jacobs

• The topic:
• Why was it a good choice?
• I believed that this was a good choice for a history class.  I can see that it helped me critically analyze race and racism in film.  It connected two of my passions; history and film.  I was able to explore both thoroughly.  I was pleased with the information I was able to extract from the films.
• Why was it a problematic choice?
• Although the project was fun and informative, it was difficult to watch some of the films.  Pearl Harbor was probably the worst film I have ever watched.  Viewing a non-historical film that pretends to have historical connotations is extremely difficult.  I was disappointed in the topic of film I chose.  I think the project would have been completed more easily if I chose a topic like Vietnam.  Not only were the films lacking of contextual information, but the ability to get films was also difficult.  I wanted to get a Japanese film to show a contrast of events, but the closest I could do was a joint film by the United State and Japan.
• Would you choose to do it over again, or change it somehow, and why?
• I would keep the topic of racism in film but I would tweak other aspects of the project.  I was excited to make a compass to visually show racism so I would keep that aspect.  The Pearl Harbor aspect I would change as stated above.  Before I chose Pearl Harbor, I should have looked at the availability of the films, rather than just searching if there were Pearl Harbor films.  This is a mistake I will not make again.  I liked the idea of presenting historical information by means of the internet.  While searching the internet for other history classes, it is difficult to find relevant websites that are credible.
• The new media:
• How did you approach this project differently than you would have approached a term paper?
• This is where I think I differed from most of the projects presented in class.  I feel I attempted to present the information in a form similar to a term paper.  The internet is less formal compared to a term paper, but you can do much more things with it.  As for whether I would have worked, researched or written a term paper differently, I probably would have spent more time on the actually writing if it was a term paper instead of a website.  The website almost allows designers to think about the design and function over material.  You want to present the information in the best possible manner; however the best manner may be in the form of written documents.  This is why I used the flash inserts to show full documents.  This makes it closer to the term paper and further from a website because the audience doesn’t have to read off of a colored screen.  They can view it on a sheet of paper.
• What were the benefits and drawbacks of working in digital media?
• There are many benefits and many drawbacks regarding working with digital media.  Starting with the benefits: there are an unlimited number of styles one can create.  No one is handing in the same project (stack of papers = term paper).  It is always accessible as long as the host is still present.  Someone can loss a term paper or forget to hand it in.  In addition, I was able to send a link to my family and they were able to quickly view through the website being entertained.  I know reading term papers are not as entertaining or enjoyable as viewing a website.  I also feel once you get the basics down of web design it is faster to produce a product because you don’t run into the same problems.  Along with the benefits there are also numerous downsides.  It is difficult to get acceptance for a website.  It is difficult to make an amateur website look professional without much knowledge, but one can make an amateur writing assignment look professional.  The accessibility is limited to those with the internet, although this downsize is drastically decreasing as time progresses further into the technological age.  There are also compatibility problems with everyone having different sized computer screens.  I found it difficult to view my site on a few of my friends laptops because they have wide screen.
• The technology:
• What did you have to figure out how to do?
• I learned much when doing this project.  I learned that instead of jumping head first into a topic it may be a better idea to test the water before you are fully committed.  I learned how to use Dreamweaver better than the introduction I had in high school.  I used new technology that I had new used before when I converted words documents into Flash.  I also posted a usable website that I visually appealing.  I also learned after I published the website that I want to destroy it and start all over again.  I would rather redesign the website.  I feel more professional website have everything focused in on the center of the page, rather than having toolbars and grids.
• What tools did you use, and how were they (in)sufficient for your needs?
• I used Dreamweaver, Flash, word, firefox, Photoshop; basically anything that someone has to use to manufacture a written document and change it to flash so it can be place on the internet.  These were sufficient for my desires regarding this project.  If this were going to be a profession, I would apt to get more updated models of the programs because I noticed that Photoshop was not the most up-to-date.
• What constraints were placed on you by the technology?
• I was forced to stay at school to do the project.  I do have most of the programs on my laptop, but I don’t have Dreamweaver.  That was the only constraint that was placed on me by technology.
• The project:
• How does the end version of your project compare with your intentions?
• This looked much different than what I expected.  I was expecting something more interactive.  The end project is pretty cut and dry.  Compared to my first visions I am not happy with the end project.  I wish I would have been able to implement some kind of moving graph or 3D graph.  I would have also liked to design new covers for the films because it makes the website look tacky if they have movie boxes.
• What would your ideal version of this project be?
• My ideal website would be fully interactive.  It would allow uses to seamlessly travel from one page to the other with no hang-ups.  I equate this to when you play a videogame, there are loading screens.  If I could load the whole level (website) all at once with a loading screen it would be better.  This would allow for the 3D graph and interactive functions.  Each movie would have a Photoshop image of major themes throughout the film.  It would be bigger, better and more have a timeline to show the transition from racism to non-racism and back; mirroring the cultural tendencies of America.  I was thinking whether or not I would put music to the website, but that most likely will make the site too intense.
• Given infinite time and infinite resources, how would you get there?
• I would probably pay someone professional to do the website for me.  However, if I was paid to make the website I would go to school and get a large background in redesign and production.  I would like to understand how to make 3D models and present them on the website.  I would also like to learn how to eliminate all of the problems that occur with my website that I found quick fixes to, instead of fully solving the problem.

This is my website

I added to this wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Lo, I would write more but it seems as though most of the information presented prior to my addition is just lack-luster.  Anything I add will be exponentially in depth when compare to previous posts.

NBA.com and why its design is good.

One would imagine the most scholarly website would subsequently be the best designed. I argue that the least scholarly (within some reason) has to present a finished product that is designed superiorly. Presumably this is because the audience is less literary and more visual in nature. Subsequently, websites tailored to a younger audience would also require an easy navigation or the audience will lose interest quickly. A website that can both entertain the lay-man and child is NBA.com. One is able to get quick scores, game times and current news instantly, while a child is able to search for their favorite role-model with a conveniently located search bar. This site both offers basic information and presents in depth analysis quickly. For the kid found in everyone of all ages there is a Fantasy Basketball league accessible on the front page. This is a well designed website because everything you could want is just one to two click(s) away.

the end

I want to view at 3-5 major film production companies and critically analyze how each company portrays race and racism through film.  I will do this by viewing at least 3 “racially driven” films from each film production company and create a visual map of how each film ranks in correlation with how race is portrayed.  I will want the audience to take away a feeling of knowledge of race and how America’s highest grossing media interprets historical racially driven events.  I figure the audience will be students of film and history hoping to catch a glimpse of racist trends throughout a company.   I plan to organize the material in a visually appearing way.  The site will consist of two major portions; It will initially split of films by company, then split up the films by a visual map displaying where each film fits into a formula created to decide if racist or not.  The visual will be similar to a strategy used by http://www.politicalcompass.org/ to display a multi-axis analysis of racism in film.  I plan you use Dreamweaver to construct a website that is easily navigated.  I want the site to have a continuous theme throughout each company, I want the site to be navigated in many different ways, so I will have to construct many different formats to discover the most user friendly.  However I plan on giving the option of choice to the user in the beginning so as to customize their experience to their needs.  This site will help me understand the commitment that is required to develop a full-fledged operational website that requires a format that is easily navigated while subsequently presenting the information with both an appealing layout and logical construction with to most convenience for the browser.  I want to argue that racism is present in films, and that it can be critically analyzed through a formula in which I will create.

How will hypertext and new media change the nature of scholarly argument, communication, and publication?

This is a question found on the http://chnm.gmu.edu/aq/ website.  I believe that the hypertext and new media has taken the maturity from the scholarly argument, communication and publication.  Is it possible that the scholarly argument possess no bells and whistles to draw only dedicated scholars?  When something is made user-friendly it detracts from the uniqueness and dedication that is coupled with learning the complexities of the said object.  If a scholarly argument is dumbed down to a simple fill in the blanks, it is insulting to real scholars whom dedicated their lives to creating real scholarly material; not just a easier, faster, more dazzle less substance argument, presentation or essay.

This is my Web Review regarding the 1988 high school football team from Odessa (Permian Basin), Texas.