Investigating 5 Websites

A website that is very effective and frequently visited by millions of people is ESPN.com. ESPN.com launched over 20 years ago and is still thriving to this day. The world of sports is extremely busy on a day to day basis. ESPN.com has a very clear front page that breaks down each sport into a certain section. The name of each major league is clearly visible at the top of the page and can be clicked to go deeper in the league’s news, stories, and statics. Two very effective features are the final scores at the very top of the page and the top headlines section on the right of the screen. Another plus for ESPN.com is the quick access to the fantasy sports portion of the website. There is a lot going on the front page, but everything is structured in a simple and easily accessible way. ESPN.com has a very well structured website. 

An extremely popular but frustrating at times website is Twitter.com. Twitter has over 300 million users and has been around for over ten years. As the years have gone by Twitter has obviously evolved a lot. It seems every year Twitter makes a drastic change to either the timeline or the profile page. The layout of the profile page changed recently and it made the profiles look worse by making the profile pictures smaller and separating different types of tweets. Twitter has to change to keep update but typically their users do not like the changes, and they are done when they are not needed. When the design of the website changes, it is typically not a positive outcome.

Each major sport has it is own website that must compete with websites like ESPN.com and CBSSports.com. The NHL’s website has come a long way since its launch over fifteen years ago.  The NHL is not on the same level of popularity as the NFL or NBA, so it is important that it has an effective website. The front page of NHL.com has all the big news from the most recent NHL happenings. Also, the scores of completed games and upcoming games with the time and the TV network they are on are on the top of the page. It is easy to find anything at the top of the website that features everything from video to the official NHL store. The website is easy to navigate and find the desired content. If a fan misses a game, it would be easy to catch up with video and stats on NHL.com.

 Online shopping is extremely popular in today’s society due to the convenience and multiple options. Fanatics.com is an easy to use online store for all sports related apparel. Looking at the Fanatics front page, there is a lot going on. However, everything is separated and clearly classified. There are a wide variety of products from NFL team hats to throwback college basketball jerseys. The website shows clear pictures of their products. Once on a specific team’s page, on the left side, it shows options like top players and popular collections, so the website is very user-friendly in that respect. Also, the website always makes it very clear if there is a deal going on that day with clearly visible words at the top of the site. Fanatics.com has a wide variety of products and is heavily geared towards offering the consumer the best possible experience on their website. 

Nike is one of the most popular active wear companies in the world today. However, Nike.com does not exactly represent that. The front page of Nike.com is very basic and really does not draw attention to their products. Scrolling down the opening page nothing really jumps out visually. The top of the page has the subsets of products like men and women which are simple to use and is similar to most sites.  The website heavily advertises shoes, and for someone who is not looking to buy shoes that could be a clear turn-off. The color scheme for the website is mostly white, so that does not help the website. The customize option can be confusing at times as well. Overall the website does not match what the general high opinion of Nike as a company.  

The Vision of Video

When producing a video of any kind it offers a chance to showcase your creative and innovative side. Filming and video, in general, is such a fascinating process because it gives the abilities to portray a message or tell a story through real-life events or acting. The growth of technology over the past couple of decades has largely benefitted camera technology and the film industry. It has come to the point that we can just take our phones out and capture literally anything around us. So as times change it makes it even more challenging to film, edit, and produce an effective and unique film.

            Often times photography, writing, and video are grouped together and rightfully so. They are all different and effective in their own way, however. Using something like video brings more of a realism sense to a project because it can show people in their truest form. Video most of the time has characters, a storyline, and special effects. Video communicates a message well because it is happening right before your very eyes and can capture emotion so easily. Things are moving and flowing in a video, so it makes it simple to communicate a message.

            The topic our group was assigned was the topic of time. At first glance, the topic of time seems extremely simple and easy to portray. Upon further exploration and discussion, time is not that simple or easy of a topic at all. The video cannot be so obvious that the topic is time with clocks everywhere and just showing the clear passing of time. On the other hand, it is difficult not to slip into another topic like a day in the life or separation when trying to be subtle about time. Time always had to be relevant in the video at some point, even if it was not so obvious.

The group portion of this project did not get off to the best of starts. One of our group members frequently did not come to class while we had the time to work on this project. Also, as a whole class, we had difficulty with some of the computers taking forever to get the iMovie application on them. The group video we presented in class was not our first idea for the project. At first, as a group, we did decide on an elaborate and thought out plot for our group video. The plot was about a woman who worked her entire life as time passed her by. We planned on even having a father time character to better relay the message of our topic. This woman was going to work her entire life without enjoying one second of her life. The time in her life would be wasted away until she passed away. However, this plot was not meant to be.

After realizing our original idea was not going to happen, we switched our focus. We agreed to combine all of our videos. However, we thought it would be better to try to combine all our video into one instead of separating them individually throughout the four minutes. By combing all of our videos together, it gave the project a fresh idea. Four people spend their time so differently, but there is some overlap. We used shots that were very short and very long to communicate how time can feel likes it is going by so fast or dragging on so slowly. The video was structured, so it felt like the viewer was experiencing one day but in four different perspectives and lapses of time. The video ended up coming out better than expected and we are proud of our work. 

Moving on to the personal video portion of the project, that was a brand-new experience. As a person who does not have a large amount of experience with shooting and editing video, this was kind of an intimidating task at the start. Being able to film on the iPhone helped because it made for easy accessibility and it was simple to use. When assessing the topic of time for the personal video an idea was clear from the start. The idea was going through a day showing how personal time is used and try to get different ways time is showcased such as clocks, phones, cars, and cable boxes. The video encompasses a typical Friday. The video attempted to show personal things such as going to the gym, working, playing Fortnite, going to school, driving, and going out with friends. In theory, it is a simple but effective concept. It communicates some important things about myself and keeps on track with the topic of time. Editing the video was a bit of a struggle because of all the film that was taken to work with. The music was not added to the video until the very end in a possible risky decision. This video would set itself apart from others because it did not have music all the way through. The title of this personal video is “The Race.” This is the title because it seems like we are always in a race against time. There are only 24 hours in a day and most of the time that is not enough. The driving scenes in this video are supposed to be a reference to the title of the video.

The public nature of the video did to an extent affect the content that was ultimately produced. First off, filming in public can be an intimidating challenge at times, everyone is looking at you and could be judging you. Also having to showcase yourself to your classmates in a public matter can restrain the content of the video as well. A person probably does not want to come across as weird in a video in front of the whole class. Other than that, the video was exactly how it was drawn up to be. Showing myself in the reflection of a mirror at work ended up being the personal appearance in the video, and it happened by accident, to be honest. The personal video was challenging but came out good in the end.

The Twitter Times

          In the age of social media, Twitter is certainly one of the most popular social media sites in 2018. Twitter has been around since 2006 and has impacted the day to day life of humans greatly. There are over 300 million people using Twitter worldwide. Twitter is a great place to connect and communicate with friends and also can be used as a source for news and entertainment. With the always evolving world of social media, Twitter has been able to become a mainstay for the past ten years.

            Twitter is a very versatile tool that can be used by people. It is much more than just a basic social media site. Twitter is a great promotion outlet for a company or a person as well. Twitter does go beyond the basics of socializing and marketing, however. Twitter can be a source to communicate details of a disaster such as the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. In a time when the speed of news stories and details is so vital, Twitter can provide the speed for news being released that people want. Details of this horrific event were spread very quickly after it happened because of Twitter. Now there is another side to this as Simon Ricketts discusses how Twitter’s information on a disaster is good at first then switches to complete rumor and innuendo after that. Ricketts states, “This is not to condemn Twitter. Just to contextualize it. I see so much good on Twitter, so many positive stories and actions, that I would never write it off. I just sense an evolution. A reframing. An acknowledgment that, as it grows, it has become more unwieldy.”   

Twitter can be extremely helpful for breaking news, but people must carefully read all tweets regarding that news. Another way Twitter has grown beyond socializing and marketing is that it helps people view the world differently. Paul Gill notes “Among other things, Twitter is a way to learn about the world through another person's eyes.”

People can learn about other countries cultures because of how many different people join and use Twitter. Twitter can be used as a place for people to better educate themselves about different cultures.

Twitter can be very useful for journalists and political leaders. Since there are so many people using Twitter, it is an easy place to promote your work in the case of a journalist or promote your campaign message in the case of a political leader. Twitter is such a central place with a huge audience, and it is simple to find your target audience through following certain accounts and using precise hashtags. Twitter can also be useful for a journalist because they can live tweet an event. For example, if a journalist is covering the Buffalo Bills, they can live tweet from the game giving updates, and insight that people would not be able to see on the TV broadcast. Live tweeting is great for journalists because they can pass on information to their audience instantly. For political leaders, the President of the United States Donald Trump uses Twitter heavily. Twitter is a great way to communicate with a large number of people and release information to the public. Organizations can also use Twitter to interact with customers and market their business. Organizations can alert their followers when there are new items being released, or there is a sale going on. Twitter also offers a chance for organizations to gage the interest that their customers have on certain products or services. 

            A recent event that Twitter was used as a communicator for was when the Buffalo Bills fans began donating to Andy Dalton’s charity after he helped clinch a playoff spot for the Bills in January 2018. Shortly after Andy Dalton threw the game-winning touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens, donations of $17.00 begin to roll into Dalton’s charity foundation. The word among Bills fans was spread on Twitter for this to support Dalton’s charity. Over $350,000 was donated in total from Bills fans everywhere, and it started spreading through Twitter. This was obviously a successful example of Twitter as a communicator. Earlier this month tragedy struck when a deadly shooting took place at YouTube’s headquarters in California. As usual, people looked to Twitter to receive updates on the event. Vadim Lavrusik who is a project manager at YouTube had his account hacked during the shooting. The hacker posted a tweet reading “please help me find my friend I lost him in the shooting.” This was a fake tweet and caused a lot of chaos on Twitter regarding the shooting at YouTube headquarters, and people did not know what to believe. This is an example of the negative effect of Twitter can have during an event. The NHL trade deadline took place at the end of February. Twitter is always a huge tool that is used to report trades and rumors for all sports trade deadlines. This could be an example of both success and failure to communicate an event. First, the success part, NHL team accounts, and many analysts correctly reported trades and what player was going where so the fans were informed on the news. The failure is when fake twitter accounts of NHL reports tweet false trades and fans think they are the actual reports account. This is a frequent problem during the NHL trade deadline every year with fake accounts tweeting false information.           

            The main topic picked to follow on Twitter was the NHL playoff race. As a big fan of hockey, this was an easy topic to pay attention to and tweet about. Also, the playoff race was a very timely topic. The two accounts followed that were related to this were the official NHL Twitter account and hockey insider and analyst Darren Dreger. The NHL’s twitter was followed because it tweets each final score and gives updates on league standings. Darren Dreger’s Twitter was followed because he gives his opinion on teams and offers a deeper thought than the NHL Twitter does. Both accounts are directly related to the topic. The other account that was followed was CNN Politics. This account was followed because it is not of personal interest and is not related to the main topic at all. Politics is always at the center of attention in today’s society, and it may be beneficial to begin paying attention to it. The CNN Politics account was followed to expand knowledge in a different and new topic.

            Twitter is different from blogging because it is in a shorter form. Tweeting forces a person to condense their statement to 280 characters or less. Only having 280 characters means that the tweet has to be simple yet effective. Simply put, Twitter is a form of microblogging. Twitter makes people ideas shorter but still offers a platform to discuss and shape ideas. Twitter is different from other social media because of how simple and fast it is to use. It is not picture based like Instagram, and people can easily tweet to their audience. Twitter provides a chance to communicate with people all over the world. With only having 280 characters, Twitter is fast paced, and people can spread information and thoughts quickly. Twitter is also great for marketing and connecting with people. Twitter continues to grow and will only get better in the future.  

Working With Wikihow

The experience making the wikihow page on how to choose a favorite NHL team was very challenging and rewarding. The first part of the process which was picking the topic for the wikihow page was more stressful than anticipated. Three topics that were explored were doing the perfect "Madden 18 Fantasy Draft", "Dealing with Going Bald in your 20s", and "Picking a Favorite NHL Team". At first, how to do the perfect Madden 18 Fantasy Draft was looking the topic to choose. It was tough to choose between they all are unique and have positive and negatives. Finally, the decision was made to choose how to Pick a Favorite NHL Team as the topic for the wikihow project.

The NHL has a rich 100-year history and is one of most popular sports in the world. The NHL is becoming more and more popular in the United States. A part of the NHL fan experience is having a favorite team and cheering them on. Each team in the NHL is different and has their advantages and disadvantages. The process of picking any type of favorite sports team can be stressful to a new fan or current fan looking to transition to a new team. A wikihow page from a lifetime NHL fan could be a useful tool for aiding them along in the process.

The photos and information used in the first step which is beginning the search were generally simple. The first step was used to show the basic steps in selecting a favorite NHL team. For the first part, the picture is a screen capture of the NHL teams and their logos so the reader can get more familiar with the NHL as a whole. The writing is to tell the reader to know the basic history of the league and the teams. The second part of step one is doing some self-evaluation. The photo for this step is a photo of myself in deep thought. This picture is conveying thinking about what a person values and how that can relate to an NHL team. The writing for this step urges the reader to try to relate personal values to an NHL team. The next step of part one is to talk to family and friends. This is a great step because it can spring some cool ideas, stories, and rivalries. The photo for this step is a group of friends talking. Two of the friends have on hockey jersey (Vegas Golden Knights (right) Florida Panthers (left). This step is effective because talking with friends or family about their favorite NHL team can give a person an idea of what kind of team may fit them. Sometimes it is fun to support the same team as a friend or family member.

Part two is to become familiar with the NHL. The first step in this process is to watch full games and highlights. This step is pretty simple but still very useful. The only way to become familiar with the league is to watch the games, and highlights are a great tool for that. The picture is a TV with a hockey game on it, again pretty simple. The next step is to look at statistics. This step is very helpful to become aware of what is going on in the league. This can mean team and individual player stats. The picture used is NHL statistic being looked at by a person. The next step is to attend a game. This can be extremely helpful to the reader because they get to experience an NHL game live and take in the atmosphere. This picture really communicates how great an NHL game can be for a fan.

The next part is to connect with teams. The first step with this is to know the types of teams. The picture for this communicates how different every NHL team is and what they have to offer. The next step is to find a favorite player or coach. From personal experience, this is one of the most effective ways to choose a favorite team. This personal experience has led to 11 years of being an Ottawa Senators fan because of Jason Spezza. If a person is connected with one player or coach it is easy to support that coach or players team. The picture used is a friend holding an Erik Karlsson jersey and figure. This shows how supporting one player can lead to being a fan of that team. The next step is to look at jerseys colors. The picture for this shows four different jerseys and how different they are. Jersey colors set each team apart and are the colors a fan will see and wear often. The next part is taking into account the distance factor. The picture shows how long it is from Buffalo to Montreal and communicates the negatives to liking a team that is far away or it could be a positive, it depends on the person.

The next part is being patient. The basic meaning of this part is not to rush to pick a team and enjoy the sport. A picture used is the NHL center ice schedule which offers fans a chance to watch every NHL team no matter where they are located. Also recommended in this part is to use the process of elimination. The picture shows how close it can be while choosing a favorite team and how to separate each team.

The final part is to make the decision and stick to it. This part talks about closing the search, picking a team, and looking into ways to support the team. Closing the search is pictured with a list used prior with teams beginning to be crossed out. Picking a team would be a significant moment for the reader, and the picture has the team circled with WINNER next to it to emphasize the importance. Supporting the new favorite team may start with buying a jersey as pictured.
There are a couple different ways used to communicate this wikihow page. The main form of communication used is pictures in the article. Pictures are a huge tool for this article because they provide a visual aid to the words and make the page more personal and relatable. The pictures were a mix of personally taken photos and photos from the internet. Most of this page was based off of personal experience of being an NHL fan for over 10 years. This personal experience helps the reader get a good perspective from an experienced fan. 

This experience in creating a wikihow page was also difficult. The coding needed for creating the page can be confusing, and it seemed by the end, it was a certainty to run into some type of problem. The issue of the photos and work correlating correctly was a big issue. Another difficult part was coming up with ideas for pictures. Creativity and collaboration certainly helps for this. Some steps that were challenging were the choice may be obvious, cheer, root, and support the team, and survey the league. The grab app on the Mac was very helpful for these.

Creating a wikihow page was challenging, exciting, stressful, and difficult at times. However, it was definitely worth the hard times. It is always nice to see a lot of work come together and look good. Wikihow may be a site people take for grantedbecause they do notrealize how useful the site is, and that people put hard work into their pages they create. This wikihow project was rewarding and a new experience.

The Triple Thought

WikiHow is an extremely useful tool for trying to understand a topic or looking for directions to complete a task. Producing a wikiHow page requires a lot of experience and knowledge on the topic. The best wikiHow pages provide in-depth detail and analysis. The best ideas for a wikiHow page are things that people have an interest in and are different from other wikiHow posts.  

1. How to complete the perfect Madden 18 fantasy draft. One of the most fun and unique features in Madden is the fantasy draft mode. A person can pick their favorite NFL team and draft a team from all current NFL players. A strategy while drafting is definitely important to pick the best team possible. There are tips and tricks to be aware of so the person drafting will know the board will fall. The fantasy draft mode is both challenging and rewarding once you put the drafted team out on the field.      

2. How to deal with balding in your 20s. Losing your hair is a reality for most men at some point in their life, and it is very difficult. Losing your hair at a young age can be even worse especially in your late teens and early 20s. A person who is losing their hair at a younger age stands out in a crowd, and more people would notice in a college setting for example. Some ways to deal with hair loss are transplants, Rogaine, laser treatments and changing your diet. People who have dealt or are dealing with hair loss offer a thoughtful perspective on the topic.

3. How to choose a new favorite NHL team to root for. Hockey is one of the most entertaining and unique sports in the world. Hockey, however, is not exactly on the same level of popularity as the NBA or NFL. As the NHL continues to grow more people will become fans and want a team to call their own. Also, this topic could appeal to a longtime NHL fan that just wants to switch up their team. Through self-evaluation and research, a person can narrow their search down to a smaller number of teams they would want to root for. Also as the fan gets more experience with the NHL, they will become more aware of what team they would like.     

WikiHow pages can have a major impact on a reader and possibly help them greatly. It is important to have personal experience or personal interest in the wikiHow topic a person is writing about. Experience and interest add legitimacy to what is being written about. All three topics above are unique and have not been directly written about before.  

The Cyberspace Experience

I do not remember exactly how old I was the first time I used the internet, but I do remember the exact moment. I would guess I was probably seven or eight years old. By this time I was very comfortable with a desktop computer. I had been playing computer games for the past couple of years. Then one day I was wandering around my house looking for something to do when I noticed the computer room was empty. Upon starting up the computer, my mind did not jump to play a computer game. I have always been an avid sports fan, and I wanted to see what was going on in the sports world. So, for the first time, I clicked the internet icon and typed in ESPN.com. I arrived on a page filled with sports content. I scanned the page and looked for what could peak my interest. I saw an article with a picture of my favorite athlete Tom Brady. My younger mind was not too interested in the article itself, but I got to see all these great pictures and statistics I never even knew about. I had to spend at least two hours just in awe of what I had just discovered. I got lost in all the NFL related news. I vividly remember calling my father into the computer room to show him that I was on ESPN.com. I also remember voting in a poll on the website which I thought was so awesome. From this point on my internet use became more and more frequent which leads me to today when the internet is a huge part of my day to day life.

A positive social media event was Buffalo Bills fans donating to Andy Dalton’s charity. After the Bills clinched a playoff spot with the help of a Dalton touchdown pass, Bills fans raised over $100,000 for Dalton’s charity that helps ill or physically challenged children. The word was spread on Twitter to donate to the charity to thank Dalton for his part in breaking the Bills playoff drought. This event showed the positive impact social media could have.

Social media has changed dramatically since I first used it. Social media has far more people using it and more websites available. Social media has become nearly a necessity for most of the world today. I do not feel social media is intrusive, but I can understand if people feel it is. I try not to take social media too seriously and not use it too much. Each person can use social media as they want but each person has a responsibility to control what they post.    

I see social media continuing to grow in the future. Twitter is becoming the platform to find any content that you want. Social media will take an even bigger role as time goes on and will become a central place for everyone in the world to communicate. I see social media heading down a positive path.