Prior to this course, I had no knowledge of web page software. I have had previous design experience after interning at local papers, being the editor of high school yearbooks and newspapers however, I learned that designer for a web page is rather different. The elements on a page work together in much the same way, yet on a web page there is more freedom for creativity, the added stress of navigation, and the simplicity of designing, viewing and then redesigning if you so choose.

My first project in this course, the mock-up for In Good Fashion, which I have now registered as a business, was a definite challenge. Not only was this project the first step toward the realization of what has been my dream for four years, it was also my first time brainstorming, organizing and creating for the web. Though the next site I create for IGF, the official site of the business, will be quite different this project helped me develop and execute ideas to determine what works in a web-based environment and what does not.

My second project and first hyper textual essay, Internet and Youth was less of a challenge on the software front as I was more comfortable using DreamWeaver. However, the challenge rested with moving readers through the site with ease and captivating their attention long enough for them to continue reading. This site went through multiple edits and countless layout changes. I found the experience of writing in a hyper textual fashion and then changing to a linear version to be conducive to the way I think. Typically I separate and organize topics in my head or on paper and then flush out the connections between each of them, stringing them together in a networked fashion just like a hypertext. This way of writing seemed easy and almost natural to me.

Finally, my third web page and second hypertext discussing the demise of the newspaper industry has proven to be another labor of both love and passion. I developed the concept of designing the pages to resemble a newspaper right from the start. I knew this way the way that I wanted to pay homage to traditional forms of news while using a new media form. I found this to also represent the feeling of “in-between-ness” that I am currently experiencing as I prepare to graduate and enter a the workforce of a struggling and unfortunately dying art.

My topic itself deals heavily with topics discussed by Juris and Castells in our final readings. While reading Castells in particular, I was able to brainstorm a variety of additional points.

Castells discusses "the transformation of the realm of communication, including the media," which is basically the topic that I am covering. With the Internet, more and more people are allowed to take in and process information as well as distribute their opinion about that information. Ideas can be translated globally (Juris) and movements can occur (netizens, Zapatistas).

The traditional news industry is no longer that gatekeepers of the information that the public receives. Individuals, day-to-day citizens have the ability to create and distribute "news." I use quotations because "news" is also a personal concept, what one person deems newsworthy may not be seen in the same terms by another. This is changing the business model of the news industry to include the idea of power from below as discussed in Moore, rather than the top down flow of power that was characteristic of the media. As Castells says, mass communication is "often initiated by individuals or groups by themselves, bypassing the media system." So then, what is the role of traditional journalists in our society today? In Castells' lecture he discussed, what is a very sad and unfortunately real issue: that journalism as we know it is coming to an end.

In many ways, citizen journalism can be seen as a way that individuals are organizing without organization, taking matters into their own hands, covering stories that aren't cover, or in a way that traditional media fails to report. The Internet allows this type of limitless form of narration and discussion.

Finally, there are so many reasons for the shift in the media industry; the Internet itself is not to blame. If used effectively journalists can use it to revive and adapt their role in society, but they have to find a way to work with the media, their audience, and potential audience. Castells also discussed the issue of credibility, have a face online in order to establish trust and a relationship. Trust, he said, is built around an image, and journalists need to change their image to fit a changing world.

Over the course of this quarter I have been able to think about the way in which I use the Internet in my daily life, the way others use the Internet, and how the Internet has influenced and will continue to influence society at large. I have never been confronted with the potential of this Internet to include, exclude or become a vehicle for change. To me, the Internet has always been there. It exists in a far off place that I have never considered necessary of qualification. At times it is an entity that causes me tension like most aspects of technology; I find myself in a love/hate relationship with the world-wide web.

Today I find that I am more well-versed in the advantages and disadvantages of online media, tools for education, the limits and the endless possibilities for expression, discussion, creation and learning that can be done via the web. I am proud of the knowledge and skills I have gained throughout my coursework and I am anxious to see what more is in store both online and off.