Post #4: The Synthesis Post

In this post, you need to incorporate 2 outside sources into your discussion of a specific issue.  These should be integrated via quotations, paraphrases, and hyperlinks.  This post can be—but doesn’t necessarily have to be—argumentative.  For example, perhaps you are discussing current trends in the automotive industry.  You might look at three new models of trucks and synthesize how they are similar in appearance.  The same can be done for another topic, like nursing.  Perhaps you find three other outside sources that help you discuss appropriate bedside manner.

You now know how to hyperlink.  Of course, you will also probably paraphrase and/or quote some outside sources.  You can do this in the traditional manner that you learned in your regular composition courses.  You would give the name of the site and the writer, then include the information in quotation marks.

1.  According to Rita Ruben’s USAToday article, “On average, a seriously mentally ill person in the USA is three times more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized, a report concludes today.”

2.  According to Rita Ruben, the mentally ill in America are much more likely to end up in jail than in a mental health facility.

You may also find it helpful to include a hyperlink to the article for people who might want to read the source.  Hyperlinking will substitute for end-text citation in the case of your blog, though you should add some kind of indicator as to where this information is coming from.  Either use an author’s name, the article title, or the publication’s name.  All three are, of course, preferable.

Another way to insert quotations is through the quotation feature in WordPress.  It is located in the tool bar right next to the left alignment button.  To use it, highlight the text you would like to put in a quotation AND THEN click the button.  It won’t work the other way around.

On average, a seriously mentally ill person in the USA is three times more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized, a report concludes today.

You will have to unclick the button to “end” the quotation.  You will know that this has worked when the text looks indented in your posting text box.

When you’re synthesizing for your blog, remember that you’re just using multiple sources to support your one central idea.  For example, perhaps you are writing a post about how awful Croc shoes are on your fashion blog.  A good synthesis post would look something like this:

I absolutely cannot stand Crocs shoes.  I’m sure you’ve seen them before: they’re all sorts of neon colors and look just like swiss cheese.  Really, it’s like a cross between a Dutch clog and Play-Doh.

I’ve always felt alone in my hatred of them.  You can find them everywhere, and I can’t tell you how many little kids I’ve seen flopping around in these monstrosities.  Clogs have never been in style, except maybe in Holland.  I find Crocs to be the epitome of American laziness: you can wear them anywhere because you can dump them in a bucket of water to clean them, they slide on and off (no bending over or tying of exhausting knots!), and they’re easily purchased.  You don’t have to go looking for the right pair of Crocs to match your outfit.  One stop at Payless and you’re done.

Apparently, the folks over at I Hate Crocs dot com sympathize with me.  The whole website, created by Vincenzo Ravina, is dedicated to slandering the shoes.  Take the following for example.  The co-founder of the site, Kate, writes,

We hate Crocs for the same reason that people hate mildew: they’re ugly, foul-smelling and make everything feel hopeless and dank. Crocs offend the eyes of those with even the loosest grip on common sense. They must be stopped.

I wholeheartedly agree.  They’ve even gone so far in their hatred as to physically destroy a pair of Crocs with scissors.

Even more so, though, is the fact that Crocs are dangerous.  According to this MSNBC article, little kids are getting their feet stuck in escalators because of the shoes’

…their flexibility and grip. Some report the shoes get caught in the “teeth” at the bottom or top of the escalator, or in the crack between the steps and the side of the escalator.

What parent in their right mind is going to let their children suffer crimes of fashion as well as endanger their feet?  I always knew the shoes were evil, and this just proves it.  But the danger from Crocs has spread into the healthcare system as well.  According to Julie Deardorff’s blog, hospitals have banned the shoes because they’re permeable to liquids and pose a health risk.

Crocs are not only hideous but seriously dangerous.  I urge you to consider getting rid of yours and your family’s, if you have them.

Post #3: Inserting a Hyperlink

This is much simpler than inserting a picture.  When you want to link to another website, follow these steps:

1.  Highlight the text you would like to make your link out of.  This can be the actual URL (www.wordpress.com), or a piece of indicative text: this will take you to the WordPress homepage.

2.  Once you highlight that, two new boxes will appear in your editing tool bar.  One looks like a piece of chain link.  Click that one.

3.  A pop up box will appear asking for the URL of the site you’d like to link to.  Make sure the url you place in the box is correct, otherwise the link will obviously go nowhere.

4.  You can control where the new window appears in the drop down menus below the URL box, but this isn’t necessary.

5.  Click “insert,” and there you go.

Edit This

Post #2: Inserting Pictures

You may find that pictures enhance your blog and/or your intended message.  When you want to insert a picture, follow these steps:

1.  Locate the picture you want to use and download it.

2.  Find the Upload/Insert bar just above the toolbar on the Add New Post page.

3.  Locate the icon that looks like this:   Clicking it will open a pop-up window that will let you browse for your image.

4.  Click the “Select Files” tab, then browse for your file.

5.  You may insert a caption if you wish in the “caption” tab.  Nothing else will actually show up on your blog.

6.  Click “insert into post.”  This is right under the “thumbnail” option.

7.  All done!  You can center the photo by highlighting it and then clicking the alignment tool in the toolbar, just like you would for text.

Post #1: Introductory Post

In order to begin posting, first log into your account at http://www.wordpress.com.  Once you’ve done that, you will see a grey bar at the top of your window.  From left to right, the tabs should read “My Account,” “My Dashboards,” “New Post,” and “Blog Info.”  Click on “New Post,” then select your blog.  The Add New Post page should immediately open.

For your introductory post, you should acquaint your audience with your blog.  What is your topic?  Why do you want to write about it?  What qualifies you to write on that topic?  Who are you writing for (i.e. your audience)?  Remember that all blogs should be at least 250 words and follow good grammatical practices.