TheDragoBlogs

  The Toulmin Argument is an argumentation style that breaks it down into different components: claim, grounds, warrant, qualifier, rebuttal, and backing.  The claim is the main argument, something you are trying to prove to your audience. The grounds are evidence to help support your claim, while the warrant is an assumption that links the two. The qualifier is something you may add to give it some leeway since the claim may not always be correct. Backing provides extra support to the warrant, such as using specific examples, and the rebuttal essentially validates a different point of view.  These can successfully be applied to online arguments or discussions to show a reasonable exchange of information and facilitate productive discourse. Many online arguments are fueled by emotions, especially around the current political state of our world. The Toulmin argument offers a better way of communication. For example, instead of just saying “Trump is awful” or “Israel sucks”...

  “Social media platforms have become powerful battlegrounds where various individuals, organizations, and even governments engage in the battle for public opinion. Considering the rapid dissemination of information and the ability for anyone to voice their perspectives, how has this online landscape transformed the dynamics of public opinion formation and communication strategies?” With the explosion of social media, we are now able to voice our opinions about anything, almost instantly. We are creating a digital memory of every thought we have, every issue, every inconvenience we want to talk about. I never really understood the human urge to spill everything online, to push and cry and be the loudest in the room — in a situation where that is almost impossible to do so (ignore the blatant cognitive dissidence). This has transformed the online landscape into a frenzy of opinion-dumping, cancel culture when you say the wrong thing, and the usage of social media by companies and go...

 For week 5, we will be reviewing Prose, the all-natural hair care company! https://prose.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqkkNhT8YaKcBXpeHImun-rcBElMPHoRZOtYFvcaPNpbtcNDZjf I chose this company because I think they do a great job communicating online and promoting their main message — custom hair care is beneficial to cater to individuals different hair needs. Their website and social media is colorful, with visuals of healthy hair and visually appealing bottles of shampoo displaying natural ingredients. The website is organized by putting quick links at the top, media and products in the middle, and ingredient information at the bottom. I think they have it organized this way for easy flow of information, visual appeal, and easy access to information. This makes their website effective. The business seems to portray an online identity of being a leading progressive clean product company. Their goal is to offer the least amount of chemical and rely on quality products instead. They offer good i...