3-25 Topic Possibility

I am thinking about writing a response to an article regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their current quarterback controversy. Being from Tampa, the Bucs are the biggest thing in the city as everyone follows them very closely, especially after they won a Superbowl in 2003. When it comes to Tampa, the Bucs are the topic of the town, even though the Rays are gaining some ground after going to the World Series last year. I find football very interesting and I feel that if I were to write about football I would be involved in the topic. I was a very big Bucs fan for the last few years as my next door neighbor worked for them and got me a job as an intern. However, over the last few months the Bucs have been rebuilding their team and he, like many others, was let go. I now am not such a big Buccaneers fan because of this but I still think I would have a good time writing in response to these articles. As I have a personal connection to the Buccaneers, I feel that this topic would suit me the best..

Pre-Writing 3-2-09

What connects your sources?- My sources are connected through the issue of Facebook and its changing Terms of Service. Each source focuses on the issue about what the intention was by changing the TOS. One source was an interview by the Security officer of Facebook and he defended it as an innocent misunderstanding, another one was by the CEO of Facebook and he too defended it and made it seem that FB did not mean to cause the alarm that it did, and the third was that FB was trying to change the TOS in order to adapt to a new business model. Each source had its own arguments or reasoning’s for the change, but they all focused on the changing of the TOS of Facebook. I think Facebook changed the TOS because they are trying to adapt their network to its growing demands. Like the sources say, the TOS represent the terms for its members who belong to dozens of countries and speak dozens of languages throughout the world (controlling idea).

Organizing Sources?- I think that my sources should be organized in a way that presents the Terms of Service and its actual change in the first part of my essay. I think this will show the change before there is any influence because of the responses to it. Next I think it would be best to present the arguments for the outrage against the change, so that the thoughts and opinions about why this was so alarming would be heard. Then finally the sources that defend the change should be heard. I think that this would be the best way to go about it because not only does this seem fair, but it is also the chronology of the events. This would be how the events actually played out.
1.Terms of Service and Actual Change in Document
2. Testimonial/ User Response
3. Reuters Article
4. Interview with Chris Kelly
5. Zuckerberg and Facebook Blog

How to transition from source to source?- I think that my paper will transition very well because it is ordered in basically a chronological order as it is a sequence of events. I am starting the paper with the initial change in TOS, then going to a reaction source which describes the emotion and hostility of the issue, then to an article that explains possible reasons for the change including statistics, then to the defense of the change by a Facebook Security Advisor, and finally end with the blog done by the CEO that invites users to participate in the formation of a new TOS. It is a chronological sequence, but it also gives a fair assessment of the issue and it should make for a smooth transition.

Notes of Observation

1/29 6AM

The Rec Center opens at 6 am. There are 2 main entrances (front desk + westdesk). There is an initial rush of people headed in to workout before work (Community Members). At this time, most people at Rec are ther for Cardio and the cycling class at 6:15. There are few people in the weight room this early. At this time, there are even fewer people on the basketball courts or playing Racketball. The Rec Center has 3 main basketball courts that are separated by a divider. The farthest court, known as court 3, often has a volleyball net set up on it. However, people still play basketball on this court but do so playing half court games. Above the basketball courts is the cardio deck as well as the track which goes over the weight-room and the basketball courts. The track seems to be used frequently in the early morning, as well as the cardio machinery. Throughout the Rec Center you can notice that music is playing (workout music) to get the Rec Center patrons in the mood to work out I figure.
Swim practice also goes on early morning. The pool is open to regular members at 8:30 after practice is over with.
Rec Center also has two ping pong tables, two table soccer tables and two pool tables downstairs. In the downstairs area, there is a also a TV and lounge area by the game tables. The downstairs is also the area where the locker rooms are located. Also by the the staircase by the men's locker room is the Alcohol and Drug Education Center.


1/30 3 PM

At this time of the day, the Rec Center is packed. The main attractions at this time of the day are the weight room, basketball courts, and racketball courts. The weight room is swarmed with people, compared to the morning when basically every piece of equipment was available. The Racketball courts have a wait and the most of the racketball rackets are rented out. The climbing wall is a also in use as it was not open during the time that I observed the Rec Center yesterday. The basketball courts are the most busy however as every single basket is in use. The front two courts (1 & 2) are being used for full court 5 on 5 games while the back two baskets on court 3 are each being used by a few different people. I also noticed the Energy snack stand was open at this time of the day, and it is frequented by Rec Center patrons who want a smoothie or a gatorade after their workout. Another key observation made at the Rec was that everyone in the weight room is required to have a towel in order to prevent germs and sweat from spreading all over the equipment. As everyone is required to use a towel, many people do not. The main lobby I also noticed has some couches that are fairly comfortable, and have a TV that many people sit around and lounge at while passing time at the Rec Center. The building has a very comfortable and pleasant atmosphere to it. The staff, like me, is also very helpful.

Argument of Fact or Definition

An argument of fact that I noticed at the Rec Center was how the Rec Center tries to advocate living a healthy life. The Rec Center promotes exercise and health as opposed to other less healthy activities that go on at a college campus. It has posters and handouts that promote how to live a healthy and active life, as well as classes that you can participate in to do this.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 was an interesting introduction to Everything's an Argument. I found it interesting that everything can be an argument, even you as an individual. This is evident through our blogs because our blogs make an argument about us individuals. The chapter also discussed arguments and their purposes. Arguments can often be used to try to persuade or just inform. An example that I found interesting was that of propaganda which is a form of argument that argues at all costs to try and persuade an individual into believing what the writer or propagandist intends for the reader or viewer to believe. I found it interesting that arguing encompasses a wide range of things that I usually would not associate with the word "argument".

One thing that I was not quite so sure was an argument was that of visual arguments to inform.. When I think of street signs or warning labels I do not really think of them as making an argument, rather I think of them as informative tools. According to this book however, everything is making an argument and these signs are part of an "argument to inform", but I do not really consider them to be arguments.