How to pick a topic for a How-To article

The first major project in Web & Social Media is upon us, and the first question asked was: “What are you going to do your wikiHow page on?” When the Wikihow project was initially introduced, ideas came and went quick. There were so many recipes out there that weren’t on wikiHow, as well as many how-to and DIY projects. However, when it came down to choosing a topic to write 800-1000 words on, it began to be more difficult. Why was it so hard to think of a how-to that someone else hadn’t already thought of/written about as well as be something that would capture the attention of readers around the globe? After a bit of brainstorming as well as scouring wikiHow to make sure the topic hadn’t already been chosen, three topics came to mind.

The first idea that had came to mind was a recipe. Professor Pabico had mentioned in class how people had used new and exciting recipes as the basis for their wiki many times in the past. However, the key was to find a recipe you were familiar with that wasn’t already on WikiHow, which is a bit harder than you’d think. The best kind of recipe to start with was a unique family recipe that was handed down. The first that came to mind was pumpkin muffins. A delicious snack, but most people had not heard of this kind of recipe. With the demand for anything pumpkin flavor rising, this recipe was guaranteed to have already been posted onto wikihow. However it wasn’t shown on Wikihow,making it a perfect topic for this project.

The second idea came from the description of the project given by Professor Pabico. She suggested that the topic should be something we cared about, something that interested us as students. The first thing that came to mind was music. In the punk rock and pop-punk scene, there are certain things that you have to do to be considered “part of the scene.” When searching this topic, you can see there were already topics with similar themes on wikiHow. Therefore, the actual topic would have to be narrowed down into a niche. Being from a town that was very much involved in this scene and did things “by the code”, it was natural to make the topic specific to Buffalo, NY.

The third and final idea comes solely from others. After the last two ideas were hashed out, the third and last topic was hard to establish. Three were needed, but the first two were obviously the best. While struggling to find a third topic, a friend suggested doing a funny Wikihow page. “Do something people wouldn’t think of, like how to find a needle in a haystack,” she said. From there, it was decided that would be my third potential topic. While it wouldn’t be easy to write because it is is not a topic with much background, it is a funny and light-hearted topic

Ultimately, any of these 3 topics could end up being the subject of a WikiHow page. However, the easiest to write would be the one on “how to be pop-punk”, since it is one that has the most personal connection as well as information. Writing an article on finding a needle in a haystack would be hysterical, but hard to write. Finally, a recipe would probably be the easiest, since it is the suggestion given in class. All 3 of these potential topics would lead to a fun and exciting project.

Social Media: An Ever-Changing Platform for Change

Social media is an ever-growing platform for people around the world to connect, interact, and share ideas with one another. It has become so large that if you're not involved in any kind of social media, some people may look at you as a little weird or even distanced from society. It has become something far beyond what it was when it came into existence. Social media has even changed drastically since I have become a part of it a mere 8 years ago. At the age of 12, I took my first step into the world of social media. During this time, AIM & Myspace were all the rage. Oh, the days of Myspace layouts and AIM away messages. I wish I could go back there on some days. Social media at that time did not have as much of a civic duty as it does today. When I was 12 almost 10 years ago now, social media was used solely for fun. You over-edited selfies taken on your digital camera for likes and comments, you hoped you could become friends with someone who was “Myspace Famous”, and found your new favorite band in the depths of the Internet. While social media today can be intrusive, cause fights between friends over a generalized tweet and so on, I would much rather take today’s social media. Social media 10 years ago had yet to become a marketing tool, it wasn’t a way to state your political views, and it certainly wasn’t a way to band together in a group of people’s time of need. In recent years, social media has become all of these things and then some. Companies have begun to use social media as a way to further their reach into our society. People use social media to share their opinions to people all over the world, in ways that wouldn’t have been possible 10-15 years ago. Social media, especially in the past 5 years or so, have begun to use it to help a cause. An example of how social media was used in a positive light was in regards to the recent Flint, Michigan water crisis. On Twitter, many of the musicians and bands that I enjoy listening to are posting about this issue and how we, as well as them, are able to help. Currently, artists such as local band Pentimento and Craig Owens are signing onto a music compilation to help raise money for this cause. If these artists didn’t give me enough of a reason to look up to them with their music, the social activism and awareness is another. In the future, social media will continue to be a driving force of change throughout the world. People will be able to band together to help a cause they hold near and dear even more than they already have. Besides that, there are many other aspects of social media that will continue to evolve. For example, I think you will be able to further customize what you see on your social media, eventually allowing yourself to only see and be involved in the things you really do care about. Social media as a whole is an ever-advancing monster, driving both disaster and change, but is a thing that I am so thankful for in my life.