Recapping today's action

We talked about me needing to lengthen my podcast to at least 3 minutes. We also discussed changes I need to make to my webtext in terms of specific areas. My instructor feedback pointed out things I might not see as informal or even being a problem. My peer reviews have helped me add some things that clarify things I talk about within my webtext.

Where does this puzzle piece fit?

My Webtext will fit into the Webzine because people don’t want to just go to any hospital, they want the best.  My Webtext shows the divide between the “best and the rest” in terms of why Chicago has the best hospitals and we have the rest. In addition, some of the topics within the “Medical and Health Group” are conditions treated at a hospital, and one topic is something that can keep you out of the hospital.

Lucky 13

The main thing I would like to know from my instructor conference is how to better incorporate the instructor feedback. I know we talked about it a little, but I think it can go a little farther. I will admit it was hard to keep politics out of my topic being that there is government money tied up in hospitals and what with Illinois run of, um, world-class governors continuously losing money, the facts were clearer than I thought.

Open Prompt?

The prompt for this week says it is an open topic, so I'm not sure as to exactly what we need to write about. The more I work on this webzine, the more it seems like I'm alone in my efforts. Kelly has been trying to help me as much as she can, and I'm not sure as to how many more people can work on it before there are issues between those working on it. Hopefully I can finish it sometime over Thanksgiving Break as I'm sure I'll have a sheet of restrictions after my knee scope. But only time will tell.

Drawing a blank.

Some of the terms that I have used are not household terms that you’re likely to hear from your doctor. I believe with the examples of what histoplasmosis is and can do to a person is quite helpful as someone who had a family member with a suppressed immune system and could be exhibiting the symptoms listed.

Histoplasmosis- After seeing how this illness mimicked my friend Doug’s cancer so well, I would hate to see someone else’s loved one as well as their family go through the same hardship as my friend and his family.

Follicular Thyroid Cancer- I thought that there was only one type of thyroid cancer, not 4. But it helps to be able to give the reader a link to a good explanation of what this type of thyroid cancer is.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma- A few years ago, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which ended his season early. I think that after that was plastered all over ESPN as well as all local sports coverage, people kind of took a different stance on how they looked at cancer and prevention.

I don’t know that there are many other sources I can use. I think the only thing that can help me more is quality pictures that help someone understand exactly what histoplasmosis can do if undiagnosed or where your thyroid is, and I think a picture of Jon Lester wouldn’t hurt. Always helps to put a face with a name.

I have most of these pictures, but it won’t be hard to find a picture of Jon Lester. I could get his picture from google.com or pull up his player profile on MLB.com.

Analyze the picture.

• What do you see? Two small red shaped on someone
• What is the image about? Photograph showing cutaneous melanoma
• There is part of a person present in the image.
• Can the image be looked at different ways? Possibly, but I do no believe so.
• How effective is the image as a visual message? I think once I tell the person exactly what the image is showing it will be very effective.

Visual analysis 

• How is the image composed? What is in the background, and what is in the foreground? Not Applicable
• What are the most important visual elements in the image? How can you tell? The spots on the arm. There is only a body part otherwise in the image.
• How is color used? Not Applicable
• Can the image be looked at different ways? No
• What meanings are conveyed by design choices? Not Applicable

Contextual information 

• What information accompanies the image? Not Applicable
• Does the text change how you see the image? How? No. I knew what I was looking for.
• Is the textual information intended to be factual and inform, or is it intended to influence what and how you see? When I create my slideshow, I intend to use the textual information to be factual and inform.
• What kind of context does the information provide? Does it answer the questions Where, How, Why, and For whom was the image made? Not Applicable

Image source 

• Where did you find the image? I found the image in Picasa.
• What information does the source provide about the origins of the image? The person who took the picture
• Is the source reliable and trustworthy? I believe so but there is not much information about the person distributing the picture
• Was the image found in an image database, or was it being used in another context to convey meaning? It wasn’t found in an image database, and it was not being used in another context

Technical quality 

• Is the image large enough to suit your purposes? Yes, the image is large enough to suit the purpose of the picture.
• Are the color, light, and balance true? I believe so. Hard to tell without concrete evidence as to what body part is being looked at
• Is the image a quality digital image, without pixelation or distortion? Yes, it is a quality image
• Is the image in a file format you can use? Yes, this image is in a format that I can use.

I see a hair. You see too much.