The Nuclear Energy Institute is led by an accomplished fellow. Skip Bowman, admiral, gentleman, freaking really smart dude calls the shots. His list of accomplishments and educational achievements is longer than the two story beer bong hanging from your balcony. Who is NEI? Well, they’re based out of Chi-town, though I don’t think Kanye West is on the payroll. Their mission: “The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry and participates in both the national and global policy-making process” (About NEI). So, what the hell does that mean? It means that they are the Godfather of nuclear anything. They run the show. The people you elect to make a mockery of their Washington office listen when NEI flexes its big brain. In 1994 NEI was founded as a result of many nuclear industry organizations merging (About NEI). If you’re a Boilermaker engineer, chances are your job will require energy, and the policies set forth by NEI will affect its price and ultimately your paycheck. Though far from perfect, (actually it needs a lot of work) a decent place to double-down on the path to energy evangelism is the NEI Nuclear Notes blog.
NEI Nuclear Notes contains a riveting list containing the top ten environmentalists need-to-knows, and I have no idea what a single one of them are because I didn’t read it. It is accessible via hyperlink only. This notion would be fine if every other blog post was of the same format, but the majority is in-line text. I, like you, am a person of consistency, and I didn’t feel like changing pages because I wasn’t used to doing it up until now. A great blog website contains the same communicative format throughout the entire blog. The color of the site is mediocre at best, but it didn’t give me a headache, so I guess it passes. Pie charts and graphs amuse my meager intellect and attention span, so more of those would have been sweet. All-in-all I give the blog a C. It was average because I learned the ever so important facts but found myself bored and retreated to YouTube at least twice.
So, the world has turned to blogging. I agree, it’s easier, faster, and all-around better, but what makes a good blog website? Consistency, clarity, and graphically stimulating information tops the list. People seek stimulation in absolutely every aspect of their day. Attention resources are limited and attaining them for more than a millisecond requires careful thought and planning. A blog website should flow from one point to another retaining the same format throughout. Blogging is very easy; we are all in agreement, but keep in mind that finding a new blog site is just as effort free. Keeping the reader on track with graphically interesting information can win a few attention points. Think about it - do you want to stare at something that rambles like your drunken stepdad or is uglier than his red-headed son?
Of course, the answer is not on your life. Nuclear Energy Institute’s, Nuclear Notes blog contains lots of facts. Did you know that electricity prices increased due to a rash of cold weather from around eight to ten dollars per mega-watt hour last month? Or how about that crude oil prices fell $3.40 last week to $94.76 per barrel (Bradish)? Do you care? Probably not about this particular subject, but notice something. Are we arguing for crude oil or nuclear power? Clarity matters. I think the NEI Nuclear Notes should stay on topic a bit more and be clear about its argument.
Okay, so if NEI Nuclear Notes gets a C, what is 4.0 material? A great blog is clear with their message. The reader should know what the argument is for and whom it is against. Also, there should be consistency throughout the site, especially with the medium of communication. The blog should contain all links or all in-line text. The user thrives on repetition and no one likes doing something different. Finally, graphics should be sharp, plentiful and visually stimulating. We all have something better to occupy our attention. If NEI Nuclear Notes would have followed these rules, maybe your iPod would be charged, and the distraction of Maroon Five would have helped you finish reading this essay.
Works Cited
Bradish, David. "NEI's Energy Markets Report - January 21-January 25, 2008 " Weblog entry. Blogger. 07 Feb 2008. Google, Inc. 2008.
"Nuclear Energy Institute." About NEI. 2007. 9 Feb 2008.
2 comments:
250 word comment for class:
I like the way that you incorporated humor, especially college specific humor, into your review. It really kept my attention. I also like the way that you used slang that the typical college student uses in everyday life. The questions to the reader, such as, “Do you care?” and “Guess what?” really made me think about what you were saying and they got your point across well. The paragraphs are organized well, but I think the review would have been more effective if you defined the criteria one at a time. This way we could have learned more about the blog. This is just my personal preference though. The intro was a little confusing because at first I couldn’t understand what the topic of the essay was going to be, but by the third or fourth sentence I figured it out. You might want to work on making the intro a bit more specific in the beginning so the reader doesn’t let their mind wander off after the first few sentences. I do like the way your conclusion refers the intro. That ties in the bit about the I-pod and makes it more of an on topic part of the essay. In your next essay, I would keep the humor, if the situation warrants it, and the organization of your paragraphs. These two things keep the reader interested and it makes it clear what you are talking about. I would work on making the introduction a little clearer, but keep the intro tied into the conclusion because it really ties the whole paper together.
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