ASU Confessions

The ASU Confessions page on Facebook spread like a wildfire after an unknown administrator created it merely a few months ago on January 17, 2013.  On February 25th, only a month after the page was launched, the page reached 2000 “likes,” and a second page was launched on February 6th.  The two pages combined have added up to 8125 “likes” and continues to increase in numbers as calculated on March 28, 2013 at 12:42am. The Facebook page is infamous not only among students who attend Arizona State University but also parents, ASU alumni, local Arizona residents, and high school students. Currently, other educational institutes such as University of Arizona, San Diego State, George Mason University, and Queensland University of  Technology have confessions pages on Facebook as well which can easily be found online. The pages are frequently updated with content by the administrator who receives the nitty-gritty from confessors though a survey website called SurveyMonkey. By successfully utilizing widely known social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, ASU Confessions effectively makes it easy for users to submit content for entertainment purposes without revealing their identities.

In this technologically advanced  and social culture, it is no surprise that a majority of the population in the United States have heard of Facebook or have personal accounts in the popular social networking site. ASU Confessions’ link to Facebook plays a crucial role in its vast and rapid interest in the community. According to an article by cnet.com, there were 1.06 billion monthly active Facebook users as of December 31, 2012, and 618 million daily active  users for December 2012. As one of the most frequently mentioned web pages on campus, it is evident that everyone who is aware of ASU Confessions has seen or “liked” the page.

The simplicity of the page contributes to its popularity. It is formatted like a common Facebook timeline of a person which consists of a wall post box and contents that are updated by the owner of the profile page. The only difference between posting on an individual’s personal Facebook profile page and on ASU Confessions page is that the confessor, who wishes for his or her voice to be heard anonymously by the public, needs to click on a link below the profile picture and title that identifies the page; the link will open a new tab or a window leading to a secondary page by SurveyMonkey. The confessor then types his or her confession in the textbox, submits it, waits for it to be posted on the page, and sees who and how many “likes” or comments are posted on his or her individual confession. However, if an individual does not have anything to “confess” nor wish to have his or her voice heard by the public, he or she can just read and scroll down the contents to be entertained until he or she reaches the date when it was created. The Facebook format of the page is “normal” to the audience of the page and confessors because an individual viewing the infamous page has adapted to the Facebook format in which he or she is accustomed to. This normalcy allows the user to more easily interact with the page and its contents and thus with other people in their community.

The main purpose of the page is for the ASU community to confess their deepest secrets or nitty-gritty to the public without exposing their identity, and use it for entertainment purposes. The entertainment is enhanced by the fact that the users are individuals who we potentially have or will interact with here on our own campus. If it were a page related to other communities such as University of Arizona, it would not have the same effect because we cannot relate to their stories unless the viewer has been in a similar situation or has been in a similar setting. The following confession portrays the relation that it has with the audience because the content is relevant to them: “to the person who pulled the Vista fire alarm at 2:30 a.m. You Suck!” Although it may have rude words, the statement as a whole portrays the confessor’s frustration towards whomever pulled the fire alarm. People who may have been at Vista during that incident can comment, relate, and possibly communicate with the person who pulled the fire alarm or was unfortunately put in that position. This makes the stories and voices shared on the page more interesting to us as readers because we know what the confessor is referring to as “Vista,” and the audience could possibly have been there, have shared the facility, is considering it as a housing option in the future, or could use the information for awareness. If a student from University of Arizona was to read this post, it would not be as relevant or entertaining to him or her as it would to a student who attends ASU. This confession is intended for the residents of Vista because they share the negative emotions regarding the incident with the poster. Even though the poster is anonymous, the residents know how the confessor feels because they were interrupted from their personal activities.

The contents posted on the Confessions page may or may not be offensive to a specific group of people or an individual who goes to ASU. It could negatively or positively expose an individual to the audience of the page who views the post, which could possibly lead to more friendships or bullying. An example of a positive personal confidence reinforcement is as follows: “I would like to confess my complete and utter infatuation with _____ _____. She is easily the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my entire life. There are many pretty girls at ASU but she is by far the most beautiful girl in the world!” Posts such as this compliment the person who is mentioned, but it could also possibly make the person mentioned feel threatened because he or she may not know the source of the post. Negative posts such as the following could encourage people to blatantly ostracize an individual without taking into consideration how his or her post could affect the victim exposed: “There is one Asian girl in Sonora and she is a real slut. I don’t wanna give her name. Sorry _____ that’s the truth.” Malicious confessions meant to vilify an individual and reveal his or her personal life is emotionally afflictive. By posting content such as this, the confessor attempts to feel superior to his or her victim through the content that was posted. However, the confessor’s voice that is posted on the content could backfire through feedback left by other posters resulting in hard scrutinization of the original confessor.

Everyone has those stories that he or she desperately wants to tell but is scared to put it in action because people might judge them based on things they have done or on hidden voices in their heads that the individual has openly expressed. ASU Confessions removes potential bias that an individual may unconsciously attach to an individual based on physical appearance, sex, and social status within the community. Anonymity via SurveyMonkey consoles any fear or worry about being judged or made fun of, and reassures the confessors’ privacy. This bridge between the confessor and the specific person mentioned in a post is a double edged sword because it allows people to post whatever they want about who ever they want. When people don’t know your name, you are able to say whatever you please which is good, unless you begin to speak untruthfully. If the posts are true and accurate according to the situation anonymity is a great thing, but when the truth begins to turn into lies, not knowing who is spreading these falsities is a problem. How do you stop a lie without knowing where it started? Anonymity is Confessions greatest and worst quality. It could spread false information or negative rumors that could possibly lead to false assumptions and self esteem issues. It becomes a problem when confessors begin to attack a certain type of people group. This is no different than bullying or discrimination, but they get away with it because they are anonymous. Negative comments become jokes because of the anonymity, whereas if the posters’ identities were known, they would be judged based on their beliefs.  

As hard as failures can be, some of these stories provide a great deal of entertainment. When people post about their rough night with a boy or a girl, how they had the best time of lives, or how they are interested in certain people who they met at one point in time, it sparks interest in the audience because the audience can judge the content or find similarities with theirs. As you read these posts and begin to learn about other people’s beliefs and hear their stories, you are able to learn what sort of actions are successful and what type of things your peers dislike. Having the opportunity to learn from others on such a broad spectrum can be very beneficial. Knowing the failures and successes of other students here at ASU allows us to avoid those failures. It becomes easier for us to succeed because as an audience, we are able to reflect on the posted confessions. Whilst the confessor can only view the issue from his or her perspective, the audience can view it from an outsider’s perspective and provide input.

The Vue to The 922 - Shilling/Harms

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The 922 Place has been very rigorous with their residents in the recent years, infamously expunging their preceding name The Vue. The website was designed for a certain audience of people, mainly students and parents that are helping their children get situated for the coming academic year. Though many of these students come to Arizona State University for the prestigious academic name that it has held for many years in the past, The 922 Place has been known throughout all of the University to be home to some of the best parties and social life that the University has ever seen. The website that was developed to represent the face of The 922 Place has been very thoroughly thought out to distribute principal information to make the navigation of the site easily operative by anyone. The structure is a simple layout of fourteen elaborately designed apartments that are used to hold a solid number of top students within the University, if you have the money for the costly rent.

As the community is aware of the popular student housing commonly known as The Vue, it recently changed its discreditable name and gone under new management to become the academic beacon, The 922 Place. It has the potential to be amongst the many other luxurious student housing and campus housing options. In the recent months, Arizona State University has made a great stride towards establishing yet another great academic and social asset or resource to the students of the University by taking over the management of The Vue, taking it from the preceding reputation of The Vue into a more modernized and academically acceptable 922 Place. By doing this, the school has developed their own website as a representation of what they wish the community to see and hopefully be able to promote a healthy, well managed, and of course luxurious type of lifestyle that is available to students. The website has been recently examined and reviewed by the school to revamp its exterior image towards the city of Tempe and yet the entire academic community of the Universities in the area and country.

The termination of the Vue’s representation to the community brought about the creation of the 922 Place’s website for future residents and parents to view and evaluate whether or not it is the most desirable place for them to spend a small portion of their college experience and small fortune. The first impression is everything when it comes to websites and homepages. The homepage starts off well, with a great mixture of contrasted hue colors with a certain tone of brightness that helps move ones eye from left to right, top to bottom on the page. The designers of the site have also done a great job at filling in what is commonly known as “white space” throughout the entire site by substituting empty space with pictures and summarized outlines of what will be read next. This is a vital and necessary contribution to the end result of the entire page as a whole.

Without the correct accumulation of all the proper web design basics, the website begins to lack and the reader/viewer(s) can become aggravated and potentially get to the point where they don’t want to be on the site anymore, and decide to leave and not return. Another point to be made about how the design is well organized and is thoroughly thought out is the types of font and typeface that is used throughout the homepage. It is not all one specific type; it is a mixture of numerous typefaces that not only blend well with each other. They all have specific notations that they contribute when it comes to the mood and the mentality they instill within the reader. When first viewed, the page’s font gives off a very welcoming and homey feel. Partially based on the fact that the titles of the information are in Arizona States colors with a dull blend to them, an immediate eye attraction. They as well were able to follow one of the most fundamental rules of designing a website which is, less is more where the basic ideas are broken down is the ultimate goal.

The 922 Place is home to a wide variety of different styles of rooms as well as the amenities of these rooms that of course, only the residents have access to. These luxuries seem very upscale on the website, but we all know that a college-based apartment complex is not going to have all the nicest things. According to the website, the fourteen different stylized rooms have all the amenities any college kid could ask for! What else would you need when you’re a college student with a fully furnished apartment with a private bedroom/bathroom and many more awesome features? One feature provided in the rooms that is very different to most, is the balcony. However, these balconies have caused a lot of problems because people decide to smoke or drink on them, usually resulting in some dumb person throwing something off. What the website doesn’t insinuate is all the injuries resulting in this one amenity. From a recent news article about The 922 Place, one girl was so frightened to get an MIC from the cops when they came into a room, that the girl tried to jump from one balcony to another. This resulted in the girl going to the hospital for quite a long period of time to recover. As a whole though, the website does do a good job advertising to get people to move into the apartment complex, but what people should know is that this is no 5-star apartment complex.

Two of the biggest moneymakers for this unique living headquarters are the fact that this apartment complex provides its residents with a top-of-the-line gym, and a trendy pool. On the website, the images provided are clean and upscale that endow the viewer with a sense of, “hmm I think I kinda want to live here!” However, what the website doesn’t offer the viewer is what really happens here. The 922 Place pool and REC center room may have provided residents with good times, but most of these good times have usually resulted in various fights, or MIC’s/MIP’s due to the absurd amount of alcohol that is in the vicinity. On the website, the photos include a beautiful pool with a beach volleyball court, and a dynamic gym setup, but it doesn’t include the various arrests or injuries that result from these “pool ragers.”

This website should probably put some information on it so that those who do know what goes on here, at this “luxurious, academically-oriented student housing”, don’t think so low about The 922 Place. The website should include all of the repercussions that they enforce upon those residents that decide not to follow the set rules and regulations, so that the people that know what really goes on here aren’t so disgusted by the website. 

            Another great resource of the website is the special relationship that the ownership of The 922 Place has with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  They have established numerous side sites and linked options that will take a parent or a disabled student to the Hud.Gov chain of sites that offer many different and unique options and information on specific topics that many people might find to be quintessential to the decision process and possibly the accommodations to certain people. This is available to the parents of many children as well as the students, faculty, and the entire community as a free amenity. A great tool and very useful contrivance that every student and parent should look at in order to help them with their final decision of residency or not.

            With all of the recent changes and advancements to the new website and lavish new name of The 922 Place, the University has made great strides towards a more developed and structured learning and living environment for students by providing great security both mentally and physically. The new homepage has great aesthetics towards the incoming students and their families to provide a classy layout that helps promote the economic, social, and academic aspects that The 922 Place has to offer to its residents. The amenities offer a great leisure as well as the necessary components for the mutual success of all its residents, both socially and academically with the security of living in a sub luxurious residency. Although some of the amenities have had a significant impact on the behaviors and decisions of some residents for the better and worse, they are there to help promote the wellbeing of the residents and image of the complex to the surrounding academic and civilian community. The site also has a branching structure of websites tied to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides an abundant amount of guidance towards those specifically in need of it. There are potential flaws of the interface that move the user to the register page, along with small deficiencies throughout the site, not to include the color orientation of the site or the graphic designs. Lacking in certain aspects of a perfect website it is fairly close to the upscale image of the absolute college community and living grounds.

Mellow Mushroom

Genell Pooyouma & Annie DeRemer

Denise Burgess M/W 9am

English 101

2 April 2013

Mellow Mushroom

             Before technology, companies would advertise their products in newspapers using everything they had to capture peoples’ attention such as handing out flyers and putting up posters. The only way restaurants were able to get business was based on peoples’ opinions and now that technology took a turn for the better, people are able to look up websites of different places and see their ratings. But with the ability to make websites, companies are able to add colors and words that will draw in customers. One restaurant, Mellow Mushroom, is a local pizzeria that happens to offer different varieties of pizza, sandwiches, and salads. This restaurant is different from any other restaurant anyone has ever tried. Most importantly, Mellow Mushroom’s website is very effective and easy to navigate, because it is user friendly and the components on the website are extremely helpful to customers.

            The website’s appearance is quite simple once taken directly to the site, because viewers will see all the listings that make up Mellow Mushroom. However, the main object that will capture the viewers’ attention is the title of the site, which is “Mellow Mushroom.” Underneath the title, customers are able to find components such as locations of the restaurant as well as hours of operation, history of the restaurant, and much more. Customers can navigate through the website to easily locate any information that they desire, whether if they are wondering what time the pizzeria opens or even if it is to look at the menu. The information on the website is basically built to be simple so that customers are able to search through everything all at once. All the questions provided on the website are the questions asked most by people which happen to be extremely useful to other viewers who have the same exact questions. Plus, having all the resources for customers such as the hours and locations will really help with the way the restaurant portrays itself.

            Since the website contains history about the business, viewers are able to view the information about Mellow Mushroom if they are interested. This would give the viewers an insight of how Mellow Mushroom came to be. Although, at some point most people do not look at this, others could be interested in the history of the restaurant. This part of the website is also able to provide other details about the restaurant itself. The information is straight to the point; it does not contain information that will confuse customers. Basically, the details on the website are facts that people would be interested in knowing. Most websites have the backgrounds of their restaurants and their history, which is extremely useful to customers who are deciding on a restaurant to eat at.

Not only is the site effective, but also helpful to the customers. The customers are able to select from the various listings to learn more about the place and also join a community where they can receive the latest updates about the restaurant. The site provides these updates using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and etc. With the help of social media, customers are able to have all the information at their fingertips. If customers are not able to have access to a computer they are able to use their mobile device to see what is going on at the pizzeria. Since Mellow Mushroom is able to provide different varieties of social media, it helps to expand the business and bring in more customers. As technology advances through the years, there may be other ways people can receive updates from this famous pizzeria. Ways to receive updates may include a special app for Smartphones, iPhones, iPods, and so much more. If we look at the world now, everything is high in technology whether if it is the way computers function or something else.

Even with social media available to everyone, Mellow Mushroom is able to include a franchising page that includes details, contact information, and restaurant stories and evaluations. The page attracts customers who have questions or details about the restaurant. There is one source that stands out from the rest which is stories. Stories help the viewers of the site visually see just how great the restaurant is and what their services are like. In other words, people may post their opinions to the site and the viewers can decide whether they want to eat there or not. Having a resource like this is put to good use for viewers, because without having a source such as this, customers may be walking into a restaurant whose services are not so great and not what they were expecting.

            Mellow Mushroom’s website contains graphics which obviously help the restaurant draw in costumers. Their graphics consist of friendly images to inform people of their excellent services towards costumers and also images of their delicious food. I believe this has to be the most important part of the website yet, because without images of the restaurant, people are not going to know what Mellow Mushroom is. Also, the title itself looks like it could have a tendency to make people wonder what Mellow Mushroom is and what is being served there. For instance, looking at the title itself can draw in customers, because people will wonder about the restaurant as they walk by or when the site pops up on their computer screen. The images on the website are also very important, starting with main page, which shows the mushroom holding a pizza, which makes customers curious. The site also sells friendly apparel that can draw in anyone’s attention.

            The website also gives customers, who are big fans of the restaurant, a place to buy souvenirs and apparel. Customers are able to purchase t-shirts, hoodies, and more. This only brings to mind that the company is trying to expand their business and want people to advertise for them by buying their apparel. Mellow Mushroom provides the merchandise site with different designs and interesting colors to gain customers. In doing so, this will influence viewers and bring their attention to the merchandise section and causes them to buy the restaurant’s products. The restaurant’s ability to sell their merchandise will expand their business further in which they will be able to spread their business throughout different cities and states.

            Furthermore, Mellow Mushroom has also provided a place on their website where anyone is able to apply for a job at the restaurant. This catches the eyes of students looking for full-time or part-time jobs. People are able to search for the kind of the job that they are interested in. So it seems like this website is not only a way to promote the restaurant but also a job search for people. Although, the website has a job search box, this does not mean it helps people look for jobs everywhere. The only place where it helps people look for jobs is at the Mellow Mushroom restaurants. This is not only a good idea, but excellent due to the fact that the company is willing to give people an equal chance of applying at Mellow Mushroom.

            Most importantly, the website needs color to grab readers’ and customers’ attention. In that case, Mellow Mushroom uses an interesting color for the background, which happens to be brown. With this in mind, the plain color of the background does not catch the viewer’s attention at first glance. The background color should have been something brighter and more exciting, which could help the title of the restaurant stand out better. Even though the background is combined with dark brown and words associated with Mellow Mushroom, some people may find it interesting and some may not. On every other page of the site, there are different colors being used which are interesting for a viewer every time they click a component. The color of a website has always been an effective factor since it has an effect on the kind of people that the website attracts. For example, a website with the color pink can attract younger girls and the colors can also have an effect such as making people hungry.

            Altogether, the entire website consisted of helpful information and useful sources. Even though there were minimal flaws on the website, it was still effective to customers who enjoy coming to the restaurant. The website could help the restaurant expand their services toward their customers. As time progresses, who knows what surprises Mellow Mushroom holds in store to increase their customer service. The site was absolutely user friendly with the way the setup was designed. In addition, there are many pizza places in different cities, but there is only one where you can buy apparel, eat a large variety of food, make new friends, and be in a fun, relaxing environment, and that place is Mellow Mushroom.