The Wonderful Xbox

Introduction

I. Attention Catcher:

What do you do with your free time?

II. Listener Relevance Link:

Everyone loves to enjoy their free time.

III. Speaker Credibility:

I have been playing videogames since I was 10 years old.

IV. Thesis Statement:

I can't imagine my life without my Xbox 360.

V. Preview: It is entertaining, it has a lot of games, and you can go online.

Transition (optional): The Xbox 360 is a great gaming console so let me explain to you why this is so.

 

Body

I. First Main Point
The Xbox is a very entertaining gaming system.

Listener Relevance Link: When you play a game, don't you want to be entertained.

   1.  I can watch all my DVD's in HD.

   2.  Listen to my music.

   3.  Can get on the WiFi and watch Netflix and Hulu.

Transition: Not only is the Xbox a great source of entertainment, but it has so many games it would blow your mind.
 

II. The games are the most vital part of the Xbox 360.    

    1. There are so many games and different types to choose some.
    2. You can download full games or demos permanently onto your Xbox.
    3. As you play, you can unlock achievements for performing certain actions.  

Transition: If you can afford it, the online capabilities are amazing.

 

III. The online play is what connects you to the whole world all through your Xbox 360.

Listener Relevance Link: We live in a social world so why not make some new friends while you utterly beat your opponent. 

      1. The best part of the Xbox is the ability to play online with friends and others across the world.
      2. You can also make purchases online through the Xbox marketplace.
      3. Connect constantly so that your games and Xbox are always up to date.

Transition: Obviously the Xbox 360 has multiple functions that will take your free time to the next level.

Conclusion

I. Restatement of Thesis: Without my Xbox, my life would be so boring I could not bear it.

II. Summary of Main Points: My Xbox is so wonderful because it is so entertaining, the games are challenging and never end, and getting online connects you to the gaming world.

III. Clincher: So if you don't have anything to do, why don't you get an Xbox and experience its endless possibilities.

I could not imagine my life without my Xbox360

I.Entertainment
1.Watch DVD's
2.Listen to music
3.WiFi Capable
II. Games
1.Various games
2.Downloadable demos
3.Unlockable achievements
III. Online play
1.Can play with friends
2.Make purchases in Xbox marketplace
3.Update your games for more content
IV. Reliable
1.Long play times
2.Rechargeable controller batteries
3.Impact resistant frame

My Social Identity

Imagine a kid with a fair amount of friends that he sees on a daily basis. He spends the majority of his time with his friends. They do not do anything bad they just hang out. Then this new websites comes out and all his friends are obsessed with it, but he refuses to get on to it. He still hangs out with his friends from time but this “Facebook” has changed their whole dynamic. He does not see the big deal about it but he makes an account just so he can see what is up with all the commotion.

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9442899/Facebook-adds-save-for-later.html

Facebook was started by a guy named Mark Zuckerberg who attended Harvard. There was a lot of controversy the site in the beginning, but now he is the sole owner.  There was a movie about Facebook’s beginning which did a real good job of telling Mark’s story. Facebook started as something that was just for college students to talk to one another and share experiences, but now is a global website that many people are a part of. I think that it has drastically changed how we all use the internet. It has introduced us with people from all around the world, most of whom we would have never met in our regular life. It allows us to be friends with different people of different races and learn about different cultures. I myself have never befriended anyone I don’t know because that is just weird to try to talk to someone online you do not even know. In my book you are supposed to leave strangers lone, but not everyone online would follow those rules. I think Facebook has done a great job of maintaining its message of staying connected with friends. However, many of its users do not always share the founder’s sentiments.

Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and countless others are what are enthralling this generation. Some would say that this has a negative effect on us while others have only good things to say. Whichever sideyou find yourself on, by now your curiosity has forced you to at least visit one of these sites.  I know what you are thinking; I have heard about it and everyone around me is on it and rambling about this and that and how great it is, but I am going to stay away because it has nothing for me. I know this because this was my first reaction to Facebook. I kept hearing about how everyone is on it and it was going to consume your life as well if you get on, but I was determined to be the odd man out. That mode of thinking, however, did not last very long. According to Facebook, I became a member in 2010 but to be honest I could not remember if you paid me. I like Facebook and I think that it is a cool site, but I never understood the hype. I most definitely would not say that I am a diehard Facebook fan; I am just an average user that uses it to talk with my friends. Facebook has been my only online social identity and I did not understand its’ true function until I came up to UK. If you do look me up, I rarely upload pictures because I am not a big fan of being photographed so that is why my profile picture is of my favorite NBA team.

 

Facebook was always been just something for me to do when I was bored so I have never understood why people are so addicted to it. I did not have internet at home so I would only get to check my Facebook when I went to the library. I would usually just check my messages and friend requests nothing too major. If I was really bored, I would look at my friend’s profiles and comment on their statuses.  I was never the one that wakes up at three in the morning because my phone buzzed from a Facebook alert because one of my friends, who was an obvious an insomniac, like a picture I took a month ago. Or at work procrastinating because my friends uploaded a new album and I had to go through each and every picture and “like” all the good ones. I was never like that and I cannot really understand how anyone gets like that.

                               http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-facebook.html

The biggest problem with Facebook today is the security of your personal info. If you sit back and think about it, you put more on your Facebook than on any other site. To be honest Facebook probably knows more about you than all of your friends combined. Most people are not cautious of what they put on Facebook because they do not think about who is looking at their profile. I keep my profile locked down like Alcatraz with only certain people who can see certain things. I do not really trust the ads and other stuff they put on Facebook because I do not want anyone stealing my identity. I can see myself getting furious if I had to prove that I really am me so I just stay away from anything asking for my personal info. Most users do not know how the companies on Facebook use the info they make available on their pages. Most legislation is real lax with online laws so you better protect your personal info before you end up with nowhere to turn to. If users would actually learn up on the different ways to keep their profiles safe from online predators, then the negative attitudes towards Facebook would change.

Facebook still remains a very popular site with billions of users and I am one of them. Over the years, I have never changed my use of the site. I just check it when I get bored. Now that I have a smart phone I can check it on the go no matter where I am. Facebook is a great site that I would recommend to anyone who wants to keep up with old friends. Just stay away from anyone you do not know is my best advice for any new users. It’s a great site with a lot of good things on it you just have to look in the right places. I would not say that Facebook has been a big part of my life until now that I have left all my friends behind, but Facebook is what I use to stay connected to them. Facebook is still something I enjoy in my free time and no matter what happens I think I will always be on Facebook.

Sources:
Pros and Cons of Facebook
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-facebook.html

History of Facebook: The Beginning of Social Networking Revolution
http://suite101.com/article/history-of-facebook-a217306

Facebook Users Share and "Like" Too Much
http://www.pcworld.com/article/255100/facebook_users_share_and_like_too_much_report_says.html

9 Reasons Why You're Hooked On Facebook
http://allfacebook.com/nin-reasons-why-youre-hooked-on-facebook_b38349

Rough Draft

Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and countless others are what are enthralling this generation. Some would say that this has a negative effect on us while others have only good things to say. Whichever side you find yourself on, by now your curiosity has forced you to at least visit one of these sites.  I know what you are thinking; I have heard about it and everyone around me is on it and rambling about this and that and how great it is, but I am going to stay away because it has nothing for me. I know this because this was my first reaction to Facebook. I kept hearing about how everyone is on it and it was going to consume your life as well if you get on, but I was determined to be the odd man out. That mode of thinking, however, did not last very long. According to Facebook, I became a member in 2010 but to be honest I could not remember if you paid me. I like Facebook and I think that it is a cool site, but I never understood the hype. I most definitely would not say that I am a diehard Facebook fan; I am just an average user that uses it to talk with my friends. Facebook has kind of been my only social identity so that is why I chose it for my essay.

Facebook was started by a guy named Mark Zuckerberg who attended Harvard. There was a lot of controversy the site in the beginning, but now he is the sole owner.  There was a movie about Facebook’s beginning which did a real good job of telling Mark’s story. Facebook started as something that was just for college students to talk to one another and share experiences, but now is a global website that many people are a part of. I think that it has drastically changed how we all use the internet. It has introduced us with people from all around the world, most of whom we would have never met in our regular life. It allows us to be friends with different people of different races and learn about different cultures. I myself have never befriended anyone I don’t know because that is just weird to try to talk to someone online you do not even know. In my book you are supposed to leave strangers lone, but not everyone online would follow those rules. I think Facebook has done a great job of maintaining its message of staying connected with friends. That concept was something I did not understand for a while until I came up to UK. I mean I see my friends everyday so why do I need to get on Facebook to add them. If I was already friends with you in real life I did not see the point of getting on Facebook. Luckily, I did get on and I am glad for it.

Facebook has always been just something for me to do when I am bored so I have never understood why people are so addicted to it. I did not have internet at home so I would only get to check my Facebook when I went to the library. I would usually just check my messages and friend requests nothing too major. If I was really bored, I would look at my friend’s profiles and comment on their statuses.  I was never the one that wakes up at three in the morning because my phone buzzed from a Facebook alert because one of my friends, who was an obvious an insomniac, like a picture I took a month ago. Or at work procrastinating because my friends uploaded a new album and I had to go through each and every picture and “like” all the good ones. I was never like that and I cannot really understand how anyone does get like that.

The biggest problem with Facebook today is the security of your personal info. If you sit back and think about it, you put more on your Facebook than on any other site. To be honest Facebook probably knows more about you than all of your friends combined. Most people are not cautious of what they put on Facebook because they do not think about who is looking at their profile. I keep my profile locked down like Alcatraz with only certain people who can see certain things. I do not really trust the ads and other stuff they put on Facebook because I do not want anyone stealing my identity. I can see myself getting furious if I had to prove that I really am me so I just stay away from anything asking for my personal info. Most users do not know how the companies on Facebook use the info they make available on their pages. Most legislation is real lax with online laws so you better protect your personal info before you end up with nowhere to turn to. If users would actually learn up on the different ways to keep their profiles safe from online predators, then the negative attitudes towards Facebook would change.

Facebook still remains a very popular site with billions of users and I am one of them. Over the years, I have never changed my use of the site. I just check it when I get bored. Now that I have a smart phone I can check it on the go no matter where I am. Facebook is a great site that I would recommend to anyone who wants to keep up with old friends. Just stay away from anyone you do not know is my best advice for any new users. It’s a great site with a lot of good things on it you just have to look in the right places. I would not say that Facebook has been a big part of my life it has just been something I enjoy in my free time. No matter what happens I think I will always be on Facebook.

Sources:
Pros and Cons of Facebook
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-facebook.html

History of Facebook: The Beginning of Social Networking Revolution
http://suite101.com/article/history-of-facebook-a217306

Facebook Users Share and "Like" Too Much
http://www.pcworld.com/article/255100/facebook_users_share_and_like_too_much_report_says.html

9 Reasons Why You're Hooked On Facebook
http://allfacebook.com/nin-reasons-why-youre-hooked-on-facebook_b38349

 

The Wonderful Google

I agree that this article has some good points on how the internet has changed our minds and the way that we think, but I think it has gone a little far when it says that we are dumb because of it. I mean so what that we do not spend as much time with our nose in the books looking up something.  Why should we? We have a tool that does it for us and makes things faster and more efficient. I do not know about you but I have never thought being more efficient was or ever could be a bad thing. Having so much knowledge at the click of a button is just a luxury of the age we live in. We should not blame Google and other related sites for making us lazy or stupid. If anything, using another outdated source like a book is just crazy and a waste of time. This new age requires that speed and precision so why not find info instantly on Google.

As far as not being able to retain attention on long walls of texts, I do not consider a fault. I mean the author mentioned how he has noticed this change in himself and his friends as well, but it is understandable. With so many things that occupy our day, who has the time to just sit down and focus on reading a long text? We need what we are looking for now and without the hassle of looking at filler. If Google is making me stupid I and everyone else can and should only say thank you.

The Rhetorical Situation

I have to say that that was the most over the top article I have read in a whole. There were not any real specifications to this so I am just going to tell you readers what I got out of all that mess. Even though it took him forever to say it, this whole paper is about how rhetorical discourse, which I understand to be an argument of some kind, is always found or interpreted from a situation. I just do not know why he had to add so much extra to this paper. I understand trying to flex one’s personal vocabulary, but this guy took it to a whole another level. He just kept firing off higher level word after word, not giving the reader a chance to catch their breath. Usually after seeing a word that I do not know or completely understand, I would whip out the old dictionary, but this guy made it impossible. I would have been working on just the reading all night if I did that so I just had to force myself to trudge through his barrage of unnecessary words. I figured most of them out through context clues so I do not feel like a complete idiot.

If you ever need a guy to drive a point home for pages on pages, this is your guy. Throughout the whole paper he kept saying that rhetoric is situational and gave some real great examples such as the Gettysburg Address and the assassination of Kennedy, but after a while it got annoying. He would write a whole page of words explaining this and expounding on that, but I would not know what was going on till the last couple of sentences when he would simplify things. He also went on to describe the components that go along with rhetorical situation such as, exigence, which is any obstacle I believe, audience, and constraints.  Yet again when explaining these, he went overboard with the excess words and drawing analogies to previous analogies which did not make sense in the first place. I mean how is it possible to affect the audience with your speech if from the very start they do not understand you and have to strain to see your point. Overall this was way too long and I would not wish that reading on anyone, even an actual rhetorician. That word is so funny to me but I do not know why lol.

My Sources

Pros and Cons of Facebook
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-facebook.html

History of Facebook: The Beginning of Social Networking Revolution
http://suite101.com/article/history-of-facebook-a217306

Facebook Users Share and "Like" Too Much
http://www.pcworld.com/article/255100/facebook_users_share_and_like_too_much_report_says.html

9 Reasons Why You're Hooked On Facebook
http://allfacebook.com/nin-reasons-why-youre-hooked-on-facebook_b38349

Could Facebook Replace Your Email
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-11/tech/cashmore.facebook.email_1_facebook-users-facebook-one-facebook-messages?_s=PM:TECH