Project Web

Joshua Steele
Jamie Kang

November 27, 2012

English 115

Professor Macklin

Project Web Script/Outline

Joshua: Technology has become a huge part of our everyday lives. It has become such a significant part of our lives that we depend on it to do basically everything such as doing school work, communicating with friends, and even just heating up that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. However, with all the advancements in technology, people have become too dependent and are slowly losing their basic abilities as human beings. These abilities include communicating, interacting, and even thinking.

Jamie: Now, there is no doubt about it that technology has made things a lot easier for us and has given us more efficient ways to do everyday tasks. But what many don’t realize is the negative effects that modern technology is having on us. In order to help put things into perspective we have decided to show you guys a little video clip from the very popular Disney Movie, WALL-E.

Video URL:
http://youtu.be/u9s7afoYI-M

Joshua: What are some things you guys saw or found interesting from this video clip?

Jamie: This clip gives us a clear idea of what our future could look like if we continue to rely solely on modern technology.

Joshua: One idea that the video addresses is the change in how people completed everyday tasks such as eating, going to the salon, and even just getting up. The video shows us a world that is completely controlled by technology. The salon is run by robots, food is processed into liquid for faster consumption, and throughout the whole video, not a single person had to get up from their chairs in order to anything. This sends the message that technology is making us lazier and is cutting into our basic abilities to do things on our own. If we continue to depend on technology, this could be what our future looks like. Nicholas Carr directly addresses this topic also in his Article Is Google Making us stupid? In the article he talks about how people are losing their abilities to read. “the style of reading promoted by the Net, a style that puts “efficiency” and “immediacy” above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading.” This holds true for not only reading but other things as well. Technologies such as the internet is changing people’s attention spans and promoting a more efficient way to do everything. Because of this, we are losing our abilities to do anything that is not ‘efficient’ or fast.

Jamie: Another thing we saw in the video is the change in how people communicated. Two people were sitting right next to each other, but they still decided to communicate via the technology. Now communication has not changed to that extent today but it is definitely changing. As stated by Westlake in his article, Friend Me if You Facebook, “If individuals move to use online forms of interaction as the primary way to communicate, the rules of online communication will begin to compete with and perhaps dominate those of face-to-face social interactions.” So in other words, if we keep depending on resources such as the internet, phones, and other technologies to communicate, it can lead to us losing our basic abilities to interact with people. In fact, in an article titled The New Communication Technology: A Challenge to Modern Relationships? Regina Lynn mentions that NYU is now offering courses and workshops in order to teach students how to interact and meet people without the means of technology. How crazy is that?

Joshua: So, what can we do in order to make sure that our future does not look like that –points to screen-? We need to regulate our uses of modern technology and use everything with moderation. We must put less dependency on modern technology and more on ourselves and our abilities as humans.

Jamie: By doing so, we are not only making our world better for this generation but also the generations to come.

The End



Originally, Jamie and I had a third group member, since every group had to contain three members. However, Jamie and I became a group of two, since our other member stopped coming to class. Jamie and I collaborated regarding what kind of project we wanted to do. I agreed with Jamie's idea of showing a script from "WALL-E" and asking the class to analyze it. Jamie wrote the script and I approved it. I think that the project was a success and was well received by the class, since we did something that was unique and different.

Reflective Essay

Joshua Steele

November 26, 2012

English 115

Professor Macklin

    In August of 2012, I began attending English 115, which is my first English class at CSUN in my first semester of college. I did not know what to expect at first, and I felt that the class requirements were confusing. In high school, my English classes were smaller than this class and focused on a specific discipline, such as American Literature. In this class, I have improved my writing and learned more about rhetorical analysis, in addition to learning new concepts, such as exigency and ethnography.  Before writing this essay, I wrote three other essays in this class.
    My first essay focused on the universal themes that are present in Bernard Pomerance’s play The Elephant Man, which is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Joseph Merrick, a physically disabled man in 19th century England who resembled an elephant in the eyes of many people. In this essay, I talked about the history of the disability rights movement in the United States and analyzed how society has become more accepting toward disabled people. I was also able to compare The Elephant Man with my own life, since I have Asperger’s and attended a school for students with Asperger’s and high functioning autism. When I completed this essay, I received a grade of ‘Credit,’ since the essays in this class were graded on a ‘Credit/No Credit’ grading scale. However, I went through a slump when writing my second essay, despite the fact that it is about a topic that is near and dear to my heart.
    In my second essay, I analyzed a video of a teenage son coming out as straight to his fathers. This video ended with a disclaimer that stated, “Children raised by homosexuals do not necessarily become homosexuals.”  I originally wrote about the history of same-sex couples adopting children, which did not directly relate to the video that I analyzed. In addition, my original essay was too short. Due to the weaknesses in my second essay, I received a grade of ‘No Credit’ and was given an opportunity to revise my essay and receive a grade of ‘Credit.’ In my revised essay, I defined the coming out process and discussed the positive and negative reactions that occur when a person comes out of the closet. I wrote about how some prominent Americans are perceived to be closeted and “self-hating,” while many other people who came out of the closet have been successful in life. When I submitted this revised essay, I received a grade of ‘Credit.’ Luckily, I did well on my third essay.
    In my third essay, I wrote about how technological advances such as the railroad, radio, television, and the Internet have reshaped politics in a positive manner.  I wrote about the history of these technological advances in politics and how they have impacted and reshaped politics in a positive manner by making it more accessible to the people. When I submitted this essay, I received a grade of  ‘Credit.’ However, I will be revising all of my essays before submitting them into the final portfolio. In addition to the three essays, I enjoyed the Progressions assignments and the assigned reading in this class. Last but not least, I hope that I can use the skills I have learned in this class to my advantage in the future.



Works Cited
1. Steele, Joshua. “Coming Out of the Closet.” November 2, 2012. Print.
2. Steele, Joshua. “The Role of Technology in Politics.” November 13, 2012. Print.
3. Steele, Joshua. “Universal Themes in The Elephant Man.” September 24, 2012. Print.

Essay III

Joshua Steele

November 13, 2012

English 115

Professor Macklin

The Role of Technology in Politics

   Since the late 1990s, the Internet has changed the operational nature of politics by making it more accessible and efficient. While campaigns originally relied on tactics such as traditional mail, posters, telephone calls to voters, door-to-door canvassing, whistle stop tours, and news coverage to get the attention of voters, they are increasingly relying on the Internet through online advertisements and targeted voter outreach, with Barack Obama’s successful 2008 and 2012 campaigns serving as an excellent example of the increasing relevance of the Internet in politics. Despite the widespread benefits of technology in politics, there is also a downside to these changes. Some states have become increasingly reliant on computerized voting machines, which are prone to errors and vote-fixing by politicians.
    In the 18th and 19th centuries, political campaigns evolved and led to the creation of many campaign tactics that still exist today, such as door-to-door canvassing and targeted messaging toward voters based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and regional issues. During this time period, most newspapers were controlled by a political party, which caused them to become biased toward the party that owned the newspapers (Conner Prairie). The political parties used the newspapers to energize their supporters and lure new voters to their side. As technological advances occurred, candidates used these changes to their advantage. In the 1884 presidential campaign, Republican candidate James Blaine became the first presidential candidate to utilize the railroad as part of his campaign, in what is widely known as a “whistle stop tour.”  Despite the fact that Blaine lost to his Democratic opponent, Grover Cleveland, future campaigns utilized the whistle stop tour to their advantage. A whistle stop tour is when a candidate for office travels across a state or country by train, while making speeches from the back platform of a train at a stop to supporters (Ohio Historical Society). The last candidate to use the whistle stop tour as a primary method of campaigning was Harry Truman in his successful presidential campaign in 1948 (Ohio Historical Society). Since then, presidential candidates and incoming presidents have used whistle stop tours occasionally. The most recent example was in 2009, when President Barack Obama embarked on a whistle stop tour from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. before his inauguration (CNN). However, the whistle stop tour is not the only technological change that has revolutionized campaigns.
    In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, which allowed politicians to record messages that could be replayed to voters on discs. However, the phonograph became an obsolete device for politicians in the 1920s, due to the widespread use of radio. The radio became a popular method of one-way communication, since it allowed live broadcasts of speeches and other newsworthy events. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to be broadcasted by radio from the White House. That same year, the Democratic and Republican parties utilized the radio to advertise and use their radio stations to reach out to voters (History: Political Radio). As an increasing number of Americans purchased radios, news networks such as NBC, ABC, and CBS were formed to efficiently reach households across the country. Due to the sharp increase in radio ownership by the beginning of the 1930s, politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt widely utilized the radio to reach millions of Americans with his famous “fireside chats” (History: Political Radio).  Despite this important achievement, technology did not stop here.
    Television was first invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, a 21-year old inventor from San Francisco. However, television did not become popular until the late 1940s, since its growth was hampered by the Great Depression and the rationing of material goods during World War II. Since then, television has played a major role in politics (History of Television). In the 1952 presidential election, both Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent, Adlai Stevenson, aired television advertisements for the first time in the history of American politics (The Living Room Candidate). In the 1960 presidential election, technology was especially crucial in shaping the minds of voters, particularly during the presidential debates. In one debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, television viewers believed that Kennedy won the debate, due to his posture and clean-cut appearance. Radio listeners claimed that Nixon won the debate, because they viewed him as an excellent orator and were unaware of the fact that he was slouching and had not shaved before the debate. During the 1960s, television was also crucial in broadcasting major news events to the American people, such as the assassination and funeral of President Kennedy in 1963. Later on, graphic news coverage of the Vietnam War was influential, because it successfully persuaded many Americans to oppose the war (History of Television).  Beginning in the late 1990s, a new medium would influence the world of American politics.
    In the late 1990s, political campaigns began utilizing the Internet for their benefit. A candidate’s website typically contains his or her positions on important issues, significant endorsements from politicians and celebrities, an online donation form, an email subscription form, and information regarding volunteer opportunities for supporters. In addition to a website, candidates also maintain fan pages on Facebook and Twitter, among other social networking websites. In addition to these changes, campaign websites allow volunteers to set up online accounts and make phone calls to voters from the comfort of their own home, while making visits to a local campaign office unnecessary (Daily News). Despite these political achievements caused by technology, there are some negative effects of the increasing use of technology in politics.
    One of the biggest controversies over the use of technology in politics is the use of electronic voting machines in several states. According to a study commissioned by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and MIT between 1988 and 2004, electronic voting machines are prone to errors and are less reliable than lever machines or machines that optically scan ballots. One of the most common errors is when a machine claims that you voted for Candidate A, when you actually voted for Candidate B, for example. The researchers with Caltech and MIT also stated that electronic machines are not any safer than a home computer and are therefore susceptible to hackers (National Geographic). On the other hand, proponents of electronic voting machines believe that it will bring an end to faulty punch-card ballots that caused the outcome of the 2000 presidential election to be disputed until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of George W. Bush (National Geographic). A significant number of Democrats refute these claims by arguing that George W. Bush stole the election in the crucial state of Florida by conspiring with his brother, then-Governor Jeb Bush and then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris.
    In conclusion, technology has made a handful of positive contributions to elections, with the railroad, the phonograph, the radio, television, and the Internet each making an important contribution to the world of politics. In my opinion, technological changes have made elections more accessible to people, while allowing information to travel at a faster and more efficient pace. Despite these positive advances, plenty of people remain skeptical of electronic voting machines; because they believe that the machines are unsafe and an easy target for those looking to commit election fraud. As we have seen in the past, technology will not stand still. Therefore, we can expect technology to keep moving forward in the future.

Works Cited

1. Castro, Tony. “Teen volunteer’s support for Obama rings true.” Los Angeles Daily News 20 June 2008. Print.
2. “History of Television.” New York University. Web. November 13, 2012.
3. “History: Political Radio.” University of Virginia. Web. November 13, 2012.
4. Lovgren, Stefan. “Are Electronic Voting Machines Reliable?” National Geographic 1 November 2004. Print.
5. “Obama’s whistle-stop tour chugs on to Washington.” CNN, January 16, 2009. Web. November 12, 2012.
6. “The Living Room Candidate.” Museum of the Moving Image, 2012. Web. November 13, 2012.
7. “The Rough and Tumble World of 19th-Century Politics.” Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. Web. November 12, 2012.
8. “Whistle-Stops.” Ohio Historical Society. Web. November 12, 2012.

   

Essay III Rough Draft

Joshua Steele
November 7, 2012
English 115
Professor Macklin

The Role of Technology in Politics

Since the late 1990s technology, particularly the Internet has changed the operational nature of politics by making it more accessible and efficient. While campaigns originally relied of tactics such as traditional mail, posters, and news coverage to get the attention of voters, they are increasingly relying on the Internet through online advertisements and targeted voter outreach, with Barack Obama’s successful 2008 and 2012 campaigns serving as an excellent example of the increasing relevance of the Internet in politics.

Progression II Essay

Joshua Steele
November 2, 2012
English 115
Professor Macklin

Coming Out of the Closet

    The video begins with a teenage boy at a restaurant, eating and saying, “I gotta tell you something.” He then tells his fathers that he is straight, and they nod in approval. An announcer then tells the audience, “Children raised by homosexuals do not necessarily become homosexuals” (The Gayest Commercials). In this video, the message is clearly presented to the audience, especially with the announcer’s message at the end. The message is that being raised by gay or lesbian parents is perfectly normal and that it is perfectly normal for the children of gay or lesbian parents to identify as straight.
    This advertisement relies on the use of pathos when the teenage boy anxiously tells his fathers that he is straight, since plenty of people find it difficult to come out of the closet, and because most people are unable to conceptualize the idea of a person coming out as straight, as opposed to gay. This video can also be considered an oxymoron, since it is uncommon for a person to come out of the closet as being straight. The use of pathos is also used by the creators of the video, since they portray the fathers and son in a positive light. In this video, the use of logos is present when the announcer tells the audience, “Children raised by homosexuals do not necessarily become homosexuals” (The Gayest Commercials). This video is targeted at an audience that is uninformed about children raised by gay and lesbian parents. It is also possible that the audience would adhere to the false stereotype that all of the children of gay and lesbian parents are gay or lesbian themselves.  Some studies claim that the children of gay parents are more likely to be gay, but that philosophy is rejected by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community (Queerty).  In order to understand this video, it is important for the reader to know about the importance of the coming out process.
    Coming out is defined as the process by which a person acknowledges and tells others that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (The Stages of Coming Out). The first stage is self-recognition, which is when a person realizes that they are LGBT. The second stage is disclosure to others, which is often simply known as coming out. Some people might come out of the closet at a slow and quiet pace, while others will do it quickly and publicly. Coming out quickly and publicly is often seen when a prominent person comes out of the closet. The following stage is socialization with other LGBT individuals, followed by positive self-identification and integration and acceptance (The Stages of Coming Out). However, these stages will not occur if a person will not come out of the closet or refuses to accept the fact that they are gay. People who are supposedly LGBT but refuse to come out are viewed as ‘self hating’ or ‘repressed’ by the LGBT community and by society at large. Some prominent examples of supposedly gay people are Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Rick Santorum, and Marcus Bachmann (The Huffington Post, Slate, LA Weekly). On a side note, studies have shown that the most homophobic people are more likely to be gay than people who are not homophobic (LA Weekly). Also, the coming out process can be unsuccessful if a person is coming out to people who are homophobic.
    Although many people are able to come out of the closet knowing that their family and friends will still love them, plenty of other people are not so lucky. Teenagers with homophobic parents are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, more likely to engage in unsafe sexual practices, and more likely to commit suicide than teenagers with accepting and open-minded parents (CDC). A sizeable number of homophobic parents believe that sexual orientation is a choice or that it can be changed through “conversion therapy,” a barbaric and inhumane practice that forces participants to undergo electrocution, verbal abuse, and burning and freezing tactics, and prayer to become straight, among other tactics (Daily Mail). Due to these and other tactics, every mainstream medical and mental health association views conversion therapy as dangerous and ineffective, since a person’s sexual orientation cannot be changed (HRC). In California, it is illegal to provide “conversion therapy” to minors. California law also requires adults seeking “conversion therapy” to sign a waiver stating that they are aware of the risks stemming from the procedures they will be subjected to (ABC News). On a positive note, there are many prominent people who are openly LGBT that deserve to be recognized.
    There are many prominent people in the United States and the world who are openly gay and deserve to be recognized for coming out and remaining successful in their careers. In 1976, pop superstar Elton John came out as bisexual, but admitted that he was gay twelve years later (Rolling Stone). Another prominent gay celebrity is talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who came out while appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show (CNN). Another prominent gay person is U.S. Representative Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts who was first elected to the House in 1980. Barney Frank came out as gay in 1987 and is the longest-serving openly gay member of Congress. In a ceremony earlier this year in Newton, Massachusetts, Barney Frank married Jim Ready, who he had been dating for seven years (New York Times).
    In conclusion, the video that I discussed shows the teenage son of two fathers coming out as straight, which is quite rare, since people are often presumed to be straight. Coming out is the process by which a person acknowledges and reveals the fact that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Some people will receive a positive response when coming out, while others will face a very negative response. Last but not least, this video effectively uses logos and pathos to send a message to an audience that might believe that all of the children of gay or lesbian parents are gay or lesbian themselves, which is false.

Works Cited

1. “Barney Frank Weds Jim Ready.” The New York Times, July 7, 2012. Web. November 2, 2012.
2. “California Bans Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors.” ABC News, October 1, 2012. Web. November 2, 2012.
3. “Cover Story: It’s Lonely at the Top.” Rolling Stone, October 7, 1976. Web. November 2, 2012.
4. “Ellen DeGeneres tells Time she’s a lesbian.” CNN, April 6, 1997. Web. November 2, 2012.
5. “Gay and Bisexual Men’s Health: Stigma and Discrimination.” CDC, March 3, 2011. Web. November 2, 2012.
6. “Gay Parents ‘Far More Likely’ to Have Gay Kids, Says Questionable Science.” Queerty, October 18, 2010. Web. November 1, 2012.
7. “Gay Rumors In Hollywood: 16 Celebrities Who Have Faced Reports About Their Sexuality.” The Huffington Post, December 2, 2011. Web. November 2, 2012.
8. “Is Rick Santorum Gay? New Study Says Homophobes May Dig the Same Sex.” LA Weekly, April 9, 2012. Web. November 2, 2012.
9. “Read My Lisp: Is Michele Bachmann’s husband gay? Don’t trust gaydar to settle the question.” Slate, July 15, 2011. Web. November 2, 2012.
10. “The Gayest Commercials.” Out. Here Media Inc., March 20, 2012. Web. November 1, 2012.
11. “The Lies and Dangers of Reparative Therapy.” Human Rights Campaign. Web. November 2, 2012.
12. “Victim of Baptist gay conversion therapy describes how he was tortured at 12.” Daily Mail, October 7, 2011. Web. November 2, 2012.

Exercise 3.3

Joshua Steele

October 31, 2012

English 115

Professor Macklin

How Technology Has Changed The Political Landscape

1. An important claim: Since the late 1990s, successful political candidates have utilized the Internet to their advantage, with President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign being one of the most prominent examples.
2. An opposing claim: People are less reliant on traditional sources of political information, such as newspapers, leaflets, “snail mail,” and posters.  The decreased reliance on newspapers has forced newspapers to cut back on coverage, go out of business, or require readers to pay when reading the newspaper online. The decreased reliance on traditional mail has given the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) a severe budget deficit that threatens the closure of hundreds of post offices, many of them in isolated rural areas that lack efficient Internet service.
3. The problem with these claims: According to the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC), the budget deficit at the USPS is partially caused by the fact that Congress has been using the postal service as an ATM for over a decade, which is contributing to the agency’s budget deficit (NALC).
4. My claim: Successful political campaigns, such as Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, have utilized the Internet to their advantage. Obama’s campaign allowed volunteers to work at home, calling voters through an online database. Before the Internet and cell phones, volunteers had to go to a local campaign office and pour through stacks of lists while making phone calls on a landline.  With regards to the USPS, I do acknowledge the fact that the usage of traditional mail is decreasing. In addition, I would like to learn more about the NALC’s arguments.
5. What scholars would say about my claim: Scholars would say that technology has changed the way that political campaigns operate, while eliminating longstanding methods of operation that some people would view with nostalgia.


















Works Cited
1. “How Technology Changed American Politics in the Internet Age.” MediaShift. PBS, April 6, 2010. Web. October 31, 2012.
2. National Association of Letter Carriers. National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO. Web. October 31, 2012.

Susan Greenfield vs. James Paul Gee

Joshua Steele
October 29, 2012
English 115
Professor Macklin

Susan Greenfield vs. James Paul Gee

Moderator: Welcome to the first Effects of Modern Technology Debate, located at UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California. I’m Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor of UC Berkeley, and I will be moderating this evening’s debate. The audience has agreed to remain silent for the duration of this debate, except for now. Please welcome Susan Greenfield and James Paul Gee.
(The two of them shake hands before sitting at their respective seats.)
Moderator: Our first question is for Susan Greenfield. Ms. Greenfield, why do you believe that humans are facing a crisis?
Susan Greenfield: I believe that humans are facing a crisis that is caused by the proliferation of gadgets and by the fact that, “Increasing numbers of people already take Prozac for depression, Paxil as an antidote for shyness, and give Ritalin to children to improve their concentration.” If you are not worried yet, I suggest that you ask yourself, “But what if there were still more pills to enhance or ‘correct’ a range of other specific mental functions?”
Moderator: Mr. Gee, would you like to rebut Ms. Greenfield’s statement?
James Paul Gee: Yes, I would. I feel that Ms. Greenfield’s is oversimplified and I believe that, “Next to nothing is good or bad for you in and of itself and all by itself. I believe that video games and television, for example, can be good for your soul when you reflect on what you are watching or playing. However, I do agree with Ms. Greenfield when she stated in 1984 that watching television is bad when people are sitting and watching passively while relying on television as a babysitter.
Moderator: Thank you. Our next question is for Mr. Gee. Mr. Gee, what do heaven and hell and your soul have in common with the supposed merits of video games?
James Paul Gee: I once had the opportunity to go back and time and experience life in the Middle Ages. I stated that currently, as opposed to the Middle Ages, people from various religious groups believe that those who disagree with them will go to hell as opposed to heaven. Perhaps-
Susan Greenfield: Oh really? Do you consider burning heretics and non-Christians at the stake a form of religious tolerance? How about the Spanish Inquisition and the persecution of Jews throughout Europe? What about the Catholic Church’s backlash against the Protestant Reformation? In my opinion, the modern world is much more tolerant of people with differing religious beliefs, or a lack of religious beliefs. Perhaps your so-called nostalgia for the Middle Ages comes from playing a lot of flashy video games.
(Susan Greenfield’s and James Paul Gee’s voices cannot be heard, since the two of them are consistently cutting each other off and attempting to talk over each other.)
Moderator: Ms. Greenfield and Mr. Gee, thank you very much for your insightful contributions so far. At this point in time we will be taking a 15 minute break.
(The debate ends temporarily.)



Works Cited
1. “Modern Technology Is Changing The Way Our Brains Work.” Susan Greenfield, 2008. Web. October 18, 2012.
2. “Why Video Games Are Good For Your Soul: Pleasure and Learning.” James Paul Gee, n.d. Web. October 29, 2012.