User:Dmcgonagill/NMAC 5108 Journal

= D. McGonagill's Journal(@Dmcgonagill) =



April 24, 2019: Final Reflection
Did not realize this was the day to final reflect until I was reading other's journals to comment on which brought me back to the syllabus, & to the conclusion that a final reflection is necessary!

Critiquing articles:
Learned a lot about how to edit other's input. Basically, learned to collaborate digitally. Enjoyed adding contributions to formatting and any missing facts I could find. Would like more practice with citing and referencing.

Peer review:
Didn't like this task so much. Hard to critique friends. Understand the value of pointing out strengths and areas to strengthen as well as receiving the same back. Attempted to stay objective and positive with those I did. Enjoyed class with everyone.

Feedback:
From the feedback received, I did reflect and attempt to make improvements. Personally, I'm more critical of myself than others are of me, so I'd say I should have spent more time before submitting changes, including studying models more closely, and communicating with collaborators more regularly about possible modifications to pages.

Wikipedia generally:
Didn't know what Wikipeida was when I started except for that it turned up whenever I Googled something and that professionals around me said not to trust it. Gained a new respect for it's content validity and plan to share that knowledge with others. Enjoyed learning the coding for formatting. Wish Wikipedians of the future the best!

Personal reflection
Class felt overwhelming from the start. Wasn't until I could create a journal page that I started even being able to contribute. Hope that future sessions include explicit direction on at least initial tasks and that future session syllabi explicitly note that what is expected from WikiEducation modules is not expected for the course. Overall, very much enjoyed the class after got over the hump of getting started. Thanks Dr. Lucas and fellow classmates. Best! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 02:14, 25 April 2019 (UTC))


 * I love the idea of regular meetings or communicating otherwise with everyone in the group more frequently, Dana. If we had been able to have that planned class meeting the first week of the course, I know our frustration levels would have been much lower. Talking with you all on Skype/Google really made a difference, as did knowing I could email you all and get help from you kept me from pulling out what few hairs I have left on my head. Thanks for motivating, helping, and being the overachiever you are! JVbird (talk) 14:25, 25 April 2019 (UTC)


 * . I agree with JVbird, if we had all met in class, at least once, we probably would have understood the expectations a little better. While I agree it was very overwhelming at first and some expectations could have been a little clearer, the fact that they weren't enabled the group to get together and figure it out as a team. I don't think we would have developed such a sense of comradery among the group without such issues to address and which in the end, helped us all to improve our contributions to the project. Thank you so muchDillbug (talk) 20:27, 27 April 2019 (UTC) for all your help and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Dillbug (talk) 20:27, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

Extra
One additional comment. Hoping definition of editing, as it pertains to the essay exercise, is more clearly defined for future class participants as well as methods to make it happen. Never knew that to edit the essay meant to merely put it into digital form. Suggestions for how to without access to converting software would also have helped. Thanks!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 21:47, 25 April 2019 (UTC))

April 24, 2019
Playing with Wikimedia Commons. Posted is the featured picture of the day. "I am but a gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff." Spoken by Henry Wotton, found on Wikiquote, describes well what we do on Wikipedia.

Playing a lot with picture placement for formatting pages. Not as easy at it looked like it would be. Only seen own work on laptop, wonder what it looks like on other devices. Formatting is tricky & not a universal output across different devices.

Needing to write this last line just to have words reach bottom of photo so don't run into my next entry. That's the type of stuff I've talking about with formatting with photos!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 18:42, 24 April 2019 (UTC))

April 23, 2019: Creating Subpages
Learning a lot through trial and error. Even when going back to modules and Googling or Wikiling (if that's a thing), I can't find hard and fast directions. That is what I do not like about Wikipedia & also kind of like because the quest is never dull. Feels like I've learned so much about Wiki and this project that it really is sad to not see it through to completion. Pondering ideas for my own Wiki project. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it could interesting. Or like a Wiki scavenger hunt. Maybe that is how we could incorporate a literary themed game w/ a Tweeting/Instagram post requirement housed in a private Facebook group created just for that class...whatchu think friend?(Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:25, 23 April 2019 (UTC))


 * Oh yes, that sounds excellent. Course, I may be jumping the gun because that class may be entirely different, but his interest probably are a good sign of things to come! JVbird (talk) 19:28, 23 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Dana, I'm so impressed by your Wiki abilities! I, too, questioned whether I was creating the sub page correctly. Wikipedia does seem to lead me down the rabbit hole, but I do like the idea of a Wiki hunt! Mango Masala 18:30, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

April 22, 2019: Final Count Down
Adding interviews and reviews citations from shared drive to bibliography on AADE. Hoping not doing more harm than good! Some PDFs lack required citation information such as dates, work name, page numbers, ect. Gearing up to tweet. Wondering about summer term. Purchased Statue of Liberty tickets for summer roadtrip. Looking into adding couple of nights stay in Bar Harbor. Wishing summer VK was today! Contemplating discontinuing viewing the news, but that won't change the outcome. Running out of things to banter about on here!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 17:14, 22 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Dana, I just checked out some info on the professor for our summer course, and it looks like he's big on gamification. I wonder if we can take what we did in our last class and really turn it into a working APP even, or a series of games, for that class? Who knows! Great news on your vacation. I'm jealous. I'm also jealous of how well you have become a Wikipedia expert. You're really cleaning up the PM site lightning fast! JVbird (talk) 17:04, 23 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Yes, yes, & yes on gaming or something like that. I really want to learn to use Wordpress, I'm noticing it is used by loads. Thanks on PM, you too, made some big errors though trying to boldly create those pages, oh well! Question, can you see that class posted on your digital learning environment? I can't, but I've paid, so I know I'm in! Thanks! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:18, 23 April 2019 (UTC))
 * I don't see it yet, but it's a month away, the start date, I think? I don't think it will show on our MGA page until about 2 weeks before start? The second class I took in the fall was all about using Wordpress to create a website, I know I've said, and it's really easy to use. Just a few clicks to personalize the template and you are there. JVbird (talk) 19:33, 23 April 2019 (UTC)

April 19,2019: Thanks
Thanks to Comcast Xfinity for coming to my house to give me internet back! Thanks to for helping me export my miscellaneous item contribution from pdf to jpeg. That's all for now. Thanks. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 00:37, 20 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Comcast must have come to your house first! We just got internet and phone back a couple of hours ago, so I'm playing catch up. I THINK I have gotten the jpg issue solved, so if you need help, Dana, I will try to convert anything you need help with. Just let me know. Email me. JVbird (talk) 23:40, 20 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Great to hear you are back up! Rian tried to do one for me, but it didn't send. You can take the envelope that I had scratched off. I thought I had done it, but never did get the conversion done. I'm flying a white flag on that task because of it. I have been adding to the bibliography and did complete digitizing a review, but never have heard back from Dr. Lucas about it. Leaving it alone for now. Still hoping I've done enough! You know I'm an overachiever and it pains me to feel sidelinedFace-crying.svg Anyway, thanks for your support! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 23:51, 20 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Frustrating, the problems with converting to JPGs. You are definitely an overachiever (but in a very good way!) and you have done WAY more than I have and I usually am the one who posts first, the one who does 5 times the posts required, lol. Seriously, I'm here working most of the day trying to catch up so if there's anything I can try to convert for you, please let me know. JVbird (talk) 12:56, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

April 18, 2019: Excited About Outside Interest in PM Work
Thinking that's pretty neat that the PM project is getting outside interest. Never had heard of Norman Mailer myself before this class, but am finding his life and works interesting. Feeling like Mailer and Quentin Tarantino might have made a dark and interesting movie together. Happy long weekend for many!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 18:52, 18 April 2019 (UTC))
 * oh, my, Dana, that would be a pairing, no? I won't say that I'm motivated yet to read An American Dream, especially given what we are seeing in some of the reviews, but I might just give it a try, when I find time after all our classes are over. I think I would watch a Tarantino film, though, about the crazy goings on in the book. JVbird (talk) 22:08, 18 April 2019 (UTC)
 * I have heard of Mailer before because my mom was a fan of his books. I, like JVbird, may not be ready to read An American Dream, but I think I would not mind watching the movie. One of my favorite actresses, Janet Leigh, plays Cherry in the movie. I can't imagine how the studio made the film during the 60's as the work appears to be really dark.  I wonder if I could find the movie on Net Flix or Hulu? On a side note, Dr. Lucas posted on PM discussion page there were issues with trying to upload the pdf converter.Dillbug (talk) 22:26, 20 April 2019 (UTC)

April 17, 2019: Final Chapters & Current Feelings
Carroll's pages 236-251 point to the how to's to your research in using common digital platforms to reach intended interactors. Twitter really sounds very special & US President approved. Chapter 10 educated me on FOIA, which I learned has brought US citizens the right to request previously unreleased government agency information, within limits, since 1966. Further strengthened by former President George Bush in 2007 with his OPEN Government Act. Strengthened even further by former President Barak Obama's FOIA Improvement Act in 2014. Carroll's conclusion (p. 294) sums up technology v. law as fast v. slow, so choose battles to take to court because it may be fruitless & lengthy.

Feeling a little anxious due to the lack of official announcements this week about expectations. Assuming hearing nothing is a good thing. Hope this assumption is correct.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:44, 17 April 2019 (UTC))


 * Love your reference to Twitter being US president approved. From the looks of the project, it seems to be coming together very well. I would agree, no news for now could definitely be good news.Ssimsjones (talk) 03:45, 19 April 2019 (UTC)

April 16, 2019: Priority 2
Sandy shared clarification of the expectation of this week. I'm still a bit confused. Are we to only upload images from the misc. & reviews shared folder on the Google Drive or are we to digitize the reviews as we did with the essay as well? Either way, completed one review, if for nothing else, practice. Sadly I might miss Wikipedia after the next couple of weeks. Spent so much time with it, feels like home...LOL! Nothing much else today, I need to upload an image & finish reading my chapter.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:52, 16 April 2019 (UTC))
 * I am not sure whether or not we are supposed to only upload images either. I sent another note to Dr. Lucas to check what I have completed before I go any further, am currently awaiting on his reply. It would be just like me to miss something and not post correctly (trust me, it would not be the first time). Did you get approval to post your review and where did you post it? I would like to take a look at it to see what was done differently, if anything. I need all the help I can get.22:02, 16 April 2019 (UTC)Dillbug (talk)
 * Hay there! Yeah, I make my fair share of mistakes as well! LOL! I did not get permission, but I've just been working on it in a PM sandbox at this web address: https://projectmailer.net/pm/User:Dmcgonagill/sandbox/review. Feel free to check it out &/or edit. I did send a message to Dr. Lucas on the talk page of that sandbox, but have not received anything back yet. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 15:01, 17 April 2019 (UTC))
 * I completed my review and Dr. Lucas responded and said to fix a few minor spelling and grammar checks and it would be ready to post. I will check out yours and suggest any edits (if needed). I also, placed a pic and short blurb from the article in the review section (Don't know if I was supposed to or not, but Dr. Lucas hasn't deleted it so it may be okay???) You may look at mine at the following link: https://projectmailer.net/pm/User:Dillbug/sandbox.review. Dillbug (talk) 18:13, 17 April 2019 (UTC)
 * You did an awesome job on your review! My only suggestion is to add the picture of the review in the right corner and you should be done.Dillbug (talk) 18:23, 17 April 2019 (UTC)

April 15, 2019: Ch 9 Part I Take Aways
Gave examples and non-examples of a quality press release. Very relatable to my own professional communication as a teacher and to other professional communications I am aware of in other business spaces. Agree especially with the warning against using professional acronyms. ESL teachers are full of acronyms but when the audience is the general ed teacher, the intended message gets lost in translation with heavy use of them. Pondering more about titles. Didn't give enough emphasis to the importance of them until reading Carroll's book. Learning to remove the cute to replace with intentional key word identifiers. Reflecting on this chapter and last, creating good journalism (digital or not) models the dance of a fresh relationship; be interesting but hold back just a little so there's more to be sought after.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:22, 15 April 2019 (UTC))

April 14, 2019: In the Homestretch
Feeling good about the last couple weeks of class. Hoping I've done what I'm supposed to do! All this time spent wiki coding has me paying closer attention to other digital products. For example, shopping at Kroger grocery store using digital couponing, I notice imperfections including inconsistency in background colors from coupon heading to coupon heading. Are they using html & from what web page platform? Really would like to learn more about that, especially if it pays better than middle school teaching! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 21:35, 14 April 2019 (UTC))

April 12, 2019: Peer Reviewing
Not much to add today. Working on peer reviewing. Sorting out the proper place to post and what to say to whom. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Thankful for that! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 23:33, 12 April 2019 (UTC))

Did two informal peer reviews. Possibly intend to do more tomorrow or Sunday. Did one to JVbird on his journal and one to Namir Riptide on his Wiki User page. Not sure if I needed to declare that work or now. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 00:33, 13 April 2019 (UTC))
 * That’s perfect. If you could link them, I’d be appreciative. Thanks. —Grlucas (talk) 13:52, 13 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Certainly. One is on Smith's User page and the other on Vice Journal, April 9 entry. Thank you. ~(Dmcgonagill (talk) 14:42, 13 April 2019 (UTC))

April 11, 2019: Ch 8 Part I Take Aways (p.197-204)
The most memorable thing I took away was that, "digital journalists are...tech-savvy content producers" (p.199). I know quoting is a last resort on Wikipedia, but I had no better or other words to describe this. The second biggest thing was the focus on curiosity being the most important character trait for excellent journalism (p.202). To be honest, this chapter is a bit boring to me. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:53, 11 April 2019 (UTC))


 * Was it just me or did Chapter 8 feel repetitive? Carroll covered a lot of this information on reporting and what reporters have to do now as part of an earlier chapter. I just kept asking, why is he telling us this again? JVbird (talk) 11:13, 13 April 2019 (UTC)

April 10, 2019: Letters & More Letters
Today I finished posting and editing 5 letters. took my other six. Thanks, Sandy. As a result I had a little time to start making contributions to the all the letters posted. I only got through the first 3, after Dr. Lucas's first two and intend to do more over the next couple of days. Everyone is doing such a nice job. The areas I have noticed to clean up are adding links and adding spacing to mimic the first letter model. I think we may be inconsistent, as a group, in putting links in the body of the text vs. in the notes. My opinion is to link in the body first, then anything not linked in body but given in notes, link there as well. What does anyone else think?(Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:31, 10 April 2019 (UTC))
 * I too, tried to look at editing the letters and found most of them had already been edited by someone named Jules Carry. There may not be many we can edit or make recommendations on. However, I did not start at the beginning of the letters, I was looking at the ones posted toward the end of 1963. We all should do as much as we can to make all the letters consistent with Dr. Lucas' example and if any are found that are not, they should be corrected. I am glad I was able to help. Do you have any ideas about how you are going to conduct peer reviews? I would really appreciate your input as I am still trying to figure out a way to conduct a good quality peer review.Dillbug (talk) 00:16, 11 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Hay again, I started already with putting a start of a self-critique on yesterdays journal entry as advised on the April 8 announcement. Now, I plan on looking around at all the work we've all contributed on the view history/contributions tab. And, look at others self-critiques and dialogue in any conversation space I can find. Then, I plan on giving a little feedback on everyones journal, I guess. We could create or ask Dr. Lucas to create a new User page off the syllabus with a heading for each student and then we could just each give feedback to each other on that, and banter back and forth if we wanted to...what to do you think about either of those ideas?(Dmcgonagill (talk) 16:28, 11 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Wow. We both seem to be thinking along the same lines. My plan for today is to look at the history/contributions/ sections of everyone's essays, letters, NCM bio, and anything else I can find about a team member and use the information to develop a peer review. However, I really like the new User page idea, it would make it so much easier. What I don't understand clearly is where we are currently supposed to posting our evaluations? Do you have any idea?Dillbug (talk) 16:44, 11 April 2019 (UTC)
 * He said on the April 8 announcements to post our self one in our journal. I don't know for sure, honestly. I have only seen Josef & I reflecting so far.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 17:16, 11 April 2019 (UTC))
 * I reread the peer review training module and it says to add a new section to the peer's sandbox and title it "Peers name Peer Review" and let them know you have posted a peer review when completed in a new section of their talk page. I just completed a peer review on JVbird and this is the format I used.Looking forward to everyone's feedback!Dillbug (talk) 20:14, 11 April 2019 (UTC)
 * I just reread it too, nice catch. Do you understand it to just peer review two peers then? Thanks. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:44, 11 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Yes, I only did two peer reviews.Dillbug (talk) 00:35, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

April 9, 2019: Ch 7 / Self Critique
Blogging, blogging, and more blogging including comparisons against traditional journalist output and values plus more on fake news, sums up Carroll's chapter 7. Live blogging especially interests me, as does the evolution of value on immediacy v. reliability of fact reporting. Personally not one to use social media since my mid 20's, but may step back into modern trying Posterous, Tumblr, &/or Twitter. Recently Instagram bit me, but lost interest fast because don't want to know or have it be known of myself what is going on or being thunk about at any given second in time...

Self Critique: (Dmcgonagill (talk) 16:50, 9 April 2019 (UTC)) I'm going to start with an outline of what I've been up to as suggested on the April 8 Announcement. I began this class with little knowledge of Wikipedia except for that it was not an acceptable source to use for writing formal papers. I had zero knowledge on how to contribute to it or that that was even a thing. I felt a breakthrough when I figured out how to create my journal and have just built from there. I have challenged myself to make a personal journal entry on Monday-Friday and then on the weekend to respond to at least something that everyone has said in their journal. I have completed that most weeks. I feel like my biggest contribution in our discussion forum is the cleanup. I like to beautify the awesome information contributed by others with a more aesthetically pleasing overall appearance. In any contribution I try to stay true to the 5 pillars of Wikipedia and to the many editing guidelines provided by Carroll. I know, especially earlier on, I forgot the tildes a few times and definitely used a lot of html coding before I knew the difference and that it wasn't appropriate. I do try to give supportive and relevant responses to my fellow classmates. I know I have deleted and rearranged comments, especially on the talk page of content gap discussion that I now believe, after doing this weeks module, that I shouldn't have. I'm still sorting out the do's and don't's on that. I have edited and posted my essay, appendix III, and the first of my 12 letters. I'm going to stop here for now as I have also learned on Wiki, less can certainly be more. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:47, 9 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Great work! I, too, like to play with page design. For being ostensibly so simple, Wikipedia has many options for formatting. What would you say is the largest factor in your growth and success as a Wikipedia editor? Keep up the good work. —Grlucas (talk) 14:33, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Being bold. Making my first edits. Creating my journal. Committing to journaling every weekday. Spending lots ands lots of time. The modules are helpful, but so is using Google to search for code. Increasing code knowledge by far has dramatically expanded my options to edit. Studying models and then trying to use them is how I reinforced it. Getting positive feedback on my PM essay/Appendix III submissions gave me more confidence. Discovering 'Show Preview' accelerated my ability to make less edits with more power. I still have a lot questions though, my own personal curiosity is what has kept me growing. Thanks for your feedback and question. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:52, 12 April 2019 (UTC))

April 8, 2019: Ch 7 - Part I Take Aways (p.173-178)
First of all, my mind was blown that blog is really short for weblog. And, I didn't realize that I have set my journal up as a blog using reverse chronological order. I have always wanted to start a blog on a number of things but have never had the knowledge of how. Carroll points to wordpress as the most popular platform so when I have time I may play with that and see what I could do. We did use wordpress last class for our discussion forum so I do have an account. I'm excited to read more in this chapter. I am also anxious to hear feedback on our class collaborative effort to make the Norris Church Mailer page. BTW, what happened to the headings???(Dmcgonagill (talk) 15:50, 8 April 2019 (UTC))


 * Funny you should mention that, but I keep looking at my journal going why can't I change the order like you did. Where is that chronological order option, Dana? I looked at all the options in the toolbar, but I obviously missed it. JVbird (talk) 17:51, 9 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Oh, and if you start your blog, I'll start mine. Nothing like a little peer pressure, no? JVbird (talk) 17:54, 9 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Let's do it!!! To change the order merely cut and paste. Then, add future entries at the top. Shade.png (Dmcgonagill (talk) 18:44, 9 April 2019 (UTC))


 * And there I was looking for some button to click! lol. Too funny. You're on about the blog. I don't know that I will be able to follow Chapter 7's advice to post EVERY day, but who knows. and I have no trouble sharing or being personal. Maybe we will get those "rewards" the chapter talks about!! What's our deadline for our first post? JVbird (talk) 18:49, 9 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Wait a minute...I don't think we have to make a blog. What I understood for this week was to post on our own journal the start of a self critique and then give constructive feedback to others on theirs/receive on yours...?(Dmcgonagill (talk) 21:19, 9 April 2019 (UTC))
 * That was just for fun, not for a class assignment. Cause you know we both been planning to write a blog and now is as good as ever! JVbird (talk) 23:13, 9 April 2019 (UTC)

April 5, 2019: Appendix III Done, Letters Starting
Today I finished Appendix III, enough to post outside of my sandbox anyway, and am moving on to the twelve letters I signed up for. I'm using Señor Gutierres-Olivos letter from Dr. Lucas sandbox as a model, has anyone completed one using this model? If not, what are you using that has received good feedback? I have not done anything more with Norris page. I intend to contribute by the end of this weekend. I had read how to make an additional sandbox page in one of our modules this week but had yet to try it until today. It is not that hard, but does anyone know how to link it up to show on your user page when you go to your sandbox? Otherwise, you have to bookmark it on your device or look it up from the contributions link on your sandbox page.


 * Dana, Lucas posted a final version of the format he wants the letters in: https://projectmailer.net/pm/Norman_Mailer%E2%80%99s_Letters_on_An_American_Dream,_1963%E2%80%931969

JVbird (talk) 18:40, 5 April 2019 (UTC)
 * {reply to|JVbird}} I've begun on the letters (so far, Apr 23, 1965 - June 12, 1965) and will continue throughout the day. I've been using the first letter as the formatting template (Sept. 18, 1963, Ambassador Gutierres-Olivos). I hope (think) they are done correctly. (After our group discussion, I had only put them on my PM sandbox.) I will dive into the NCM bio this afternoon...I thought we were all on the right track with the NCM page we created, but 200 words is going to be a challenge! Mango Masala 17:14, 6 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Dana if you go up to top of the page and type in number you used for the additional sandbox in front of the /sandbox address the new sandbox will open. You can also go to Contributions to click on any new sandbox. Hope you find this helpful. Note to JVbird, thanks for the update on the letters format link. I guess I will spend the rest of the weekend reformatting!Dillbug (talk) 22:23, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

April 4, 2019: Editing Appendix III
I have learned a lot about editing via editing Appendix III from the letters folder on our shared Google Drive. Whomever chose the other one, Dr. Lucas sent me this as an example, Timeline of historical geopolitical changes, and it was very helpful to work from. I have not started a letter yet, but that is my next goal. Hope everyone else is doing well. Here in Memphis it has been raining ALL DAY!!!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:29, 4 April 2019 (UTC))

April 3, 2019: Ch 6 - Part II (p.162-168) Take Aways
Ethics in the digital environment is a beast of burden not unilaterally observed, per Carroll’s discussion. Contributors should not confuse ethical contributions with doing the right thing as that can lead to unreliable reporting. Contributors lacking ethics are not punishable by much other than shame and loss of credibility. Many online contributors are using Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics (SPJ’s for short) that is based on 4 pillars: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable (p.163). Fake news has swamped the digital environment by mimicking real news look and feel. Can the interactor drain the swamp enough to bring facts to the surface? &/or can the contributor choose ethical coverage over popular attraction of larger audiences of interactors? Carroll suggests on p.168 that prioritizing good ethics has never been a more crucial decision.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 16:03, 3 April 2019 (UTC))

April 2, 2019: Editing Appendix III for PM
Post & edit Letters work in progress here or create new page in PM sandbox and work there? (Dmcgonagill (talk) 11:46, 2 April 2019 (UTC))
 * Yeah, I'd move this to a sandbox on PM to work on it. Again, no copyrighted materials should go on Wikipedia. —Grlucas (talk) 12:46, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Done. Thanks. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:59, 2 April 2019 (UTC))

April 2, 2019: Ch 6 - Part I (p.149-162) Take Aways
I only had time for half today but fresh in my mind, I want to reflect. Identifying an audience is stressed to keep a site interacted with by interactors. Same questions about audience need to be addressed by online writers as for writers on paper - Who are they? What do they need? What is their mission? Information architecture and style guides were discussed. I thought that was particularly pertinent to our current class collaboration on Project Mailer. Carroll even references Wikipeida directly, p. 154, as a dynamic environment with near unlimited potential for providing wide spanning information with its design of interlocking links. That's the architecture piece, related to how we're deciding how to either have individual pages for letters or subpages, etc. And the style guide concerns like creating consistent headings and page designs. On p. 160-161, Carroll reminds me of the importance of using consistent style with usage categories for those such as numbers, addresses, and ages. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:59, 2 April 2019 (UTC))

April 1, 2019: Weekly Module Take-Aways
I quit! J/K, happy April Fool's! Today I learned some new things. First, I did not realize the ease of using visual editing instead of source editing because I had never used it until our module this week called for using it to create a reference page. Who knew you didn't have to do the coding!!! This is how I felt... Second, I think I feel more clarity on creating and using the reference section and in-line citations. Third, I used the article finder tool accessed from here, article finder tool. I chose a start-class rated article about volleyball, which is a topic of interest and investment for me since I play and coach. Are we supposed to choose an article of interest outside of Project Mailer or focus only on Project Mailer related articles? And, are we supposed to choose a 'Review' piece and a 'letter' from the Google Drive, get permission to use, like we did for the essay, and then digitize and edit those? I did take extra time reviewing syllabus and links today so as not to ask a dense question. For me, I do find more clarity each time I read the syllabus, but as you say in the syllabus, don't get confused by the links aside from PM, wikiedu, and the syllabus but it is challenging. Are the modules done soley by wikiedu? So they are not related to what you are asking us to do on your syllabus? I think that is a disconnect for me because wikiedu is calling for us to pick 3 articles to edit that are a personal topic of interest choice, but that request is not on the syllabus as I understand it. I'm not against working hard and with a professional mindset, but I am finding it muddy as to the expectation as I just described. Your note today on the syllabus was very helpful as to current expected work done. Thanks. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 23:12, 1 April 2019 (UTC))


 * I find the visual editor does not give me as much control over my posts, so use them both. You are only required to work on PM for my class, but I hope you will continue to work on Wikipedia. I'm happy to consider any additional edits on Wikipedia as extra credit. Correct: some of the training on WikiEdu is not directly applicable to what you are doing on PM. I'm sorry for the confusion. I'll make that clearer in future syllabi. It's always a challenge... Keep up the good work. —Grlucas (talk) 11:07, 2 April 2019 (UTC)


 * I'm so glad you asked those questions, Dana. I went through the wiki training on citations yesterday and that was indeed confusing, the reference to the 3 articles to work on and find sources for. This really helps to clarify expectations! JVbird (talk) 11:58, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

March 29, 2019: Editing PM Essay Selection
I have spent several hours editing my essay. I chose it based on what I thought would be an easy author to seek permission from, which it was, but I didn't think about how much editing is involved in a piece with a variety of text structure like poetry included. I would appreciate if you could take a look over what I've done with the essay in my Project Mailer sandbox and give me some feedback when you can. And, I'm not sure what to use for the  when I'm referencing the letters from your Google Drive to add to the Norris Mailer page. If I don't put one in, I get an error and if I use the one from your Google Drive I get an error (I realize the latter is probably because it's private). Please advise. Thanks! (Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:12, 29 March 2019 (UTC))
 * Send me the URL for your essay, or link it on my talk page on PM. OK, you should not be using the letters for NCM (these are for AAD Letters), but the NCM directory of articles. None of these are available online (to my knowledge), so do not use a URL in the citation. —Grlucas (talk) 20:00, 29 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Linked my PM Sandbox to the PM talk page under discussion heading.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 12:46, 30 March 2019 (UTC))

March 28, 2019: Editing Norris Church Mailer
I missed a day on this journal, but the time I didn't spend writing here was well spent writing on my chosen article for the course project. Today I spent a lot of time looking at and editing the Norris Church Mailer page by adding sources from the Google Drive and a couple corresponding facts. After time spent, it was nerdy fun to seek new information that hadn't been added and then find a place to add it. Can anyone remind me why we use < /sup >? Is it necessary? Looking at the editing area it looked like both worked, but I ran out of time for today to do some tries both ways. After this entry, I'm going to work a little more on my course project essay editing and then we'll see what comes tomorrow. Wiki work is very time consuming and frustrating, but also a little addictive like trying to win a video game or something like that.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 19:19, 28 March 2019 (UTC))
 * No, there is no reason to use  as the wiki does this for you for references. Just preview and see! —Grlucas (talk) 21:06, 28 March 2019 (UTC)


 * Dana, I hope I didn't mess up your citations on the page. I tried to use the instructions for those shortened notes but two of them are just not showing up right and I can't for the life of me figure it out. JVbird (talk) 20:17, 31 March 2019 (UTC)


 * No worries friend! I haven't gotten a chance to look around today, but I will. Nice work cleaning up/adding though!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 15:51, 1 April 2019 (UTC))

March 26, 2019: Chapter 5 Take-Aways
From Carroll's Writing & Editing for Digital Media, Chapter 5, the idea of readability/scan-ability most excites me. Tools to asses and code to create that are paramount. Quicktools.com (p.134) offers visibility assessment of a variety of interface designs including phones, tablets, & laptops. Web-based resources for learning HTML/XHTML code are listed on p.145. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 18:54, 26 March 2019 (UTC))

March 25, 2019: Declaring Article Choice
Hi friends. I chose the Hollins Critic article. I received permission and am now working on posting it. Dr. Lucas suggested posting it to my PM sandbox first to allow for personal and peer/instructor review to make it better before actually posting it to the project. My personal goal is to try and post at least every weekday - Monday. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:08, 25 March 2019 (UTC))
 * Awesome! —Grlucas (talk) 12:01, 27 March 2019 (UTC)
 * So happy to hear you were able to get permission. It took me several days to complete my edits even though they were only formatting issues. I finally finished editing my article yesterday but sadly, on the wrong sandbox. I am currently awaiting a reply from Dr. Lucas on how to move my article to the correct sandbox. Thanks for the update on Chapter 5. I am going to read it tonight and really appreciate the heads up on pertinent information.Dillbug (talk) 22:39, 27 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the encouragement! So, all we need to do to that article is paste it into our sandbox and make sure formatting looks good? I'm still unclear...I can help you on your question though, I posted my bio into the wrong spot and all I had to do was copy paste it into the right spot and delete it out of the spot I didn't want it. I would copy paste it into a Word document for backup first though!(Dmcgonagill (talk))
 * Thanks for the encouragement! So, all we need to do to that article is paste it into our sandbox and make sure formatting looks good? I'm still unclear...I can help you on your question though, I posted my bio into the wrong spot and all I had to do was copy paste it into the right spot and delete it out of the spot I didn't want it. I would copy paste it into a Word document for backup first though!(Dmcgonagill (talk))

March 16: Evaluating Norris Church Mailer Entry
Uncertain on exactly how to evaluate this entry, I begin with a first read. Impressed with the concise writing and the very interesting story of the woman, I read again. Curious about writing the dates in the format chosen. In birth, it is written month, day, year but in death it is written day, month, year. Maybe that's a thing. Assuming the two birthdays refer to birth on Earth and rebirth as the new woman? Desire to see an info box with photograph of the woman and basic information. Found my answer to the births, that was her life to death, unclear to me on first couple reads. Wanting to read more about the Bill Clinton fling. Clicked on the links in bibliography and see a picture, she looks a lot younger than Norman Mailer. If allowed, the picture from the Berger story of her and he would look good in her info box.(Dmcgonagill (talk) 23:01, 16 March 2019 (UTC))
 * I agree, I was also very impressed with the interesting life she had. Her memoir information immediately caught my attention. I was so focused on the order of how everything was written that I didn't catch the birth and death year formats. Great catch.Ssimsjones (talk) 04:43, 17 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Dana, I didn't even notice those issues. Good eye. I think you're right about wanting more overall. If she is a relevant writer, for example, I'd like to know more about that. It felt like the whole entry was about Norman Mailer, or Norris as defined by her life with Normal Mailer, rather than Norris Church Mailer herself. JVbird (talk) 14:45, 17 March 2019 (UTC) talk

March 15, 2019: Chapters 3 & 4 Reflection
As for working on Wikipedia, sometimes I think I have it, and then sometimes I don't. I wish our book was more focused on Wikipedia since we are using that as our main platform. I feel pretty comfortable writing, but not so much with Wikipedia. Personally I would have more fun in person, in real time collaborating peer to peer &/or instructor to peer, but, I have two kids, a husband, and a full-time gig, so that ain't going to happen! As for chapter 3, 'Tools and Techniques', I can relate to the topic. I recently wrote and published a blog like short travel piece about a recent roadtrip my family and I made. I sent in my writing, pictures, and a headline (that I thought was amazing!) and could not believe how wonderful they put it together. It looked super professional and the editor and art guy worked together to create these things I read about in chapter three. First, they pulled out my one line hook sentence and made it a pull quote or teaser as I have now learned it to be called on p. 65. Then they layered my writing by separating my paragraphs with catchy subheads to make it more readable as I learned more about on pgs. 76 & 77. And finally opened it with my cool title big, bold, and welcoming instead of one of the pictures I sent. I was surprised at that, but now I know that was because catchy headlines draw the eye in more than a photo per bullet two on p. 85. I am book marking p. 85 because the 'What research tells us interactors do' is a helpful summary of best practices to make an online text sellable. and I am interested in that. As for chapter 4, I would like to do chapter activity number 3. I choose the website CNN (don't judge me please-or do it's cool). I think the voice is effective for the position the cite holds. The tone is a bit on the dramatic side. I think the message would be heard by more if that was changed. The features that promote use of the cite are mainly in accessibility. The call letters of CNN are known by haters and lovers alike. Once there, there are options for all learners. A viewer can listen, watch, or read. The cite has an even more simplified version called CNN10 for teens. Further they offer a wide variety of languages to translate into and allow for captions to be turned on. The cite is visually stimulating, perhaps too much so. At times, I am overwhelmed by the videos, pictures, and picture galleries. Navigation of the cite is simple. I have never found myself lost or confused. The only complaint is that a few links force the viewer to watch a video, so they can't just skim read through an article. Although advertisements are all over, they don't 'force' entry like other cites and they are mainly localized to the top and bottom of the page rather than in the core content.


 * @Dmcgonagill. Dana, Your blog sounds amazing. Where did you travel to? I keep threatening to go ahead and start my food blog but it is a really saturated market. Everyone has a food blog and it's hard to draw viewers your way, but I'd love to see what you and the folks you worked with turned out. It really sounds great. I think you're spot on about CNN.com. It's a really easy to navigate site, a lot less busy than the site I reviewed, Vanityfair.com. I like CNN's navigation toolbar because it makes it very clear how to access the kind of information that a reader wants to find. I will admit, though, that I still like NPR.org's format just slightly better. It motivates the reader to take it slow and easy, explore topics, read lengthy and detailed reports, and link out to connected content. They seem to also really know their audience. JVbird (talk) 00:34, 16 March 2019 (UTC) JVbird


 * I haven't gotten to check your post out and respond yet, but I will tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the link to my Chattanooga/Atlanta/Stone Mountain trip, https://memphisparent.com/features/hitting-the-road/. It's easy to share this way, but it looks so much better in print! That would be a good topic of discussion, print v. online publications of same stuff from same publisher. I agree with you on the saturation, but Josef, you never know, you could be that foodie that an untapped group is waiting for and I agree on NPR, & I like BBC too. (Dmcgonagill (talk) 00:51, 16 March 2019 (UTC))


 * Hi Dana, Nice to be in class with you. My name is Sandy. I am so glad someone else is struggling besides me. Now I do not feel so alone. Like you, I wish we were in a class together as well. I am impressed with your being able to start your first blog! Congrats! I also wanted to view your blog. Thanks for giving the information on how to review your blog to JVBird. Did you pay someone to help develop your blog? This is all new territory for me and I am trying to learn as much as I can. Keep posting!Dillbug (talk) 16:22, 16 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Hay! I wish I had a true blog but sadly I have only published a short blog-like travel piece for a magazine aimed at parents in Memphis, TN. I am hoping this graduate certificate will guide me in that direction!(Dmcgonagill (talk) 22:39, 16 March 2019 (UTC))

March 8, 2019: Page 25 Chapter Activities
Draft 1 A Rainy Day in Lead Hill, Arkansas It is spring break and the kids and I are traveling to my brother’s wife’s parent’s cabin. The hope was for warm temperatures and sunshine, but the reality is cold and rainy. Lead Hill, Arkansas, cabin, vacation, getaway

It was Spring Break, March 2019. The kids and I wanted to get out of town for a day or two and so did my brother and his family. So, we decided to see if we could go to the cabin owned by Doug, my brother’s wife’s father. This cabin is about a five-hour drive from Memphis, TN where we all live. We had hoped that the weather would be nice so the children could run around and explore the outdoors while the parents and other adults could relax and sip on adult beverages as desired. To our dismay, the weather turned out rainy and cold. We couldn’t even have a fire and we certainly could not relax. The children chased each other around inside and we adults bit our nails and bided our time until it was time to go. Actually, we cut the trip short, as least my two kids and me. The ride home was a long five-hour trek back, but we made it fun with the good old DVD player in our Odyssey and a long stop at McDonalds. When we got back it was almost like we had taken the real vacation then.

Draft 2 Spring Break Vacation, March 2019 Four kids and six adults vacation in Lead Hill, Arkansas; a lot of driving, a lot of rain, a lot of chaos, not a lot of fun. Lead Hill, Arkansas, cabin, vacation, getaway, spring break

Day one, Departing from Memphis, TN we drive five hours to Lead Hill, Arkansas seeking outdoor adventure and fun at Uncle Doug’s cabin. Our arrival to frigid temperatures and heavy rain shatters any hope of exploring anything but the inside of the small cabin. Filled with six adults and four children under the age of ten with no toys and not enough adult beverages, plans change. Day two, departing from Lead Hill, Arkansas we drive five hours home to Memphis, TN stopping for a long break at McDonald’s for lunch and play, the highlight of our trip. Day three, still cold, still wet, but back home with all our valued things, the real vacation begins.


 * Hey, Dana. I like your revision/edit. I know from working with you that you are really excellent at trimming and revising what with all our collaborative projects. And I know you know I have a hard time trimming my long, winding roads that I call sentences. I really hope this practice will keep forcing me to keep it clear, simple, and to the point, but it's not easy, is it! I always tell my students to use Paramedic Revision to get rid of the fat. Do you use that with your students? I tell them, but I have a hard time doing it myself, and it's probably plain and simple ol' ego there, right? Just keep reminding me to keep it simple!  JVbird (talk) 20:10, 9 March 2019 (UTC)

March 7, 2019: Adding Subpage
Not a simple task for a user with little to no experience using Wikipedia. The following two web addresses provided guidance: https://grlucas.net/grl/Journal_Requirement and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:User_pages#Creating_a_subpage.