Michael Dupuis
Developing Digital Content
Professor Jarret Loftsted
May 2, 2011
Review of Developing Digital Content Class
In this paper I will discuss what I have learned and how it has helped me better understand what digital content really means. When I first signed up for this class I did not know what I was getting myself into, because I did not grow up with computers like the millennium kids of today. Families were fortunate enough to have a typewriter or a word processor if they could afford one. After the first class and the explanation by Professor Lofsted about what digital content was and how we were going to proceed in this class it eased my anxiety of not knowing how to place the digital content into a web page. I was never taught how to use computers or had taken a computer class during my career. Most of the time when my company provided us with laptops it was a minimal class on how to start the computer and how to get to the Internet and necessary web pages. You have to remember, my first Internet service and email was AOL the dial up network.
In the first few classes the information received was very informative and gave me the knowledge I need to navigate the Internet and how some of these well known websites such as Google made there money when they were free of charge to you. I never knew that Google sold your information to other companies so that they could send you emails with advertisements attached to get you to purchase their product.
Another thing that I learned was that Websites are set up in a certain way so that the reader would be alert to a certain portion of the Website. Readers read from what they call the F pattern on the Internet. They would read maybe the first two paragraphs of the content that is placed and no more than that, so when you place content to be read or looked at on your Website, then you must make it concise and short enough that the reader absorbs what you are trying to get across to them in the first few paragraphs. This was of importance to me because so far in school you write long papers and place as much content into them as needed through out the paper.
Continuing with the knowledge that I have obtained in this class, I learned that if you have content on the first page of the Website than you have scored because a percentage of the people do not read any further than that first page of the Website.
I always have wondered about how the digital content that I see on websites are placed in that particular site. This question was answered by using the tool of word press, which I had never heard about until now and how it ads content in the right place. This instruction was of great help even though it took me a few times to get the gist of placing the content, especially videos into the website it was like anything else you do. The more you practice with it, the better you get with doing it. Some additional information that I obtained and I was not aware of was the amount it cost for someone to set up a professional Website for you. This blew my mine when I heard that it could cost over $2000.00 dollars.
What I liked about this class was that in the beginning we were provided with the basics of developing digital content. We were not just rushed into doing the project that we were assigned without having some knowledge and the background of the origins and history of what we were doing.
I learned what a URL was and how it was developed and used on websites. The URL was broken down and explained to us about what it represents. Many people that never grew up without a computer would not appreciate the information that I learned just in the beginning of this class. People seem to take things for granted that it was always this way that computer technology has existed for years. This is why the diversity that we have in class between the old and young of age students. It comes natural for them, however not so natural for the older students such as me.
We began our trial project for the people say project and the assignment was to conduct research on the Mardi Gras Indians, which was very informative. This was the beginning stages of our process of using word press and building content for the people say project along with learning about some of the history of New Orleans. Some of the information that was researched was the timeline and how you became a Mardi Gras Indian.
Growing up in New Orleans you heard about the Indians, however I never knew how far back their history went. I just thought that this was another Mardi Gras organization forming to make money and have a good time. We as students were not just being exposed to the word press but at the same time the culture that he grew up in.
As I continued with our first assignment to place digital content into The People Say Project Website, we were given our choice of two musicians one being of Truth Universal a African American rapper that his inspiration for his music was the culture that he grew up in the city of New Orleans. He was not born here, but was born in Trinidad and moved here as a child with his mom and dad. His not so friendly relationship with the New Orleans Police Department influenced him to write a song called “ Protect and Serve” or F… the Police song. This drew my attention as a law enforcement officer and I wanted to conduct some research on Truth to see why he hated the police so much. My initial impression of Truth was very negative. Because of this project I was able to learn of his history and background and learn that he was not the bad person I had initially painted him out to be. It became obvious that he did not hate the police in general, but that he did not like the harassment he received over the years from certain police officers. What further influenced me was the interview that Brian Boyles conducted with Truth and Alex McMurray along with the contact we were given with each of these musicians. Each musician made themselves available for members of the class. It was learned that they are no different from us, when it comes to trying to make a living off what we love to do.
The production and taping of the interviews were also explained to us in class. We were allowed first hand access to what was involved in pulling everyone together such as the two artist and their schedules along with a place to film the interviews, which was provided by the Louisiana Endowment for Humanities, which without this class I did not know it existed here in New Orleans.
After explaining this process, we were allowed to bring our families and view the live performances and taping process in person. Due to work scheduling conflicts, I was only able to attend the Bunny and Ayo interview. This was so much better than just reviewing the video on the web. I was able to see the response of other people in the audience as Ayo and Bunny were interviewed. I was impressed with the fact that additional chairs had to be brought into the studio, because of the amount of observers who showed up to see this live interview. At the end of the interview, the members of the audience were allowed to step up to the microphone and ask question to each one of the artist as it is for every interview production.
One thing that motivated me with this class is that Professor Lofstead provided each student with fliers to push and sell each interview session that occurred on the set dates and times. This gave me a sense of ownership and pride of what we developed during the class and placed on the Website. It was up to each one of us to make this project a success or a failure. Yes, you were allowed to work at your own pace but if you slacked, it would definitely show, plus on top of this the digital content that each member of the class was downloading onto the website would be available to the public to read and see along with the artists themselves. This added to what I was talking about earlier that it was our website to make it look the best that we would. This went along with the individual responsibilities set in the beginning of the class along with what was expected of us.
The topics that we were given in this class, which focused on music, the visual arts, theater, and film, fit right in with New Orleans history and background. I conducted research on each of these topics along with one of the artist from each topic. It was over all a learning experience for me, not just with the process of placing digital content but learning the history and background of the content that I was placing into the People Say Project. Some of the content that we were able to develop was taken right from the internet and other content was written in our own words.
Overall, I enjoyed the class, and absorbed and learned a lot in such a short time. I believe the two classes a week for sixteen weeks was just enough time for what we needed to do, because the majority of our work was done at home, library or during personal interviews. I believe that this class should continue with a second part added in order for students to continue with additional topics. With the second or continuation of this class it would make the students become more efficient with the people say project and continue the addition of digital content.