While there is no known cure for autism, there are a number of therapies used today, some of which have been found to be very successful in lessening the symptoms of atuism. There are two main types of therapies, behavioural and medical. Medical management therapies are usually only used to reduce severe symptoms such as self-injury, aggression, seizures, hyperactivity, or sleep disturbances.

Some behavioural therapies include:

• Individualized Education Programs
• Applied Behaviour Analysis
• Positive Behavioural Interventions and Support
• Parent training
• Pivotal response therapy
• Communication interventions
• Music and art therapy
• Aversion therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy

Some medical management techniques include:

• Prescription medication
• Supplements
• Diets
• Chiropractic
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Prosthetics

For more information, visit http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com

While there is no known cure for autism, there are a number of therapies used today, some of which have been found to be very successful in lessening the symptoms of autism. There are two main types of therapies, behavioural and medical. Medical management therapies are usually only used to reduce severe symptoms such as self-injury, aggression, seizures, hyperactivity, or sleep disturbances.

Some behavioral therapies include:

• Individualized Education Programs
• Applied Behaviour Analysis
• Positive Behavioural Interventions and Support
• Parent training
• Pivotal response therapy
• Communication interventions
• Music and art therapy
• Aversion therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy

Some medical management techniques include:

• Prescription medication
• Supplements
• Diets
• Chiropractic
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Prosthetics

For more information, visit http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com.

Art Therapy: A Useful Alternative.

Art therapy is a unique alternative to the more conventional methods of therapy. It allows the children to express themselves, and as communication and expression is hindered and difficult in autism children this methods provides a creative, fun release. It does not rely on the language skills of a child and therefore there is no stress or pressure and the child is able to heal by expressing what they could never put into words.

Art therapy has been able to help those suffering from autism in the following ways:

• Increases self awareness

• Develops social skills

• Changes behaviors

• Develops problem solving strategies

• Allows an individual to engage in creative thinking in a safe environment

• Allows an individual to focus solely on the activity at hand and shut out other thoughts that may be intrusive.

In summation, art is naturally a therapeutic activity and when applied to situations where a child is unable to communicate, or find solace in any other form of therapy, art therapy is a gentle, fun, creative way to begin the healing process.

The diagnosis and treatment of Autism requires knowledge of the spectrum: Autism is not an all encompassing disorder that affects each individual the same way; rather it is a spectrum, ranging from “Low Functioning” Autism to “High Functioning” Autism. A person afflicted with Low Functioning Autism experiences symptoms quite different from a person with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome.

The word “Autism” refers to the restriction of free social interaction and an inability to recognize non-verbal methods of communication. A child with “Low Functioning” autism generally is inclined to epilepsy, mental-retardation and severely limited language skills, both expressively and receptively. However, often, people with low functioning Autism can exhibit extraordinary talents, in which case they are less hindered by the symptoms of autism and are more afflicted instead by mental retardation or epilepsy.

A child diagnosed with “High Functioning” autism is more likely to lead a relatively “normal” life, provided they are kept in environments that have a low requirement for social interaction. High Functioning autistics often have IQ’s of around 85, have good self help abilities and are adept at taking care of themselves. Although their grasp of language is not impaired, generally a person with “High Functioning” autism will take words at their literal value but can communicate in a normal fashion, however they are easily frustrated, especially in highly social environments.

A child is diagnosed as High or Low functioning depending on the severity of their symptoms (i.e. over- and under-sensitivity to stimuli, impaired expressive and receptive language development and poor coordination etc…) and often, the diagnosis is also based on an IQ test. There is some criticism in regards to placing an autistic child on the spectrum through the use of IQ tests, and IQ tests in general have been under fire for the past 20 years for having a narrow scope and the tendency to stereotype.

The IQ range for autistic people is as follows.

• Educable (IQ 55 – 70)
• Trainable (IQ 40 – 55)
• Severe (IQ 25 – 40)
• Profound (IQ below 25)

These results can often be unfavorable and lead to stereotyping and perhaps treatment methods that don’t properly address the individual as it is based on an intelligence test score. Therefore, it is important to tailor the treatment of the disease to the individual and their place on the spectrum.

To learn more about low functioning autism visit this site:

http://www.brighttots.com/Autism/Low_Functioning_Autism.html

To learn more about high functioning autism visit this site:

http://www.autisminfoguide.com/autism/16

These are a some of the art-based assessments that are used clinically and in research:

• Belief Art Therapy Assessment (BATA)
• Cognitive Art Therapy Assessment (CATA)
• The Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS)
• Draw A Story (DAS)
• The Face Stimulus Assesment (FSA)
• The Levick Emotional And Cognitive Art Therapy Assessment (LECATA)
• The Person Picking An Apple From A Tree (PPAT) Assessment
• The Ulman Personality Assessment Procedure (UPAP)

These assessments can only be used by art therapists and professionals.

For furthur information about the assessments and more, visit http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

Savant syndrome is a condition where a person with below normal intelligence displays a level of brilliance or “island of genius” in a specific area. The condition is often tied to some form of autism: according to an article written by MD Darold A. Treffer, 50% of people with savant syndrome also have autism, and one in ten people with autistic disorder will have savant syndrome. Some of the most common areas of high skill for people with savant include music, mathematics, mechanical or spatial skills, and most importantly art. Artistic talent in savant cases most commonly manifests indrawing, painting, or sculpting. There is still much research to be done on this condition; to date, there is no one theory that accurately explains how it works.

Article by Darold A. Treffer: Savant syndrome: An Extraordinary condition http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/system/files/savant_article.pdf

Here is an example of an artistic savant in a 12 year old boy with autism. Today Ping Lian is a successful artist despite his disabilities and his art is widely appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buktflGp0GE

Extreme sensitivity, anxiety, and over stimulation sensitivity are all issues that plague those suffering from autism, this is particularly troubling in children who have not yet developed adequate methods of dealing with these symptoms and cannot express these feelings vocally.

Art therapy can help!

It is difficult to understand just what it is that is going on in an autistic person, as communication is limited and difficult. Currently studies are being conducted, researching the autistic brain in comparison to a healthy persons brain for differences to explain the disease. Without adequate communication it becomes difficult to glimpse the autistic perspective, and without understanding how they see the world it becomes hard to treat them. Until concrete conclusions have been reached art therapy is one of the best ways to understand and reach people with autism.

Artistic expression provides a way for those suffering from the restraints of autism to convey complicated ideas and feelings. As autistic children are naturally very aware of their visual-spatial and sensory orientation, art therapy can play into their strengths and interests.
A stunning success story in relation to the union of autism and art finds itself in Stephen Wiltshire who has carved himself a successful niche in the world of art. Diagnosed with autism at age three, Stephen remained mute until the age of nine, however he found his true voice through art. What is so unique about this man is that he is able to draw entire cityscapes down to the exact amount of windows on an apartment building from memory.

More on Stephen and his accomplishments at http://www.arttherapyblog.com/autism/artist-with-autism-draws-entire-cities-from-memory/.  His personal webpage is www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk. .

This ability to recall exact detail is an ability unique to those suffering from autism. We will be looking more into the unusual gifts that autism can provide.

“Painting has to get back to its original goal, examining the inner lives of human beings.”

Art Therapy is a therapeutic practice that emphasizes a creative purging of inner conflicts and issues as opposed to traditional methods of therapy. It can be used to treat a variety of psychological disorders, stress management and social issues. Often times it is easier for people, especially children, to honestly express themselves through a more creative process, instead the more structured formats of traditional and mainstream therapy. Art therapy uses traditional art practices such as painting and drawing as well as other visual mediums such as sculpture and photography.

Children suffering from disorders that inhibit speech, or have undergone traumatic experiences that are difficult to talk about may struggle with a question and answer format. When placed in an environment that allows for a more creative means of communication Children flourish as they are naturally more artistic and imaginative. Art therapy can bring about a self-awareness in children that leads to the betterment of their emotional health and their ability to manage stress and anxiety –it can be a good alternative when other methods of treatment have failed.

“Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of like and is the result of neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas OF social interaction and communication skills ”- Autism Society of America

Autism is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of disorders referred to as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A child with autism suffers developmentally to varying degrees of severity, which can affect the ability interact, to relate to others and to socialize.  It occurs more commonly than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AID’s combined and affects all races and cultural backgrounds equally.

Children thought to be suffering from autism can be reliably diagnosed by the age of three although thanks to new medical advancements children as early as six months can be given a diagnosis. Although the fight against autism is an ongoing battle, the earlier treatment can begin, the more positive the results in children.

Most parents would notice if something is off or not right with a child of two or three years old. However, often it is harder to recognize the symptoms of autism in an infant as a baby is still very much underdeveloped. It can be hard for parents to tell if a baby simply hasn’t learned, or doesn’t want to smile, laugh or socialize or if there is something deeper going on, such as autism that is negatively impacting a child’s development.

• Here are some basic clues to look for if you think your child may have autism:
• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back and forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
• Doesn’t seem capable of, or doesn’t know how to play with toys
• Avoids eye contact
• Does not respond to his/her name

Also, it is important to note that autistic infants do not necessarily develop slower that infants without the disease. In fact, some children with autism develop earlier in certain areas, however generally there is an inconstancy to the development with the infant developing fast in one area and too slow in another.

Often parents will not realize the signs until after a child is professionally diagnosed, and then it is a matter of looking back and recognizing the abnormalities and inconsistencies in their child.

For more information please visit:  http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bhealth/0,,8gjjkbws-1,00.html

Looking for someone? Here is a handy GPS service to help you find them. Just punch in their phone number at this satellite tracking site.

The idea that we are living in a surveillance society is not new. George Orwell’s 1984, Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, and Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451 are just a few examples of novels that have addressed the theme. And since the discipline began, sociologists have been interested in how societies use surveillance as a means of social control.

Today we will discuss the idea of surveillance and the surveillance society.

Surveillance is:

“Purposeful, routine, systematic and focused attention paid to personal details, for the sake of control, entitlement, management, influence or protection.” (UK Information Commissioner’s Office, A Report on the Surveillance Society, p. 4)

• Purposeful: there is a reason that can be used to justify the surveillance
• Routine: it isn’t unusual, it happens as part of our normal lives
• Systematic: it is planned and scheduled, not random
• Focused: it examines details that can be linked to individuals rather than just aggregating community information

We often associate surveillance primarily with (authoritarian) governments and with technology. But although governments of all types frequently engage in surveillance, businesses and individuals do as well. And although technology is often used to carry out surveillance, it is not a requirement. In a surveillance society, however, the (often widely accepted) use of technologies to help generate and process surveillance information has the potential to fundamentally change social relationships.

“The surveillance society is a society which is organised and structured using surveillance-based techniques. To be under surveillance means having information about one’s movements and activities recorded by technologies, on behalf of the organisations and governments that structure our society. This information is then sorted, sifted and categorised, and used as a basis for decisions which affect our life chances.” (A Report on the Surveillance Society: Summary Report, p. 3)

Surveillance is not always a negative thing, and the purposes for surveillance are often widely shared in societies:

• Law enforcement and protection of order
• Maintaining public health
• Ensuring efficiency management of public and private concerns

Surveillance can refer to physical observation of people or places, but it also (and increasingly) refers to gathering, sorting, and interpreting data about them. Surveillance is a pervasive part of modern life. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that residents of major cities are photographed by surveillance cameras every five minutes on average. Many of our interactions with governments and businesses require us to provide personal data, whether with ID cards, bank teller cards, or in other forms, and this data is stored and available for a variety of uses, whether legitimate or not.

Discussion: What are some examples of surveillance you can think of? What purposes might they be meant to achieve?

Even when the purposes of surveillance may be widely shared, the surveillance can raise issues such as:

• Violation of privacy
• Discrimination
• Misuse of information/abuse of authority

But the features of NITs can also easily be used to:

• Record and monitor what we do with our computers or in any communications we engage in that travel through computers
• Gather, collate, process and share data about us
• Efficiently manage physical surveillance systems
  • Data Brokering: Computerized databases are used to store large amounts of information about people. Markets have emerged in which companies buy information in order to collate it and provide complex profiles of individuals.
  • RFID: Radio Frequency Identification Devices are used to store and deliver information that can be retrieved over distance (through radio signals).
  • Keystroke Monitoring Software: Special software can be used to record every keystroke on a computer keyboard.
  • Online Video Surveillance Networks: Online networks allow for easy monitoring and management of video, audio, and other surveillance systems.

Useful Links:

• UK Information Commissioner’s Office, A Report on the Surveillance Society (links to full report and supporting material)
• CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering)
• The Surveillance Camera Players (New York)
• Urban Eye Project (UK)

Remember: Theories, terms and concepts are ideas that we use to make sense of the world around us, to understand and predict how the world works, and to help us decide how we can and should act in the world. They are socially constructed but they often have a real effect on how we perceive and define our world.

Yesterday we talked about how the concepts of participatory journalism and crowdsourcing can be applied to similar, or even identical phenomena and yet each may encourage us to understand those phenomena in different ways. The example I used in class: If we think of OhMyNews using participatory journalism as a primary concept for understanding, we may tend to focus on its potential to enhance democracy by creating opportunities for non-professionals to engage in journalism as a civic act. However, if we look at the same site using crowdsourcing as our primary concept, we may focus more on the attempt of a business to gain profits in the business of journalism by using individual contributors as free or cheap sources of labor.

Cyberspace is another concept that is frequently applied to new information technologies. As Rob Shields writes (“Cyberspace”, Unspun) cyberspace is, “A metaphor that conjures up an image or an idea of the potential of information and telecommunication networks.” (66)

Consider some of the imagery Shields raises: Cyberspace:

• “is a self-fulfilling prophecy.” (67)
• “is a bioelectric environment… inhabited by knowledge… existing in electronic form.” (67)
• “is a new universe… entered equally from a basement in Vancouver, a garage in Texas City, an apartment in Rome…” (67)
• “is a consensual hallucination” (from William Gibson, Neuromancer)(69)
• “(is) socially created sense of space… a social construction” (70)
• “both a material product of human imagination and labor and a medium of social actions, because they structure and define the limits for subsequent activities.” (70)
• “appears for the most part to be a space not of assembly but of assemblage, whereby individuals are interrelated (in global, mega-audiences) without ever forming a mass.” (71)
• “if cyberspace is the new equivalent of a city, it has its urban elite, as well as its homeless and poor. Cyberspace remains accessible only to the most wealthy and connected, most of whom live in the developed countries of the world.” (72)

Consider each of the statements above. Shields’ point in this article is not just to introduce us to the concept of cyberspace, but to show us how the concept of cyberspace (like other concepts) is both a product of social engagement within the real world, and how it structures our understanding of that world.

For discussion and an individual weblog entry (due Monday 2 July) do you think of any of your experiences online in terms of ’space’? If so, describe that experience. If not, how do you experience your participation online?

There has increasing discussion in recent years, in academia, in business, and in popular discourse, about the importance of social and technological networks for producing, evaluating, and disseminating information. Crowdsourcing is one example of a term that draws on network theory to describe (and also to advocate) new ways of producing information using social and technological networks (or perhaps socio-technical networks).

At the Crowdsourcing weblog, Jeff Howe defines the term as follows:

“Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.”

The term draws on the idea of outsourcing: an organization turning to sources outside the organization in order to carry out essential organizational tasks. For example, a car manufacturer might outsource some (or all) of the production tasks involved in constructing a particular car to factories owned by someone else, often located in a foreign country where production costs are lower.

Crowdsourcing is closely connected to the ideas of open source and collaborative production. It also relies on research into social networks (recently given the popular term The Wisdom of Crowds) that suggests that the collective judgment of diverse groups of people acting independently often produces better decisions than any single individuals in the group, including experts.

New information technologies are not required for taking advantage of “the wisdom of crowds” or for engaging in crowdsourcing, but the design of many NITs can help promote the independent collaboration these ideas rely on.

Today in class we will discuss the idea of crowdsourcing and look at a few examples of crowdsourcing in action:

• iStockPhoto
• Innocentive
• Mechanical Turk

“Open Source” and “Collaborative Production” are important concepts for understanding new information technologies and their relation to social networks. For our purposes, we can understand these as closely related terms describing social arrangements through which groups of people work together in order to create something.

The term open source is often used to refer to a method for creating and improving software, but has been applied more broadly to any kind of collaborative production process that attempts to keep restrictions on participation as limited as possible.

Today we will have a quick introduction to these concepts and we will look at one of the best-known examples of online collaborative production, Wikipedia.

For Monday, please:

• Explore the Wikipedia site;
• Read About Wikipedia;
• Read the Wikipedia article on Open Source;
• Read the Wikipedia article on Wikis

(Note: If you were absent for this class, you will need to do a similar exercise on your own for another news site. Please speak to me about it.)

In class today we will begin an activity in which we examine news oriented websites in order to learn about their communities. This is a group exercise. Each group will be assigned a site to look at in detail. Your task is to try to understand the site not simply as a set of pages, links, and so forth, but as a socio-technical network that enables and promotes community participation. The question each group will use in their exploration is: “How does this site promote community and what is that community like?”

Here are a few specific guidelines to use as you try to answer this question:

• Tools: What specific tools does the site use to promote community? (Review We Media, chapter 4 for ideas.)
• Self-Description: How does this site present itself to the world? You may find in a site’s self-description (for example, in an “About” page) some evidence about the kind of community they hope to promote.
• Networking: Follow outgoing links from the site and see what kind of community that site is developing using those links. What does this suggest to you?
• Participation: What can you discover about who actually uses the site, how they use it, and why? What are the rules of participation? Is there a hierarchy in the community? If so, how much control do those at the top of the hierarchy seem to have over those at the bottom. Is the site delivering information to an audience? Or is it promoting conversation? How participatory is this journalism site?

I suggest that each group split up the pieces of this exercise so each participant looks at one specific question (overlap is okay). I will consult with groups today as they investigate their sites.

For one of next week’s individual weblog entries, each participant should have one entry of a couple of paragraphs or so focusing on your part of the exercise and linking to other members of your group.

If time permits today, we will discuss in class what you are finding. Otherwise we will have this discussion next Monday.

The sites for exploration (groups TBA in class) are:

1. neweurasia.net (Yulia, Kristina, Nataliya M., Victoria)
2. The New York Times (Sadyk, Yekaterina V., Zarina, Dauren)
3. OhMyNews (Sagydnyk, Akina, Anasstasiya)
4. The Guardian (Murager, Aliya, Semyon)
5. Baristanet (Aizhana, Vadim, Maks, Natalya S.)

In chapter four of We Media, “Rules of Participation,” the authors suggest that people who participate in online communities (or social networks) do so in order to fulfill certain needs, which may include (among others):

• Building status or reputation
• Creating connections with other people (”networking”)
• Making sense or building understanding
• Informing and being informed
• Entertaining others and being entertained
• Creating

For today’s class, take the first few minutes to identify two communities/social networks you are part of. (If possible, choose one offline community and one online community.) In a weblog entry (post it right now; you can always go back and edit it later) briefly tell us about your communities and what needs the communities help you to fulfill. In other words, what do you get out of being part of that community?

Tell us also about things like membership, rules for participation, and so on. What does it mean to be a member of your community?

After you have had a few minutes to think (and write) your initial thoughts, we will discuss what people have come up with, then connect these ideas to We Media.

(This entry draws on an entry I posted for the previous session of New Information Technologies.)

(Reminder: The first formal weblog review starts today. Be sure that your weblog entries are up to date (including all assigned entries both in and out of class) and that your weblog link appears on this course list. (If your link does not appear on this list, you urgently need to provide me with the link no later than the end of class today. If your site is not on the list by that time, you will get no credit for the weblog creation and first weblog review.)

We will start our discussion today with a question. Again, I ask you to take a few minutes at the beginning of class and write an answer to this question on your weblog:

What is journalism?

Once you have had a few minutes to begin writing, we will discuss this question as a group.

Some important ideas from the first “We Media” reading assignment:

• “Participatory journalism: The act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information. The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires.” (We Media, pg. 9)
• Broadcast vs. Intercast (see graphic)
• OhmyNews and its Citizen Journalism pages
• Media Ecosystem (see graphic): Traditional (hierarchical, commercial, broadcast, advertising focused; filter then publish) vs. Participatory (networked, conversational, collaborative, egalitarian; publish then filter)
• Dan Gillmor’s principles of “we media” movement (“We Media” pg. 13):

“• My readers know more than I do.
“• That is not a threat, but rather an opportunity.
“• We can use this together to create something between a seminar and a conversation, educating all of us.
“• Interactivity and communications technology — in the form of email, weblogs, discussion boards, websites and more — make it happen.”

(Reminders about readings, weblog journals, Bloglines, and Final Projects.)

Most of our time in the course so far has been focused on tools (WordPress weblogs and the Bloglines aggregator) and their use. Over the next several days we will focus a bit more on thinking about these tools (and perhaps some others) as examples of new information technologies and how they might allow us to put some of the characteristics of NITs into practice. We will also consider concepts and ideas raised in the course readings so far.

First I will begin with a question we will use for brainstorming:

Given what you know so far, how is the internet similar to or different from other types of media like print, radio, and television?

Take a few minutes to think about this question by writing about it briefly on your weblog. Then we will discuss your ideas and use them to explore some of the ideas from our recent readings.

Some terms for review (primarily from J.D. Lasica’s articles on blogging and journalism):

• Gatekeeper: When applied to media, the gatekeeper role is one of filtering information for the audience. This can have both positive effects (ensuring only the most reliable information gets to the audience) and negative effects (preventing people from getting useful or important information).
•  Amateur vs. Professional Journalism
• Audience: People who “receive” information. Thinking of people who use media as an audience suggests communication goes primarily one way, that there are limited opportunities for interactivity, and that there is a clear hierarchy in media communication.
• Conversation: If we think of media communication as a conversation (a discussion among people), then we tend to focus on how a medium, as a socio-technical network, promotes opportunity for people to become part of the conversation.
• Credibility: Authority, believability. Something that we look for in news information sources.

Today in class we will discuss some important terms for the course as we give a preliminary answer to the question, “What are New Information Technologies?” We will begin with a brief definition:

New information technologies (NITs) are digital, networked, interactive, socio-technical systems for gathering, producing, and distributing information.

• Digital: Information is converted into computer-readable formats consisting of electronic signals. Digitization makes information compact (meaning it can be transmitted quickly and stored easily), easily duplicated, and uniform (information formats are the same as far as the computer is concerned).
• Networked: Linked in an inter-connected and inter-dependent system.
• Interactive: Communication is generally two-way rather than one-way.
• Socio-Technical: The characteristics of the system are based both on technical elements (what tools can do) and on social elements (what people choose to do or to allow).

New information technologies are important to us because they are contributing to significant changes in societies worldwide and, in particular, in journalism as a professional and civic activity.

For tomorrow (31 May): Please spend 20 minutes exploring the neweurasia.net website (and their linked country sites) and also use Google Blog Search to find (and explore) a weblog on a topic of your choice. Be prepared to discuss these in class and to post a link to the weblog(s) you discovered.

By now you may be wondering, “What is a weblog? And why do I need one for this course?” Here is a brief answer, along with a link to some required reading.

A weblog (sometimes also called a ‘blog) is a webpage that is designed to make posting content (whether text, graphics, audio, or video) a quick and simple process. In most cases, this means using software (such as the software provided by WordPress) that allows users with very basic computing skills to set up and maintain their websites easily so that they can concentrate on producing the content of the site.

Usually weblog entries appear in reverse-chronological order (the newest entries appear at the top of the site), and there is often an expectation that weblogs should be updated frequently. There are many different types of weblogs: personal journals, professional sites, news sites, hobbies, and so on.

The reasons we use weblogs as part of this course are:

• to gain practical experience with a new information technology that is changing the contemporary communication environment;
• to develop the habit of writing frequently as a way of “thinking out loud”;
• to use your writing as a way to communicate (via the internet) beyond the boundaries of the course.

You will be required to post entries on your weblogs frequently–at least a few times per week. Weblog entries are generally short and relatively informal. For the purposes of the course, I will give you specific ideas to consider in your entries. But your entries can still be short and informal, so long as they are your own writing.

For more on weblogs, by Wednesday please read the Wikipedia entry “blog”.