Ah! Class is over (tear). This class was my favorite class this semester. Not only was it the most fun, I learned a lot. From my first discussion post about myself, you knew that I wasn’t an expert writer. However, I now feel confident in my writing skills. The different exercises and projects we did were new to me. When I first signed up for this class, I thought it was just going to be writing papers and hoping the teacher grades nice. That wasn’t the case for this class. Everything was beneficial. I did very well in this class because I actually enjoyed doing the work. Yes that is very surprising but true. There is however some assignments in which I would like to revise. For example, the first module wasn’t my best work. It was early in the semester and I didn’t really have a knack for writing. I believe that if I could use the skills that I have developed through the course, I could redo this module and improve my grade significantly. Other than that, this class really helped me and I believe that my future in writing is very bright.
The blog was a great addition to the class. It benefited the students as well as me. If I was stuck on an assignment, I would go to our mother blog page and look at one of my fellow classmate’s blog to get an idea on what we have to accomplish. In some cases, it really saved my butt. I have never had a blog before this one, but I doubt that this blog will ever be used again. The reason for this is that I like to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself that is just the kind of person I am. I really appreciate the idea of the blog, but it is not for me. Maybe someday I will miss it and come back and post one long final farewell blog. But for now, this is my very sad goodbye.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Microserfs Reading Response
Waseem Makki
Microserfs Reading Response
Microserfs Reading Response
2) What do you think Coupland is saying when he includes random information, random keyboard hits and snatches of gossip amongst the journal and e-mails?
Coupland’s journal is a very interesting piece of work. It includes a binary code, pages filled with a single word, some dialogue, and random information. I found his journal actually funny. The reason for Coupland’s randomness is just to express what comes to his mind (Coupland 45). The random information can mean many things. But I think Coupland is just trying to tell us that he is a complex person with a lot of emotions. On page 46 of his journal, he types random words and numbers that make no sense. He probably just wrote down the events of his day in single words. Words like CNN, oatmeal, laxatives, airbags, and birth are all included on that paid but I don’t think they have any connections. If this was a literary book, then it is a failure. But as a journal, one has every right to express and write everything that comes to mind. If I had a journal, I would include things that nobody would ever figure out, just like Coupland’s journal. Coupland is a very strange man in my opinion, but that probably because he is a computer nerd (no offense to anyone). I didn’t understand his most of his journal because he used a lot of computer terminology that confused me and probably most of the people who read it. Coupland wants us to think about the words that come to our thoughts. He wants us to be in his place and witness or feel what he feels during his work at Microsoft.
3) Why do you think Coupland's characters speak in computer jargon, and use technical expressions to describe their lives and environment? How does this compare to your experiences of the workplace and home? What effect does this way of speaking have on others?
Simply put, the characters in Coupland’s “Microserfs” are computer whizzes. They way they talk to each other are different than how normal people talk to each other. In “Microserfs,” the characters use computer terminology to describe their lives in their workplace and environment. Coupland describes himself in a sentence that is gibberish to me. “My brain is built of paths and slides and ladders and lasers and I have invite all of you to enter its pavilion” (Coupland 184). Huh? Can someone tell me what Coupland is trying to say? After reading that sentence I thought this guy is a little on the crazy side. But I guess that is how people in the computer work place talk and that is perfectly fine with me. However, I find it very different than my life. I don’t use special terminology to communicate with my friends. If I’m not mistaken, I talk normal English. The way Coupland’s characters speak can have some effect on others that are listening. It could have the same effect it had on me. I was puzzled. I wouldn’t understand what they are trying to say and that would make me feel weird. If I heard someone talk like that, I would probably laugh so hard on the inside. It is funny to me that people would communicate like that. But, who am I to judge other people that I don’t really know. In all, Coupland’s characters are indeed unique to me and probably unique to others as well.
5) Karla says, "computers will continue to be developed . . . an 'entity is going to be created that has its own intelligence." What is Karla saying about artificial intelligence (AI)? What are your perspectives on AI?
According to a website named, “An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Intelligence,” the definition of artificial intelligence (AI) is “the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent.” Karla thinks that “an ‘entity’ will be created that has its own intelligence” (Coupland 34). Well we are very close to that. Karla is saying that soon computers or other technological advances will have minds of their own from the intelligence that they are portraying. She says that cross-breeding life-mimicking programs will create intelligence (Coupland 34). She thinks that if we keep advancing computers, someday there will be a machine that has its own kind of intelligence. Her statement might have some sense to some people, but not me. How can someone say that computers will have minds of their own? That is ridiculous. Creations cannot be as intelligent as the creator. Computers are great advances in our lives and there are a lot of things that are hard to do without them. Computers make things easier, but they are not humanly intelligent. Computers will never control the human operating it. Nowhere in the future do I see a computer telling a human to turn it on or it would not work anymore. That is my take on artificial intelligence. I think that computers are only as smart as the company that brought them to life. Dan makes the most sense when he says that if we want to duplicate computers we would only be duplicating the human mind (Coupland 34).
Works Cited
Coupland, Douglas. Microserfs. New York, MI: ReganBooks, 1996. 1-371.
"An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Intelligence." Think Quest. 21 June 1997. 14 Dec. 2008.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Screen Capture from Week 1
After I took the screenshot and looked at it, I noticed a lot of things. I didn’t realize how many tabs and files I had open until I seen the screenshot. Composing changes shape in digital spaces in many ways. Composing on the computer rather than working by hand can either benefit you or hurt you. As you see in my screenshot, two pop-ups showed up during the middle of my work and distracted me. This wouldn’t happen if I was to work by hand. However, composing allows you to multi-task when doing your research. It is a gift to be able to research from an internet tab and switch back to your working document in less than a second. On the other hand, composing without technology can be very difficult. Finding research in magazines, newspapers, or magazines can be very difficult and time consuming. Research on the computer is quick and easy. Some people are not very compatible with digital composing processes. However, there is a solution to everything. One can better understand these processes by simply practicing. Instead of sitting down and watching television like a lazy person, get on the computer and explore your computer. Look at all the different files and programs that exist, since there are hundreds. Also, observe the internet. Use search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and AltaVista to find research about something you would like to know about. Learning to compose digitally can be a very easy task. As they say, practice makes perfect.
Monday, November 17, 2008
250 words- changes I made to the rough draft
Changes, additions and subtractions are what I did to my rough draft. Sounds like a math problem, but it’s not. My rough draft was very simple and not very good. To fix it up, I added many examples that support my summaries. The summaries themselves of my rough draft were not very good, so I had to fix those up too. I added more important information in each paragraph and made sure that the main points of my articles were pointed out. I made a change in the thesis sentence of my introduction. The reason for this was because I did not feel comfortable with how the sentence was written. I changed it from “In the three articles I picked out, the thing they all have in common is that they give us strategies on how to operate a business” to “The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.” This way, the thesis better points out what I will include in my paper. Also, my rough draft did not include a conclusion. I wasn’t sure what I should write for my conclusion exactly to that is why I left it out. In my final draft, I added a well written and thought out conclusion that wraps up and summarizes the thesis of my paper. In all, I believe that the changes I made to my rough draft were essential in turning this paper from garbage to gold.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Module 3 Final Draft
Business Strategy: The Key to Success
A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. I thought that having money to open up businesses was the only thing needed to bring your business to the top. Well, I thought wrong. The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.
The first article I read was called, “Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton. This article talks about how a business can come from nowhere and emerge into a household name. In order for this to happen, a business should use a breakout strategy. A breakout strategy is a strategy that gives companies recognition by using an unexpected and smart approach to bring in costumers. Some key factors of this strategy are: understanding what customers want, developing new and useful products and services, combining good prices with good quality, and coming through with what you promise the customer. Some examples of businesses that used this breakout strategy are Wal-Mart and Netflix. Wal-Mart was a small business that flourished with the advertising of its low pricing that satisfies all customers. Netflix came up with a new idea of an online DVD rental agency. Customers loved this new idea because they can have their favorite movies delivered right to their door. I learned a lot from this article. You cannot have a popular business with just selling normal things at normal prices. You have to do something different to impress the customers.
A breakout strategy works in a big market, but how can a business be successful in an underserved market? In his article, “Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets,” John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” To explain one of the strategies, Weiser says that a business has to adapt to customer needs. A customer will most likely prefer a business that has single-packaged products for low prices than a whole package for a higher price. For example, a business that sells cups of coffee for a low price will have more success than a business that sells a case of unmade coffee. More customers will come in, and more profit will be made. From this article, I learned that in an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Once a store gets running, the main goal of the owner is to maximize profits. As Ram Herstein explains in his article, “Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles,” the strategy of selling store brand items can increase the profits of a store. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” If a business puts a store brand shirt next to a Nike shirt on the shelf, according to Herstein, the person would more likely choose the store brand shirt because it provides the same style at a cheaper rate. By reading this article, I have learned that although store brand products aren’t as recognized as national brand products, they will sell better because they cost less.
Starting up a business is extremely hard and may need more work than you might think. Having money, buying a lot, and building a store are not the only things needed to run a business. The most important thing is having good business strategies. There is no point of opening up a business if you don’t have a clue on how to run it. Before you run to open up a business, think hard about how you can make it work.
Works Cited
Herstein, Ram, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. I thought that having money to open up businesses was the only thing needed to bring your business to the top. Well, I thought wrong. The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.
The first article I read was called, “Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton. This article talks about how a business can come from nowhere and emerge into a household name. In order for this to happen, a business should use a breakout strategy. A breakout strategy is a strategy that gives companies recognition by using an unexpected and smart approach to bring in costumers. Some key factors of this strategy are: understanding what customers want, developing new and useful products and services, combining good prices with good quality, and coming through with what you promise the customer. Some examples of businesses that used this breakout strategy are Wal-Mart and Netflix. Wal-Mart was a small business that flourished with the advertising of its low pricing that satisfies all customers. Netflix came up with a new idea of an online DVD rental agency. Customers loved this new idea because they can have their favorite movies delivered right to their door. I learned a lot from this article. You cannot have a popular business with just selling normal things at normal prices. You have to do something different to impress the customers.
A breakout strategy works in a big market, but how can a business be successful in an underserved market? In his article, “Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets,” John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” To explain one of the strategies, Weiser says that a business has to adapt to customer needs. A customer will most likely prefer a business that has single-packaged products for low prices than a whole package for a higher price. For example, a business that sells cups of coffee for a low price will have more success than a business that sells a case of unmade coffee. More customers will come in, and more profit will be made. From this article, I learned that in an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Once a store gets running, the main goal of the owner is to maximize profits. As Ram Herstein explains in his article, “Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles,” the strategy of selling store brand items can increase the profits of a store. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” If a business puts a store brand shirt next to a Nike shirt on the shelf, according to Herstein, the person would more likely choose the store brand shirt because it provides the same style at a cheaper rate. By reading this article, I have learned that although store brand products aren’t as recognized as national brand products, they will sell better because they cost less.
Starting up a business is extremely hard and may need more work than you might think. Having money, buying a lot, and building a store are not the only things needed to run a business. The most important thing is having good business strategies. There is no point of opening up a business if you don’t have a clue on how to run it. Before you run to open up a business, think hard about how you can make it work.
Works Cited
Herstein, Ram, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Module 3 very Rough Draft
Introduction- A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. In the three articles I picked out, the thing they all have in common is that they give us strategies on how to operate a business.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 1-“Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton talks about a newly starting business can emerge into a popular and highly successful business. One of the first strategies of having a successful business is creating something new that meets the needs and wants of a consumer. The article also gave examples of businesses that emerged using a breakout strategy. On business was Netflix which is an online DVD rental site. They came up with something new and extremely useful and the business is succeeding.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 2-“Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets” by John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” In an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Ram Herstein, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 3-“Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles” by Ram Herstein is about putting store brand items in a store can increase profits. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” The emergence of store brand items will satisfy the costumer and the business.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 1-“Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton talks about a newly starting business can emerge into a popular and highly successful business. One of the first strategies of having a successful business is creating something new that meets the needs and wants of a consumer. The article also gave examples of businesses that emerged using a breakout strategy. On business was Netflix which is an online DVD rental site. They came up with something new and extremely useful and the business is succeeding.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 2-“Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets” by John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” In an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Ram Herstein, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 3-“Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles” by Ram Herstein is about putting store brand items in a store can increase profits. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” The emergence of store brand items will satisfy the costumer and the business.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Module 2 Response- Article V
MySpace is a social networking website that allows people to connect with friends. MySpace users have the ability to describe themselves by giving their name, age, gender, relationship status, and more. A MySpace user can enter their information in the different sections that are provided in the website such as, the “About Me” section, “Interests” section, “Favorites” section, and more. A person that is engaged in a relationship has the capability of mentioning their significant other in their profile. In the article, “Gender Differences in ‘Social Portraits’ Reflected in MySpace Profiles,” a study was completed to determine whether a female or a male mentions their significant other more in their social profile. In this article, the experimental group consisted of people that were engaged in a relationship. The study consisted of 51 female and 49 male. According to the article, “males were less apt to mention their significant other in the “About Me” section: 43% mentioned their significant other 0 times compared to 16% of females.” Although the experimental group was not all that big, there is some sort of accuracy in the results of this experiment. It showed that men are less likely to mention their significant other in their profile than women are. There was no significant difference in the number of opposite-sex friends that each gender had. The main difference between the two genders was the number of time the significant other was mentioned. The face that the female mentions her significant other more than the male mentions his significant other says a lot. The article states, “Males tend to enter into relationships while still maintaining their sense of individuality and uniqueness. The relationship is simply an addition to their preexisting complete selves.” This means that the male’s life or social status does not revolve around his significant other. On the other hand, females are the ones who feel that they should be the ones who are the sweethearts in a relationship. By this I mean that women show more emotion than men do. Also, “women’s identity may still be largely determined by the men in their lives, given their greater propensity for including their significant other in their presentation of self.” This is the reason that women acknowledge their significant other in public more than men do.
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