Argument by...

There are many ways writers can convince us that their arguments are true. We see this a lot during political campaigns, where changing one or two words can change your whole perception of a candidate. We see it in emotional commercials asking us to donate just a few cents to save lives. Persuasive writing is everywhere, and as writers, debaters, and learners, we need to be aware of the tactics that affect our perceptions.  

A List of Fallacious Arguments

Above is a list of types of arguments that are often used to sway listeners. 

One of my personal favorites is 

Euphemism:

the use of words that sound better. The lab rat wasn't killed, it was sacrificed. Mass murder wasn't genocide, it was ethnic cleansing. The death of innocent bystanders is collateral damage. Microsoft doesn't find bugs, or problems, or security vulnerabilities: they just discover an issue with a piece of software.This is related to Argument By Emotive Language, since the effect is to make a concept emotionally palatable.

 Read through the list of Fallacious Arguments. Then do these things:
1. Find a piece of writing or advertisement that exhibits two of these arguments. Post it on your blog, and write a detailed analysis of how the tactics are present in the writing. You should state where exactly the fallacies occur, and examine how this is aiding the writing in its purpose.
2. Design a piece of your own writing/advertising that includes two of the fallacious arguments.  It should be at least a paragraph long, and you should put the fallacious argument in bold to make it clear to the reader.  This should also be done on your blog.

This can all be included in one blog post.  Title the post "Fallacious Arguments."
It is due by Thursday, February 13th.
Total Points: 40 points

What is a Good Source?

I've noticed a trend in the way we go about finding sources for our presentations.
Step 1: Google
Step 2: Click on the first link
Step 3: ???
Step 4: I'll use it.

While these steps get the work done, there is absolutely no guarantee that your work is reliable. Without understanding what makes a good source, you're bound to use information that has no validity.  ANYONE can create a website. You've seen this first hand because I've shown you my own website. I would never recommend someone quote my words in scientific research unless I have cited sources that show truth and validity from researchers in the correct field.

So how can we tell if a source is reliable or useable?
Click here to read up on how to critically analyze a source.

Here is another source which gets more in-depth on how to analyze an online source.

Sites like Wikipedia and Ask.com are public forum sites. They can be edited by anyone, and no information is a guaranteed truth.

Your assignment is the following:
1. Read through the two sites linked above.
2. Go to Google and type in "Genetic Disorders"
3. Pick one of the websites in your search results and begin to analyze it using criteria you learned from the links above.
4. Type your results to each of the criteria in the "Website Evaluation Form" located in the class dropbox.
5. Resave your typed document as "Website Evaluation Form (your name)" in the class dropbox.

You should include information about: Scope, Audience, Timeliness, Authority, Documentation, Objectivity, Primary vs. Secondary Source, and Reference Sources

Global Warming? It was -11 this morning!

So, there's been huge talk for a long time about "global warming." I don't buy it.

First, I woke up this morning to -11 degree temperatures.  That's cold enough to freeze your nose hairs to a flagpole, which I don't recommend trying. Second, this has been one of the coldest winters I can remember. Even Texas is experiencing snow. Texas is like...completely desert, right? You don't get snow in the desert. Clearly these scientists are making up their facts, and I think I know why. It's way easier to get us to focus on some poor whether problem so they can make money on all their green products.  Who benefits from those things? The people who make them, of course. Scientists, sitting in a room developing ways to cost us more money and make us feel bad if we don't do it.

"You're killing the earth!" -Scientists

"You're killing my pocketbook!" -Me

And unless you're one of the scientists, you're going to have an awful time proving them wrong.  So I say, let's spend less time focusing on this global warming talk and more time figuring out who is paying my heating bill this month.  

End rant.






http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html#laziness

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