Love Episode Eleven

Some people consider their jobs a process to earn a living. You may choose a job because of its attractive income, promotion opportunity or flexibility of working time. Frankly, these are important to everyone. Yet, I do not think I can work in a company without any interest in my job or work environment. It is too easy to say ' I love my job' but it will be hard to explain how and why you love it. So what is 'love for job'? Here is an online article "What I love about my job..." to help you answer this question.

I really appreciate the background colour of the webpage. Green refreshed me; it gives me a clear mind to think about the question. I believe colour design is one of the key elements of building a website. The writer, Pat shares what he usually does in his job with the viewers. He created three hyperlinks to introduce the blogs of his colleagues. This shows an authentic example of information and social networking via Internet. The webpage is created for posting one particular article. There is no advertisement or navigation systems added to the webpage. Therefore, the viewers can put more focuses on the article itself. 

After reading the article, I find more than 10 things that Pat loves about his job. It is just amazing! He even loves what he hates about his job. That's why he can succeed as a CEO. His story encourages positive reflection of my job in future. Just one suggestion for Pat! If he can put up some photos related to his job like working with colleagues, I guess the article will become more persuasive and cheerful. I understand that this can make a trouble because posting photos involves the issue of privacy and even ethics in an organization.    



Love Episode Ten

I became an early bird today. Feeling fresh and excited, I guess I will experience something special in the coming hours. Immediately after breakfast, I found a funny blog titled '10 Beloved Cartoon Characters Who, In Retrospect, Are Total Pervs'. It attracts my eyeballs anyway. I have my own beloved cartoon characters (most of them are Japanese cartoon characters) which are a bit different from Enlow's top 10. 

Minna no tabo~ is my favourite!

I recommend you to read his blog. The writer, Enlow presented 10 large-sized pictures of cartoon characters He deliberately added brief but fascinating descriptions for each of them. I like his way of presenting this lovely topic. It is wise of him to show some distinguishing words or statements in Italic, and create some hyperlinks to direct viewers to extra information about the characters. There is a picture showing He-Man. If it has not be shown on the blog, I could have forgotten this cartoon. Probably, Enlow keeps the figure of He-Man so he can take an authentic picture. I believe that authentic pictures help attract viewers' attention, especially for blogs.

One thing I should mention is that the video inserted in the middle of the page is really humorous. The video there seems a joke to arouse viewers' interest. I do not watch the video though; I guess it should be quite funny. There are corners for advertisement but they are not distracting. Overall, the layout is sharp and clearly structured. I believe this is one of the blogs that I ever loved.

Love Episode Nine

There is a kind of love that I haven't mentioned in my previous episodes, that is, LOVE YOURSELF. All of us know how important this is in living a cheerful life, yet there are always people who choose to waste their lives. If you don't love and value yourself, you'll never be able to love others with a true heart. However, excessive love for yourself may give you nothing but arrogant and selfishness.

I was searching for articles about 'love yourself' because I'm eager to know how people think about this. I found an article posted on 'wikiHow' website. The layout of this webpage looks like a personal blog but I know it isn't. The article titled 'How to Love Yourself' shows the steps and tips on how to start loving yourself. Those advices are, indeed, very useful (worth some time to read them). Though the article is not originated by Iyanla Vanzant, he re-presents it in his own way. Actually, I'm not sure if he designs and creates the layout by himself. If he does, I think he is quite professional technically. If you read his article, you'll find it easy to follow. I guess it's because the attractive subheadings are used (I don't mean the words but the way they are presented). When I scroll down the page, I see something that I don't expect from this article (warnings and things you'll need, for instance). Those are like extra bonus for me!

I like the picture of Vanzant having himself pictured in front of a mirror. It's a fancy and it does attract readers' attention. Personally, I don't spend much time looking at myself in a mirror. This picture reminds me of what my friend has said, "Stay in front of a mirror for hours could be an effective way to gain self-confidence or could be helpful for you to know more about yourself". Is that true? It is a joke of course but one thing is true: If you love yourself, you'll feel satisfied with your appearance and the way you live. Am I right?   

Love Episode Eight

I believe that I am the lucky one because I feel love among my family and friends. More than that, I am gratified to have been chosen by God. I am a Catholic. Since the day I have received the Spirit, I experienced God's love. Sometimes it is hard to tell, but I can always feel peace and faith in my heart. In this episode, let's share God's love! 

"God's love for you"! I like this title because I know God's love is infinite for everyone. This online article spreads the idea of God's love. The words used are simple but precise, so that even non-catholic can understand easily. The article is written in a form of questions and answers - questions in blue (separate subheading) and answers in black. The layout is plain and tidy; and the article occupies most of the space on the webpage. I guess a clear layout without squeezing words attracts readers' attention. As this is a website for Catholic religion, there is no advertisement of products or services shown except the books and videos to recommend. This creates a more harmonious environment for me to concentrate on reading the article.

Actually, I appreciate the well-designed navigation system on top of the webpage. It is so user-friendly that I am more than happy to click on them. The links are relevant and useful for viewers. I believe that the links are valuable for non-catholic to get to know God. I really like the Catholic quotes which are the maxim for my life. Though there are not many pictures, I love the one placed on the top with Jesus and Holy Mary and the one I've posted. They are just great! I think they are of the right size too. The most important thing is not the number of pictures, but the value of pictures there. Sometimes, a meaningful picture can be more powerful than hundreds of words on a website.

After reading the article, I recap the knowledge from the Gospel. Through God's love, I learn to love and help those in need. I believe 'to be beloved' is a lot easier than 'to love'; and of course as a Catholic, I prepare to use my whole life to love people and things around me. Thank God for what you have granted me!

Love Episode Seven

Frankly, I do not have much experience living with an elderly. In my memory, my grandfather and grandmother were the kindest people I have ever known. I believe that the elderly has some sorts of wisdom gained from their entire life experiences; and it seems natural that an elderly loves to share his/her stories or thoughts with the young. Does the young generation show respect and love for the elderly? I guess the answer is 'maybe'. Education is necessary undoubtedly.

There is an article titled "Teaching our children to love the elderly". This online article has been posted on a blog (I guess it is instead of a photography website). I appreciate the author's views on educating the young generation to love the elderly. However, the first impression I had when I saw the article was in fact terrible, not only because of the text colour but also the layout of the article. It is really a tight squeeze! I think a clear layout contributes to the readers' convenience. As online readers tend to skim articles fast to look for what they are interested in, a concise layout could be a key to attract readers' attention.

The main story is placed in the middle of the page which takes the focus of the readers. There is a picture with an old man at the beginning of the article. This photo shows exactly what the young needs to care about, that is to spend more time on the elderly. I believe that we can only hear the needs of the elderly if we really care what they want. If I were the author, I would enlarge the picture to show the eyes of the old man clearly. Personally, his eyes reflect his anxiety for love and care. Also, I think there is still space left for more pictures of the elderly. 

A Chinese traditional idiom says "An elderly is worth a treasure at home". To educate our kids to respect the elderly is really important. They are the ones who have contributed to our society and it is time they enjoy their lives. Try not to love the elderly at home only but all the elderly you meet in daily life!



Let's show love and  respect for the elderly!



Love Episode Six

Can you imagine that 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned as a result of AIDS? Most African countries are facing a great problem with the arrangement of the orphans. The orphans in African have no choice but live without their parents' love. Fortunately, the AIDS orphans are still the beloved ones. Do you know who offers them help? Let's read the articles about AIDS orphans!

When I was reading the articles on this website, I found the AIDS charity, AVERT very effective in designing their website in three ways. First, they have used a top-down approach in the notion of information architecture. As a reader, I read from the top to the bottom automatically in order to get more details of AIDS orphans. The sequence of details is delivered by using clear subtitles which are coloured in purple. Under each subtitle, there are separate key words which help show the ideas in the coming paragraphs in green. Readers may feel convenient and easy in reading hundreds of words. Remember to read the paragraphs under subtitles "country responses" and "the need for action"!

The second effective mean is actually the use of images. Some relevant photographs are inserted between paragraphs. I think the pictures bring a pleasant perception rather than a sense of sadness or grief. For AIDS orphans, hope and care are important. I felt warm and grateful when I saw the picture with a girl standing with a smile on her face. Apart from images, videos are powerful to convey messages. There is a video clip under the subtitle 'family structures' but the link of the video has been removed. This reminds me of the importance of website maintenance.

Third, I appreciate the design of the interface. The algorithm is well-structured with the main story in the middle. The navigation system is designed on the top and left of the page which is user-friendly. However, the search system is not shown obviously. Maybe it is placed in the middle of left column with very light colour. It could be a good idea to show the search system on top of the page. Overall, this website is a good example of information architecture.

How do you feel after reading the articles? I guess the best way to help AIDS orphans is to offer help by supporting organisations like AVERT and UNICEF. May God bless the orphans!   

Love Episode Five

The meaning of love differentiates between selfish love and selfless love. Some people believe that the more you love a person, the more selfish you will be with your love. This argument could be possible but my idea of love is just the opposite. A true love is founded on how much one can sacrifice for his/her love. There are live examples of selfless love. The article "Selfish Love vs selfless Love" shares with you more about Love. 

As an online article, the choice of a suitable title is crucial. Internet users may not stop to read an article unless it is surprising or meaningful for them. To me, this title "Selfish Love vs selfless Love" itself is not surprising, yet the intention of the author on the title attracts me. Look closer! 'selfless Love' with a small letter s for 'selfless'. Why? I guess the author is trying to convey the meaning of 'selfless'. It means you minimize your own need for the sake of others. In contrast with 'Selfish', someone being 'selfless' is more humble because you do not see yourself more important or 'bigger' than others. 

Frankly, this article is just too colourful in terms of its presentation. Colourful words give people a sense of brightness and cheerfulness. They also separate subtitles, paragraphs and examples to make the article easier for readers to understand. Thus, it is more convenient for readers to scan information they want. However, I feel dizzy as my eyes blurred after reading the article for five minutes. 'Well, nothing is perfect!' Good techniques can have side effects anyway; love sometimes hurts too. 

The effective use of fond size is another advantage. The author deliberately altered the fond size to deliver her messages. Apparently, she used lots of love icons and pictures for decoration. I appreciate her effort as I guess people feel warm with dozens of hearts. See one of the pictures here! 

Apart from the fond size, the use of word capitalization happened to function as 'mix & match' in bringing out focuses. It is an appropriate way to show contrast on meanings, yet I do not find those capitalized words meaningful. Verbs, prepositions and connectives are usually not the key focuses in a sentence. Maybe the author aims to make her own emphasis on the words.

After reading this article, do you know what kind of love you are having now? Congratulations if you have 'selfless Love' in yourself and around you!

     

 

Love Episode Four

Let's talk about love for plants in this episode! A lady named Rosemary Ponte is really a plant lover. She has been serious about gardening since she was around twenty. She enjoys having the gardening lessons and talking to other gardeners. The article written by Laura Gwinn describes how Rosemary feels about gardening. Imagine how much love can be devoted to plants by humans!

When you go to the webpage (simply click "Love Episode Four"), you could be attracted by the picture at once. It is a slideshow of six images about Rosemary's vegetable garden. By inserting a slideshow, more space can be saved for the article. The use of a slideshow succeeds in allowing readers' to stop watching the pictures any time they like. Just quit the slideshow by clicking a cross (it's handy)! As the slideshow is placed at the beginning of the article, the beautiful pictures of the garden actually function as an eye-catching spot and a mean to arouse readers' interest in the article. This is in fact a very powerful technique for designing a webpage.

Laura chose to quote Rosemary's words for her entire article with some narrations. She used a single spacing between quotes which made her article clear and easy to read. This kind of layout is effective for presenting quotes and dialogues. It is also a clever way to include lots of quotes, so that the readers can share the authentic experience of Rosemary in gardening. I guess all readers of online articles are curious to know about others' experience. They may expect to read a direct, precise and concise layout of an article because this will save their time. As a reader, I feel Rosemary's enthusiasm for plants.  

Taking care of a garden is never an easy job. Time, love and passion should be devoted to gardening. You may start to cultivate some species of plants instead of a garden. Eventually, you may become an expert of plants!

Love Episode Three

Many pet lovers consider their pets a member of the family. Pet lovers often share their experiences as a pet owner with others. Sometimes their memorable moments with pets explain how much humanity pets can have. It is not surprising to hear people say, "I saw my dog looking at me with tears in its eyes while I was crying." We all know that even pets have emotions. They know who their owners are! They know they are the 'beloved' ones! What about human love for pets?

I just notice that the human-dog relationship can be tested scientifically. One article "Pet love is similar to motherly love, say experts" shows a positive result to prove that social contact does exist between human being and dogs. Frankly, the tone of the article is quite academic with some terminology. It is difficult for someone who does not study biology to fully understand the experiment. However, I appreciate its news angle.

It is an attractive news angle which pet lovers are eager to know (at least for dog lovers). The news value is there in terms of human interest. I guess very few people may have heard about the test on oxytocin levels. By introducing the experiment precisely, readers believe how fascinating our relationship with dogs is. Maybe cats, horses ... not just dogs!

Effective use of quotes can be useful to arouse readers' interest. The author deliberately added the quote by Kikushi, "Miho and I are big dog lovers and feel something changed in our bodies when gazed [upon] by our dogs". The quote leads to a certain curiosity of what exactly the change in the bodies is. The layout of this online article is very concise. The picture of a cute dog and a girl appears to be an appropriate complement of the article. It is just the right size! Actually, I appreciate the use of a white background with words in black for this particular article. It gives me a sense of pure love for pets.      

If you believe the social contact with pets, why not try to feel your pet's emotions by heart from now on? Somehow you may aware of how much you love your pet.

She's so lovely!

Let's hug, my owner!

Love Episode Two

Learning to love is an endless journey throughout my life. If there is a psychologist who can give me BIG tips, I guess things are easier for me. Surprisingly, I found the relationship articles written by Dr. Grace Cornish Livingstone (one of America’s foremost Relationship Experts)very fruitful. Let's share one of her articles 'Why Use Your Finance to Buy His Romance?' together!

I've never thought of paying for a man's presence but things may change over my boosting age. Dr. Grace did not advise readers not to engage themselves into a "pay for play" relationship directly at the beginning. Instead, she shared her real case observation and analysis by the use of powerful word expression like 'cry with excruciating pain', 'a cash-machine for a gigolo', 'sweat at a nine-to-five job when I can get a Honey to dish out some money', 'leaves you broke, alone, and sorry' etc. To me as a reader, I feel impressed with what she said about love relationship.

Furthermore, I guess results from surveys are meaningful for readers in all situation. The survey summary of the three hundred women brings forth the notion of why women are persuaded to use finance to maintain men's romance. If I were the one who was surveyed, I would have known myself more after reading the four categories of personality types. OH! I'll then start questioning myself: Do I really love a man with THIS personality? 

I totally agree to what Dr. Grace mentioned in the last paragraph. Learning to love and value yourself is the key to a healthy love. Love is founded on trust and selfless care but absolutely NOT MONEY. Thank Dr. Grace for giving me this very last sentence - ... instead of one who tries to squeeze your finances dry like an orange in a juice extractor. It really strikes into my heart!

Love Episode One

Love is all around us. The most common type of love appears between males and females. Last night, I read an online love story. It is no more than ordinary but in fact it gives us room to think about 'Love'.  It may be true that most of the world's biggest and famous love stories don't have happy endings, yet they are just a fabrication. What about the reality? I guess the author's answer is still negative.  

The story attracts me in the way it is presented. A true story narrated by a girl who is waiting for a guy to love her. Through her words, you can feel how anxious and eager she is to develop a relationship with Lee. I feel pity for her not because Lee rejected her but the lost faith and courage in her. Her experience teaches us a lesson: It may be coincidence that love falls on you and your lover but somehow timing can drive you away from his arm. Why not learn to treasure your love now? Catch the best timing to say I LOVE YOU.  

People who believe in Internet love may have similar stories. They are readers who share similar feelings as the girl in this story. Either or not they succeed in an online love relationship (actually there are lots of happy endings), at least they learned and experienced.  Love across boundaries is not easy but possible. Imagine how powerful technology is to link people all over the world!

You may start questioning yourself like what the author does! I guess the more questions you have for yourself, the more critical you will be on handling love relationship. Actually, the author reminds me of my past experience. To change friendship into love relationship is not rare but most people fail because they are afraid of losing a friend. I agree to the author's intention of keeping an important friend, yet personally I find it more important to face my true feeling towards love.

"To be continued" happens to be the last sentence in the story. As a reader, I prepare to wait and see if fortune gives her a different story. Good luck!