Response to Rhiannon

I liked the examples Rhiannon provided on rhetoric, mostly because I can relate to them. People often use different forms of rhetoric on us and most of the time, I must admit, it does work. Of course, now I will be a little obsessive about trying to figure out how people are trying to persuade me to do what they want. On the other hand, it also works both ways. That means that the more I know about rhetoric, the more I will take advantage of that knowledge.

I think that understanding rhetoric will also make it easier to understand people and their actions. This is especially important when working with others closely because they will undoubtedly use rhetoric to achieve their goals.

Ch. 6/7 Reading

Chapter 6 has some very good guidelines to consider when doing research. They are particularly useful now that I have started the research for the research paper. One of the most important points to consider is that you must find information from sources that would persuade your audience to agree with you. Normally, I noticed that it is easier to just find information that will provide support for your arguments. However, now that we are taking a reader-centered approach, it is important to not only consider your readers when establishing your arguments, but also when presenting the sources to support those arguments.

One point that I liked from chapter 7 is that readers typically formulate generalizations that might not be the ones you intended. This is why it is so important to present your own generalizations before providing the details, leaving less room for the readers to do so. Another useful section from this chapter was designing headings and text. This will reveal organization, making it easier for the reader to follow each point.

Rhetoric

When I think of rhetoric, the most obvious idea come to mind-persuasion. Persuasion can have a very powerful effect on people. After all, you will be able to shape the way someone thinks or acts. It is important to remember that even though you may want to persuade somebody, you must never mislead or manipulate them.


After the discussion in class about rhetoric, I really started to think about which form of rhetoric is used on me daily. Every time I drive past a sign, rhetoric is at work. Every time I see an advertisement, rhetoric is at work. It is present when I communicate with people, even in simple situations when a friend asks for a favor.

Ch. 4,5,16, 23 Readings

One of the sections that I thought was important in chapter four is how to organize information. I currently have to communicate a lot of information to co-workers and clients and would like to organize it in a way that would be easy for them to find. Organization is also a key factor in the way readers will receive and react to my writing. I also liked the section about planning graphics. Graphics can be a very effective way to convey information and support arguments, but it is important to select the best type of graphic to make it useful.

Chapter five was useful to me because we use persuasion constantly, although the forms may vary. Once again, it is important to organize your points in a way that would elicit a favorable response from readers. It is also important to present yourself in a way that would bring the readers to believe and trust you. I also think it is important to keep in mind that, although we are trying to persuade our readers, it is wrong to mislead or manipulate them.

Chapter 16 focused on effectively communicating and working with a team. The guidelines presented in the chapter can be applied to both academic and professional teamwork. I think that many of the problems that teams encounter are due to lack of communication. AS a result, productivity is lowered significantly. Although I am used to having one designated leader, I liked the idea of sharing leadership responsibilities because then all team members assume equal responsibility.

Chapter 23 provided guidelines for writing instructions. I think one of the most important points was testing the instructions. There were several times when I had to prepare instructions for some of the processes at work. When I actually tried to follow my own instructions, I realized that I left out several steps because I thought they would be obvious and didn't need to be pointed out.

Response to Brandon Mitchell

One of the things I liked about this post is how Brandon was able to connect the current chapter to the previous chapters. As he mentioned, the previous chapters stressed the important of taking a reader-centered approach. Chapter 3 continued in the same direction by setting guidelines for finding out about the reader.

Brandon also commented that he believed some of the expectations were too high. This was an interesting thought because I also had one like it when reading the chapter. As I was reading all the different aspects I was supposed to consider about my readers, I really wondered how I was going to remember all of them. I imagined how difficult it would be to write an e-mail at work and not only focus on the task at hand, but also consider the fact that my e-mail could be handed down to "phantom" or "future" readers. It already seems difficult to focus on my present audience, but adding a yet unknown audience would make it much more complicated.

Chapter 3 Reading

It appears that taking a reader-centered approach is not as simple as following a few guidelines. As chapter 3 outlines, the writer must think in advance about the readers' tasks, goals, and characteristics. In some cases, the writer must even shape the attitudes of the readers on topics they have not yet considered. Failing to correctly define the readers' goals could result in unintended actions by the readers.

This chapter also pointed out the importance of keeping cultural differences in mind when writing because they can affect communication significantly. This is true not only when dealing with international companies but those in the United States as well. Even domestic businesses have people who belong to various subcultures. Therefore, their reactions are influenced by their cultural backgrounds.

The idea of "phantom readers" is not something I had met with before. In a professional environment, your writing may be handed down to people for whom it was not written. Writing may also be handed down to future readers, so communicating in a way that would be helpful and useful to these readers is vital.

Writing Freestyle

Although I generally enjoy writing, it has never been something that came to me easily. I always liked my English classes, but I preferred reading over writing. It would often take me a while to compose my thoughts and then get them down on paper. As I progress toward earning my degree, I know that writing will be an important part of my career. After speaking with others in the field of accounting, I discovered that they spend most of their day writing. This includes communicating with clients, co-workers, and managers. Obviously, I will need to improve my writing skills in order to be successful in my career.

Thoughts on chapters 1, 20, 22

Chapter 1
After reading the first chapter, I began to realize the importance of thinking about your readers. As mentioned in the book, the writer must establish a relationship with each individual in the group. This may be very difficult because each person could receive a different meaning from your writing. In the past, I was used to thinking only about what I would like to say, which points I wanted to make. Now, I must focus on the readers to make sure I provide them with the necessary information and help.

Chapter 20
I think this chapter provided clear guidelines for reader-centered correspondence. In particular, I found the guidelines for e-mail especially useful because I constantly communicate via e-mail with co-workers and clients. It is helpful to know the correct way to format my e-mails, as opposed to just going with what looks right.

Chapter 22
Although I have never been required to write a proposal, I think this chapter would be useful should I have the need to do so in the future. I like the way the contents of each section were described in detail. Also, the revision checklist would be useful in making sure that all the necessary elements are included.