Tag Archives: pub 101

Final blog

Saying goodbye is never an easy thing to do. It can be an emotional and difficult experience, whether you’re saying goodbye to a friend, a family member, a place, or a phase of your life. But as much as we might want to avoid it, saying goodbye is an inevitable part of life. In fact, it’s often necessary for us to grow, change, and move forward.

One thing that can make saying goodbye easier is to focus on the positive memories and experiences that you’ve had with the person, place, or thing that you’re saying goodbye to. Remembering the good times can help to ease the pain of the goodbye and leave you with a sense of gratitude for what you’ve had.

Another thing that can help is to take the time to say a proper goodbye. Whether that means having a heartfelt conversation, writing a letter, or simply taking a moment to reflect and say goodbye in your own way, it’s important to acknowledge the significance of what you’re leaving behind.

Of course, saying goodbye can also be an opportunity for growth and new beginnings. Sometimes, saying goodbye to one thing means saying hello to something else that’s even better. By embracing change and the unknown, you can open yourself up to new experiences, new relationships, and new opportunities.

In the end, saying goodbye is a natural part of life. It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent and that everything is always changing. But while saying goodbye may be difficult, it’s also a chance to reflect, to grow, and to move forward. So embrace it, appreciate it, and say goodbye with grace and gratitude.

Process Post Week 10

My Google Analytics has shown me that my audience has yet to take off and that people are more interested in my homework post than my content posts. Google Analytics has shown me that no one is interested in my lucid dream blog content and that my main traffic is from my short essay. I was pleasantly surprised that I had eight recurring visitors but my Google Analytics shows that they didn’t hang around long. According to my Google Analytics, I need to up my marketing plan to get more of an audience. The marketing plan I talked about in my last Process Post for week 9 would fix most of the problems with my audience retention and my redesign plans would also help people be less confused with my site.

After reading the required readings for this week I found a solution to many of the problems I have can be solved using SEO. In the article 15 Reasons Why Your Business Needs SEO the author Sam Hollingsworth, says “SEO Builds Trust & Credibility,… is the Best Way to Understand the Voice of the Consumer,… Means a Better User Experience,… [and] Local SEO Means Increased Engagement, Traffic & Conversions.” All of these things are the things my website needs help with. If all of this is true my updated marketing plan will include learning SEO. I will probably not update my website any time soon as I now need to learn some new software and will make a big update later. By the time I update my website, there will be no more confusion about what my website content is and the right audience will be directed to my website because of this. Look forward to the update and I’ll see you later.

Process Post Week 9

I do not have a marketing plan as I only planned to do this website as a hobby and for school. The only active marketing for my website was telling my friends and family about it. I also made a logo that I thought was cute and put it on my private Instagram. As I did not plan on a lot of traffic on my website monetization did not even cross my mind. If I were to make a marketing plan I would probably post a few of my dream blog posts on Reddit and post my mini assignments on a public Instagram. I would have also made art to go with my post and post those on Instagram as well. The last thing I would have done is fixed my home page to make more sense and not be as hectic. If I had gone with this plan I would have considered monetizing my website with gaming ads and sleep products. This is all theoretical as monetizing my website seems like too much of a bother for a hobby.

In the transcript of a podcast by George Philip, Jennifer Anne Lazo, Rooham Jamali, and Rudy Al Jaroodi they talk about an experiment they ran to see how just about everything leaves a digital footprint nowadays. The narrator at one point during this podcast had stated, “The findings from our interviews made us realize that a lot of people mentioned Facebook or Google Maps as a form of Digital Trail they were creating. But most, like Amanda, were pretty unaware of the extent of their Digital Trails extending to their daily use of contactless cards and the majority of applications on their phones.” I found myself in this sentence as I also had no idea just how far my digital breadcrumbs reached. Before reading this transcript I would have said my digital footprint would just be my YouTube and school work, however, now I would say my digital footprint is all over the place. If my bus card, debit card, and two credit cards are part of my digital footprint as well as my Google Maps searches one could probably map out my entire university life. This podcast opened my eyes to how much of my life is on the internet. I would say I am a private person and have not personally put myself out on the internet so this realization really shook me, as I am really careful when it comes to my information on the internet. For example, I have yet to like or comment on any videos on YouTube because my name is connected to my YouTube and I have never posted a picture of myself on a non-private Instagram account. This podcast made me realize I shouldn’t be so scared of the internet as I aready have a large digital persona.

Reference:

Philip. G, Anne Lazo. J, Jamali. R, and Al Jaroodi. R. (2016). Digital breadcrumbs: the data trail we leave behind us. Published by podacademy.org, http://podacademy.org/podcasts/digital-breadcrumbs-our-data-trail/.

Mini Assignment #5: Media Usage

I spend up to 9 hours on my phone each day

The Social Media platforms I use most are YouTube, Spotify, and Discord. Another nonsocial media that I use a lot is a website called Mangakakalot.com.

I use YouTube every day for up to 6 hours, I like to have a Vod up in the background on YouTube while working on homework and chores. I also watch videos in my spare time. YouTube is my main content platform

I use Spotify 4 times a week for up to 2 hours each time. If I don’t have a Vod up on YouTube while doing homework and chores I’m listening to music. I also Like to listen to Spotify when I am heading to and from places when there is no wifi.

I only use Discord for school and therefore, only use it once a week for five minutes.

I use Mangakaka.com sporadically throughout the week for up to 4 hours a day. Mangakakalot.com is a Manga translator website with thousands of manga on it.

Mini Assignment #3: My Cat

Mini Assignment #2: Tommyinnit

GAAHHHHH WHAT I’M I SUPPOST TO WRITE.

Hey Guys! Today I wrote a guest post imboding my favorite Youtuber. This post was really hard to do so I would appriciate if you could subscribe (to tommyinnit) and leave a comment below.

I’m really trying to think of what to write but I Just Don’t Know. I figured I would start writing and it would just come to me. So I sat down pulled up a new post and waited. But nothing has come to me. That’s when I had the Idea all I had to do was write about how awesome Tommyinnit is and why I chose to embody him. Anyways as I’m sure you’ll be able to tell I’m a big fan of Tommy and this video is sort of like a recreation of his video talking about Ludwig being his inspiration. Tommyinnit has been a major motivator for getting me to do homework, having his streams in the background gave me enough energy to push through writer’s block. I’m even writing about him for homework now. Tommyinnit’s personality and ability to make anything funny have helped me come out of my shell and encouraged me to talk to more people. I have literally watched all of his blog videos and MCC Vods. I really like how he is just his loud, chaotic, comedian/improver no matter where he goes or who he meets. That’s all I wanted to say, however, most people might think this is a Tommyinnit website but it’s not. Tommyinnit doesn’t have a website but you can watch Tommy on youtube on his Tommyinnit channel. He also has two other channels where he posts all his Vlog content and Vods. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the post leave a comment below and go check out his, Tom Simons vlog or his newly formed group channel called Sorry.

Process Post Week 8

I am one of the people who do not support ChatGPT and DALL.E, I find them to be dangerous tools for complacency. I believe in hard work and people who think for themselves. If ChatGPT or DALL.E are only used as starting points, prompts, or idea generators then I would find them useful. However, people are using them to steal content whether it be from the content creators ChatGPT and DALL.E take from or just straight up using the content they create for you as their own. I also believe ChatGPT and DALL.E are widdling away at critical thinking as instead of the person using their brain the computer does the work. Even the people who created DALL.E “Recognize that work involving generative models has the potential for significant, broad societal impacts.” I don’t think people should be allowed to use DALL.E-generated art for anything other than inspiration, reference, or content related to DALL.E.

The many Limitations That ChatGPT shows on its website are why I don’t believe ChatGPT should not be used as independent content. One of which is, “ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” If people are to use ChatGPT as content I hope they use what’s left of their critical thinking skills to look over and correct the mistakes in the writing. I am a creative writer and believe in the critical thinking skills and creativity to write engaging content myself. I do not need Ai to take over my passion and do not enjoy the writings ChatGPT generates, however, I will not discourage people from using ChatGPT as a tool and not as content.

Process Post Week 7

As digital media continues to rise in popularity, digital literacy, and critical thinking are needed. There is so much fake news, and false stories being told that it can be quite hard to distinguish the truth. I have been taught from a young age not to trust social media and that the news only shows one-half of a story. As an Indigenous person, I was taught that even what I saw in the News could be wrong/fake. According to Jacob Liedke and Jeffrey Gottfried, “Adults under 30 are now almost as likely to trust information from social media sites as they are to trust information from national news outlets, new data shows.” This scares me as I do not trust either of those sources without extra research. Liedke and Gottfried also found that “In a recent Pew Research Center survey, half of 18- to 29-year-olds in the United States say they have some or a lot of trust in the information they get from social media sites.” I do not trust social media but many people I know do and I find this is because they do not do their research before having their own opinion. I find out they are tricked because they do not have the critical thinking or digital literacy skills to question where the information came from and determine if the source is trustworthy. Digital literacy and critical thinking are needed to browse the internet today because of cancel culture.

Canceling used to be reserved for people that were irredeemable like sexual assaulters and people who had sex with animals. Now people are canceled for having an opinion, trying to get the truth heard/out, or supporting people who got canceled with exaggerated truths and straight-up lies. There is a mob of people on the internet who will take one sentence out of context and not even do one search to see if what they saw was true or give the person a chance to explain themselves. Cancel culture used to be used to inform people of terrible things people have been confirmed to have done with evidence to back themselves up. Now you can cancel someone if you have an opposing opinion from them and throw around labels until one eventually sticks as it looks like it could fit. Cancel culture now should not be taken seriously without extra research that breaks past the initial wave of hate. Because of the way cancel culture is nowadays people need to take what they see on the internet with a grain of salt. Digital literacy to me is navigating through fake news and false stories and critical thinking is needed to find the truth and brake past the toxicity of canceled culture.

reference:

Liedke. J and Gottfried. J. (2022). US adults under 30 now trust information from social media almost as much as from national news outlets. Published by Word Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/11/social-media-adults-information-news-platforms/.

Some extra blender projects!

Well since I heard that CONTENT POST ARE NOT GETTING GRADED. My motivation to make these post have been cut down in half, this whole website is only up because of this class I am taking. And I do say I may be a little disappointed about just hearing this recently about these post not getting graded. But I shall stop complaining and just finish what I started, so here you go.

First lets start off with the donut series progress, I am sure you want to see the how my progress went over the week I was making this donut.

Bet you werent expecting to see a realistic looking donut huh? Well what you just saw was a sequence of picures a and progress I did over a week. And it probably took you 1 minute to look at those at least if you took you time, instead of scrolling to the bottom for the finished product. Well its not over just yet, I made a animation of this donut sliding in the frame of this scene and this was the most fun part of this project. Here it is!

Now that I look at it. This should be a post of its own, sorry for the plot twist. But I feel it is appropriate for this kind of post, adding any more would seem a bit much right? well thank you for looking at this. Any questions? please comment, I haven’t got any in these lat few months!

Process Post 12: Community Guidelines

I don’t have comments enabled for most of my blog posts.

At first, it was because the first few posts I created weren’t aimed at receiving commentary—they were just to set up the premise of my blog. I have two thoughts about this now:

  1. If I open up comments on my blog posts, this blog space can become an active community space where I interact with my audience.
  2. If I don’t open comments on my blog posts, this blog will serve as an informational hub, but to connect with my audience, I definitely should have other platforms where there is open communication.

With the latter thought in mind, my post last week on how I might incorporate transmedia storytelling seems like the most ideal situation for my audience. However, in “The Psychology of Online Comments,” Maria Konnikova states that moving from a single blog post to larger environments on social media “often produce less than desirable effects, including a diffusion of responsibility: you feel less accountable for your own actions, and become more likely to engage in amoral behavior” (Konnikova, 2013).

It’s an assumption, but I don’t think Pokémon GO players spend all of their time commenting on blogs—they probably come here for what they need and take off to where they normally spend their time online, so it’s possible that turning off blog comments isn’t the sole cause of such “amoral behaviour” on a broader social platform.

The thought of opening up to commentary in a community I’m technically responsible for is quite daunting, and feels different than if I’m a business responding to potential customers. WordPress has the ability to let you approve comments before they are shown under a blog post, and most social media platforms have comment filtering functions to ensure that certain words and phrases you won’t allow will not show in your comment section. However, limiting comments too intensively can also negatively affect the comment section. As mentioned in the article, removing comments can lower your audience’s willingness to engage with your content, which will affect whether they share it with others (Konnikova, 2013).

With all of this in mind, I’ve come up with short list of community guidelines for my blog:

  • Is it respectful? Even if you disagree with somebody, they should be treated with respect. Avoid using derogatory language and dishing out personal attacks.
  • Absolutely no hate speech allowed. This is a community where everybody is welcome, so discrimination, hatred, and violence against individuals or groups of people for any reason is not tolerated.
  • Are you trolling? Please do not post comments with the sole purpose of provoking others in the community.
  • Do not promote your own products or services, or post irrelevant links.
  • Please have fun! This is an open environment where fellow Pokémon GO Trainers should feel safe to interact with each other, no matter how little or often they play.

Konnikova, M. (2013, October 23). The Psychology of Online Comments. The New Yorker. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-psychology-of-online-comments

Parting with Posiel

Well… this is it! My last process post for PUB 101. I’ve learned so much about blogging, marketability, and the online self in this course, and hopefully it shows through melatonin gone missing.

Reflecting On The Process

Despite this course only being 13 weeks long, it feels like I’ve grown exponentially over the semester, probably because posting weekly has forced me to consistently critique and improve my site. It feels like decades ago when I was feeling frustrated trying to set up my site, which is mostly documented in my second process post From Pinterest to WordPress. At that time, I was completely uneducated about what it really meant to own a website. So when I slowly started to pick up on blog design, SEO, user experience, accessibility, readability, typeface, analytics, and everything else I’ve touched on in my process posts thus far, I was a little shocked that there was so much that went into the websites and media we interact with every single day. Even if at some point in the future I forget what the term “personal cyberinfrastructure” means (although highly unlikely), I will always perceive published media through a different lens. A more critical one, but also one with more respect for the effort that goes into actualizing every single detail we take for granted.

My blog feels a lot like a gallery or a scrapbook of the beginning of my publishing journey, and it always feels extremely rewarding and fulfilling to scroll through and see how far it has come. I’ve grown to be very fond of blogging, and I am quite proud of the site I’ve created. I mean, I made and own a whole website… that’s pretty cool. melatonin gone missing truly feels like my own digital garden, and I’m not quite ready to let it die!

Looking Forward

That being said, I’m excited to continue blogging and sharing my most unimportant thoughts here. I thought of a few ideas of ways to expand the site in my post Melatonin’s Many Channels, which are always paths I could look into pursuing (especially social media), but before going any further with expansion and development, it is important to establish community guidelines. An easy and effective way to ensure user safety and my own safety is to add a page outlining what users can expect and what they should abide by on my blog. Some of the things I would likely include in my community guidelines are:

  • Be respectful and kind
  • No spam or hateful comments
  • Respect people’s privacy
  • No personal promotion

By having these guidelines made explicit, it should hopefully prevent any uncourteous or unwanted behaviour from my blog, which is meant to be a safe and cozy space for all. From my list, it is clear that most of these guidelines are related to blog comments and social interactions. In the modern age of social media, the effects of online hate have proven to be a) very real, and b) severely damaging. As discussed in the Jon Ronson’s Ted Talk “When online shaming goes too far“, and the article “The dark side of Guardian comments“, people’s online behaviours can be incredibly harmful, and can escalate into dangerous and out of control situations. These guidelines essentially are to prevent these situations from arising on my site.

Against my expectations, there have been a few comments on my posts from my friends and classmates that have all been sweet and supportive. I’ve learned that blog comments are a really fun place to interact with others and trade complements and ideas, in a different way than the usual social media comment. I think this is because there is a sort of detachment from your personal life, since you can choose any name to display with your comments (on WordPress, at least). Maria Konnikova explains that anonymity encourages participation, which is further expanded on in John Suler’s discussion of facets of the online self, and I think this is demonstrated in the comments on my posts. For example, Tori Vega’s comment on Toe is Broken (Up).

Saying Farewell

And that’s it! To Dr. Norman and all my classmates, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and making content for you to stalk. I’ve really enjoyed this class, and it’s sad to say goodbye.

Lastly, huge shoutout to Micky, who’s support means the world to me! I’m so lucky to have a TA who understands and appreciates my content posts on a personal level 😉

Alright, melatonin… officially going missing.

References:

Basu, T. (2020, September 3). Digital Gardens let you cultivate your own little bit of the internet. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/03/1007716/digital-gardens-let-you-cultivate-your-own-little-bit-of-the-internet/

Campbell, G. (2009). A Personal Cyberinfrastructure. EDUCAUSE. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/9/a-personal-cyberinfrastructure

Gardiner, B., Mansfield, M., Anderson, I., Holder, J., Louter, D., & Ulmanu, M. (2016, April 12). The Dark Side of Guardian comments. The Guardian. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/12/the-dark-side-of-guardian-comments

Konnikova, M. (2013, October 23). The psychology of online comments. The New Yorker. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-psychology-of-online-comments

Ronson, J. (n.d.). When online shaming goes too far. Jon Ronson: When online shaming goes too far | TED Talk. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_ronson_when_online_shaming_goes_too_far?language=en

Suler, J. (2001). The Online Disinhibition Effect. The Psychology of Cyberspace. https://truecenterpublishing.com/psycyber/disinhibit.html

Photo:

-, H. T., By, -, Heather TaylorIcon Researcher & Blogger at Advertising Week, Taylor, H., Icon Researcher & Blogger at Advertising Week, here, P. enter your name, & -, H. T. (2020, December 21). How celestial seasonings’ sleepytime bear became a tea icon. PopIcon.life. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://popicon.life/celestial-seasonings-sleepytime-bear-tea-icon/

Prince George’s Big Role in the Coronation: Is He Too Young?

King Charles’s coronation is coming up on May 6, and more and more details are being revealed as we get closer to the big day. But one aspect causing “a bit of an argument” among royal family members is Prince George’s role in the coronation.

The Rundown

According to Marie Claire, all three royal children are set to play important roles in the upcoming coronation. But Prince George, perhaps as the eldest of Prince William and Kate’s three children or because he’s set to become king one day, is reportedly getting an even bigger role in the coronation. But his parents were worried that having this bigger role, especially without the support of his siblings beside him, would be too much to handle.

But a few weeks after the revelation of this argument between royal family members, George’s big role has finally been announced. His parents agreed that he would be a Page of Honour for the ceremony. A Kensington Palace spokesperson reported that “we’re all very excited about George’s role in the Coronation” and added that “it will be an incredibly special moment.”

As the role is usually reserved for boys ages 12-15, George will be the youngest out of all the pages, who have been chosen by Charles and Camilla and typically hold the duty of carrying the train of the King’s robes.

Repeating History

Growing up, Prince William was put into the spotlight and left to the wolves (or the British media) at a very young age. For example, the decision for Prince William and Harry to walk behind their mother, Princess Diana’s coffin over 20 years ago was widely criticized, as they were only 15 and 12, respectively. They have both spoken out against this decision, as William said in the 2017 BBC documentary “Diana, 7 Days” that it “wasn’t an easy decision.” Harry showed more regret toward the situation, explaining that “I don’t think any children should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”

Prince William and Harry walking behind their mother's coffin at her funeral in 1997. 5 men in the photo total wearing black suits: Prince Philip, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles
Prince William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral in 1997.

So, given the trauma and pressure that Prince William endured while being forced into the spotlight, it makes perfect sense why he would be worried that this increased media attention would be all too much for George. And it also extends the question to us, the spectators too: is George’s role as Page of Honour too much for a nine-year-old boy?

The Verdict: Should He Do It?

The coronation role isn’t the first big role Prince George has taken in highly-publicized events. He was one of four page boys at his aunt, Pippa Middleton’s wedding (without his siblings beside him) and took this same role at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding with his sister, Princess Charlotte by his side. He even attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral with Charlotte, an appearance that required poise and maturity beyond their years.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are also in the frame.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022

With George’s track record of showing incredible maturity at these highly-publicized events, he seems well-suited for the role. The only difference is that he’ll be the youngest one there, and he won’t have his sister beside him, who often reminds him what to do at events like these.

But perhaps the most important thing to consider in all this is George’s feelings toward the increase in attention, since he’s been known to be a little shier than his siblings. Despite all the outside opinions from his parents, the media (including us), and the palace, the decision needs to come from him. And based on what’s been told to the Daily Mail, it appears he’s on board.

So, Spilling the Royaltea’s take on George’s role: As long as he’s confident he can do it, so do we. We’ll be cheering him on from the sidelines on the big day!

References:

Burchfield, R. (2023, March 18). There is apparently a “bit of an argument” happening over Prince George’s role in the coronation. Marie Claire. https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/royals/prince-george-role-in-coronation-argument/

Kindelan, K. (2023, April 5). Prince George to play special role at his grandfather King Charles III’s coronation. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/prince-george-play-special-role-grandfather-king-charles/

Royal Editor for The Daily Mail. (2023, April 4). From prince to page: Nine-year-old George given a role of honour at King Charles’ coronation. The Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11939333/From-prince-page-Nine-year-old-George-given-role-honour-King-Charles-coronation.html

Photos:

E! Online. (n.d.). [Prince George] [Photograph]. https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1370452/prince-georges-role-in-king-charles-iiis-royal-coronation-revealed

Getty Images. (2022). [Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Queen’s funeral] [Photograph]. https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/royals/prince-george-breaks-tradition-attire-25054262

Hussein, A. (1997). [Princess Diana funeral procession] [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.today.com/news/why-prince-philip-walked-william-harry-princess-diana-s-funeral-t214424

To Infinity and Beyond: The Future of Spilling the Royaltea

After twelve weeks of non-stop posting, PUB 101 has come to an end. But that doesn’t mean that Spilling the Royaltea has run out of potential, so here’s the plan for what’s to come.

To the Future

Over the course of these twelve weeks, I’ve really developed a love for blogging. I get to write about things that interest me without having to worry whether it would work well for an essay or whether it would be enough to get me a good grade. And having the opportunity to do things that I’d never get to do in other academic contexts, like using slang, or contractions, or starting my sentences with “so” and “and” has been so refreshing. I get the space to publish my own thoughts without thinking about what my prof will think with every word I write. So for all the above reasons and many more, I will be continuing with Spilling the Royaltea after the end of PUB 101.

In continuing my writing process, I’ll definitely keep writing posts for my hot takes, ranked, and news categories. In particular, the news category will have tons to talk about in the coming weeks, with King Charles’s coronation coming up in May. All in all, I’ll keep challenging my audience to think differently about issues and not always take for granted what they read or hear in the mainstream. And if they want light and fluffy, they’ll still have that too in the form of the “ranked” category and “Fashion, FAST!” segment.

I also want to bring back my “the chronicles of Harry and Meghan” category. Since I won’t be taking any courses in the summer, I’ll have plenty of time to watch the documentary and read the memoir, and I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about both.

And I might even create a few new categories too, like a “hot topics” category. I’ve noticed that when writing my hot takes, there are some things that I haven’t really made a final decision on, like whether the monarchy should be abolished and whether we should be worried that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will end up like Prince Harry. So maybe in this section, I could discuss both sides of the argument and invite readers to weigh in too.

Even More Web Design Improvements

Of course, I still want to work on my website design skills. I might even take off the training wheels and redesign Spilling the Royaltea without a template, like Gertz suggests. Now that I know the basics of WordPress, I think it’s time to branch off and try to do things my own way instead. There are still a bunch of elements I’d like to change, but my template is preventing me from actually making these changes.

For example, when readers click on one of the categories on the menu bar, I want them to see little previews of several different posts instead of the big featured image being the first thing they see. I also never got around to making a logo, which I think is one of the most important parts of website branding. So I will definitely get to that too.

Example from "melatonin gone missing" of the post previews I would like to include on my website. Features short previews of each post with a small featured image.
Example from “melatonin-gone-missing.com” of the post previews I would like to include on my website

Overall, these changes will culminate in realizing the ultimate potential of my personal cyberinfrastructure, which will represent me and me only. And, since the site will no longer feature PUB 101 content, I can focus solely on royal family content. I might even consider archiving the PUB 101 section and making my site a fully-functioning royal family gossip site with no affiliations to SFU.

Community Guidelines

I also hope that in my future content, people start interacting more with my content, so with this comes the responsibility of creating community guidelines to ensure that Spilling the Royaltea remains a safe and uplifting community for royal family followers.

The four pillars I’ve developed for Spilling the Royaltea include respect, tolerance, openness, and togetherness. These four aspects relate most strongly to the comment section, which can end up pretty nasty if not carefully regulated. Konnikova even writes that the magazine, Popular Science decided to ban comments because of the “culture of aggression and mockery” it can cause. So that’s why I want readers to be respectful of each other when commenting, tolerant of others’ opinions and ideas, open to listening to and learning from different perspectives, and feel a sense of togetherness and community for learning and sharing.

And to protect both myself from seeing any hate comments (which, thankfully, I haven’t received yet), I’ll be regulating my comment section from those “anonymous” users who think it’s so easy to hide behind a screen and comment mean things just because it’s harder to identify them, like Konnikova describes. I’ll approve of comments as they come, and hopefully, this will keep things safe, inclusive, and welcoming on Spilling the Royaltea, which is all I could ask for as a website owner.

Here’s to the last process post and to a new chapter of Spilling the Royaltea. Olivia, signing out.

References:

Campbell, G. (2009). A personal cyberinfrastructure. EDUCAUSE Review44(5), 58. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/9/a-personal-cyberinfrastructure

Gertz, T. (2015, July 10). How to sur­vive the dig­i­tal apocalypse. Louder Than Ten. https://louderthanten.com/coax/design-machines

Konnikova, M. (2013). The psychology of online comments. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-psychology-of-online-comments

Wong, O. (2023). Hot takes. Spilling the Royaltea. http://spilling-the-royaltea.com/category/hot-takes/

Wong, O. (2023). Ranked. Spilling the Royaltea. http://spilling-the-royaltea.com/category/ranked/

Wong, O. (2023). News. Spilling the Royaltea. http://spilling-the-royaltea.com/category/news/

Photo:

Disney. (n.d.). [Buzz Lightyear] [Image]. https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/is-buzz-lightyear-named-after-buzz-aldrin/

The (Online) Self: The Future of Anonymity

For the final week of content and process posts, and more than that, the final week of classes, I decided to write about everyone’s (least) favourite musical TV program, Glee. The general love-hate relationship theatre fans have with Glee can be distilled into an equal amount of hate for the way the show progressed, from one foot in reality and one foot in the absurd to both feet in their own grave, and an equal amount of love for bringing musicals and diegetic singing to television. More than that, though, it also inspired the rise of high school show choir, and introduced countless young people to the performing arts, something I will always fight for and be grateful for when done in mainstream media.

In terms of course content, this week focused on the interaction of the online and everyday self, and furthermore how to reconcile the difference. I am particularly interested in the little blurb for the week on the POSIEL site. I know it’s not technically a reading, but it asks a lot of crucial questions about living in a technological age. Specifically Are the facets of human experience threatened? By now, my opinion on AI and a growing pertinence placed on the development of convenient tech that can be integrated into everyday life is all over my blog, but I really do think that it is so important to acknowledge how a technologically determined future will have ramifications on the facets of the human experience. The most recent publication of the Literary Magazine for the faculty I am minoring in deals with this subject directly, placing an emphasis on how the human experience cannot be commodified or technologized because the human experience cannot be synthesised. There is simply too much human experience in the world to distill into something digestible and authentic. 

Further, the final question the prompt begs: Does privacy matter anymore? It harkens back to the week 3 reading on the disinhibition effect and how anonymity emboldens controversy. I think privacy will always matter (especially in my position on AI), and that despite the new movement of putting your real name and real experiences and real personal information online, that is, to be genuine in your online persona, will begin to see consequences in the years to come. I think people will begin to become unmoored by the lack of separation of the online and offline self, such to the extent that in a couple years, there will be think pieces published about the benefits of online anonymity – something I look forward to digesting.

New Directions: How the Gleeful Rise and Fall of the TV Musical Gave Way to High School Show Choir

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The massive cultural phenomenon that is Glee took the world by storm when its first season aired in 2009. However, this show – which brought the idea of the TV musical to the general public – also ended the cultural phenomenon that it started. Questions of why Glee stands alone as the only TV musical to enter and exit the zeitgeist abound. Did the writing deteriorate too much? Did casting choices affect the show? Did the audience simply get bored? Is it a combination of the three? And, perhaps most importantly, what effect did this show have on the youth at the time? My personal experience with this show and the cultural shockwaves it created will hopefully shed some light on this. 

A popular opinion towards the show (that I also hold) is that Glee massively overstayed its welcome, and I believe that its bloated run tired the general audience out from any concepts that revolved around a TV musical.  After the conclusion of Season 3, the narrative was essentially over. Many of the main cast were graduating high school, and so it seemed that there was simply no more story left for Ryan Murphy, the creator of the show, to write. Therefore, when the show came back for a 4th season, some previously main characters were now relegated to a supporting role, a choice that angered many of the audience, myself included. There was no narrative need to continue, and definitely no need to continue without the cast that audiences had attached themselves to over the first 3 seasons. Additionally, the writing of the show became noticeably worse in Season 4. Perhaps the exclusion of the actors who were able to mask the poor quality of the script brought its lack of quality to light. Either way, this cast and its poor writing was endured by the audience of the show for three more seasons, losing many fans along the way. These three factors proved to be a main reason in Glee’s downfall, and indeed the downfall of TV musicals as a whole. 

However, it is important to remember that while Glee was part of the zeitgeist, it inspired many of its younger audience to start theatre and start performing in general. American high schools experienced a surge in show choirs, and the many fantastic vocal performances in the show set a bar that many younger viewers wished to recreate. The resurgence of interest in theatre in the early 2010’s due to Glee is without a doubt one of the best outcomes from this show, and the fact that its overstaying of its popularity ruined any chance of new TV musicals gaining popularity for the near future is legitimately heartbreaking for the current generation of young potential actors. Despite this, what Glee was able to accomplish as an innovator and most popular example of a TV musical is no mean feat. It is just a shame that it had to ruin the solid foundation it had built for itself and others.

Process Post #12

This is my final post on the course, and I’m sad it’s ending. That’s why it’s lengthy, as I don’t want to finish it unconsciously. The course has been a great source of enlightenment for me, both in real-life situations and online. I’ve learned many new and practical skills, which has made me enthusiastic about pursuing my minor in publishing. I’ve found something that I’m passionate about, and I want to continue with it. 

 

The most valuable thing I’m taking away from this course is the motivation to start my small business, which I plan to launch in the summer. My buisiness will specialize in creating texture canvas art. And I’m so excited to apply all I’ve learned  from this course to this and my future UX/UI designer career. I want to thank you Suzanne, Mickey, and my amazing classmates, for making this experience so impressive and memorable!!

 

 So, let’s dive into online hate topic as my very last process post topic, using a recent case study to illustrate its prevalence!

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Photo credit: unsplash

The prevalence of online hate has become an infamous problem, but why has it become so normal? The power of social media can make or break a person’s life in a matter of hours. The Justine Sacco case is one such example where a tweet intended to be a joke caused an uproar on social media, and she became the target of intense online shaming.

 

Likewise, Iraj Tahmasb, a well-known TV presenter in Iran, faced backlash on social media after cracking a joke about the detention of girls protesting during the 2022 Woman Life Freedom protests in Iran. The joke was seen as insensitive and offensive, causing a lot of outrage among people who demanded that he be held accountable for his words.

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Tahmasb and his puppets-Mehmoon Series

The episode of the Mehmooni series- which takes place in a fictional wedding hall located next to Tahmasb’s newly acquired home, introduces a variety of new puppet characters who are primarily workers at the wedding hall-features a conversation between Sirus, played by Sohail Rahbar Zare, and Tahmasab. 

When Tahmasab inquired if the upcoming year would be better than the previous one, Sirus replied that the last year was much better since they took his sister. Tahmasab was taken aback and asked if his sister had been caught or had gone missing. Sirus revealed that she had gone to work on the streets and that a boy had seen her, meaning she had married. Sirus then asked Tahmasab if he was happy, to which he replied. Finally, Sirus urged Tahmasab to wish his sister happiness. The word “caught” resonated with many people as a reference to the government’s arrest of young girls during the 2022 protests in Iran.

 In response to what happened on his TV show, Shervin Hajipour, the popular grammy-winner singer which I previously mentioned him in my third content post, expressed his thoughts on Twitter as well. In 20 May 2022, he tweeted, “I wish Iraj Tahmasab was my uncle,” but in a recent response to the same tweet, he said, “Not anymore.”Atash Shakarami, Nika Shakarami’s aunt- a victim of the uprising-noted that the joke was akin to torture. Azadeh Samadi, an Iranian actress, critiqued Tahmasb’s anti-woman speeches and views, urging him to reconsider and not ruin her childhood memories. Samadi also questioned Tahmasab about his limited use of women, to which he replied that women aren’t funny. According to Stein J. in the secrect life of internet trolls, this statement represents a clear example of misogyny towards women.

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Shakarami's instagram story
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Shervin's Tweets
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Samadi's Instagram post

 

 

The situation that followed could be described as an example of cancel culture. Tahmasb faced much criticism and backlash on social media, with many demanding his dismissal and boycotting him. This incident caused a ripple effect, with many social media users expressing disappointment and anger towards Tahmasb’s actions. Some individuals even went as far as to label his comments as misogynistic and disrespectful towards women. However, many others believed the situation was a misunderstanding and was blown out of proportion. This occurrence sparked a lively debate about the responsibility of comedians to be sensitive to social issues and the role of humour in society.

 

The problem with cancel culture is that it often leads to a rush to judgment, with little regard for due process or the facts of the case. In the case of Tahmasb, I believe many people jumped to conclusions without actually watching the segment in question. Instead, they reacted to the outrage on different websites and platforms comment sections with a biased mind-set and joined the condemnation bandwagon.

 

This is not to say that Tahmasb’s allusion was in good taste. It clearly was not. But the rush to judgment and the intensity of online shaming is a worrying trend that is becoming all too common in our digital age. We have to be careful to keep the power of social media from leading us to a place where we lose sight of the value of free speech and the need for open dialogue.

 

Another frequent critique of online commentary is the potential mismatch between a commenter’s stated views and their actual identity. This reminds me of the “online disinhibition effect,” a phrase coined by John Suler, which I find particularly relatable.

 

I believe when people are online, they may act differently than they would in person because they can remain anonymous and have no real consequences for their actions. This can sometimes result in them expressing themselves hostilely or disrespectfully. Additionally, factors like group dynamics, their emotional state, and their desire to fit in with others may influence how they behave. 

 

Konnikova, in the Psychology of Online Comments, suggests that negative behaviour in comment sections is complex and influenced by psychological and social factors while also pointing out that the way comments are displayed or moderated can impact behaviour. To promote respectful interactions, online platforms and individuals have a role.

 

No matter where you stand on the issue, I think it’s pretty evident that online bullying and harassment are happening more often than ever. Guidelines are set up for commenting to ensure everyone is having kind and respectful discussions online. But let’s face it, and not only some people follow these rules. So it’s up to us to be careful with what we say and do online.

 

I’m not trying to defend Tahmasb, but it bothers me how trolls and cancel culture have taken over in this digital age. Even if someone has an excellent track record and is highly respected, one mistake can lead to them being cancelled without considering everything they’ve accomplished. It’s essential to address online abuse and harassment; treating others with respect and kindness online is just as crucial as in person. The case study I mentioned highlights that we all have a part to play in creating a positive online community.

 

Based on the discussion of the dangers of cancel culture and the power of social media in the case of Iraj Tahmasb, online communities need guidelines to ensure that they are safe and inclusive spaces for all. To achieve this, it is essential to develop community guidelines that balance free speech and social justice while promoting open dialogue and constructive criticism.

 

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photo credit: unsplash

The proper guidelines will vary depending on the specific site and its goals. Still, some key considerations might include rules against hate speech, harassment, and bullying, as well as guidelines for respectful disagreement and constructive criticism. Additionally, it may be essential to have clear policies around anonymity and pseudonyms and procedures for reporting and responding to guidelines violations.

As mentioned by Ball in the Dark Sides of Guardian Comments, implementing these guidelines will require combining technology, moderation, and community engagement. This might involve using automated filters to detect and remove abusive content and human moderators who can review and address reported violations. It will also be essential to involve the community in the moderation process through mechanisms such as user reporting and feedback and community-led initiatives to promote positive and inclusive discourse.

 

Developing and implementing community guidelines is crucial to creating safe, inclusive, and constructive online communities. By balancing the need for free speech with the importance of social justice and open dialogue, we can create spaces where everyone feels welcome and valued and work towards building a better and more tolerant society.

 

 In onclusion, the case of Iraj Tahmasb is a cautionary tale about the dangers of cancel culture and the power of social media to influence public opinion. We must learn to balance the need for social justice with the value of free speech and the importance of open dialogue. We need to create a culture where people feel safe to make mistakes without fear of being cancelled or ostracized. Only then can we hope to build a truly inclusive and tolerant society?

Bibliography: 

 

Ball, J. (2016, April 12). The dark side of Guardian comments. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/12/the-dark-side-of-guardian-comments

 

Konnikova, M. (2013, October 28). The psychology of online comments. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-psychology-of-online-comments

 

Ronson, J. (2015, March). When online shaming goes too far [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_ronson_when_online_shaming_goes_too_far?language=en


Suler, J. (2004). The online disinhibition effect. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(3), 321-326. https://doi.org/10.1089/1094931041291295

 

Stein, J. (2016, August 18). The secret life of internet trolls. TIME. https://time.com/4457110/internet-trolls/

Process Post: 🤬HATE COMMENTS 💬

Not to brag, but I’ve received many comments. Coming from my mom, friends, and even myself (I need to boost up anyway I can). Sure, some of the comments may have been forced by me, sorry Brady, but overall they have been positive and welcomed. 

I have, however, received a hate comment. At first, sure it affected me and it hurt to see that someone would go out of their way to say something hurtful but overall I tried to brush it off. It supposedly came from someone I knew, the email and name were of someone I used to be friends with. But I thought, how stupid would you have to be to put your REAL name and email on a hate comment where someone could track you? I don’t know, maybe they really are that stupid, but honestly, I think they would be smarter than that.

The comment said, “Ur writing is shit”. Okay…and? My whole website was not made because I’m passionate about writing and I hope to one day become a successful and published author, it was made because I am part of a publishing class where I have created a website about food. You aren’t crushing my dreams because of this comment, and honestly writing it shows your fan behaviour. At least that’s what I was constantly telling myself to make sure I didn’t text anyone who had beef with me and try to confront them about it.

In the article “The dark side of Guardian comments”, apparently “articles written by women attract more abuse and dismissive trolling than those written by men, regardless of what the article is about”. I mean it makes sense, I would think that trolls, those who write hateful comments, have a mindset that even behind a screen, men have more power than women. Because of this mindset, they would be less likely to post something on a man’s website or article than a woman’s. Now, I don’t think that because I am a woman that is why I received a hate comment. I think because the person feels small, has no way of expressing themselves, and feels they have no power in person to ever talk to me like they would online, THAT is why they wrote the comment. But I do think that they probably would not do the same thing if they were “beefing” with a guy.

Honestly, I could care less what this person thinks. I don’t even care if I know them in person and still talk to them on a day-to-day basis. People can write whatever they want on my blog, whatever they are thinking or feeling, but just remember that on the other side of the screen, the person who is receiving your comment, is a human being too that has emotions 😄.