intro: how to join and participate

As a member of Prof. D'Amato's English I course it is your responsibility to join this e-journal blog and, crucially, to participate throughout the semester. You will do this in two ways: (1) submitting comments to posts of at least 150 words, and (2) sometimes writing your own posts.

Importantly, this site will also serve as a message board from me to you. I will most likely have to pass on important information regarding class meeting times, assignment deadlines, changes in the syllabus, etc. throughout the term. Therefore, be sure to check this site frequently, if not at least once daily, to be sure you are current with the goings-on of the class.


Okay, so what's next?
Below I am going to detail how to join this blog and how to contribute. If you are unfamiliar with using blogs have no fear, Blogger is quite user-friendly in my opinion and you should catch on quick. Remember you can always email me with questions and you should email me immediately if you are having trouble with the site. For those who are quite internet savvy, disregard this most-likely redundant information; you may wish to glance in brief, however, to see how things will specifically function on this site.


How to Join
Email me, (prof.damato@gmail.com), with your email address so that I can invite you! From there you'll receive a link allowing you to gain authorial access. Follow the link and you'll have the opportunity to use an existing online identity (e.g., an email account) or to create a new username and password and officially join Blogger and the course e-journal.

If you have one of the various online accounts which qualify as OpenID you can join Blogger effortlessly, just use your existing account's log-in information.

This webpage offers some comprehensive information on OpenID, as does this one. But the long and short of it is this: "OpenID allows you to use an existing [online] identity to sign into multiple websites, without needing to create new passwords [or usernames]." Some of the OpenID identities accepted by Blogger are: AOL/AIM, LiveJournal, TypeKey, Wordpress, and Gmail or any other Google-related identity.

From now on you'll use the username and password you select or create to log into this blog before you add a comment or a post. So write it down or email it to yourself so you do not forget this information.


How to Comment & Post
First, you must log in.

To comment to any post click on the post's title or on the "## comment" link at the bottom of the post. You can also click on the post's title found under the archive tree on the right side of the site. At the bottom of the post you'll find an editable text box. Remember to write at least 150 words! You can offer something in response to the main post thread, or you can reply to a comment written by another student. If the debate gets intense enough then you, or I for that matter, may decide to move the discussion into a new thread all its own.

To post a new topic or thread once logged in, go to the top of the site and at the right of your email address/username on the navbar you'll see a link titled "new post". This is your ticket. Once you've arrived at the post-editing screen you'll notice it's a bit more complicated than the comment box; yet, think of it like a word document screen and you'll catch on quickly.


More Editing & a Disclaimer
If you happen to know html and/or java scripts you can use these to edit your posts to a greater degree---adding images, video, links, and more.

If a student should choose to add media to a post, keep in mind that inappropriate material will be subject to immediate removal. Depending on the level and degree of inappropriateness, the student faces disciplinary action such as receiving a zero on the assignment (minimum) or being reported to the Dean of Student Affairs (maximum). Please see the Division of Student Affairs website concerning the disciplinary process and other such information.


In Closing...
Be sure to bookmark this site on your personal computer so that you can check the blog frequently. As I recommended above, at least once a day you should be visiting. While you are required to only submit one writing per e-journal assignment, you may write as much at you wish on this blog. Contributing more does not necessarily guarantee you "bonus points" or "extra credit", but extra effort certainly weighs heavily on your overall class participation.

Remember, the point of this blog is not only for you to submit a weekly journal entry, it serves as a birthplace for written ideas. The things discussed and argued here will undoubtedly come up in class, and should, so feel free to reference the blog's content while we are in the classroom. Paper topics and angles of argumentation will also present themselves here. This is a vital component and goal of this site: for students to test and share ideas with one another, furthering understanding of specific subject matter thereby deepening one's ability to discuss the course's texts and topics.

I hope to get an email from you soon so that you can join our community to a further extent by contributing commentary and content to our blog!