Unit 1 Blog

Unit 1 Blog 

       Unit 1 has taught me various skills and tips about writing professionally on a web-based platform.  For instance, I had no idea that people tend to skim the left-hand side of an article to find information that interests them before deciding to read a certain portion of the article they are viewing.  I believe this information is beneficial to keep a note of because you want your article to be as eye catching and appeasing to the reader as possible.  Another tip I learned in this unit is that you never want to center your text on a web-based platform instead, always left align it or justify it because it will read better on this particular platform. 

One thing in particular that I learned within Unit 1 is to dissect the use of memes in our culture.  We are in an age where memes are a prominent source of communication whether we realize it or not.  Because of this, it is useful to weigh the pros and cons of the effectiveness, usefulness, and inclusivity of memes.  For instance, there can be some memes that are highly specific to a hobby, show, or interest that a group shares that strengthens the bond between its members.  However, these types of memes can feel exclusive to those outside of the in-group.  For example, Pitt-Johnstown memes may strengthen a sense of unity between UPJ students however, students from other universities will miss out on understanding these memes.  Fortunately, there can also be more general memes that are relatable to a broader audience of people.  For example, Kermit the Frog memes. 

I never realized how many nitty gritty organizational details went into writing a blog post prior to taking this class.  For instance, if you are writing a listicle you have to take into consideration aspects of it such as: 

• What order are your listed items going to be in? 
• Are you taking a more opinionated approach or factual? 
• If you are taking an opinionated approach, how are you going to mention that in your article and where?  (Usually in the introduction) 
• You need to have a catchy title to draw readers in 

• Is your listicle going to be text heavy per item or are you going to rely on more visuals? 
• What kind of images, gifs, and memes are appropriate and tailored to your topic? 
• Who is your audience? 
• Why are you writing about this particular topic/what does it mean to you? 
• Is your listicle beneficial or engaging to the reader? 

Formatting is also a crucial part of what makes your blog or listicle worth reading.  No one wants to read a blog post that is disorderly, chaotic, bare, or bland.  You want to play around with text so that your page looks more lively and vivid rather than a research paper you wrote at 3 a.m. with a can of Red Bull by your side.  Another aspect of formatting that can be worked with is use of colors.  If used efficiently and consistently, colors can be used to color code, or organize your blog entry as well as highlighting important information that you want your reader to pay attention to.   

Unit one has taught me how to pay close attention to minute details that make a page come together such as the use of memes, organizational details, and formatting.  The functional use of memes can decorate a page, serve as a break in text, and serve as a fresh form of communicating your message to your reader.  Organization, on the other hand, ensures that your reader an accurately find information they are looking for with ease. Finally, formatting brings a page to life so that it looks less like a research paper and more like an enticing article that people want to become engaged in.