Shamelessly stolen from Durrell’s famous 50’s tomb, this title is most apt to describe the wonderful assortment of people who surround and enrich my life. The forthcoming project will provide an insight into this family through a variety of media.

Contents: 

1. Introducing the mob (photos, biogs and links to family tree at Genes Reunited)
2. Pets (photos and links to ‘youtube.com’)
3. Family recipes
4. Hobbies page (boxes, photography, travelling, am-dram, guitar clip)
5. Kids (photos and spot the difference)

In response to this, I’ll write a reflective report that comments on my choice of material, the communicative media used, and my reasons for including it.

Introduction:
The range of communication media has grown in recent years as new forms of hardware and software have become available. Although this revolution was foretold many years ago, it has only become feasible since the widespread adoption of high-speed internet. This, combined with the reduced size (and cost) of compatible hardware means an individual may communicate their ideas to one or many millions of computer users in an instant.

As the physical obstacles to remote electronic working have fallen, so the software to accommodate this practice has evolved. The term ‘groupware’ encompasses such media as ‘Chat rooms’, ‘Wikis’, ‘Blogs’, and ‘Collaborative workspaces’. These have all become commonplace and are constantly evolving to reflect the changing needs of users.

Types of Media

HTML
Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) is the code specified by the worldwide web consortium (W3) for the design of browser-based content. Since its introduction in 1989, there have been a number of refinements, a result of which is the recent creation of (Extensible Hypertext Mark-up Language) XHTML. This is a controlled version of the same code which, although less forgiving of programmer errors, is a multi-platform language, acceptable by all browsers.

HTML allows written, visual, and audio content to be uploaded to the internet (or intranet) and instantly accessed from any computer on the World Wide Web. This serves as an invaluable communicative device for a wide audience from corporate giants like Microsoft, to small businesses or even individuals posting a simple interests page.

There are many ways with which a web page can be built. For those savvy with the code, HTML can be written directly into notepad and then saved as an .htm extension, (viewable through a browser). Alternatively, there are a large number of specialised applications which allow the user to concentrate more on the presentation and functionality of a web-page. These then create the HTML code automatically.
 
Blogs
This popular revolution has a devoted following and wide reaching audience. A Blog is an online resource for ‘posting’ information. This information can take many forms, from a simple journal, to complex special interest message boards. Although there are numerous parameters which permit the customisation of Blogs, the fundamental act of posting one’s thoughts on the internet is very simple.

Collaborative workspaces
Workspaces such as ‘GoogleDocs’ enable synchronous or asynchronous collaboration on the same document. The workspace refreshes automatically every few seconds which allows others to see how a document is evolving. Whether collaborators are in the same room or separated by thousands of miles, groupware can bring together multiple perspectives and expertise (Burnett, p161).

As interesting and useful as groupware is, it is still just another version of written correspondence. Even chat rooms, which offer near-synchronous discourse, are dependent upon a users’ command of a language and their ability to express complicated ideas lexically.

In addition to groupware, such things as video-conferencing, home-to-office networking, and mobile communications help to bring participants together within ‘media spaces’. It is with these media spaces that we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Conclusion
Face-to-face discourse is arguably the most effective form of expressing one’s thoughts. The subtle nuances of non-verbal communication; body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions all combine to deliver a message. It is this factor that has been missing from e-communication for so long. However, as the components that make up media spaces evolve, users can look forward to a richer communication experience that permits more than just words and two dimensional images.
 
Burnett, R. (2005). Technical Communication (6th ed). Massachusetts: Thompson Wadsworth.

Wempen, F. (2006). HTML and XHTML Step by Step. Washington: Microsoft Press.

Meet Lacy, my friend’s Jack Russell nutter. She, like most of her breed, gets up a full hour before anyone else and drinks her bodyweight in coffee. I caught this moment last week during one of her high-octane chases around the garden. As someone once said – anyone who hates animals AND children can’t be all bad.

This lens is huge fun.

This morning I recruted my niece, Emilia, for a photo shoot.  After a few abortive attempts where the light wasn’t right, or she moved, I got a clear shot. We then spent a merry few minutes examining the blood vessels and other gory features to be found on her eye!

DL Pauls, JP Alsobrook 2nd, W Goodman, S Rasmussen and JF Leckman  This précis offers a clear outline of an experiment conducted by Yale University and what its objectives were. From a literary point of view, the text is easy to follow and clearly identified with capitalised headings, but from a scientific perspective, the results and subsequent theories seem inconclusive.  My main concern is regarding the number of cases studied, just 100: Such a figure can hardly offer concrete data from which to form a sound conclusion. As this study was to examine the relationship between OCD and Tourette’s syndrome and also the effect of this condition within family groups, a much wider subject base would seem more appropriate. Having said that, the results gathered from this test do suggest a common thread of reciprocal behaviour patterns and warrants further investigation. Upon further study, if this proves to be the case, we may well see a time when a patient’s entire family enter treatment for OCD following diagnosis.  

 Pauls, D,L. Alsobrook 2^nd, J,P. Goodman, W. Rasmusen, S. Leckman, J,F. (1995). A Family Study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Retrieved March 11, 2007 from: http://www.ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/152/1/76 

Although this paper is written quite clearly, the text is presented within a single paragraph. The use of bold headings and more white space would certainly increase the accessibility of this piece, as would a separate paragraph for the description of each grade. Although this is just an abstract, there are notable omissions. For example, the correction of a grade III inverted nipple requires that the lactiferous ducts be cut, however no mention is made about their re-connection and therefore the effectiveness of the nipple for breast feeding.  

Overall, this description is both interesting and informative and I applaud the writers for providing a clear explanation of their outstanding work. Han,
S. Hong, Y. (1999). The Inverted Nipple: Its Grading and Surgical Correction. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from http://www.plasreconsurg.org/pt/re/prs/abstract.00006534-199908000-00010.htm;jsessionid=F1wBLxQzJ4ghSDpTjQGTFnnJhyZJPKGpJpHQz4nf01pzvB6p0Y5p!-1633365230!-949856144!8091!-1

I chose to read this paper because of the current debate regarding cannabis use. Downgrading this popular drug from Class B to Class C was heralded by many as a step towards de-criminalisation; at last, the powers that be were realising that people who just enjoy getting stoned at the weekends are not necessarily criminals fit only for imprisonment! However, since those wheels were set in motion, formal studies have increased and a number of worrying trends have been identified: This paper examines the unfortunate case of a school teacher who suffered three strokes following cannabis use. The main message of this piece is that cannabis use of all kinds, and in all age groups, increases the risk of stroke and other conditions related to hypertension. My concern centres on missing information about the patient. For example, there is no mention of family medical history, yet the incidence of strokes is known to be hereditary. Additionally, the three incidents all followed ‘heavy’ cannabis consumption and therefore this case offers a more extreme forecast than for an occasional/light user.  

Opting to review a medical case study may seem a tad ambitious as the proliferation of specialist terminology could impair its readability; however, this was not the case here. On the whole, I found this paper very accessible and managed to follow it despite not knowing all the jargon. From a layman’s point of view, I was impressed at how the information was clearly presented and backed up with visuals where relevant.   Mateo,
I. Pinedo, A. Gomez-Belderain, M. Basterretxea, J,M. Garcia-Monco, J,C. (2004). Recurrent stroke associated with cannabis use. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from: http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/76/3/435 

I’m sure that when Thomas Crapper revealed the first flushing lavatory to the world, people were dumbstruck and aghast with what a novel idea it was. The same can be said for Edison’s electric light and Bell’s telephone – but once the applause dies down, these are just things that serve a purpose in the human world – they don’t make us any happier, they just do a job.

What is it that drives us on as a species in this way? Why are we always searching for the miracle answer that will make everyone happy? To believe that using computers to assist in education will lead to an intellectual boom among young people is both naïve and idyllic. Once the hype has subsided, we will see that they are just the latest in a long line of new concepts that merely replace old methods. Children will still learn to read, write and perform maths just as they always have, neither better nor worse off because of computers.

When calculators first became widespread, school teachers were concerned that these miracle devices would negate the need for children to develop their own mathematic ability. They were, of course, right. Mental arithmetic is still taught, but soon lost as older students adopt the use of calculators. Surely ubiquitous technology in the form of PWDs will simply render other parts of a child’s brain redundant.

Some writers talk of technology reaching a point of critical mass – where a new concept explodes upon the scene and we all cheer with delight. However, I fear that time will herald the point when we realise we are, as a species, dependent upon - and therefore OWNED – by technology.