's what the group told us. duhhh. anyway, so when i was asked to remodel the 'to-do' list, i immediately thought about how i can re-purpose it to look more like something i would've made, rather than the honey-dew-shaped melon paper i received in the folder. i'm really not all that awesome under pressure, so because of time constraints, i had to think fast about what i was going to conjure up for this in-class assignment. so, the first two things i thought of off the top of my head that define who i am were surfing and playing guitar. i chose to make a 'to do' list shaped like a surfboard because it was quicker and easier to design and cut out than a shape of a guitar. on this re-purposed 'to do' list, i modeled it after the original list i was given, with the "who am i?" question in mind. i listed a bunch of activities that i took place in pretty much daily to come together and define "who i am." i know that there's a lot more to 'me' than what i like to do every day, but, like i said, time constraints can be killer. for creating the actual list, i used yellow construction-type paper because the surfboard i own has yellow in it. also, it's sturdier than loose-leaf. i drew some blue stripes down the middle because my board also has blue stripes down the middle. basically, i modeled it after something that really exists in my life.

         on to the next mode of communication... the text message! this was the 2nd mode i was given in class. i really wanted to create an actual text message using a cell phone and all that sweet stuff, but, first of all i knew that shipka would probably have me fired from class due to her severe hatred for such handheld devices annnnd, secondly, i wasn't sure who i should send it to when i was finished. thirdly, not everyone has a cell phone so not everyone could get the message and therefore, when it came time to present, i wouldn't be able to present my message to the entire class. therefore, i opted to create a text message using a regular old piece of loose-leaf. i think it was yellow. there was no reason for that really. it was just the only available piece of loose-leaf on the table and it just happened to be yellow. anyway, moving on... i tried to make it sorta small to represent the true presentation of a cell phone screen. in the lower left corner, i drew a small box which said 'T9 Word' inside. this is the mode of type i use whenever i write text messages (rather than the normal 'Abc' mode). in the lower right, i put a box which read 'Options' inside. i did this because that's what it says on my cell phone. at the top of the paper, i listed lines like "to, from, time sent, time received, and date." these are all represented on my real phone as well. then i drew a box in the middle of everything and labeled it 'message.' inside i basically listed, for lack of instantaneous creativity, my 'to do' list. but i used things like '2' instead of 'to' or '@' instead of 'at' just to represent the type of language that's often used in text messages these days.

         real fast, i'd just like to say that shanna's recipe was the coolest thing ever. i wish i could've had that assignment!!! it's ok. i'll forgive you guys. just this once.

         aaanyway, so, i thought this was a great idea/group presentation overall. i can definitely see how it related to the readings, especially "why email looks like speech" and "literacy and the new media." there are so many different modes of communication these days that, i feel like, some get lost in the shuffle and others take precedent because they're efficient and user-friendly, like the text message. i mean, to-do lists are still used. i use them all the time. but, they're usually stored on palm pilots or, as in my case, on a mac computer's 'stickies' program.

A response to B. Bauhaus ' "group 1: who are you? me: good question!" by P.C. Paul
On the second pass I also received the “To Do List.” A “To Do List” does not provide a great deal of space for anything and is only meant to act as a mental trigger.

         "Who are you?" was impossible for me to define in a “To Do List.” The mode and medium do not lend themselves to this purpose. "Where are you going?" I could answer because I re-contextualized the question to myself. Many job interviewers will ask, “What’s your five-year plan?” If you’re graduating and plan to look for work, I’d recommend you have an answer. This will separate you out on a career path. I had a definite answer to the question because it’s taped to a index card, (among many others) as to “Where I am Going?” so for me I KNOW where I am going, I answer the question put before me and then I ask the question “Are you going my way?”

         I really would STILL like to learn "smoke signals", the "Aldus lamp," and "Semiphore flags" for when the campus email is down as a backup.

         I don’t think the communicative modes restricted what I was trying to make, I think it made it challenging, with it sort of being the sky is your limit on making these modals of communication. I think maybe the medium did affect my message, unfortunately I think with the email being in words and the comic strip just in drawings, my email was more effective. I think since there was one meaning to it, the message got through and get to people. I expressed the aspects of who I am because of what I was able to put on paper and think about it , I think it was rather the time as well as the option that was offered, helped me express who I am. I realized through all this that one has the option to express themselves in many ways, it depends on the person and how far they are willing to go. I think I stayed within certain limits because that is how far I wanted (and maybe able) to go. I think that my classmates were able to express themselves more then I was able to.

         Like everyone else, I got a yellow envelope but inside I only received two sheets of paper asking “Who are you?” and “Where are you going?” On the day of the presentation for this group, I headed for our classroom in FA. I noticed all the signs that reminded me of the yellow envelope. From reading the signs, I found out where the class was going to meet. In the engineering lecture hall, I was told that I was sent a SMS message on my phone. Unfortunately, the number that the SMS was sent to was my home phone, so I never received the information about the room change.

         As for the activity, I was not sure if I was to incorporate the events of me reading the signs of the classroom change with the news of the mistaken text message incident. I thought about it and decided to leave the SMS out, mainly because I ran out of time to add another box in my comic. I created four frames for the final version of the comic. Each frame had me, represented by a toon with a cut-out of blue paper in the shape of a hat. It depicted me walking up the stairs to Fine Arts, then going to the classroom to see where to go, then a scene of me asking someone in engineering where the lecture hall was, and finally me reaching my destination. Only after I finished this comic did I figure out that I could have been a lot more creative. I wish that I would’ve actually followed through with an example of a text message, even though I never got the SMS.

         I was then instructed to do something in the form of a greeting card. I thought about the two questions: “Who am I?” and “Where are you going?” I decided to make a greeting card wishing my past self a “Happy Know Yo’ Name-N-Place Day” (or something like that). It was addressed from my future self. I thought that this card could represent the day that the two questions were answered. It sounds absurd and unrealistic but it makes sense right? I can not recall who did the other greeting card or what it said. As for the SMS, I believe I was the only that was supposed to get it, but I could be mistaken.

         I felt that whatever I was trying to convey was being restricted in the medium I was working in. If I was to create something based on the text message, how would I have shown it? Through another text message? But to who? Myself or a classmate? I most likely would have drawn a cell phone and would have written text inside the paper screen. This form of communication, although accepted by the majority of adolescents today, is restricting in that the amount of information that can be sent is limited, that not everyone has cell phones, and that messages can be sent to wrong numbers. The latter reason of why SMS communication is restricting was shown through my SMS incident. So I do see a connection, although the group probably was not expecting this to happen.

A response to D. Wentworth 's "Can't Think of a Witty Title" by P.C. Paul
“I was then instructed to do something in the form of a greeting card. I thought about the two questions: “Who am I?” and “Where are you going?” I decided to make a greeting card wishing my past self a “Happy Know Yo’ Name-N-Place Day” (or something like that). It was addressed from my future self. I thought that this card could represent the day that the two questions were answered. It sounds absurd and unrealistic but it makes sense right?” Not only does it make sense, it’s quite clever actually. I follow the point it’s as though you came back in Dr. Who’s TARDIS from twenty years in the future and the message read this is who you will be in 20 years. I think it’s clever.

A response to P.C. Paul's post by D. Wentworth
lmao dr. who!!! rock on

A response to D. Wentworth's post by P.C. Paul
Indeed. Dr. Who rocks. Daniel, sorry about the text message error. I'm sorry that you didn't get the message the way you were supposed to, but I think it worked out well. One of the things we wanted people to be aware of was the limitations that their given mode placed on them, which you talked about a good bit in your post, and as you said we illustrated one of them. Again, sorry about that.

         My second mode of communication was the recipe card. I’m not entirely sure why, but I was a bit more open when expressing myself in this mode. It may have been that I had already bared part of myself or that this mode felt less “cheesy” to me. At any rate, I was a bit more candid on what I think makes me “me.” I repeated most of the stuff I put on the card, but also included some more information about myself, such as the fact that I can be compassionate and empathetic to a fault (if you tell me a sad story about yourself there’s a good chance I may cry at some point), that I can be extremely passionate and excited about life (the good and the bad), that I love music, making jewelry, and so on. I was a little more excited about the recipe mode and I found a recipe card that I used. I used my own pencil to write the information on the card and approached it like a recipe for making me. I guess I used pencil so that I wasn’t committed to keeping anything I wrote. If I felt that sharing something that I had written would make me uncomfortable, I could easily just erase and change it.

         Even though we had received the questions “Who are you?” and “Where are you going?” in the packet we were given, I hadn’t thought out the answers to the questions ahead of time and when they were posed to us in class I really wish I had. I definitely present many facets of myself in context to the many “roles” that I play in life. As we touched on briefly in the online session of class, I’m not the same “me” at school as I am at work or at home. While at work, I consider myself to be professional and serious (as serious as I can be, after all it is still me), while at home I’m really goofy and not at all serious. So when describing myself should I put who I am at school, work, or home? Ironically, my school self is somewhat limited because I live off campus and really don’t have too many friends or participate in too many school activities, I ended up describing myself when I’m at home with friends and family. I think that I feel a little bit more like “me” when I’m at home and that even when I’m at work and school, I can revert to who I am at home. By the end of class I still felt a little self-conscious, that maybe I had exposed too much of myself or that what I had written was actually kind of cheesy and lame.

         I found it interesting how everyone defines who they are differently. Some people defined themselves with activities or physical qualities, while others define themselves with more descriptions of their personality. I used a combination of both activities and personality descriptions, but left out all physical description. I’m not sure why I used activities and personality, but left out the physical descriptions. It could be that, even though I’m short and small, I don’t identify myself with being short and small. When my friends ask me what it’s like to be so short I usually tell them that I don’t consider myself short or tiny. My body is the same from situation to situation and I don’t know any different. It just is. I never really think of being short or having blue eyes as part of who I am, but I do know that other people often do. I think I stopped identifying who I am with what I look like after high school. Often during high school if we think (or are told) we’re pretty or ugly, short or tall we absorb that quality into our personality and who we are. Also, no one described themselves by their social or economic status, like “popular” or “middle class.” I wonder if this activity was done with younger and older age groups if we would have gotten answers with social and economic status as part of who they are.

         My first inclination was to grab two sheets of construction paper and two sheets of plain paper, cut the pieces into the size of a postcard, and then tape the pieces to create a postcard. I wanted the two plain sheets of paper to be taped to a solid piece of construction paper, which is the same size as the two plain sheets. I then traced the postcard around the white sheets and the construction paper in order to recreate the same size as the postcard, and then I taped the three pieces of paper together.

         On the created postcard, I wanted to make a postcard that was practically the same as the one I received, but it would display who I am. So on the front, I attempted to draw a picture of myself which would show the central figure (me). Then who I am would be written in detail on the back in a similar postcard fashion. I decided to use this approach instead of creating a destination to go to because I figured that the most important fact that needed to be expressed is who I was. Someone would see a picture of me and then flip over the card to see facts about me, somewhat like a baseball card. I explained who I am in detail by listing personality traits, like that I'm outgoing, I'm reserved at times, etc...

         In the second part of the project, I used a similar approach, taking the assigned mode of communication (speech) and using that to reflect on how I am. Using the speech meant using speech format when writing the display. I decided to do a speech which would address the class about who I was, because in that speech, I would actually have to explain who I am because my classmates really don't know me that well if at all. So if I said that I'm religious or I'm reflective or a pragmatist, those are deep character details that a classmate probably would not be able to refute unless he or she knew me very well.

         However, I then decided to create a less formal speech which would be directed towards my friends. In this speech I decided to ask my friends to explain to me who I am because they would know me well enough to accomplish this task. In addition, they could reveal character traits about myself that I might not know about myself. Perhaps this could be the best way to gain self-reflection, although I believe that one must know himself better than anyone else knows them.

         This project was good because not only did I have to use the given modes of communication to explain something, and relate it to the language that one uses when using these modes of communication, but also because I had to reflect on how I am. I figured out that I know myself pretty well-- strengths and weaknesses.

A response to D. Panchwagh's "Modes of Communication" by M. deLauney
Quote: "In the second part of the project, I used a similar approach, taking the assigned mode of communication (speech) and using that to reflect on how I am. Using the speech meant using speech format when writing the display. I decided to do a speech..."

         I think that it is interesting that you immediately thought of the form speech as 'giving a speech' instead of just talking. When we were designing the class session and came up with speech for one of the modes I assumed that it would be just talking. I didn't even think of formal delivery like you did. Thanks!

         I'm glad you thought that the project was good, and that you were able to get something out of it. Relating Language to the different modes was exactly what we were going for. Thanks again!