LEVEL 4 PEAs by Cynthia Yeo https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x Please post your new and improved responses here en-us 2018-02-28 15:24:03 UTC 2018-03-01 12:36:26 UTC hello@padlet.com Question #3 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236448511 The intended audience for “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” is young adults and up, technology users and the makers of technology. Young adults and older because Laing uses complex and harder words which may be for a older audience for example “Of course, like most people I rarely buy a pencil, preferring to pick them up free from various places of employment, in the mistaken belief that they are a legitimate fringe benefit.”. Also, that she explains why she likes pencils better than computers and there maybe some people doing a job wondering to use a pencil or computer. Finally,  Also, there may be some people out there her age wondering if they should should I get a computer or stick to pencil because there used to using pencils and may think that computers are going to be hard to use. Another audience is the makers and users of technology, they are a very important audience because their opinion matters too. She puts in her opinion leaving many out. If she were to let the user and makers of tecnolly that actually use and enjoy it maybe she will change her mind herself.  ]]> 2018-02-28 15:26:15 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236448511 Question #3 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236448803  The method of development Liang uses in her text is compare and contrast. In the text the author compares the pencil to the computer. But she does take the side/favor the pencil as she explains the benefits of the pencil and the negatives of the computer. For example, in paragraph 9, the narrator states”Compared to a computer, a pencil takes up far less space on a desk and it can be utilized in a car, bathroom or a telephone booth without the use of batteries. You can even use one during an electrical storm. Pencils don’t cause eye strain.” In this statement the author is comparing how the pencil is superior to the computer in that it is more portable and reliable. The word “compare” was also used in this statement. Therefore the text “Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” by Bonnie Liang is a compare/contrast text. ]]> 2018-02-28 15:26:41 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236448803 Question 1 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449040 The conflict in “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” is Man vs. Technology. Throughout the text, Liang continuously talks about how pencils are more efficient than computers. In the majority of the paragraphs, there would be bias towards pencils and how they were more superior to technology. As exemplified in the sentence “Compared to a computer, a pencil takes up far less space on a desk and it can be utilized in a car, bathroom or a telephone booth without the aid of batteries. You can even use one during an electrical storm.”, the reader can clearly understand the bias towards the pencil. She includes information about previous famous authors and how they were successful without using technology or even a typewriter. ]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449040 Question #2 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449087 Laing implies that people must have socio-economic privilege to own a computer. This is exemplified by her referring to computers as expensive “...how spending $3,000 on a piece of molded plastic” One can infer that Liang believes that people who own computers must have socio-economic privilege through that alone, as people in poverty cannot likely afford expensive items. She also claims computers are “useless” as it is implied, that Liang believes that of computers, by calling it a "piece of molded plastic". Although other privileges can be inferred, Laing does not imply them to the extent of socio-economic privilege.]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:05 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449087 Question # https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449093  Laing uses pathos to persuade her audience by using relatable, emotional situations and inputting it as a negative personification of technology. In the text, her appeal to emotion is demonstrated when she says “My therapist claims that acknowledging the superior partner in a destructive relationship is the first step toward recovery.” In this quote she tries to appeal to the reader by using a relatable situation - being in a relationship. However, the fact that the Laing used a destructive relationship between herself and a computer adds humour - another appeal to emotion. Since the author alludes to a common, emotional life event, being in a relationship that is not going well, Laing is using pathos to try to persuade her reader that computers are destructive.]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:05 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449093 Question #5 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449296 She persuades the audience about how a pencil is better than a computer.  She does this because she is knowledgeable on the topic. She is a writer talking about writing this helps her persuade the audience that she knows what she talking about. For example, she pointed out that "Chaucer was a pretty good writer even though he used a quill, and Dickens managed to produce 15 novels and numerous collections of short stories without so much as a typewriter." This proves she not only knows what she is talking about from her experiences with writing but is knowledgeable about other writers and their techniques. 

]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:21 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449296 Question #5 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449585 Liang uses ethos in her text “The Ode to a User-Friendly Pencil” by persuading the audience about her opinion on how a pencil is better than the computer. Throughout the text, Liang establishes that she is educated and a writer. However, she does not mention the voices or opinions on other technology users that support the computer. Because of this, Liang only uses her voice and opinions to support the statement in the text. This may cause people to get more persuaded towards her argument because nobody is trying to say that it is wrong. During the text, the voices of other people were only heard once. This was when Liang was stating the difference in prices between the computer and the pencil by saying “even if I couldn’t figure out how spending $3,000 on a piece of molded plastic was going to make me wealthier” ]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:43 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449585 Question #2 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449756 Liang implies that people must have socio-economic privilege to own a computer. This is exemplified by her referring to computers as being “expensive” and “three-thousand dollars” on various occasions. One can infer that Liang believes that people who own computers must have socio-economic privilege through that alone, as people in poverty cannot likely afford expensive and “useless”--as it is implied that Liang believes that of computers (at least in relation to the pencil, by calling it a "piece of molded plastic")--things. Although other privileges can be inferred, Laing does not imply them to the extent of socio-economic privilege.]]> 2018-02-28 15:27:54 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236449756 Question #7 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236450634 I believe that computers are a convenient and versatile machinery that makes completing everyday tasks, such as homework, easier. Bonnie Laing describes pencils as “wonderfully single-minded” , especially in comparison to a computer. By this, she means that pencils are un-complicated and simple. I believe that this can be a good thing, as well as a bad thing. Computers can do so much that I often find myself distracted when I’m supposed to do homework. My procrastination while using a pencil was never really anything more than doodling, but on my laptop it is several buzzfeed quizzes. Aside from that, I believe that computers are beneficial, and they do not necessarily have to be expensive. ]]> 2018-02-28 15:29:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236450634 Question #2 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236451125 The author of "An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil" implies on socio-economic privilege and class privilege in order to own a computer. This is illustrated when h.. Laing states that “...if I couldn’t figure out how spending $3,000 on a piece of molded plastic was going to make me wealthier”. . From this, the reader can infer that Laing is of a higher class because she was able to afford that expensive, 3,000 dollar computer.  This direct quote makes me infer that she has no interest in computers and they don’t fascinate her, and she also states it as “3,000 dollars”  which is a big investment and is quite expensive. In the quote the author says “...make me wealthier” which leads to my inference of her already being rich and her thinking that buying a “3,000 dollar” isn’t making her more rich.  In spite of the fact many more privileges can be interpreted but socio-economic/class privilege were her main focus. ]]> 2018-02-28 15:29:38 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236451125 Question #2 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236451395  Laing states that people must have socio-economic privilege to own a computer. This is exemplified in paragraph number two when she refers to a computer being expensive at the cost of three-thousand dollars. This is also quoted in paragraph two when she says “... how spending $3,000 on a piece of molded plastic was going to make me wealthier”. From this,  readers can infer that Laing believes that people who own computers must have socio-economic privilege, as people in poverty cannot afford these expensive computers. Although socio-economic privilege isn’t the only privilege shown in this text, they aren’t talked about as much. ]]> 2018-02-28 15:29:57 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236451395 Qu. Number 2 349612929 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236452592 Laing implies that people need to have a socio-economic privilege or a higher class privilege to own a computer or device. She implicitly references this privilege when she states, “I couldn’t figure out how spending $3000 on a molded piece of plastic was going to make me wealthier.” She makes computers less attainable to lower classes by using a hyperbole, since $3000 is an amount of money that mostly higher class people can pay without worrying they are in debt. Socio-economic privilege is revealed when she speaks to her readers as if they have all have access to the choice between pencils and technology. Therefore, Laing's socio-economic and class privilege are demonstrated by her references to the cost of technology.]]> 2018-02-28 15:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236452592 Question #3 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236453329 In “ An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” Laing uses a compare and contrast structure throughout the text. She uses this structure to compare the differences in functionality between a pencil and computer. Some specific examples of a compare and contrast structure include: “Compared to a computer, a pencil takes up far less space on a desk”, “the more convinced I became that the pencil is superior to the computer”,  “Operationally, the pencil wins over the computer hands down.” These direct quotes from the text are all arguable, but show the author strongly believes that the pencil is better than a computer   because they think the pencil is superior, mean while they are dumbfounded on how to use a computer.]]> 2018-02-28 15:32:28 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236453329 cynthia_yeo https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236539993 2018-02-28 17:28:04 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236539993 Question 1 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236659158 The conflict in the text “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” by Bonnie Laing was a man vs technology conflict. I think this because throughout the whole text the protagonist was against technology and supporting a more simple tool the pencil. For example in paragraph 5 it says “ To start with the purchase decision, you don’t have to ask for a bank loan to buy a pencil. Since most pencils are not manufactured in Japan, you don’t feel you’re upsetting the nation’s balance of trade by buying one.” This is something she states in the text, here she develops reasons to fight computers and support something like the pencil. In this section, the pencil and computer get compared, the author writes the benefits of the pencil over a computer. It is as the author refuses technology by using the pencil show she make an argument.  One of the points she left out was the fact that pencils break which means it's something you need to repurchase many times, and money does add up. Although computers are very expensive you really only need to buy it once and take care of it and it will last you many years.

]]> 2018-02-28 20:23:37 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236659158 Question #5 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236775798 Laing uses ethos in her writing to persuade the reader throughout the text, that a pencil is better than a computer. 

“I was persuaded to make this investment by well-meaning friends who said the word-processing capacity of a computer would make me a better writer, make me a more productive writer, and make me a richer writer. I pointed out that Chaucer was a pretty good writer even though he used a quill, and Dickens managed to produce 15 novels and numerous collections of short stories without so much as a typewriter. But I have to admit that option C got to me, even if I couldn’t figure out how spending $3,000 on a piece of molded plastic was going to make me wealthier.

She mentions in the text that she is indeed a writer. This makes her word about the “best writing” tool more reliable. In the quote above she says “well-meaning friends who said the word-processing capacity of a computer would make me a better writer” Later on in the paragraph she questions their word. This can imply that her friends who are inexperienced with writing, are not that reliable. She mentions other successful authors who used a pencil to write their books. Saying that other great writers use pencils to write instead of a computer, makes it sound like pencils are better to write with then computers. The author uses her experiences as an author, and names other good authors, talking about how she/they used a pencil and they are successful. 

This is how the author uses ethos in her writing to persuade the reader that pencils are better than computers.

]]> 2018-03-01 04:52:04 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236775798 Question #5 https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236861805 Laing uses ethos to persuade her audience by hinting at her profession and comparing herself to famous writers “... I pointed out that Chaucer was a pretty good writer even though he used a quill…”. Seeing as she is confident in comparing herself to such famous writers, she must be a professional writer as well. That can make what she writes more trustworthy, and believable. It’s obvious she extensive experience as most of her life computers were either non-existent and only became an effective tool later on in her life. This text is her writing from personal experience, which also adds to her argument. ]]> 2018-03-01 12:36:19 UTC https://padlet.com/cynthia_yeo/48zxbkra3p0x/wish/236861805