Social Media Research

This assignment was fairly easy since I use a few of these sites regularly. I ended up using Reddit, Facebook and Twitter for my research. None of them were really that helpful for actual research purposes. Each website, especially Reddit, had things related to nerdy topics but none of them really helped in the rise of geek culture.
I actively use Facebook and Twitter in my personal life though. They have been really helpful for keeping up with old friends and my favorite Youtubers. I also love using Tumblr. It's a picture sharing website that you used to need an account for but is much more open now. It is so much fun to use to find new friends, blog about your feelings and neat things you see, and get to see amazing artwork. You have to be careful with Tumblr though, it's really easy to see some things you would rather not ever see. We call that the dark side of Tumblr, beware the dark side. (They lie about the cookies)

Article

This isn't a very long article but I thought it was interesting, http://www.omg-facts.com/History/After-9-11-The-CIA-Used-Eminem-s-Slim-Sh/51797?lp=1

I only looked at the first article because they are all very different. This one is about The CIA using music as a torture technique to get terrorists to give up information. Even though water-boarding is an extremely effective technique the CIA decided to also use a type of music torture. By playing songs like "Enter Sandman" by Metallica and "Bodies" by Drowning Pool those being interrogated would begin to feel uneasy and accidentally give up important information.

This isn't really a opinion based article or an argumentative one, the author is simply stating a fact about something that not many people may know about the CIA. This short piece does make me wonder about the affects of music on people. If it causes those who have never heard it before to have anxiety issues and feel jittery then should we really be listening to it as well? It's something that I want to look u more about now.

More on Researching

So far the researching we have done in class is not too much different from what I had to do in my English class last semester. I did not use the GIL program last semester though and it has been an interesting resource to learn about. I think it will be a search engine I will try to use for this project but if I cannot I know for sure that I will be using it to find resources for my next English paper.

Nothing really confuses me at this point about the things we have covered in class. Everything was taught in a straightforward manner and had very good visual aids to go along with it. 

There also is not anything that I feel the need to focus on, like I said, everything was taught very clearly. I just look forward to seeing what we will do next!

Special Collections

I'm not sure really how I can use Special Collections in this research project since I am writing it about the gradual acceptance about Geek culture. I would not think they would have a lot of information about old Sci-fi shows or movies.

I do think that I could probably use it for my English 1102 class later though when I have to write a paper about the movie The Secret Life of Bees and compare it to other aspects of the South at that time. Since they have so much information on life in Carrollton throughout the years I would assume they would have a lot about the South in general that I may not be able to find in regular books.

I think it is important to use Special Collections because they have many things that you can not find otherwise on the internet. It's also neat to find first or very early editions of printed materials which make great resources for a Works Cited page.

Researching

So I missed the blog post about what topics we may like to research, sorry. I'm thinking about doing my project either on eating disorders in young women, although it is very overdone or the gradual acceptance of "Geek Culture" into society.

Eating disorders is really over done but it is also pretty darn easy and that is why I am thinking about doing it. I know if I did I could easily search the different types of eating disorders and psychological reasons for eating disorders. 

The rise of Geek Culture may be a bit more difficult for me to research because its gradual accent into popularity is not as well documented and many still wish to deny it has a big influence on life today. I know I can search things like, geek, nerd, geek subculture, and hipster. I’m sure there is even more I can look up and that slowly but surely I can come across a good deal of information but for now eating disorders is still a much safer bet.

Big Purchase

The last 'big ' purchase I made was my cell phone. Granted it isn't the largest purchase I've made but it is probably the one I have done the most research for. Cell phones can get messed up so easily, if I am going to have to stick with something for two years I want to make sure that it is actually going to last me that long.

All that being said my phone right now kind of sucks. It is decent but it is definitely on the lower end in the smart phone spectrum. When I went to look it up the phone actually looked pretty good. I went to a lot of review sites, the most famous one being CNET to try to find out more about my phone and the other ones I was thinking of getting. Usually CNET does pretty good job on testing and reviewing electronics. I’ve bought several different things before over other because CNET said it tested better.  I asked my brother for his advice too. He isn’t exactly the biggest techie but I knew he wouldn’t let me waste my money on something that would be horrible.

Unfortunately all my research ended up was for naught and I cannot wait until my contract is up so that I can get something decent.

Library Likes and Dislikes

I'm only a freshman so I have not been in the Ingram Library a lot at this point. I know it's a little sad, my first semester was just so busy and I have a laptop to do research on in my dorm so I did not really try to make the time to come to the library. When it comes to the library I love to find the shelves with the thickest books, plop down in the aisle and try to read the most complicated book I can find, while still being able to comprehend exactly what it is I am reading.
There are not many things I dislike about being at the library. The only thing I really just do not like is when I have to sit around a bunch of loud people. I also cannot stand when books aren’t in the right place or just lying around haphazardly. I have a touch of OCD and have been known to walk up and down aisles, straightening things out. I’m sure part of it has to do with the fact that I was a library aid back in Middle School. It’s just something that has seemed to stick with me.
Nothing about the library really confuses me, I have spent so much time in them all my life that if I didn’t know how things worked in the library I would be in trouble. haha