Sorrowful Statuses

            In this week’s blog post I will be discussing the use of pathos on Facebook.  While I was reading the instructions for this week’s blog, I chuckled to myself because it reminded me of someone I know.  I have a friend that constantly posts status updates complaining about things in her life.  It seems as if the majority of her statuses are about something that she manages to whine about.  I like her as a person but her Facebook statuses have gotten extremely annoying.  One of her statuses reads, “I don’t know how to feel happy again.”  I consider this status to be extreme pathos because she is stating that she doesn’t know how to feel happy again but she is not providing a reason why.

            What confuses me is that people always seem to comment her statuses asking what’s wrong if the status is too vague for someone to know what the problem is.  I’ve realized that as long as people are commenting or liking these statuses, she will continue to post them.  I believe that she likes the attention.  What’s strange is that whenever I hang out with her, she seems to always be so cheerful and lively.  When she’s on Facebook though, it’s like she is a completely different person.

            When she posts these negative statuses, it makes me think that she is just another person on a social networking site that wants attention or someone to feel sorry for her.  I believe that is why everyone who posts these types of statuses does it.  It isn’t just negative statuses, though.  The reason we post Facebook statuses is so people will see them and hopefully comment or like them.  That is the whole idea behind social networking sites.  If you were the only person on a social networking site, there would be no reason to upload pictures or update statuses.

Fallacies On the Web

For this week’s blog post, I am supposed to find an image that presents at least one fallacy if not more.  While searching through my news feed on Facebook, I found a picture that one of my friends had posted that I think is perfect for this week’s post.  The image displayed here compares two images with a caption underneath.  The caption reads, “If the picture on the left shocks you more than the one on the right, you need to revise your views on immorality.” 

I was able to identify two different fallacies.  The first fallacy that I discovered is extreme pathos.  Extreme pathos is an argument that asserts that the audience should feel emotions without any evidence or reasonable logic to back up assertions.  Both images involve this fallacy.  The children in the image are obviously starved and suffering.  The instant emotion you feel is sorrow for these children.  The image on the left involves two men sharing a kiss.  This also sparks a lot of emotion, whether it is supportive or unsupportive of the picture.

The second fallacy used in the picture is false analogy.  False analogy is an argument that makes use of an analogy that doesn’t fit.  This is an obvious fallacy used when looking at this picture.  There are totally different things being compared.  It seems as if love is being compared to death and mourning.  Those are obviously two completely different topics.

I agree with this picture.  If you are more shocked when looking at the image on the left, rather than the one on the right, you should revise your views on immorality.

12 Angry Men: The Knife Argument

There are many examples of all three rhetorical appeals in the film 12 Angry Men.  In this blog post, I will be choosing a scene from the movie and identifying which rhetorical appeals are used and how.  In the clip that I am using, juror number four uses logos when he discusses all of the facts that would prove the boy on trial, guilty.  He explains how the boy was in the building in possession of a switch knife during the time that the murder took place.  The man explaining his point of view provides a logical explanation that because the boy was in the building during the time of the murder in possession of a knife, he was the one who committed the murder.

After this, juror number eight talks about how it is not certain that the boy was there during the time of the murder.  He states that it is possible that the knife fell through the boy’s pocket.  By saying this, juror number uses the rhetorical appeal logos.  Juror number four replies by explaining how unusual the knife is and that he has never seen another one like it.  Juror number eight then pulls out the exact same knife out of his pocket and stabs it into the table.  This action causes a big shock in the room and even changes some point of views towards the trial.  By doing so, this uses ethos.  This also includes logos because it helps juror number eight’s argument that someone could have bought the same knife and killed the boy’s father.

These two rhetorical appeals of ethos and logos demonstrate valid disproof to what juror number four said about the knife.  Juror number four simply uses logos to connect the facts.  Juror number eight not only uses logos, but also ethos to present the facts.  This helps juror number eight prove that not all of the facts presented in the court are indeed fact.  Here is the link for the clip that is titled, "The Knife Argument."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNs6yZ78Ik4

What Defines You?

I recently created my very own infosphere for an assignment in my Comp I class.  I’ve always known that I rely on technology for certain things.  It wasn’t until this assignment though, that I realized how many things I rely on technology for.  Like most people, I don’t go anywhere without my cell phone.  I think that is a piece of technology that I rely the most on. 

I’ve noticed that I always find myself listening to my iPod while walking to class.  It isn’t just recreational use in which I use technology for.  I get daily assignments and can check my grades on the OSU class website.  I also check my OSU email to get information on upcoming school events, get notified when I can take quizzes for certain classes, and other things.  I would consider myself “attached” to my technological devices. 

I believe the information that I get through technology both sustain and challenge my ideas.  When I am willing to learn, I am also willing to acknowledge different ideas.  Advances in technology are inevitable.  When technology changes, I believe that our infospheres do the same.  As we age, our infospheres will change based on what we lose and gain interests in. 

I wouldn’t say that it is the actual technological devices that influence my identity.  I think that it is more the information that I get from them is what influences my identity.  Anyone can own technological devices, but it’s what is on those devices that influence who you are.

Ethos On the Internet

Ethos is the least used rhetorical device on Facebook.  Very few experts or authorities try to persuade people through social networking.  Sites like Facebook and Linked In aren’t designed to persuade a group of people.  They are designed for things like socializing with friends and finding jobs.  When I log on to Facebook, I don’t post status updates to try and convince people what I think.  Yes, I will post what I am thinking or what I think of a situation but the purpose is not to try and persuade someone to think the way I do. 

Many Facebook users portray bad ethos.  Usually, the person will not be an expert on the topic they are discussing, therefore, they will not have all the facts.  Looking at my newsfeed on Facebook, I have noticed many bad examples of ethos.  A lot of teenagers seem to think that they know a lot about a topic, even if they don’t.  I have read many statuses of people complaining about things and how it is so simple to fix whatever it is they are complaining about.

The problem with Facebook and other social media is that there is no accountability.  For example, anyone can make a fake account for a celebrity and make up rumors.  Nothing bad will happen to the person for doing this because like I said earlier, there is no accountability. People are free to say whatever is on their mind.  In the real world, you might get punched in the face for saying some of the things that you would on the Internet.  If you were to go to several political parties’ Facebook pages, I am sure there would be examples of ethos.

People will continue to use bad examples of ethos through social media.  I think that finding a good example of ethos on a social networking site is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Pathos, Such A Powerful Tool

The word pathos is categorized with emotions.  It is used to persuade by appealing to the audience’s emotions.  People most likely see things that use pathos everyday and may not even be aware of it.  It can be found in almost anything, books, movies, commercials, and billboards.  Those examples are only a few of many more. 

There is a commercial that uses pathos to accomplish its goal.  The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) uses pathos in their commercial that states facts about animal cruelty and even shows some animals that have been abused.  It is a very sad commercial and does a great job of making the viewers feel sympathetic towards the animals.  It is not only the images that are shown that make the viewers feel bad, but also the song.  It is amazing how much emotion a commercial can bring to the audience watching with simple things like the song playing in the background. 

What this commercial is arguing is that no animal deserves to be abused and if it does happen, people should try and help any way they can. The SPCA tries to get the viewers to feel enough emotion to call the number and donate money to the organization.  The targeted audience can be anyone.  Even if you are not an animal lover, this commercial will probably make you feel sympathetic for the animals.  When I was reading the comments for this video on YouTube, I noticed that a lot of people were saying that they would not even watch this commercial.  These people won’t watch the commercial because it is so sad.  Obviously, whoever created this commercial wants people to see it but in a way, the objective is being complete.  Yes, the main objective is to get the audience to send money to the organization, but the other objective is to get the audience to feel something.  People saying that they won’t even watch it shows how much emotion this commercial can bring to people. 

Like I said before, there are many other things that use pathos.  If you pay attention, you will start to notice how common this tool really is.  

This link will lead you to the SPCA commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ

The Infosphere and the World Around Us

In the article, “Entering the Infosphere”, writer Michael Vlahos explains what the Infosphere is and how people are using it.  The infosphere is defined as, “shorthand for the fusion of all the world’s communications networks, databases and sources of information into a vast, intertwined and heterogeneous tapestry of electronic interchange.”  This article stresses the importance of the infosphere and how often we use it, which is every single day!  It seems as if the Infosphere is replacing office meetings and face-to-face get-togethers.  Vlahos states, “Business transactions and financial exchange are already migrating to the Infosphere.”  It is being used more and more for communication purposes. 

As Vlahos states early in the article, “The migration of people to the Infosphere depends in part on people seeing it as important to their life and work.  Vlahos’ arguments throughout the article pertain more to a personal infosphere.  Like I said earlier, the Infosphere is used every single day.  People rely on this to answer questions, conduct business, socialize, and so on.  It is truly amazing that the Infosphere is always there, regardless of the changes that occur.  People will always use it as their own personal archive. 

Along with many others and myself, the analysis of the Infosphere applies to me because I use this tool every day.  I find myself using the Infosphere to ramble about my personal life, socialize with others, look up research for school, and much more.  The Infosphere is a driving force that cannot be stopped.  What Vlahos is trying to do in this article is establish how important the Infosphere really is.  The Infosphere is apart of everyone’s life.