Destination Selection

1. Greenville, Maine
2. Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
3. Glocester, Rhode Island

For all three of these, I would be creating a new article. The first two would be adding value to WikiTravel because they are small towns that actually can be very interesting for tourists, if you know where to go and what to do. However, without information of either of them, I feel like a tourist would not even think twice about stopping there. The third town is pretty much my hometown, and I think that it would be adding value to WikiTravel because I feel like every town should have an entry, even if there is not much to do there. One function of WikiTravel is to allow tourists to determine what they believe would be worth seeing and what is not, and so every town possible should be mentioned. There are things to do in Glocester, but they are very specific and so I think that the town deserves an entry so that people who are looking for what it offers can find it.

WikiTravel

My first thoughts on this project were to write about either Matunuck or Foster Rhode Island (both hometowns of mine) or else a town near where my family owns a vacation home in Maine. Although I was leaning towards Matunuck, the town where my grandparents live and where I have spent most of my summers growing up, I found to my surprise that a pretty cohesive entry exists already. I was hoping to start from scratch if possible. After browsing around, I found that most of the towns that I am familiar with in Maine have little or nothing written about them so far. Considering this, I think I would like to write about Greenville, Maine, a small tourist town that I have been visiting for as long as I can remember. This past year I've actually taken two different groups of friends on weekend vacations to Maine and given them the "grand tour" of Greenville, so I think that this would be a great topic for my WikiTravel entry.

End of Project 1

Tomorrow is the end of project 1, and I have to say that I have really enjoyed this project. Although I had reservations about blogging at first, it is now something that I look forward to doing. Whenever I have my rats out or when I buy them something new, I think "oh, this would be a good topic for a post." I have also found a good place to share the photos I take of them, which I intend to do more of in the future. I already know what my next post will be about, I just haven't quite gotten around to it yet because I've been sick. All in all, I'm glad that I've been "forced" to start this blog, because now that it is started I know it is something I will keep up on. I can't wait to have time to teach the rats new tricks and document their progress, I know that this summer is going to include a lot of fun times teaching them to swim, introducing them to the outdoors (which also includes leashes!), and just spending more time with them in general. I can't wait for this semester to be over so that I have more free time to do the things I love, which I think from now on will include blogging in my enthusiast blog.

Wikipedia

My previous conceptions about Wikipedia were that it is a good website to go to for background information on a subject, but can't always be trusted as it can be updated by anyone. I have heard over and over that Wikipedia is "not a reliable source" but this video makes me appreciate the amount of work that goes into it and realize that perhaps it is more credible than we give it credit for. As Wales says, it is an ongoing project and is always being revised in order to strive for accuracy.

I was surprised by the "anti-creditentialist" theory- that amateurs have as much, if not more, to contribute than professionals. They don't care who you are, only that you know what you are talking about. I also was surprised by the statement that they want a broad contributor base so that the knowledge of Wikipedia reflects the knowledge of the world. I think this is a way that we should think of Wikipedia more often, rather than as a non-credible source.

As for writing in electronic environments, Wikipedia has created an endless opportunity for writers. Writers can pick a topic and write about it whenever they feel like it. They can also decide to edit and improve what has already been written. Writers can pick any topic and make their own "wiki" of it, such as what Wales mentions of the show 24. Wikipedia has created innumerable opportunities for writers to express themselves in this electronic environment. Wales even said that there is no substitute for the written word when asked if he thought one day videos would overtake Wikipedia. He said that it is the most natural and best medium for learning about many things.

The main difference I see between the writing in a wiki and a blog are the aspects of personality and first vs third person. Wikipedia is written mainly as informative, credible articles in the third person, whereas blogs mainly have a first person point of view and a clear personality. Blogs are also much more informal most of the time.

Post Peer Review- Clubhouse Blog

Well, after reading my peer reviews I feel much better about my blog. My reviewers said that I sounds like a credible source of information and both said that I managed to show a lot of personality, which I think is great. When I was reviewing them I know that I was tough when it came to the personality critique because I feel like that is a very important part of the enthusiast blog. I'm glad that according to them I got it right. Megan suggested changing the title to "tales" instead of "tails," which I have been debating since I started the blog. I think after hearing her opinion that I will change it. The only reason I hadn't already is because the only URL that I could come up with was "rattietails" and so I wanted it to tie in with that, but I suppose that is less important than being clear to my readers.

Pre-Peer Review

I am about to peer review two other student's blogs and in turn receive two reviews of my own. I'm a little nervous about what people will have to say about my blog. I know that the topic is weird and different, and I'm afraid of what people will think. Not to mention I chose to write my blog from my rat's point of view, something that definitely makes me wonder what my classmates will think of me. I chose to write from the rat's perspective because writing from my own came across pretty boring and I felt like I still needed to find my "voice." I know that this voice will appeal to the audience that I am trying to reach, and also that I will continue with this blog after this class is over and not be worried about my reader's judging me, but for now I am worried about what my classmates will say.

About Me- Enthusiast Blog

I am a 20-year-old rattie enthusiast and currently the mommy of two furry babies. I first fell in love with the little hands and feet of ratties when I was 17- on my first day as a PetSmart employee. Many things have changed since that fateful day, for instance, I now work for the competition. Although my life has changed a lot, I have carried my love for all things rattie with me throughout the years. My first rattie was that special companion that everyone has once in their life, the one that will be waiting on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge (for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, I will post a link to this beautiful story in one of my first posts). Her name was Chloe, and it was with her that I ventured into the world of all things rattie. Since the day I brought Chloe home, I have become somewhat of a rattie connoisseur, soaking up all the knowledge I can find through the internet and whatever books I can find on our little fur friends. It is this knowledge, as well as my everyday experiences at work and at home, that I hope to share through Rat Tails.

This is my first draft of my about me. I am kind of worried that my classmates will think that I'm weird, but at the same time as I said I have been looking at rat information online for years and this is the kind of voice/tone that I have related to in the past. I want to appeal to people like me who need more guidance or even just entertainment from the rattie world ("rattie" is a term that most rat lovers use to make the distinction between wild and pet rats). I want the people who read this to realize that I have a lot of experience with rats so that they know later, when I begin to post to the blog, that my sometimes strong opinions are grounded. I hope that people who read this will relate to me and my experiences, and take my advice seriously.

Clubhouse Blog Explanation

My topic is, in essence, pet rats. I think that it is specific enough to attract a clubhouse type audience and not too narrow. My blog will respond to daily occurrences with my pet rats at home as well as at work with the rats and rat-lovers at PetCo. I will also include pictures of my rats in my blog. I'd like to attract rat "parents" and enthusiasts, because I know from experience that there are not many places to turn for advice, entertainment, and information about pet rats. I will share my personal favorite sites, as well as the information I have gathered on my own and my training at PetCo. The style I will be aiming for is conversational but informative, not too formal but still credible. I think my style of writing will actually vary by post, from telling my readers about the trouble my ratties got into today to serious warnings/ information that came up with a customer at work that is extremely important for rat parents to know. Potential Titles: I've been playing with the idea of calling my blog "Rat Tales" vs "Rat Tails" or even combing them both to create a play on words like "Rat Tail(e)s." I think I am leaning more towards the "Tales" version, as it will be mostly a blog about rat stories. Possibly "A Tail of Two Ratties." I am hoping to create a logo that goes along with my title, a picture of my two rat's tails intertwined to look like a heart (that is if I can get them to stay still long enough!).

Clubhouse Blog Ideas

1. My first, and favorite, idea for my clubhouse blog is about pet rats. I think this is a good topic because there is a small, enthusiastic underground community of pet rat owners who are ignored by most of society. This group of people need a place to turn for advice, and a place where they can share their ideas and experiences. I am a part of this community, which is why I would be enthusiastic about this topic. I have found several websites that are my "go-to" sources, but they are mostly old and outdated, and rarely updated. I think if I was to create a new blog that shared not only my knowledge and experiences as a pet rat owner, but my experiences as a small animal specialist at PetCo as well as my photography of my "ratties," it would be a winning combination and something that I would keep up on for a good time to come.

2. My second idea for a blog would be simply a sleep talking log of my boyfriend. This idea really came from a friend of ours (who knows of my boyfriend's annoying nighttime habit) who had found a similar blog a few weeks ago from a woman in England. I think this is a decent idea, but I feel like it would not be as interesting to as wide a range of people as my first. I would be enthusiastic about it and update it, obviously, each morning, which would make keeping it updated fairly easy. I think that the followers would mostly be our friends, although it has the potential to draw a larger audience.

3. Another possibility for my blog is simply to document my experiences, thoughts, and views as a PetCo worker. There are many things that happen on a daily basis that are worth writing about and that would be especially interesting to other PetCo (or any pet store) workers. Things happen that are bizarre, funny, cute, sad, and completely random when you work in a pet store, and I feel that I would be enthusiastic about documenting my experiences and sharing them with others. This however could be a part of my first idea, which is what I am leaning towards at the moment.

4. I also had the idea of having my blog follow a certain television show, such as The Secret Life. I would blog after each show, and possibly between shows. Because this show deals with so many dramatic and emotional issues, I feel that there will be much to say in response to it. Honestly, I would not be as enthusiastic about this as my other ideas- I feel like it would become more like homework in the way that I would have to "post my response" to the show each week.

5. My last idea is to have a blog about my photography- including my photos, why I took them, where I took them, etc. Although this is something I am passionate about, I feel it would be more suited to summer when I have the time and energy to take pictures.