What good bloggers do

What do good bloggers do? That's the question. By looking through many other blogs, I got the impression that I somehow misunderstood the concept of blogging. Since I'm not the type of person who likes to share feelings over the Internet, I'm having some problems with opening up and telling people I don't know about my life and opinions. But oh well, that seems to be the idea of blogging.
So, after a month not looking at my blog at all, it is time to upgrade and change things a little. To get some inspiration on how I can make my blog more readable, I took a closer look at these three blogs and their qualities.

1) interesting topics
In order to make a blog more readable the most important aspect is the importance of the topics to the world. Nobody is interested in what the blogger did today or what the weather was like. It is more about things that matter, inspire, make the reader laugh or think. This might be the hard part for some bloggers (like me) to find topics that are influential, appealing or humorous. I mostly ask friends and family if they have topics they would like to get more information on or look through the internet and other blogs. Easier ways are no narrow topics down  to one themed blog or do a series on one topic. 

2) engage with the readers

To be taken seriously and be considered a good blogger, it is important to always have the readers in mind. Those are the people who will read what has been written and will then form their own thoughts based on that. If there are no opinions, feelings, thoughts or no passion the readers will get bored and click on another side/blog. So, expressing feelings and writing in an original way makes a blog much more entertaining and will keep readers. Adapting the style of writing to the topic and audience as well as asking question and for advice is the key to engage with the readers.

3) font and size

Layout, Design, font and font size are the basics of a good blog. If the font size is too small or the background color is too distracting, a blog is not readable, no matter if it is interesting or boring. Font and size should be the same throughout the whole blog otherwise the readers can’t focus on the content.

4) be different 

Good bloggers use their own words, no copying is allowed! They write what they feel, make their own layout, try something new and write about it, even embarrassing experiences, which doesn’t matter. This is about the chance to be a writer, to touch nations, to inspire individuals. At least, that’s the fancy idea.  Information and interesting articles can be found in the newspapers as well. Blogging, however, is about the person behind the letters and his or her life and thoughts.

5) what should I change then? 

I have to get over my fear of writing. I took days for just one post. I also have to stop looking for information for hours and hours, instead I will focus on relevant and to-the-point information. Mistakes in blog give me a headache as well. I have to stop worrying so much about mistakes and people’s reactions - I can’t let this stop me from blogging. I heard that my posts were too long to read for some friends, from now on I will post shorter posts more often – addressing the reader is the key! And as my teacher advised me to do: Yes, I will take pride in my blog.

Youpost 4

Key West

 

Probably the most picturesque place I visited is Key West. When I walked along the beach, feeling the fine sand between my toes and enjoying the panoramic view of the crystal-clear turquiose ocean, I thought I was in paradise. I never ever wanted to leave this place but here I am again in stodgy Austria telling you about it. Hopefully, I can spark your interest in this place by telling you more about it. First of all, before going there, you want to make sure you pack at least one swimsuit, an essential item. I can say this because I forgot mine and experienced the sweatiest holiday ever. Besides the swimsuit, you will want to bring sun glasses and a camera.

Things to do in Key West:

Most certainly you will travel to Key West via Miami as there are only a few flights destined for Key West. Don't rent a car to drive down from Miami as you won't need one in Key West. Instead, take one of the many tourist bus, which are not very expensive. When on the bus, make sure you sit in the front row so that you can enjoy the endless view.

This is the map of the Old Town Trolley route that tours around Key West. It stops at the most important places such as museums, bars, lookout towers and the beach. Using the bus to explore Key West is convenient and easy; you can get in and out wherever you want.

One of the stops of the Old Town Trolley is the southernmost point in the US. When visiting Key West, you have to take a picture standing next to the giant concrete monument, fashioned after a buoy. This monument is only 90 miles away from Cuba - want to hop over?

Don't forget to stop at Sloppy Joe's Bar. This bar serves the award-winning key lime pie, which is a special cocktial, Key West is famous for. Stroll along in Oldtown, where Sloppy Joe's Bar is located, and stop in at the Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie factory. If you prefer wine, try the one at the Key West Winery, where it is made of fruits like oranges, mangos and tangerines - but no graps. A truly unique taste bud experience!

With this post I hope to have given you a few pieces of information about Key West. It is most definitely a place to visit if you want to experience being in paradise. Knowing the beauty of this place, it is common among retired New Yorkers to move down to it to flee all city-related problems. I probably won't be able to do that but I know where to send people for a perfect beach wedding; by the way, what about your wedding?

Reflecting on writing (2)

paragraph CLI                                     SUK1/ Group5/ Kercher/ November 22nd, 2013

The one thing that really surprised me about my CLI, Ivy League, was the origin of the name. While researching I found out that there are, mainly, tow possible derivations for this word. Firstly, Ivy as a plant is supposed to protect walls and give them a longer lifetime. Because it secretes nanoparticles to help it grip walls, it can grow similarly to the structure of a net. Ivy acts like a blanket, warming up and protecting  the walls against extreme temperatures, to prevent them from cracking. Britain have used this advantage of the plant for decades by planting Ivy on the walls of their houses. Hence Ivy is planted on the walls of the English universities in the U.S. Secondly, Ivy was also an important sports term.  The Roman numeral four (IV) has used to refer to the emerged American football league of the four prestigious universities Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton. On November 23, 1876 sports representatives of these four universities met to decide upon uniform rules for their games. The term IV (pronounced the same as the plant) spread rapidly afterwards. Today, educational institutes promote themselves by using the term Ivy to compare themselves to the Ivy League. Little ivies ( liberal arts colleges), public ivies (public colleges) and southern ivies are just a few examples. To conclude, researching the two origin of the name of my CLI, Ivy League, helped me to get a better understanding of this term and its history.

[250 words]

Improved Version 1:

The one thing that really surprised me about my CLI, Ivy League, was the origin of its name. While researching I found out that there are two possible derivations for this word. Firstly, ivy as a plant is used to protect walls and help them last longer. Because it secretes nanoparticles to help it grip walls, it grows similarly to the structure of a net. Ivy acts like a blanket, warming up and protecting  the walls against extreme temperatures, which prevents them from cracking. Because of this purpose, ivy was planted next to the walls of universities. Secondly, ivy was also an important sports term.  A sports magazine used the Roman numeral four (IV) first to refer to the emerging football league of the four most prestigious universities: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton. Today, educational and sports  institutions promote themselves by using the term “ivy” to compare themselves to the Ivy League. Researching the two possible origins of the name of my CLI, Ivy League, helped me to gain a better understanding of this term and its history.

[180 words]

Improved Version 2:

The one thing that really surprised me about my CLI, Ivy League, was the origin of its name. While researching I found out that there are two possible derivations for this name. Ivy as a plant is used to protect walls and help them last longer. As a result of secreting nanoparticles to help it grip walls, it is considered a versatile and invasive species. Ivy acts like a blanket, warming up and protecting  the walls against extreme temperatures, which prevents them from cracking. Due to these numerous benefits, growing Ivy is a great choice for a hassle-free and healthy landscaping particularly for the walls of the four most prestigious universities: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton. Ivy was also an important sports term. The Roman numeral four (IV) was first used to refer to the emerging football league of the these four universities. Until today, a number of these leagues are still holding this name. In short, researching the two possible origins of the name of my CLI, Ivy League, helped me to gain a better understanding of this name and its history.

[182 words]

 

 The original version of my paragraph about my CLI was way too long. When studying, I discovered so many things that surprised me about my CLI that I was eager to put them all in my paragraph. Additionally, I added unnecessary extra information to these facts. Secondly, I  made the mistake of writing a sentence, which I found quite good, and then adjusting the preceding and following sentences to it. As a result, there is no cohesion in the paragraph. The second version is shorter and more cohesive. I took out the unnecessary information but still made the mistake of leaving in a sentence starting with " Today, educational sports..." - which is still irrelevant information. Furthermore, I could not figure out how to rewrite the phrase " it grows similar to the structure of a net". This phrase was not a mistake but somehow sounded strangely. I think the last version of the paragraph is the most cohesive and understandable, although I did not receive any feedback on it.

 

Youpost 3

Studying the US history has made me really miss it; as I lived there for a year. So, my boyfriend and I decided to take a two-week trip to the US. When I told my friend in Washington, D.C. about the trip, she offered me her Volkswagen van to drive down to Miami,FL to enjoy a few days on the beach. After discussing further details with her, my boyfriend and I booked our trip: we will fly on Monday,  August 4th from Vienna to Washington, D.C., drive down to Miami, FL (we will leave the van at my friends' uncle in Miami) and return to Vienna on Monday, August 18th, 2014.

The plan: 

After the long flight from Vienna to Washington, D.C. we will probably be exhausted and jet-lagged, so we will stay at the hotel the first day to relax and adjust to time. The next day we will visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to please my boyfriend's obsession with airplanes. Afterwards, will walk down 7th Street to Chinatown and the big Verizon Center. The food served in these little restaurants will hopefully be as exceptional as the holiday brochure says, and I am also excited to see the great Chinese gate next to them. From this gate we will take a walk to Vernon Square park and the nearby Business Center (further up the 7th Street) until we will meet friends of mine for dinner at night. On Wednesday, we will take the little tourist bus, which tours around Washington D.C, for sightseeing. Stops of this bus will be Washington Union Station (with an impressive train set inside and circle-arranged monuments outside) as well as the Washington Monument, the Korean War Veterans Memorial with the final stop at the Lincoln Memorial. This memorial not only honors Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of the US who ended slavery and preserved the union, but also represents the idea of freedom and equality. Freedom and equality of black people were also a major concerns of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, held in front of this memorial on August 28th, 1963. This historic and spacious place will be breathtaking to see; I cannot wait to visit it. Also worth a visit is supposed to be the Capitol, to which we will stroll to the next day. This Capitol holds two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. These lawmakers (100 Senators and 435 Representatives), together with the

president and the supreme court,  build the three branches of the US government. Having visited the Capitol and the most important memorials and museums in Washington D.C., we will start our long drive to Miami, Fl. We assume that it will take us about two exhausting days from Washington, D.C. to Miami, Fl. Since the van is very spacious and comfortable we will also spend the night in it. Sleeping in the van will be an absolute dream come-to-true for me; I already bought sleeping bags and battery operated lights for these adventurous nights. During the day, however, my boyfriend and I will take turns driving until we finally arrive in Miami. The capital city of Florida offers inexpensive youth hostels and guesthouses but because we can sleep in the van, we will stay at a campground. When in Miami, I will walk the glamorous streets filled with exclusive clubs and shops until my feet hurt. Having seen these streets in many movies, I hope to get a glimpse of the luxurious lifestyle of the people living there; maybe even try an expensive dress in one of the shops.These unique streets are supposed to be bustling and packed with people and I will absorb all energy of this lively atmosphere. I can picture myself standing there, breathing and just taking it all in. Unfortunately, the holiday brochure says that the campground will be the contrary: small and deserted. Nonetheless, this will not stop me from making the most of our stay there. Despite the fact that the we will be staying in a more remote and filthy area of the city, I hope to be able to go to the fashionable residential districts on the outskirts and to the ones near the sea. Other than that, we do not plan to do a lot of sightseeing. Admittedly, we will just spend the time lazing at the beach until we have to fly back to boring Austria. All in all, I hope this will be an eventful and memorable trip to the US; and I cannot wait to sleep in the van.

cost:
flight (€1,100)
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (€8)
museum (€12)
tourist bus (€13)
food (€400)
gas (€600)
campground fee (€200)
souvenirs (€50)
miscellaneous (€100)
---------------------------------------------------------------
€ 2483

Reflect on writing (1)

Writing Task PC1+ Version 01/02              SUK1/Group5/Kercher/November 27,2013   

Studying at the Department of Translation can be very challenging. It starts off with the first day where you already realize how bumpy your road through your program is going to be. Finding rooms, colleagues and internet-links is challenging itself. However, after some time you familiarize yourself with UGO-system, teacher expectations and the building. Studying languages offers a variety of fields to dive into, such as the culture and history, as well as grammar and pronunciation of them. Time management will be the essential tool for you to master your studies. Spend enough time with your languages and take the opportunity to go abroad. Being creative but structured in learning your languages will help you to be a successful student at the ITAT.

[123 words]

Improved version 1:

Studying at the Department of Translation can be very challenging. Already on the first day you experience how bumpy your road though the program will be. You are lost in the building and are not able to find the right classroom and at home you struggle with the online system of the university to register for classes. After some time, however, you will overcome all this obstacles of the beginning and can focus on your languages. Studying languages is not just about grammar and vocabulary, you also have to put a great amount of time into studying the culture and history of the countries where your languages are spoken. The essential tool to spend equally enough time with each of these aspects of your languages is time management. It is helpful to make weekly-schedules to manage your time and additionally have an overview of the work that has to be done in order to master the course. Being structured and organized helps you to master all the challenges when studying at the Department of Translation.

[177 words]

Improved version 2:

Studying at the Department of Translation can be very challenging. On the first day already you experience how bumpy your road though the program will be. You are lost in the building and are not able to find the right classroom and at home you struggle with the online system of the university to register for classes. After some time, however, you will overcome all these obstacles and can focus on your languages. Studying languages is not just about grammar and vocabulary, you also have to put a great amount of time into studying the culture and history of the countries where your languages are spoken. The essential tool to put equally enough effort with on your  languages is time management. It is helpful to make weekly-schedules to manage your time and have an overview of the work that has to be done in order to master the program. In short, managing your time efficiently and being organized help you to master all the challenges when studying at the Department of Translation.

[174 words]

The original paragraph was written during the first progress check. This one of the first paragraphs I have ever written in English. Not surprisingly it has a terrible structure, vocabulary mistakes and no coherence; above all it is way too short. To practice how it would have been an acceptable paragraph to pass the prograss check, I rewrote and improved it. The second version, in my opinion, is much more cohesive. However,  a continuos line from the beginning to the ending is still missing. In the third version, I improved the mistakes I made in the second version due to thinking in German. All in all: although the first paragraph cannot be considered to be successfully written, the third (and improved) version is quite acceptable to me.

My biggest problem with writting is that I take to long to finish it. I am never satisfied with what I have written and spend too much time on editing as well as on the preparation. I practiced this particularly for the exam as I tend to be very nervous while taking it and hardly finish on time.
I will continuosly work on this as I enjoy writting and aiming to pass the course.