Gold

As I ran over the golden sand
I spied something across the land.
In my favor, it was unplanned.
I picked up a treasure in my hand.

This golden trinket shimmered and shined.
Never thought that I would find,
Something that had been left behind
Worth so much in my mind.

This golden thing is my treasure,
The value of it cannot be measured.
I keep it with me for my pleasure.
I love my little golden treasure.

Informal and Formal Typing

Typing has made the grammar and spelling of teenagers worsen over the years. Teenagers sacrifice grammar and spelling when they are typing to their friends, but this most often develops into a habit. When typing informally becomes a habit, it tends to affect you when you try to type formally. Essays will take you longer to type when you constantly have to correct your typing. It also makes you more prone to typos. Although typing informally is easier and still helps to get your point across, you shouldn't make it a habit. In life, you are required to type many essays. It would make it a lot easier on yourself if you could type properly. People shouldn't have to depend on spellcheck to write their essays for them. Teenagers don't take the time and put in the effort to learn grammar and spelling because they rely on technology to correct them. It would save a lot of people's grades if they made sure to pay attention to their typing. Some people think people who type informally are ignorant and uneducated. If you don't want to seem uneducated, make sure to keep your informal and formal typing separate.

Nick's Interview

In Nick Mamatas's interview, The Paper Market, his voice was very calm and confident. He did not seem nervous or flustered by any questions he was being asked. Nick stuck to his opinions regardless of the pressure that was put on him. As for diction, I felt that he talked too fast and should speak at a slower pace to get his point across more clearly. He didn't stutter too often so the flow of his speaking wasn't much of an issue.

Hearing Mamatas definitely had a greater impact than just reading what he had to say. His confidence persuades me that he honestly doesn't believe that he did anything wrong when he wrote these papers. His arguement is that he made the students sign a contract saying they would only use his papers as models. This means that if they broke the contract, then they were only cheating themselves. I felt that because these students signed this contract, they put their integrity on the line. Regardless of whether or not Nick knew the students were going to plagiarize his essays, the students definitely knew that handing in something that was not their own work was wrong.

Nick's medium has a greater affect on people because he chuckled during the interview. Some people felt this was disrespectful and basically meant that he felt cheating on term papers was humorous. The sarcasm used in Nick's writing was different than the sarcasm coming from his mouth in the recording. It is sometimes difficult to detect sarcasm through text, but it is relatively easy to detect it in person due to a person's tone. Nick had a very dry sense of humor that seemed to have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

I believe that chosing a medium for your opinion is a very crucial factor when trying to prove a point. In my opinion, being vocal about something creates the greatest affect among people. When you are speaking, people can clearly identify your voice, tone, and diction. They can also tell whether you are confident or hesitant in your arguement. Being vocal also shows the passion and emotion you have towards the topic of conversation. Text doesn't create as big of a stir in some people because it is more impersonal than actually hearing someone's voice.

The Term Paper Analysis

In Nick Mamatas's The Term Paper Artist, he describes what it is like writing term papers for many different people. Nick categorizes these people into three groups which he calls "Dumb Clients", "One-Timers", and "Well-Educated Professionals". He says that the "Dumb Clients" have probably never read a term paper before, therefore wouldn't know exactly how to piece one together. He said that they could get the basic idea of how to write a term paper from what their teachers have explained to them, but as for the criteria that should be included in one, they are left on their owns. Nick describes it as "trying to write a novel... without ever having read a novel." A "Dumb Client" ends up becoming so desperate that they don't care about the quality of the paper, as long as it meets the requirements the professor asks for.

Nick Mamatas claims that the key to a successful term paper is to focus more on the subject and less on the paper itself. His advice is to not approach it as if you are writing a term paper, but that you are trying to fill a set number of pages with information. He also claims "the secret to [writing a term paper] is to amuse yourself." If you keep a serious, but light attitude towards term papers, you will be able to focus more on the topic without stressing out over the fact that you're being graded.

I think that Nick's key to a successful term paper is a very useful thing to remember. If you focus more on the subject, you will most likely have more to say about the matter. Also, you relieve yourself of the stress coming with writing a term paper. By approaching it in this new light, you will be able to develop a stronger opinion on subjects or events that will help make for a stronger term paper. The easier you allow the thoughts to flow from your mind into a term paper, the more well-written and strongly worded the paper will be. Nick Mamatas believes that once you master the format of a term paper, you will be able to write as many as you need to without any problem and I agree with him. After accomplishing something so many times, it becomes easier and easier to do.