Chapter 7 and 8 Quiz

For my Core 4 assignment, I plan on arguing how in some cases, it is clever to create a false profile to make the user seem more appealing, however, it is not a smart choice. For this argument, I personally feel that my research is a combination of both, an argument of definition and an argument of fact. I clearly state my opinion and side of the argument, stating that it is not smart to create a false appealing profile. In Lunsford’s book, “Everything’s an Argument,” it states “definitional arguments don’t just appear out of the blue; they evolve out of the occasions and conversations of daily life” (pg 228). This unquestionably relates to my research because Internet social-networks are used in people’s everyday lives. For example, today, many users of Facebook have an application on their phone giving them updates on what’s going on. In my research I’ve found that people tend to stretch the truth, making their profiles not “really who they are.” People put up the pictures they want other people to see; users aren’t going to upload and post a bad photo of them. I feel as though my research will help my peers realize how users of Facebook and other social-networking sites do create a false appealing profile just based on the little things that can be altered.

Also in Lunsford’s book, she explains how design issues also play a role in an argument of definition (pg 232). She gives examples of italics, boldface, and headings in writing and how they also play a part. This relates to my research because on Facebook, for example, you can add various symbols, boldface, underline, larger font, etc. to make what you’re saying more noticeable. Even though Facebook is fairly new, you still can find information about it and the effects of false appealing profiles in some scholarly articles, newsgroups, and even in some college dictionaries. Facebook is continuing to progress and have a strong influence on people’s everyday lives.

My research can also be considering a factual argument because it does “tend to be driven by perceptions and evidence” (pg 182). In the research I’ve found, there have been many cases where researchers have examined and surveyed users of Facebook and other social-networking sites. Also, some of the research I found contains opinions then supports them with evidence and different studies. For example, in Sherry Turkle’s “Life on the Screen,” she is researching and observing the different MUD characters used and eventually runs across one of herself. This changes her whole perception and looks at her research in a whole other view point.

The information I used to conduct this research has helped me with defining my argument. I found my topic to be both a factual argument and an argument of definition.