With limited information on what publication truly is, I thought it was as simple as writing a piece, and making it public. But listening and hearing about what industries professionals have to say about publishing has really broadened my perspective. 

Before any piece of work is actually written, the first step is figuring out what a personal cyberinfrastructure really is. The American Council of Learned Societies deems it to be something between a “tool or a resource” and a “network itself”. It means that it is something worth revisiting more than just once. Not all ideas are maximized as their “importance were unrecognized or unexplored at that time”. This is merely a timing issue as opposed to the ideas being invaluable. But it is also beyond a simple idea because when executed properly, it can result in a platform that connects people together. So the importance of understanding the idea of driving all of the content itself can be equated to understanding what the purpose itself really is. 

With a strong passion for food and culture, my initial plan was to write about how they are actually intertwined. This surely requires more information and knowledge that I was willing to put in, but it was looking at the groundwork as a whole that worried me. The overall vibe would have been rather formal which made me stop for a moment and think. Food should be enjoyable, and my original goal was to create a platform that was very easy going and that people would be excited to hear what I have to say. I wanted it to be a space where individuals could read a very brief review of restaurants that might be of interest acting like recommendations to try it out themselves. So the fact that this was transitioning towards a more professional atmosphere possibly open to debate, discussion, or correction was not at all what I wanted. 

 To better arrive at that goal, I decided to restructure my blog early on making things more entertaining and the experience slightly more personable. The overlying idea became a food review blog which also provides insight into the business itself. Being able to see past the dishes being presented and understand the people making everything happen or how the business became what it is today is much more meaningful. As John Suler says in his publication of the Online Disinhibition Effect “some people do report being more like their true self in cyberspace”. Overall, reading the passage he wrote about the true self reminded me that above all else, it is most important to be authentic and to be true to yourself. As a content creator, I find this type of content not only more interesting to write about, but it has made each food trip much more enjoyable. As John Suler said himself” Having my mind more at ease, I knew that this was much more of the direction I wanted my cyberinfrastructure to be headed. 

With pillar ideas being set in stone, the challenge at hand now becomes the execution. Curating content consistent with my vision was not challenging. The difficulty became the presentation of the content itself. Keeping a close eye on google analytics, I noticed that the overall time spent on my blog was very short with high turnover as well. Even though there was traffic being driven to my site, the presentation of the content needed to be fixed up because it lacked appeal. 

In Richard Nash’s VQR publication titled “What is the Business of Literation”, he notes that perhaps the word publishing “is a word that, like a book, is almost but not quite a proxy for the business of literature”.  This helped me realize that this really is like a business transaction. Even though someone might be selling the greatest product in the world, having a buyer willing to pay for the product is just as important. Subjectively looking at everything as a whole, my blog might be the best in the world, but it means nothing if people simply do not find it appealing or interesting  

In an attempt to make some changes, I condensed the homepage of my blog by shrinking each post to a short excerpt. This allows viewers to more quickly filter through and decide if anything is worth their time or of interest. To take things one step further, all course-related content would contain a simple picture of the “Pub 101” sign made in class while blog content would have a picture of business storefronts. I wanted to make things more personable by giving them an image that they can relate to more closely is they choose to visit the shops or have been to it at one point. 

All the changes made to the content itself and the design elements have brought me to the point that I am at least content with where my blog stands. But on an even bigger note, my appreciation for publication has exponentially grown. I started off thinking that it was as simple as creating content. Realizing I was wrong, I learned that it’s more about creating quality content. Still unsatisfied with how everything looked, the goal became creating quality content that is interesting. I am proud to say that I am started to create quality content that is interesting and looks appealing. Even with all the new information, I have learned over the past couple of months, I know I am far from the top. The ultimate goal of building a platform where people want to frequently visit and are inspired to take action is still in place. Although there has been a lot of progress, this is surely far from the end.

REFERENCES

1. Gardner Campbell. 2009. “A Personal Cyberinfrastructure.” EDUCAUSE Review 44 (5). http://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/9/a-personal-cyberinfrastructure
2. Suler, John. 2004. “The Online Disinhibition Effect.” Available from: Cyberpsychology & behavior 7.3 (2004): 321-326. http://truecenterpublishing.com/psycyber/disinhibit.html
3. Richard Nash. 2013. “What is the Business of Literature?” VQR Online. http://www.vqronline.org/articles/what-business-literature

Milky Way is Bas’ third solo studio album. The album follows Bas’ previous Too High to Riot and takes a totally different tone. Milky Way is a relaxed, but upbeat album that showcases many sides of Bas. This album serves as a great follow up to his previous “break-out” Too High to Riot. Soothing vocals and rhythmic flows compliment complex yet simple instrumentals. The entire album is euphonious, and the beats engage listeners from the beginning. Tracks like “Icarus” exhibit incredible use of beat and rhythm switching and show how rhythmically gifted Bas really is. “Purge” is another great example of how diverse Bas’ lyrical style is. The album is a perfect blend of modernism, boom-bap, and R&B with different styles that blend harmoniously together. Listening to this gives me a new appreciation for music that makes me feel. Mellow words mixed with fast, slow, and unique beats add nice flavour to the album as a whole. Bas’ distinct voice rings strongly throughout each track, and I enjoy how he plays with his volume and the legato of his vocals. The album is filled with content as well and gives the listener much to sink their teeth into. The features on this album are also well selected and executed. Ari Lennox on “Icarus” brings a beautiful contrast to Bas’ low rapping with her beautifully melodic singing. A$AP Ferg on “Boca Raton” is another notable feature that brings pace and different energy that helps bring more diversity to the project., and J. Cole on “Tribe” contributed to it being one of the best tracks on 2018. The production on this album is some of the best among other albums I’ve reviewed. Each track fits and augments Bas’ vocals and atmosphere. The songs almost don’t need lyrics for the listener to get a sense of what kind of emotion is put into each track. Overall, I would give this album a 4.4/5.

Notable Tracks: “Icarus”, “Barack Obama Special”, “Tribe”, and “Sanufa”  

via GIPHY

Music is something so versatile and profound that it appeals to all types of people with unique tastes and preferences. Trends and waves of emerging genres can lead to over-saturation of similar artists, tracks, and styles all within one genre. Finding new and unique music that has been overshadowed by this can be difficult but is very rewarding once you have. Most of the music I have reviewed is from underground or other lesser known, alternative hip hop artists. Some people may wonder how people like me are able to find these artists. In truth, it is not very difficult. The amount of resources available online makes finding any type of artist simple to find if you know what you are looking for. Personally, I’ll find one artist on a feature or elsewhere that I like and then go down a rabbit hole. This rabbit hole usually leads to other small artists with the same type of style that I like, and this cycles until I’ve reached the end. This is why many of the artists I’ve reviewed are from Chicago. Most of them have all collaborated and essentially introduced each other to me. The hardest part about finding music you like, is know what kind of music you like. Once you’ve established this, doing a bit of research should bring you to exactly what you’re looking for. This is the beautiful thing about music: you can be a casual listener or a particular and purposeful listener. You can listen to whatever is most convenient to you and be content, or you can try to discover music that you are passionate about. Sources referencing new music are endless, and a little bit of effort can lead to a very rewarding experience with music. Even following music review media or blogs such as this one is a great step to starting your journey into music bliss.    

The Autobiography is Vic Mensa’s first studio album and came out in 2017.

The Autobiography is Vic Mensa’s first studio album and came out in 2017. The album is quite unique and niche in terms of consumer taste. Vic’s approach is heavily based around more spoken words rather than trying to find certain flows. He can pull this off without it sounding boring or monotonous in part due to the quality and tastefulness of the production. The styles of instrumental vary heavily between songs which keeps it interesting and enjoyable. Vic also incorporates a lot of his singing on this project. His voice is more coarse and tough which adds to some of the emphasis and effect of his lyrics. The album features different chapters of his life, and Vic displays his ability to story tell through vivid imagery and effective wordplay. My favourite track that exhibits this is “Heaven on Earth”. This is a track about the exchange of messages between Vic and his murdered friend in Heaven. The beat is perfectly balanced so that you can really pay attention to the lyrics while enjoying the euphony of the song. The track takes your mind to the different scenes so seamlessly all while maintaining the integrity and quality of a good song. The rest of the album touches on different topics like love, drugs, depression, and his childhood among other things. The album feels a bit retro and old school with hints of trap and modernism. Listening to this album was a nice break from a lot of modern genres of hip hop. The samples for the beats are from different eras that range from the late 30s all the way to 2016. This helps offer new flavours with each track and gives the album the versatility to keep listeners engaged. I would rate this album a 4/5. I think some of his vocals were a little too coarse and didn’t mix well with some of the auto tune that was utilized. I would’ve appreciated a little more lyrical diversity in terms of his flows and rapping.

Notable Tracks: “Heaven on Earth”, “Didn’t I”, “Memories on 47^th St.”, and “Wings”

I took my general idea for the website from other creepy-pasta esque websites such as Lorepodcast.com. Lore primarily features an excellent podcast. If you’re interested in the topic of cryptids, I highly recommend it.

In Genereal:
– I understand my meatier posts can be quite wordy, and that is likely a problem which stems from my own bias.
– I think the darker theme looks nice. It sets the mood and is an easy way to visually indicate what kind of website it is
– As you may have noticed, I try to keep myself relatively anonymous
– In regards to the first Peer Review of my website, I certainly am trying to implement some of the suggestions. The main concern being content, but also a few edits

Background At first glance, Xing Fu Tang （幸福堂）may seem like nothing more than another Taiwanese teahouse.  But they pride themselves by making the act of getting a simple drink a unique experience. Every location is stationed with a specialty pan placed out in the open which is used to stir fry their pearls. Additionally, they also give customers the option of taking out a card with a fortune similar to that of a fortune cookie, but with much more meaning. These two unique offerings are iconic and have allowed Xing Fu Tang to become one of the top tea houses in every city they arrive in. December 1st, 2018 marks the soft opening of their store on Cambie in the Lower Mainland. Today, the presence spans out to seven other locations which on average would equate to an additional store showing in almost every month and a half.

Brown Sugar Pearl Milk  This is their signature drink and for good reason. It uses pearls form the publicly visible frying pan which switches out conventional sugar for brown sugar giving it a richer flavor profile. But the biggest benefit coming from this preparing is the texture of the pearls itself. Stir drying the pearls with sugar allows for the pearls to be much more chewy but also soft on the outside to more perfectly compliment the drink itself. As for the milk, Xing Fu Tang tries to use Avalon milk which is probably the best milk around.

Verdict Xing Fu Tang is truly becoming one of the world’s best tea houses for all the right reasons. They provide an experience out of something that most people do not think much about it while delivering an exceptional product as well.  With many other drinks of their menu, I would urge everyone to try the brown sugar pearl milk first, and branch out and I plan to do just that.

KOD is J. Cole’s fifth studio album and introduces a new and unique side of the artist that hadn’t been seen before. This is another album that I really enjoy and is quite different from what I usually post, but I think it would be nice change. KOD is features more trap-heavy drums and Cole’s attempt at experimenting with this style. I believe he nailed it. At the time of its release, trap rap was blowing up with artists like Lil Pump and Tekashi 6ix-9ine blowing up onto the scene. Cole as an open and progressive artist decided to play around in that realm of music and he was able to implement this very nicely. On top of this, Cole’s voice was consistent with his brand and the meanings in his tracks are truly insightful and as lyrically impressive as some of his other works. The album touches on problems with modern social media, drugs, violence, and his stepfather. Songs like “Window Pain” and “Kevin’s Heart” paint very descriptive pictures in the listeners head. J. Cole tells stories that are seamless to follow along to while including subtle details that require multiple listens to discover. kill edward is the only other person featured on this album. No surprise that kill edward is also J. Cole just pitched way down. This adds an interesting dynamic to the album that lets bring variety and new dynamics through his different voices. On tracks like “FRIENDS”, kill edward is used for the chorus, and this allows Cole to transition into his rapping with ease. This album got a lot of flack as it wasn’t a “traditional” J. Cole album, but I think this was very well executed. The versatility of the entire project with a trap theme really exhibits how talented of an artist Cole really is. He shows that trap hip hop can be very profound through the messages and stories he tells in each track. Everything makes sense, and KOD is one of the easiest albums for me to listen to. I would rate it a 4.8/5 because of this.

Notable Tracks: “Window Pain”, “FRIENDS”, “Kevin’s Heart”, “BRACKETS”    

Mac Miller’s Swimming is one of the best albums I’ve ever listened to in terms of content, production, and overall quality. I’ll be doing something a bit different, and rather than reviewing underground music, I’ll be doing some reviews on my favourite albums. Swimming is Mac’s final album before his tragic death in September of 2018. Prior to this album, his discography included four studio albums, Swimming being his fifth, one EP, seven Mixtapes, and many features and singles. The evolution of Mac’s music throughout his career was incredibly dynamic and beautiful. The contrast from his frat rap style when he was starting out as an eighteen-year-old high school student, to the matured and thoughtful artist he grew into is something so intimate and profound. Swimming is very R&B influenced, with Mac introducing unique flows, rhythms, and styles. His singing is much more prevalent on this project than any of his past projects and he blends this well with his rapping. As a farewell album, I, as a fan, could not have asked for a more perfect piece. Mac shares his most intimate thoughts and feelings and listening to this makes me feel like I am immersed into his mind and feeling what he is feeling. One of the most impressive things about this project and Mac as an artist is that he does most of if not all his production. This helps him create music that truly represents his vision and augments his music as a whole. The album has a sad undertone, and it almost feels like he knew he was creating his farewell album. Listening to this album before and after his passing was eye opening. It brought all new meanings to it and made me see things I hadn’t seen in it before. The versatility of it is part of what makes this one of my favourite albums. The album above all else makes you feel. The words are emotional themselves, but the way Mac uses his voice to convey his own feelings paired with his deep and complex production make every track an emotional journey. This album was the perfect close to a beautiful career. The contrast between this work and his first is truly surreal, and his personal growth from his struggles is exhibited wonderfully. I can’t vouch for this album enough and would rate it a 5/5. Notable tracks are difficult to do because every track is noteworthy. You may never think that one album could change how you see things, but if you give this a chance, you will be beautifully surprised.   

Noir is Smino’s second studio album after blkswan. The eighteen-track album is a great listen for people who enjoy R&B with different flavours. His diverse vocals along with the varying instrumental styles and tempo bring a level of diversity that listeners can really appreciate. While listening through, it doesn’t feel like I’m listening to the same album. The level of variation is well implemented all while keeping the album harmonious and in unison. Smino hits heavy jazz notes in “SPINZ” that make you want to stop and slow down; Heavy contrasts to this come from tracks like “KRUSHED ICE” where you may find this in a party or club-like setting. The album is fun and funny. Smino’s clever word play and rhyming schemes can bring a smile to a listener at any time. I find myself struggling to put into words what listening to this album is like. Part of the reason this review is so late is because I haven’t been able to switch off it in the last four weeks. The album is very poetic. If you are looking to fully appreciate Smino’s lyricism and genius listening to the tracks with the lyrics pulled up is essential. This can help you visualise his double entendres and appreciate the cleverness of his penmanship. His use of metaphors and other poetic devices help paint very real and vivid scenes that can immerse the listener into a rich and satisfying experience. I can say that from listening to only this album for the last four weeks, there is always something new that I am finding with his work, and I find that I can’t get tired of this. The incredibly diverse track list makes this album listenable in all moods and situations. I would give this track a 4.6/5 because of these reasons. I hadn’t listened to Smino much before this, but now I can’t stop listening. Please do yourself a favour and indulge in the experience that is Noir.

Notable Tracks: “KOVERT”, “HOOPTI”, “WE GOT THE BISCUITS”, “SUMMER SALTS”

Incorporating transmedia into my blog has been something I’ve wanted to do but haven’t gotten around to. I think posting on social media is quite convenient for most people online, and it makes it easy to communicate as social media is accessible and more easily a two-way stream of discussion. I’ve made a twitter account, but I haven’t really thought about what I would post on it. As I’ve mentioned in my previous process post, time has been something I’ve struggled to manage with this blog. Implementing a twitter account may add more fuel to the fire that I am trying to control currently. The usefulness of transmedia would also help me grasp a better sense of who my audience is and what they like or dislike. I think twitter suits my blog very well as an outlet because it would be utilized for discussions. Being an opinion blog, it is always important to listen to different perspectives so that you may become more enlightened to different ideas. This can help me shape more versatile views or even change my outlook completely on some things. It is always much more enjoyable discussing thoughts with other people who reciprocate rather than shooting my thoughts into a one way blackhole of communication.  

After looking through the results from Google Analytics, I’ve realized that the time spent on my website was rather short. So in an attempted to make things slightly more interesting, I made a consistent layout change.

Previously, blog post featured an image meanwhile everything else was left untouched. It made my blog seem unorganized and relatively uninviting. Seeing noting but words will make you either just close the tab, or make you go back to the page you were previously on.

To fix that problem, I have retroactively gone backwards and added in a small feature image of the in class “Pub101” activity we made as a header image informing viewers that these are course related content.

Visually looking at my website, it now looks much cleaner and organized. Although it does still have a lot of words, they are now compliments towards an image. Though not a big change, this difference has made even myself more content with looking at my blog.