User talk:Purneet kainth

Hello all, my name is Purneet and I will be using wikibooks for educational purposes. I have educational assessments due over the next few weeks and therefore this page will be updated regularly. Please feel free to leave any comments. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 15:49, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise 1. Educational Assignment
"Impersonal communications has demeaned interpersonal interaction" (Lanier, 2011). Are we becoming lost unknowingly in a world where more children are becoming comfortable with the concept of 'dm' than 'are you coming out?' Or, is online presence able to tell a story and give people an impression of who we really are? For me personally, my relationship with social media and websites gives me a chance to promote a passion in my life, henna. "Impersonal communications has demeaned interpersonal interaction" (Lanier, 2011). Are we becoming lost unknowingly in a world where more children are becoming comfortable with the concept of 'dm' than 'are you coming out?' Or, is online presence able to tell a story and give people an impression of who we really are? For me personally, my relationship with social media and websites gives me a chance to promote a passion in my life, henna. What is intriguing about being Indian and living in a country where my culture is not prominent is the fascination many individuals have towards my culture. Henna art is no exception. What was once primarily based in Asian cultures, has now become a culture that has grown worldwide thanks to modern day technology. A family has grown on online media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram whereby no henna artist, beginner or professional, has to feel undermined. You share your work, you can share others work, you tell people 'good job' and that is how easy it is to become part of the henna family. One such family member, someone who I am happy to call a mothering figure on social media platforms, primarily Instagram, is Mehndikajoey.Through her guidance, and the advances of technology, instead of being aspiring henna artists stranded in the world, we are able to all communicate and help each other become what we are all so passionate about. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 17:50, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Marker’s Comment

 * A fairly well-written entry. It was useful that you related this to the themes and concerns of the module e.g. Lanier, and then made an effort to draw in application to online identity as a concept. There are some readings in the module outline lists that contain pieces on the professional/amateur distinction in user-generated media communities which seem relevant to art that is creates and shared through social media contexts - which might have worked really well applied here too. Would have liked to have seen better use of wiki markup to create links to relevant materials.


 * A post of this standard roughly corresponds to the following grade descriptor:
 * Satisfactory. Among other things, satisfactory entries may try to relate an idea from the module to an original example, but might not be very convincing. They may waste space on synopsis or description, rather than making a point. They may have spelling or grammatical errors and typos. They might not demonstrate more than a single quick pass at the assignment, informed only by lecture and/or cursory reading. They may suggest reading but not thinking (or indeed the reverse). The wiki markup formatting will need some work.

RE: Comments on others’ work

 * These are on time and ok - however, they are on the short side and could do with development in terms of content, scope and reference to module themes. Remember that your comments on other people's work is weighted as heavily as your own post when it comes to grades. GregXenon01 (discuss • contribs) 17:10, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

Comments
This was a great read! I love seeing your henna on Facebook, it's very beautiful! I find other cultures fascinating, so I love that you are able to share your henna with the world. :) Great work on this writing, too! Carys the Hat (discuss • contribs) 10:47, 17 February 2016 (UTC)

This is such an interesting piece. I particularly find it interesting how, in a way, communities and groups of people become connected through forms of social network like Instagram. I prefer Instagram compared to other social networks as photos are such an effective way of conveying who we are. Which social network do you prefer to use? Kyra Paterson (discuss • contribs) 13:29, 18 February 2016 (UTC)

I really loved reading this piece. Coming from a Scottish/Irish background I find it really interesting to learn about new cultures. Your work makes a great point about how your culture is now being shared across social media especially on Instagram. In my own use of social media, I do see a lot of different cultures however, by incorporating this art form - henna - it creates another diversity to your culture. I would love to try it out myself but know I wouldn't be able when you see all of they amazing pictures. A question I would raise here is whether you like henna being publicly displayed or do you think this is more of a personal issue which should be kept more private? LucyClaire (discuss • contribs) 14:11, 18 February 2016 (UTC)

I've always loved Henna Art, I find it really beautiful! Your point about seeing your culture become much more popular on apps like Instagram is interesting. I know someone who is Bhuddist, and I had a really interesting conversation with them about a similar thing. I was intrigued to see whether they found offence to people using the Bhudda as a fashion rather than a belief. Interestingly, they didn't, and actually found it to be a positive thing as it is still sharing their culture and celebrating it. I really enjoyed your piece, it was very interesting! Justalex 28 (discuss • contribs) 21:57, 18 February 2016 (UTC)

Thank you so much for your comments, it is little comments as such that help make this big world unite. I personally like using Instagram. I have my Facebook profile on private, but with Instagram I feel free to share my work of henna as I know I will always receive feedback, good or bad. Henna is a passion that I have had for many years, and therefore I am keen to share my passion for the art with everyone, hence why I like to keep my henna profile, locker42henna, on Instagram publically visible. I do not call myself a professional at all, but I do have love for the art. You should definitely give it a go and you may even come up with your own unique style of displaying the art. Wow, it is interesting to read that in some cultures, something that is so natural to you, could potentially be disrespectful in another culture. It is always fascinating learning about new cultures in the world, and I am glad that via, not only word of mouth, but also social media platforms we are able to learn about one another. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 23:29, 18 February 2016 (UTC)

Your wikibook entry was really interesting to read, because it is always interesting to hear about different cultures and I personally think that henna is really, really beautiful. I immediately checked out the instagramm profile you mentioned! But it would have been good if you would have explained what henna is, some people might not know it. Askoelsche (discuss • contribs) 11:40, 19 February 2016 (UTC)

Yes, you are right, I should have mentioned what henna is for the people who do not know about it. Thank you for informing me of this detail, and this is something I will keep in mind for my wikibook entries to come. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 10:27, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise #2: Visibility and Online Footprint
How visible am I online? Danah Boyd asks a similar question, a question however that left me contradicting myself the more I thought about it; what counts as online? The media scholar, Boyd, explained that she is now living in a world where you can connect with people wherever and whenever you need them. I wish I could say that my experiences of online social media are as convenient as Boyd makes out, but really living in a world surrounded by media sometimes becomes suffocating and at other times, very lonely.

So how visible am I online? In terms of apps, not very. In terms of information (I think) I am publishing, not very much either, but unlike a footprint in the snow, a footprint online doesn't fade or wash away. I have a private profile on Facebook and a publically visible account on my much preferred social media platform, [[Instagram] .] Facebook for me as a young teen was magical. I thought it was my key to becoming like one of the 'populars' in school. My parents on the other hand are nothing more than kind, warm hearted, beautiful people, but for a young teen trying to 'be cool' maybe a little over protective. I wasn't initially allowed Facebook, or any social media platform, but as anyone trying to fit in, I thought maybe to fit in, social media was the answer. Facebook helped me to find out about all the parties going on and so and so's new Jane Norman bag. It also helped me realize the existence of family I had around the world. Did it make me 'popular?' No, it just made someone who had facebook. It was a norm, nothing special, it was just like a way of life. It also made me a liar, hiding this norm from my parents. Of course, as an oblivious young teen the social aspect of social media only became apparent to me when my parents questioned me as to how Uncle Joey could possibly know that I thought Billy was an 8 in LPC... Well because, I realized, social media is very much social. Although my profile is on private, people still talk. Words go around and therefore what I post now, as a 'mature?' young adult, is limited. I adhere to Facebook mostly for messenger. My privileged friends who have iPhones have to communicate to me via Facebook messenger and not iMessage, whoops. In terms of what I share, not all too much. I update my profile picture every few months, maybe upload a picture of the snowman I attempted to build or a little picture of my family, friends and I. I almost always scroll through newsfeed and enjoy hearing about my 'friend' in Portugal who got her nails done... All in all, I privately post pictures on Facebook. But then why is my Instagram not private?

Instagram allows me to grow from a henna passionate person, to a henna artist. I love to see the work of others and I love to learn from others. I also love to share the development of my henna designs on Instagram and feel comfortable knowing I am recognized as an individual who has a love and passion for henna, and not someone who fails to build a snowman. It is almost as if I share one half of my personality and life with one social media app, and another half of me, elsewhere. So how visible am I online? I am almost always reachable. My phone is never on silent. Even when studying, procrastination seems to lead me to social media. Shh. I am visible online to people who like to see me online. My friends will acknowledge my existence on Facebook and henna enthusiasts will find me on Instagram. My conclusion so to say then is that no matter how visible you are online, only people who want to take an interest in your life and passions will really want to take an interest to the online you. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 00:41, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Comments:

Hey, I found your analysis of your online footprint and visibility very similar to my own uses :). The reference to Boyd was particularly effective and was a great way of introducing your points. I also agree with you regarding Facebook being a good way of communicating with and discovering family members from all over the world. Your comments about Instagram are also interesting as I've never thought of using Instagram as a way of conveying our passions and showing people the abilities we have (in your case your talent for henna art) :). Kyra Paterson (discuss • contribs) 19:59, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Hi Purneet_kainth. You made an interesting point about how your footprint never really fades away on the internet like it would in the snow. It is worrying that anything you share online is there forever, regardless of if you 'delete' it or not. It is also a common feeling that having social media will help you fit in, especially as a young teen. There is now a massive social pressure to have various social media. If you have none, you feel like you are missing out and others see you as a little out of the ordinary. This reminded me of when my best friend made the decision to delete her Facebook when we were around 14. Not for any major reason other than her not really wanting to have it anymore. When we weren't together, it made things a little less easy to get hold of her and talk. We would text but if I wanted to send her a link of something funny online, I would have to email it to her and wait for her to check her inbox for a reply. This is quite advantageous to us now, as we can easily look back at our emails to see our funny conversations, whereas on Facebook, it is difficult to scroll back through a mass of messages. But when we were at school, people would have the most ridiculous and shocked reactions when she revealed she didn't have a Facebook. People thought she was slightly odd for not having one. Eventually, she made a new Facebook a couple years ago because her relatives in Australia wanted to see what she was up to when she went to university and recently she has even made an Instagram. She doesn't post often, if ever, but people are happy that she has somewhat of a presence online. I feel this social obligation would be worse for young teens in recent years, as everyone has more than one social media platform. Ihatewasps (discuss • contribs) 17:04, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

There is a lot of very interesting approaches to online visibility, differences between platforms, and how individual it can be brought up in your entry. I can relate to the feeling that there was almost a need to sign up for a Facebook account. At the time of which I signed up most of my friends already used Facebook and I had been happy not using it. But then people started asking me why I wasn't using it, telling me that it was a much easier way to interact with people and to make plans. In the end it did convince me to create a profile but it's not until in the past few years that I have found a way of using Facebook that I'm comfortable with. How I use it has changed over the years, and it has now become a source of information, a platform to get information on what's happening where and when. I hardly use Facebook as a way to update people publicly on my life, I suppose sending a message to my friends back in Sweden is a way of using Facebook to update them on what's going on with me but it's done by private messages. Social media is tricky, Internet security is something that we're taught about but it's also something that comes with a lot of learning on your own and common sense, as you grow older you realise what is appropriate to post online and what is not. It makes me glad in a sense that social media didn't become a big thing in my life, or really had any importance at all, before I was older and more aware of how I could act safely online. I really like the way you've compared the use of different platforms as well, and I very much agree that there is a difference between how different social media is used. TrishEl (discuss • contribs) 23:06, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

Comments
Hey, I found your analysis of your online footprint and visibility very similar to my own uses :). The reference to Boyd was particularly effective and was a great way of introducing your points. I also agree with you regarding Facebook being a good way of communicating with and discovering family members from all over the world. Your comments about Instagram are also interesting as I've never thought of using Instagram as a way of conveying our passions and showing people the abilities we have (in your case your talent for henna art) :). Kyra Paterson (discuss • contribs) 19:59, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Hi Purneet_kainth. You made an interesting point about how your footprint never really fades away on the internet like it would in the snow. It is worrying that anything you share online is there forever, regardless of if you 'delete' it or not. It is also a common feeling that having social media will help you fit in, especially as a young teen. There is now a massive social pressure to have various social media. If you have none, you feel like you are missing out and others see you as a little out of the ordinary. This reminded me of when my best friend made the decision to delete her Facebook when we were around 14. Not for any major reason other than her not really wanting to have it anymore. When we weren't together, it made things a little less easy to get hold of her and talk. We would text but if I wanted to send her a link of something funny online, I would have to email it to her and wait for her to check her inbox for a reply. This is quite advantageous to us now, as we can easily look back at our emails to see our funny conversations, whereas on Facebook, it is difficult to scroll back through a mass of messages. But when we were at school, people would have the most ridiculous and shocked reactions when she revealed she didn't have a Facebook. People thought she was slightly odd for not having one. Eventually, she made a new Facebook a couple years ago because her relatives in Australia wanted to see what she was up to when she went to university and recently she has even made an Instagram. She doesn't post often, if ever, but people are happy that she has somewhat of a presence online. I feel this social obligation would be worse for young teens in recent years, as everyone has more than one social media platform. Ihatewasps (discuss • contribs) 17:04, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

There is a lot of very interesting approaches to online visibility, differences between platforms, and how individual it can be brought up in your entry. I can relate to the feeling that there was almost a need to sign up for a Facebook account. At the time of which I signed up most of my friends already used Facebook and I had been happy not using it. But then people started asking me why I wasn't using it, telling me that it was a much easier way to interact with people and to make plans. In the end it did convince me to create a profile but it's not until in the past few years that I have found a way of using Facebook that I'm comfortable with. How I use it has changed over the years, and it has now become a source of information, a platform to get information on what's happening where and when. I hardly use Facebook as a way to update people publicly on my life, I suppose sending a message to my friends back in Sweden is a way of using Facebook to update them on what's going on with me but it's done by private messages. Social media is tricky, Internet security is something that we're taught about but it's also something that comes with a lot of learning on your own and common sense, as you grow older you realise what is appropriate to post online and what is not. It makes me glad in a sense that social media didn't become a big thing in my life, or really had any importance at all, before I was older and more aware of how I could act safely online. I really like the way you've compared the use of different platforms as well, and I very much agree that there is a difference between how different social media is used. TrishEl (discuss • contribs) 23:06, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise #3: Information Overload!
One of the advantages of working on a platform such a wikibooks is that you have the chance to see how other people respond to the same task. I found Riinnamaria's post on information overload very interesting as she said to disable her use of the internet and social media sites, she has to use the internet to access Selfcontrol.

I am going to take a slightly different approach to this information overload task. It can become very intimidating having such an overload of information available to us via online platforms. It then becomes even more of a challenge to actually deal with the abundance of information. Personally, anything technology related really daunts me therefore if I am unsure about things, I would much prefer to talk to someone in person; it seems then rather than dealing with the information overload, I completely avoid it! An example of this would be university and the expectations of your work. I remember in primary school when asked to do some research on WW2 or Victorians etc we would all copy and paste a few lines from Wikipedia and be highly satisfied. Now in university, it is constant researching, expanding your horizons and taking responsibility for your own work. Writing an essay requires days of reading and researching and the common question I ask myself is, out of this multitude of academic resources, which is relevant? My solution to this information overload is that I step away from the screen and ask my peers how they have tackled this problem. Not only does this allow information to be shared amongst individuals, but allows you to find insight on all the information loaded on the internet.

Jaron Lanier, a philosophical writer and computer scientist states in his 2006 article - Digital Maoism - that a text can loose its original value as todays advances in technology allows us to clone work and information that is not necessarily our own. Lanier couldn't be more accurate. When reading an academic resource, at the back is this collection of references i.e. other people's work. Of course, it is wonderful learning a vast amount of information from a vast number of people, perhaps collective intelligence, but I find too much information can be distracting and often puts me in a position to be put off my work. This is why I like to interact face to face with individuals to gain insight on their views in a less daunting way. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 23:45, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

Comments
This was an interesting read! While I do use online resources such as Succeed to help me find what I'm looking for, often friends can be the best resource. The last essay I wrote was for history, and me and my friend were doing the same question, so he read lots of books and then gave me the ones he had found useful (and he is also a helpful underliner, so I was able to use lots of his references haha!) Although this was kind of a sneaky shortcut on my part (don't worry, I did do other reading independently and I am capable of it, he is just a faster reader than I am) it does highlight that other people can often be helpful in pointing you in the right direction for finding resources.

I avoid distraction (as I posted on my discussion page) by tackling one task at a time and not allowing myself to multi-task. I am curious as to your views on this issue? It appears to me that our constant state of connectivity can be highly distracting to our work. Carys the Hat (discuss • contribs) 21:04, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Hey I agree this was a great take on ‘Information Overload’. The idea about information face to face being better to a site like Wikipedia is a great read. I would personally agree with you and say face to face is a much easier way of understanding and gathering more relevant information. However we have to take into account the persons ‘Online Identity’. Is the narrative they use online reflect their real life? If not then this can lead to the information being received as unreliable. The point you make about having to use research at university to create new original pieces in comparison to copy and paste in Primary school. This requirement means we are forced to read countless amounts of books before we even think about starting an essay. Most essays are 1000-200 words how can we think eight books worth of information into one essay? The use of face to face means we can get primary sources which leads to a cut down on the overload of information we receive. RyanMurray96 (discuss • contribs) 16:13, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

You raise a valid point! Depending on the subject, writing an essay can seem such a daunting task as it feels downright impossible to go through all the relevant data. Being able to pick out the texts that are most useful to a specific topic is difficult and I personally think that's one of the subjects university is set to teach us. In this day and age, the abundance of information is only getting more vast and being able to comb through texts to find the relevant articles is becoming a very useful skill. Nowadays it is not about knowing everything but being able to seek out the right information when the time calls for it. Having peers to discuss this with is very useful as otherwise the process might become too mechanical - human perspective is always helpful. Riinamaria (discuss • contribs) 19:27, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

This insight into information overload is very interesting particularly your last point regarding articles and journals which reference a large number of other people's work. I too find this can be overbearing at times particularly when it comes to referencing this work. This also introduces an intriguing point regarding the individuality of people's work and how much of the ideas raised are actually theirs. When will it get to a point where academics end up rewording articles and journals that have already been established? I also found your link to other students work particularly helpful and a good way of linking up ideas together. Kyra Paterson (discuss • contribs) 20:11, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

Thank you Kyra Paterson, Riinamaria, RyanMurray96 and Carys the Hat for commenting on my task for this week. Yes definitely, a huge task becomes a lot easier when you are able to discuss it with someone else. I also like doing the same! Well I am someone who commonly gets distracted by the smallest of things, but if I try hard enough, usually just by putting my to the task allows me to avoid distractions. By putting on my earphones and listening to some Bombay Bicycle Club, ensuring my phone is out of sight, I am able to avoid distractions and focus on the task. The online identity aspect you have brought up RyanMurray96 is very interesting. Perhaps a weakness in my post is that I forgot to mention talking to individuals in person, as in not online. You are however right, talking to someone online carries the risk of not getting a reliable transfer of information. Do you think there is anyway in which we can see forward, or notice, if someone is giving us a misrepresentation of themselves? Yes Riinamaria, you are right. A huge task in itself is trying to figure out how to use all the information available in a structured and relevant manner. I guess by talking to individuals, it helps to break down the information available and allows you to take a break from the screen. Kyra Patersonyour point completely relates to what Jaron Lanier was explaining in his article! I think many authors and academics already learn a lot from one another, but everyday many people also come up with new theories and ideas which allow new books to be written and more minds to be opened. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 22:29, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

I absolutely agree with many of your points here! I also find the amount of information that we have such easy access to online both overwhelming and intimidating. It's incredible that all this knowledge and information is so readily available to us yet I also find it distracting. I'm very similar to you in that a lot of technology often intimidates me, I am nowhere near as technologically savvy as many of my friends are. I like your point about how the evolution of the internet and the information we have access to online has developed along with the standards expected of our academic work. At a university level standard it is crucial to be able to navigate the information online and be able to find the sources and facts we need without becoming bogged down in websites or distracted by social media, which I often find easily happening to me when I use the internet for work. EilidhNo.2 (discuss • contribs) 13:51, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

I sympathize with your views on how daunting the internet can be, although I do believe that once we are able to comprehensively understand the internet and the platforms that are provided for communication, I think it can be of great benefit. The proof is in the pudding with Wikipedia, what a great resource it can actually be once you get the hang of it! Kurtismccallie95 (discuss • contribs) 16:22, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise #4: Wikibook Project Reflective Account
The collaborative process of the wiki project due for assessment in this module was a very new and interesting way of expanding my understanding of the very common term, group work. Hans Magnus Enzensberger, a German author and poet, had stated that new media has become a "peacemaker for the social and economic development of societies" however, if relating this statement to my personal experience of the wikibook project, I would have to disagree. Initially when asked to make our own groups and decide on a topic, I was very comfortable with this. Being able to talk to people face to face and understanding not only their words, but their expressions helped a lot with making a decision. I didn't quite understand how important face to face communication really is until this wikibook project. It also helped because I was in a group in which I knew a few of the members, therefore it was not hard to communicate ideas openly. Thereafter, once a given topic was allocated to our group, I found being part of a group very challenging. There were now twenty-five other people all in the same group and all with one aim, to do well. David Gauntlett would argue that the "collective abilities of an online network [makes] an especially powerful resource or service." Before the wikibook project I would have blindly agreed, but when in a group with people who you can only communicate to via an online platform, that is where the challenge arises. It is only through circumstances and experience that you get to understand and learn about the complexities of the internet we now take for granted. Trying to effectively distribute word to each individual become a challenge, with so many people suggesting ideas, and so many creative intentions, the task of completing an assignment had become secondary; trying to communicate with so many people and understand what to do had become the main challenge. As the project deadline drew closer it kept becoming more and more clear as to why engagement and time were such key elements of this project. I learned that engagement was vital for any piece of group work to come together and that I think is a skill in itself. I found engaging with so many people on an online platform very challenging. Simon Lindgren talks about the idea of participatory engagement and that is what I found myself doing; only talking to the people I felt comfortable sharing ideas with and not suggesting my own ideas to someone I do not know. I understand this was then be detaching myself from a wider group and community, however the density of information simply floating around was overwhelming.

As part of writing a wikibook, a lot of information was needed to complete the task. Of course, allocating work within the group of twenty-five was a challenge, but an even bigger challenge was trying to find the correct and relevant information needed. With the overload of information available, it was tough finding the right information to pick. Lindgren would believe that sharing content allows the consumer to think about what the original producer might have wanted to say however I found myself using the available information for self allowing purposes, and that was to complete my section of a wikibook. If however I was researching something without educational purposes, then perhaps I would appreciate the content available more. For wikibooks however, the pressure of it being a heavily assessed project took away a lot of the leisure.

Overall, the idea of completing a wikibook is very exciting however in actuality this excitement turned into hours of contemplation and confusion. Gauntlett states that "any collective activity which is enabled by people's passions.. becomes something greater than the sum of its parts." This is a beautiful idea, however the wikibook project with time become less of a passion (for me individually) and more of a demand that I did not understand. The pressure of it being assessed so heavily made this enjoyable task very daunting.

The wikibook project was a great learning experience. I learned being part of group in todays world does not simply mean showing face and hoping for the best. As the media world is developing so quickly it was very advantageous to have tackled such a unique means of assessment so early in my degree. Purneet kainth (discuss • contribs) 21:32, 5 April 2016 (UTC)

Comments:
Hello, your reflective article is really interesting as it has shown me a different side to the wikibooks project in which you collaborated a lot with your sub group compared to the larger group. It is also insightful to hear that meeting face-to-face was a helpful process for you. I was unable to meet with my group in person which would have been good to do, however I feel the discussion page allowed us to communicate (while adding contribution points). Did you feel that within the larger group of your chapter there were any power dynamics to deal with (e.g. people 'leading' or 'dominating' the page at all)? If so, how did you cope with this process? Kyra Paterson (discuss • contribs) 08:26, 7 April 2016 (UTC)

Hello This was a great summary of the project we have done. I agree with your point about Hans Magnus Enzensberger. Meeting face to face is always easier for me, like you said being able to understand not only the words but the expressions help us to come away understanding more about the roles each individual in the group has and how we are going to achieve these goals set. However as soon as we got into a larger group this went out the window. Communication only through social media meant things moved slow and little progress was made. Did you have the same problem as me? Also did you find that members of your small groups online identity differed from their offline? You talk about David Gauntletts idea of "collective abilities of an online network [makes] an especially powerful resource or service." Do you think this assignment would be easier communication was completed on an instant messenger platform which we are more familiar with like Facebook for example? Overall I have to say I am really impressed with your insight and the knowledge you have gained by doing this project. congratulations. RyanMurray96 (discuss • contribs) 19:16, 7 April 2016 (UTC)

I agree that talking face to face with group members was a much easier and efficient way to collaborate with one another compared to that of the wiki itself. I found the wiki hard to cooperate and interact with group members and difficult to know when people were directing questions to me or to others. At times the discussion became like a wall of text and it was challenging to discuss ideas with others as following the conversation was confusing. The tagging feature helped, although to see this feature, you would have to go out your way to look at the wiki, whereas if using another social platform, the tagging notification would go straight to your pocket with no need to go out your way to find out if there was activity on the feed.

Being comfortable with sharing ideas with group members is important and when thrown in the deep end in regards to trying to collaborate with a lot of various other individuals in the larger cohort was challenging. I also felt the way you did, as it is easier to share ideas with those you know a little more. It is understandable that you felt you could only share ideas with those that you felt comfortable with as it can be daunting to share ideas with those that you do not know. Gauntlett states that "harnessing the collective abilities of the members of an online network [makes] an especially powerful resource or service". To an extent I agree as more ideas were developed due to the group dynamics. However, in actuality, the project was not done out of pleasure or the willingness to create and make the world a better place as such. Everyone's aim and motivation was to do well within the project to obtain a good grade. This does not fit into the ideas of Clay Shirky's cognitive surplus which relies on the willingness to make an effort and engage to improve and enhance the knowledge of the world. In this project, there was no real passion to obtain information for the greater good, and rather just to obtain the grade necessary. Do you agree with this? Ihatewasps (discuss • contribs) 03:39, 8 April 2016 (UTC)

Hi Purneet, this was a very thoughtful account of the Wikibook task. I definitely agree with much of your experience and can definitely relate to how challenging you found it. However, in relation to Lindgren's ideas, I actually found that in my wikibook section I discussed a lot of my ideas with people I didn't know and was very comfortable doing so, so it's interesting to hear that you were less comfortable doing this. It does seem overwhelming to discuss the task with so many people though, considering the wealth of research there was to pour over. Carys the Hat (discuss • contribs) 10:54, 8 April 2016 (UTC)

This was an interesting account of your wiki book experience. I can relate to most of what you said,specifically with reference to allocating and distributing information.I found that it was harder to control what everyone chose to write about as the assignment neared its due date.This meant that people were duplicating topics without having checked if anyone had wrote about the same thing. It became obvious as the project went on that it was rather pointless allocating information within the subgroups,without consulting with the larger overall group.However,even though it was a constant battle with communication,I found satisfaction in seeing the final product and proud knowing that it was indeed a team effort.Pamela.nx (discuss • contribs) 17:03, 11 April 2016 (UTC)

Marker’s Feedback on Wikibook Project Work
You make a number of very useful contributions to the content of your group's chapter page. These include some fairly substantial entries on key thinkers in the area, as well as some formatting, and also as the main contributor to the Glossary section of the chapter. Your work is referenced, and there are some indications of moving from description to analysis. These are particularly evident in the exercise portfolio, for which you make a real effort to engage your colleagues. As far as content goes, you could have perhaps given yourself more time to develop the edits as much of your contribution to the page was made in the final couple of days of the project period.

Wiki Exercises


 * Good. Among other things, good entries will make a clear point in a clear way. They will relate concepts to original examples in a straightforward fashion. They will make effective use of the possibilities of the form (including links, as well as perhaps copyright-free videos and images, linked to from Wiki Commons). They may also demonstrate a broader understanding of the module's themes and concerns, and are likely to show evidence of reading and thinking about the subject material. The wiki markup formatting will be very clear.

Content (weighted 20%)

 * Your contribution to the book page gives a good brief overview of the subject under discussion in your chosen themed chapter. There is a good range of concepts associated with your subject, and the effort to deliver critical definitions, drawing from relevant literature and scholarship, and your own critical voice in the building of a robust argument is very much in evidence. The primary and secondary sources you found about the chapter’s themes cover a good range and depth of subject matter.

Understanding (weighted 30%)

 * Reading and research:
 * evidence of critical engagement with set materials, clearly grounded on close familiarity with concepts and ideas encountered on the module
 * evidence of independent reading of appropriate academic and peer-reviewed material through evidence of close familiarity with a wide range of evidence
 * Argument and analysis:
 * well-articulated and well-supported argument featuring appreciable depth of understanding
 * good level of critical thinking (through taking a position in relation to key ideas from the module, and supporting this position in discussion);
 * good level of evidence of relational thinking (through making connections between key ideas from the module and wider literature, and supporting these connections in discussion);
 * evidence of appreciable independent critical ability

Engagement (weighted 50%)

 * Evidence from contributions to both editing and discussion of content to an appreciable standard (i.e. volume and breadth of activity as evidenced through contribs)
 * Good engagement with and learning from other Wikipedians about the task of writing/editing content for a Wikibook
 * Reflexive, creative and well-managed use of discussion pages using deployment of judgement relating to key issues, concepts and procedures

Overall Mark % available on Succeed

FMSU9A4marker (discuss • contribs) 15:06, 3 May 2016 (UTC)