Generators
are generally something that creates some kind of product. Genre generators are
useful when you need some assistance in forming something in a short amount of
time, and they are usually there for convenience. There is not a lot of work required
to utilize these generators. For a typical generator, there is usually a preset
of writings and sometimes pictures that are programed to appear at random
intervals. These websites seem to understand particular conventions and themes
to a certain degree where they are able to manifest random creations. I was
able to check out some of the generators that exist online and I thought it was
interesting of how these sites were able to form a certain arrangement.
One of the
sites I took a look at was the SCIgen. On this generator, I was able to create
an almost realistic scientific journal always somehow relating to the computer
sciences. I, myself, am not familiar with anything about this topic, but by
allowing me to type in “author” names, the generated article looks as though I
have some credibility. As soon as I start to dissect each of the articles I
have generated, I soon realize that there is a common pattern to this
generator. There was a common set up of an eye-catching title and a typical format
of a scientific article; abstract, introduction, experiment, data, analysis,
etc. Yet, the only problem with this like any generators, is that when I read
it, it does not make any sense. It might have not made sense to me because I do
not understand the computer science lingo, but the content does not seem to add
up. In a sense, it appears that the article is a legitimate resource with all
of the fancy terms and graphs within the text, but in actuality, this generator
rarely generates something that makes any sense.
Another
generator’s sole purpose was to generate a three panel comic strip. Unlike the
previous generator, all I had to do was to click, “generate” and it created a
comic in just seconds! Unfortunately, like any generators, when it is programmed
to generate at random intervals, not all of the comics seemed to make any
sense. For example, the one I generated below:
There was
another generator which was entertaining as the last one, the meme generator. Unlike
the other two generators, this generator did not generate random words or
pictures at all. Instead, this generator was almost like an assistive tool to
create a meme. There was a set of pictures to select from and the option to
upload a picture for a desired meme. Then, there was a tool to insert certain
texts to support the image. Here’s one that I have created:
On my own,
I was able to find a “MadLib” generator. This generator helps me create a
MadLib by allowing me to write about anything and allowing me to select certain
“blanks” to put in my piece of writing. There is not a random generator like the
first two sites, but like the meme generator, this allows me to have more
creative freedom.
Through
this analysis, I have realized that these websites have some idea of
conventions of the creation that is intended to be made. For a computer science
article, there is a set formula; pattern of a typical paper and for the comic strip,
there is a recurring theme where something unexpected happens. As for the meme
generator, it focuses on having a certain guideline where the picture and the
texts work together to create a humorous statement and the MadLibs will always
have blanks for a certain plot to make it fun and interesting. Each of these
have a “theme,” where one can clearly realize what they are and follow the conventions
for each type of genre.
I loved that you included the pictures in your post and btw your blog is super cute! I thought your style of writing was very accessible and informative about the generators and their purposes so that those who weren't familiar with our assignment could understand what was happening. I do wish that for each genre you went a little more in-depth about the conventions and why that genre that was generated is different from the last, not just how the generator was different. Otherwise I thought you did and excellent job and the inclusion of images was really smart and added a different element to your post. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMichelle Young,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very cool: I really like how personalized it is. The pictures add a layer of “life” to it, and it makes me want to read through your work that much more. I’m also an only child and doggy-lover, so we’ve got a lot in common.
PB1A: Nice work analyzing the convention of a tweet. The way you compared how celebrities and politicians use it provided an interesting juxtaposition: oftentimes it’s used for self-serving agendas. The examples you provided—such as “#throwback Thursdays—helped to strengthen your claims.
PB1B: You spotted the titles/sections of this genre, and the definitely plays a part. However, I want you to remember that it’s important for us to take a look at “every little thing” that exists in these genres. From the bigger/bolder font of the section titles to the appearance of graphs/figures/tables, these all play a role in the conventions of a genre. You never know what kind of important details exist beneath the surface (or, actually, on the surface). I thought you did a solid job—especially in class when you shared this with everyone—of identifying the conventions of the pandyland comic in detail. For the meme genre, don’t forget that something as “little” as font—what size/style/format—can also potentially help us better understand genre. There’s also almost always the setup/punchline (the top/bottom) to them too. All these patterns are important to pay into because they give us clues into understanding as much as we can about these genres.
All told, nice work, Young! And thanks for passing along the madlib generator!
Grade for both PBs: 5/5
PB1A: “Check.”
PB1B: “Check.”
Z