Just Look At Me, Writing For The Web

I'm supposed to start a writing journal for my 'Writing For The Web' paper I'm doing and post the pages on the forum but I'm much more comfortable posting on here instead. That way I have a lasting copy as well - hopefully I'll be able to see my style develop and grow. I feel like when I write I just type my inner monologue, which in some ways is good but perhaps a little confusing to any readers. Ever since I was little my drawing has been labelled "expressive" (aka messy, showing little patience) and my writing "chatty". Perhaps because I am naturally both wildly emotional (expressive) and noisy (chatty). I hope that as I've gotten older that some sort of technique and skill was also added to the mix but maybe that's one of the reasons I'm doing this paper?

Anywho, I'm supposed to finish a list...

- Using your knowledge of the Web so far, use your writer's journal to record five ways in which writing for the Web is different from writing for print.

1. Web writing has to be more concise, due to the lack of patience in most readers on the Net.

2. There are more gramatical errors on the net, I think the 'click and you're published' contributes to that, along with fewer editors.

3. There is more freedom in Web writing, the styles can be incredibly informal, unlike printed writing where there are rules for everything.

4. Web writing is a changeable median unlike writing for print so it can be updated to keep it constantly relevant.

5. Translating Web writing takes two seconds, and so is more accessible to many different types of people.

- Which sites are easy to read and which sites are difficult? Why?

I think Blogs and most Newspaper sites are relatively easy to read because each post/article tends to be read in a few minutes and quite often collaborates with images or video to keep the reader interested. Although, I think this particular post might be a bit too long...

- What is the most exciting, interactive site that you can find? Why is it such fun?

I'm not sure whether I'd use the term "exciting" and it probably just goes to show how lame I've become but 'Facebook' would probably have to be the most interactive site I can find, or even 'Wikipedia'. Obviously because most of the content is written by the readers, by people you know and by yourself. This makes it a personal experience to each user and is one of the reasons those sites are so incredibly popular.

- What is the most boring site you can find? Why is it so boring?

I'd say the most boring site I can find is this one, it's boring because it is about someone I don't know, written about something I know nothing about and don't really want to know anything about. I'd say that the boring sites are very subjective to each person, it depends on your interests, networks and how long your attention span is for reading.

Right, now that that's done I shall get some shut eye and post it on my Journal Forum.

Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite!

Today was really hard - those days where everything seems like a massive effort. There are these really simple things that I am looking forward to; having a job, having a bedroom and having freedom. Believe me, you take those things for granted and when I have them back, so will I.

I'm so lucky to have a few really amazing friends to keep me on track, my sister has been a lifesaver - without her I couldn't have gotten away from the chaos. In so many ways I feel lucky and in so many ways I don't but I guess that's just how life happens, we have a lot of great shit and a bunch of shit, shit.

And on that note I bid you sweet dreams.

Not Eating Is Strange

Everything that could've happened has happened in the last year or so. I am fully entitled to a break, but life doesn't seem to be getting the message. Gr.

Lemons and lemonade etc etc. So I'm sitting here drinking copious amounts of 'Poweraid' blueness because Nina said if that was all I was going to drink then it'd make sense to buy the powder stuff that creates eight glorious litres. Not eating is strange, it makes the day role into one a bit with no parts to break it up at all. So I'm sick and drinking blue, working on a farmer's website, reading through my course's first segment a week early and reviving a mostly dead blog.

I'm in Melbourne which feels a little surreal except that the ground keeps staying mostly still which isn't a reality I've been used to for long. I'm full of different emotions being here, I miss my Trin and Hayden but I am also really happy that their life is getting better over in Timaru whilst I attempt to relax/earn some monies over here. I Skype with Trin and she asks me to come back which is more than hard but I realise she is three and doesn't understand that life is going to be better in the long run because I'm here. I think it'll just be till November, things aren't exactly planned but I think five months is long enough to find yourself and make sure it sticks this time.

I'm not a super fan of planning, planning too far ahead always just lands me in trouble. So for now I'm concentrating on trying to find a job, then a room and enjoy myself while I'm here. Simple is good.

Safety Bubble Burst. Tick.

I know there are plenty of stories, a plethora of photos, hours of footage on the net. It has been over three weeks now and I want to write about what happened in my own words. I suppose as a way to process.

I had my first day at University, came home, ate some eggs for lunch, sat down with my laptop and started talking to Dad. I remember a rumble a split second before the noise of the house as the movement intensified so quickly I barely got up. Dad yelled at me to follow him as he ran through the kitchen, into the garage. My memory is mainly of the incredible amount of noise as the kitchen cupboards all started swinging wildly open and glasses came falling out. The sound of a house being shaken violently with all of the contents (including us) being rattled around is something I will never be able to forget - it created layers and layers of sound that was all consuming. I think my fear made me move while my head felt like it was observing from somewhere else. The doorway was too narrow for us both to fit into it and Dad barely stayed standing whilst the contents of the office threatened us by flinging around. It kept going - it felt like it was never going to end. I had to keep shoving the door because it kept trying to close on me whilst I was braced on it and I so clearly remember just staring at my Dad - wanting him so badly to make it all stop.

It finally did. As seasoned earthquake victims we knew not to move from where we were, and with the house still shuddering back into place and the tinkles of glass still falling we waited for more. We were in complete shock - a total understatement for anyone involved I'm sure. After a sizable aftershock we navigated our way through the back door and around the side of the house onto the street.

People slowly came out of their houses as well, a woman across the road offered her lawn to sit on and I walked around randomly thinking that nowhere was safe to be.

I by no means had the worst experience and would never pretend to. My Gran lost her home of over 50 years that day. Not a house, her home.

As lucky as we are to be alive that doesn't take away how incredibly cruel, intense and devastating it feels to be living through it.

And now I feel guilty because the people of Japan are going through hell right now and I've just written a blog entry.

Sleep Blogging

I'm overtired. I should go to sleep. I just know I'll be woken up in like half an hour. Although, that was my excuse for not going to sleep about two hours ago. I am an kninkinpoop. How do you spell that?

Goodnight.

Helps Relieve Distress Of Colds.

My body is currently attacking itself, I now get everything Trin gets and even everything she doesn't get. I've been sick so many times this year, it's like I've spent more time in bed than out of it. This time it's the flu and because I've taken antibiotics twice this year already I'm currently stickin this one out, old school. The other night I was so sick of Hayden having to sleep in the other room (my snoring is apparently some of the craziest he has ever heard) so I attempted to try everything, every damn product of decongestant that we own. Probably not the smartest idea I've ever had but then again I'm doped up on pain-killers right now so anything goes. I used the nasal spray, 'Vicks', 'Medicated Ointment' 'Nurofen Plus' and some incredibly potent shit called 'Head Clear'. An hour later and both nostrils were still on holiday and I was exhausted from sniffing products. Hayden came in to a bedroom that reeked of menthol products and staggered back out the door, totally overpowered by the stench of it all. I couldn't smell any of it.

Meanwhile I have a photo shoot tomorrow for an Indian restaurant that I'm doing the website for, they're putting on a big spread so we can get the scrumptious food pictures we need. I'm a little worried since I haven't been able to rise from bed in a week or so, even if I'm well enough to do it, should I be quite possibly infecting people in the food industry with this nasty bastard of a flu?

Okay, well I'm off to watch more shallow episodes of 'Sex and The City', I swear that and 'Top Gear' have saved my sanity whilst the germs have free rein.

Sending you a menthol smooch,

Gen.

Late Night Posting

I'm definitely not the regular poster I once was, I think FB has kinda replaced the idea of blogging by concentrating what you want to say into a short statement. In a way I find that a little sad because the type of self-expression I personally get from typing out a big ass rant is incomparable with one-line crackers such as: "Gen has had a shoddy day and is about to gorge on various cheesy snacks". Then again, I can always write on here and then self-plug it on my FB to ensure full explanations of such lines.

Am absolutely knackered and a tad sick so I think this'll be a shorty.

How's this for short?