A small bit of good news
From my Thesis Development Studies Class professor:
"As stated in the assignment emailed to you on April 17 and discussed on April 24, the requirements were as follows:
• Your name and course #
• Your thesis statement as it is now
• Your thesis overview as it is now
• Overview of your goals of this quarter (check that schedule you made earlier on)
• Overview of progress so far
• Overview of inspirations for your project
• Overview of existing and perhaps similar works in field
• 755 Only: Discussion on planned visual component
• 765 Only: Discussion of exact innovative component of your project (what’s new here that’s never been done before?)
Your presentation amply succeeded in presenting this information. What follows are observations and comments on your thesis and work to date. The comments are in no particular order... just the way I wrote them down.
As I mentioned in class on Wednesday, I believe you need to select one of the four categories and focus on it. Otherwise, I fear that you won't be able to target that market as well as you otherwise could.
I have begun to see your site as sort of the unbiased "Consumer Reports" of the dating scene. There are obvious benefits (authority and respectability) and drawbacks to this (you won't bring in $ from ad revenue). I also believe you could consider developing your own rating # without explanation of the underlying formula like FICO and Zillow.com do. This would allow you to take into account the griefers factor as well as the "mad people complain more" factor.
I am unclear on how you will make your site sticky, though clearly some social sites do. It's not a big deal to solve at this point, particularly since you've barely figured out what the core site will be like. I think asking people about sites they regularly go back to might be a good idea. You can glean from that all kinds of info.
A challenge in doing your project as a whole will be removing the personal bias that's inherent in your questions or current comments on it. If you want unbiased feedback, you'll need to have no bias in your questioning. Mind you, at this point, all of our personalities are showing through in our projects. So, it's not a big deal. Just something to be aware of going forward.
When you've settled on a tighter focus for your thesis, by its very nature, you'll need to refine your statement and overview. Send that along to me when you have it.
Your grade for your midterm and work thusfar is an A. I think you're super methodical, and I like the amount of work and drive you've put into the project so far."
So, yeah, that's a relief.
I still have a big paper plus three smaller ones due for my other class, which, due to professorial slackitude, has posted no midterm grade (I'm guessing a mid-B) and a big paper due for the above class, and ten or so more days to wrap all that up, figure out what's up with my financial aid, get a TA position, and plan to visit Atlanta as soon as possible to see my new niece.
"As stated in the assignment emailed to you on April 17 and discussed on April 24, the requirements were as follows:
• Your name and course #
• Your thesis statement as it is now
• Your thesis overview as it is now
• Overview of your goals of this quarter (check that schedule you made earlier on)
• Overview of progress so far
• Overview of inspirations for your project
• Overview of existing and perhaps similar works in field
• 755 Only: Discussion on planned visual component
• 765 Only: Discussion of exact innovative component of your project (what’s new here that’s never been done before?)
Your presentation amply succeeded in presenting this information. What follows are observations and comments on your thesis and work to date. The comments are in no particular order... just the way I wrote them down.
As I mentioned in class on Wednesday, I believe you need to select one of the four categories and focus on it. Otherwise, I fear that you won't be able to target that market as well as you otherwise could.
I have begun to see your site as sort of the unbiased "Consumer Reports" of the dating scene. There are obvious benefits (authority and respectability) and drawbacks to this (you won't bring in $ from ad revenue). I also believe you could consider developing your own rating # without explanation of the underlying formula like FICO and Zillow.com do. This would allow you to take into account the griefers factor as well as the "mad people complain more" factor.
I am unclear on how you will make your site sticky, though clearly some social sites do. It's not a big deal to solve at this point, particularly since you've barely figured out what the core site will be like. I think asking people about sites they regularly go back to might be a good idea. You can glean from that all kinds of info.
A challenge in doing your project as a whole will be removing the personal bias that's inherent in your questions or current comments on it. If you want unbiased feedback, you'll need to have no bias in your questioning. Mind you, at this point, all of our personalities are showing through in our projects. So, it's not a big deal. Just something to be aware of going forward.
When you've settled on a tighter focus for your thesis, by its very nature, you'll need to refine your statement and overview. Send that along to me when you have it.
Your grade for your midterm and work thusfar is an A. I think you're super methodical, and I like the amount of work and drive you've put into the project so far."
So, yeah, that's a relief.
I still have a big paper plus three smaller ones due for my other class, which, due to professorial slackitude, has posted no midterm grade (I'm guessing a mid-B) and a big paper due for the above class, and ten or so more days to wrap all that up, figure out what's up with my financial aid, get a TA position, and plan to visit Atlanta as soon as possible to see my new niece.