Internet Based Persuasion Assignment
| The topic of this assignment is Internet-based persuasion, and the challenge is to offer a social-psychological critique of an interactive web site that attempts to persuade people not to smoke. The end product will be a brochure that will be circulated within your organization. Successful completion of this assignment should benefit your organization by reducing medical leave, increasing productivity due to employee time spent consuming tobacco products, reducing health insurance costs, and reducing life insurance costs—all of which cost companies millions of dollars per year.
To complete the assignment, follow these steps: 1. Visit the JoeChemo.org web site and individually: · Test your Tobacco IQ · Get your personalized Smoke-o-Scope · Explore the rest of the web site 2. Consider the web site’s strengths and weaknesses in persuading people not to smoke. For example, you might answer questions such as: · Which feature of the web site — the Tobacco IQ Test, Smoke-o-Scope, E-Card, or something else — is most persuasive, and why? · How does the web site compare with more traditional methods of persuasion such as television commercials, billboard advertisements, and other techniques? · Is the web site more persuasive when it comes to (a) preventing nonsmokers from smoking or (b) getting smokers to kick the habit? · What effect did the web site have on you personally? · Can you think of ways to make the web site more persuasive? · Did you find and non sequitur or logical fallacy? · Identify use of the 3 appeals: pathos, logos, ethos. 3. The product you produce will be an informative brochure to help reduce smoking in the workplace. The “JoeChemo” website will be your primary resource from which you will gather data. You may choose to use the website’s persuasive material, or you may decide to manipulate it to suit your organization. You may also use data from other sources. Citations must be included as footed citations. Every individual will produce a unique brochure. While you may discuss the assignment with members your team and use some of the same materials and data, each student’s brochure will be his or her own unique product and should not be identical to any other. |
Part 3
When writing technical and/or business documents, there are nine (9) ways to judge a professional writer. The nine characteristics are listed below:
- Correctness
- Accuracy
- Conciseness
- Honesty
- Clarity
- Professionalism
- Usability
- Comprehensiveness
- Accessibility
Most of these are easy enough to understand. Nonetheless, I want you to provide concise and comprehensive definitions of each. You may be able to define these on your own, but it is entirely fine if you use a dictionary for clues. However, do not give me dictionary definitions; paraphrase the definition in your own words. Next to each definition, I would like you to write a thorough explanation why you believe each of these nine characteristics contribute to effective professional writing.
Part 4
Look online at different websites and locate a short (approx.. 10-20 lines) piece of writing that you believe demonstrates all nine (or most of the nine) characteristics of professional writing. Copy and paste the extract onto a word page, and then identify examples of the nine characteristics by highlighting or underlining them. Be sure to identify, for me, which characteristic you have identified.Part 5
Since changing from teaching this class using a textbook to now teaching this class without a textbook, I feel it allows us to focus on the most important knowledge and skills needed by technical writers. Some of it is traditional, like resumes, business letters, and memos. However, in between those common skills, we have the opportunity to expose ourselves to the more modern elements of tech writing. For example, web-based content, email, blogs—even text messaging, which, believe it or not, is one of the most useful tools to this modern workforce.
https://www.textrequest.com/blog/complete-overview-business-texting/
Read the resource at the link above.
In detail, respond to what is indicated in these articles. What parts do you agree with? Which parts do you disagree with? Do you use text messaging daily for work? For personal reasons? Does this almost instantaneous form of communication help us? Hurt us? How so? Explain your opinions. Feel free to elaborate beyond the two sources if you like.
On a personal note—there are some people I would rather text with than talk to. Do you feel that way at times?
Do you have any funny or interesting stories related to text messaging? If so, share them with the class through the prompt on the discussion board.
Part 6
Every innovation has a downside. While text messaging saves time and money, there have been tragedies related to texting. Some municipalities make texting while driving an offence. What are your thoughts on this? What other negative effects of text messaging can you think of? How can we reduce or eliminate the negative effects? Think of other recommendations you can offer to keep text messaging in a positive light. List them here.