An Expert and Aristotle Converse

This video outlined three key principles to keep in mind when creating a website:

1. User
2. Purpose
3. Simplicity

The following is a fictional conversation between the expert in this video and Aristotle.


 
        Expert       vs.     Aristotle

Expert: Keeping the USER in mind when designing the site is very important.  You should ask yourself, "Who will be using the website?" and gear it toward them.

Aristotle: Yes, it is important to be aware of your audience and make sure your website is attractive to them.  You can employ ethos (site credibility and relatability), pathos (appeal to the passion of the user) and logos (appeal to the logic of the user) in order to persuade the users to use the site. 

Expert: You should also remember your PURPOSE when creating a site. It's important to think about what your users are looking to experience on the site?

Aristotle: Very true. You need to select and fulfill the potentialities that will help you create the right character for your site.  Not all potentialities in a designers case are desirable, since there should be a set purpose or goal.

Expert: SIMPLICITY is vital when creating a website. You should never lose track of your users and purpose.

Aristotle: My theory of education can be applied here.  The first page should be on the level of child education, or simple and just feeding the user information.  The more interactive parts of the site should be available, but only after the user is clear on the concept of the site and therefore ready and excited to participate.  So in summary, the adult education (interactiveness of the site) should only come after the user has been through childhood education (the first page) and understands the concepts. 

Aristotle and Modern Experts Critique the Social Aspects of mormon.org

Here is my first attempt at a video!  I'm happy I did it, but anxious as well.  I've already seen some silly mistakes...Enjoy!

Aristotle and Social Media Experts

Proposed changes to WebPhil

Ethos, logos, pathos : 

Ethos: an about the authors section?
Unified action / character development / theme : 
Make the home page more home page-y.

End posts with questions to prompt further discussion?
Developed and sharable in stages : 

Encourage viewers to share.
Invitation to open discussion and change of character and contribution : 

Page where users can submit content/ideas
Possible to understand but not obvious :

LDS.NET

Two main points:

1. The actualization of potentialities brings happiness.
2. Ethos, pathos and logos help create persuasiveness for a website, which will bring users.

So... a good social website will be one  that allows people to optimize potentialities and therefore find happiness.  The website's tools or forums would be the potentialities and the communication that would result would lead to happiness. The website designers job then, is to create the type of potentialities that will allow for people to communicate and interact effectively.  It will also use ethos (author credibility), pathos (appeal emotion), logos (appeal to logic) to gain trust of the users and therefore commitment.

LDS.NET

1. The website has amazing potentialities which are in their case forums for connecting and talking.  They look well thought out and intriguing. 
2. They use ethos well by displaying all of their followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. They use pathos well by allowing for real people to open up and talk about passionate topics.  BUT unfortunately, they do not use logos very well.  I believe they do not use logos well because the layout of their sight is pretty confusing.  This is a big turn off to me, and I am sure to other users as well. I feel if they could get the logical flow of their website down, they would have a lot more users. 

Notes from class: 

• Some potentialities on sight are not actualized.  Like comments on articles. 

Aristotle: Qualtrics

Ask Questions.
Get Answers. Act Fast.

I would argue that the Qualtrics home page exactly fits one aspect of Aristotle's description of how a presentation should be; possible to understand but not obvious. This brief explanation on the Qualtrics landing page uses simple words and phrases but requires thought to completely grasp the meaning. 

This screenshot highlights another good application of Aristotle's philosophy; that knowledge should be shared in stages. Readers are able to narrow down the topic they want and get a brief overview. By clicking through to Learn More they will be able to read more on that topic and watch related videos. This provides an opportunity for the viewer to develop as they get deeper into Qualtrics' message.

For further insights, there are articles to go even more in depth but these are not currently linked to the listed products. It would be good to have relevant articles mentioned at the bottom of the more in depth description of the product. 

Qualtrics also offers the user a way to quickly share the articles and blog posts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ at the bottom of each post. One thing that would be good to add is to provide the ability to highlight a certain section and have the option to tweet that quickly. Another addition to functionality that might be good is to be able to share the content listed for each product description. Aristotle might argue that ALL of the content should be easily shareable. 

The main downside could be the inability of users to send in material to be used on the site for development. This website is not built for user interaction but mainly to inform and persuade users of the need to use Qualtrics and then provide an easy way for them to get in touch with a salesperson. As can be seen on the right side of the screenshot below, whenever a viewer is on a product page there is a tab to quickly chat with a salesperson.

Pathos, ethos, logos...

This analysis would take quite a bit of time to truly analyze but here are some quick points:

Ethos: Qualtrics builds credibility by showing how we work with and have benefitted companies just like the one the viewer is a part of. By seeing our relationship with they peers, they begin to have trust in us. 

Logos: The articles and insights show how important it is to gather accurate and actionable insights from a logical perspective. 

Pathos: The case studies show how drastic changes have been made as well as the major losses that are possible by now changing. 

Second Draft

(I went through and tried to consolidate the main points)

History

Aristotle was a pupil of Plato.  So, like Plato, Aristotle wrote on a wide variety of subjects, from aesthetics to zoology.  He had a huge impact on education and philosophy and it took hundreds of years for people to stop thinking of him as "THE philosopher". 
 
Dallin

Aristotle talked a lot about potentialities.  Every situation has a lot of potentialities,  or different possibilities to bring to life, and one must select which potentialities to actualize.  On a social website, potentialities are endless.  When creating a website, think to yourself: "Which potentialities will help with the purpose of this website?"

Isaac

The perspective Aristotle is coming from is one that says that no one knows nor has created a perfect social media website.  We all have an idea, or glimpse, of what the ideal form is, but none envelope the complete form.

Our goal while creating social websites is to move them closer and closer to that ideal form.

Topher  

The first page should be general information, and as they go throughout the website they should get more in depth information. 

Lisa

Aristotle talked about child vs. adult education.  Child education was the type that just taught the students without much opportunity for them to participate and create during the learning process.  Adult education put a lot more power into the student's hands.  The students helped to dictate their learning process.  This second type of education is how a social website should be. It should be so interactive that it molds to the users needs.  It should not be some static thing that can't bend and move and grow.

Greg

The idea of potentialities should apply to the users and not just the builders of the website. The users should be part of the process of the site moving toward it's ideal form.

Aristotle Critique of LDS.org

Aristotle and Social Media

History

As a former pupil of Plato, many of the ideas Aristotle brought to the table were deeply influenced by Plato's philosophies. Similar to Plato, Aristotle spoke and taught on a wide variety of subjects, from aesthetics to zoology. However, Aristotle did add to his former professor's philosophies through his use of dialogues - more than just stating his points, he provided a discussion on points and counter-points, solidifying his arguments. [this is deceptive, his dialogues were all lost]

Teachings

In each moment, the potentialities of a thing are determined by its current situation. When we act, we are actualizing certain potentialities and closing off others. According to Aristotle, "mind" is what comes into play when we actualize these potentialities. [ideas that modern philosophers speak on about "mindfulness" probably draws on Aristotle]

Given how we act and how other things respond, we find ourselves with a new set of potentialities to act from--a new character. Character is the set of potentialities we have to choose from; therefore, our character is developed through our actions. Aristotle teaches that through this actualization of potentialities, we can find happiness.

Aristotle believed that these ideas could form general principles, but that one must also be aware of the potentialities of the moment in order to know how to act. Aristotle was all about action, phronesis, or practical wisdom. Action is necessary to actualize potential. 

Aristotle developed the ideas of ethos, pathos, and logos. While each adds value to a presentation, all must be present in order to convey the highest argument.

• Ethos: author credibility
• Pathos: passionate argument
• Logos: logical reasoning

Aristotle believed repetition was an appropriate form of education for children while adults should be taught through opportunities to interpret and interact. 

Aristotle taught that our communication should develop in stages as the reader and the presenter also develop and come closer to their potential.

Applications

First impressions

• The most important part of a social media website, according to Aristotle, would be the first thing a viewer sees. Just as a good movie should start with action, a good website should immediately make its purpose apparent. 
• It should tell a viewer what it is good for, what it can help them do, and begin to tell a theme. 
• The website should quickly earn the viewer's trust that it is a credible source. 
• The website should somehow show that it is coming from experts or people that are similar to the viewer. 
• It should influence the reader to feel emotions while providing logical information that persuade the reader to be a part of the community. 
• Ethos shows that you are trustworthy.
• While many expect or want the most convincing part of a speech to be pathos or logos, according to Aristotle, it is actually ethos.

Interaction and shareability

• His ideas of adult education vs. kid education can be translated to social websites.  An advanced site is one that the users can dictate and manipulate for their purposes.  It grows as their ideas and wants grow.
• A good website encourages discussion; a marketplace of ideas, in essence. Therefore, it must also be easily shareable. 
• The site should engage the viewer, providing him or her with the opportunity to interact and interpret (and ACT!). The purpose of this discussion is so that the website can continue to better itself to empower its users.

Development

• The website should provide different levels of information. As one first lands on the page, there should be high-level information but as one continues to search the page the information should become more granular. 
• A good social website would actualize its potential by helping users to actualize their potential. It would seek to understand its potential market by understanding its market’s potential. [hugh nibley, "zeal w/o knowledge"?]
• It would allow users to contribute to the potentialities of the website. This is what makes it a good social website and not just a good website in general. The users, by their participating in the social aspects of the site, are the dynamic that makes the site able to actualize its potential. 
• There is an interdependence between the website itself and the users, in that the users help to make it (the website) what it is and it (the website) helps to make them (the users) what they are.

The Ultimate Website

• In order to be as influential as possible, the website must incorporate ethos, logos, AND pathos. 
• Aristotle would argue that while we know the principles that make a good social website, that is not all of what makes a good social website.
• Is it simply impossible to create a good (and profitable) social media website?  NO. Through discussion and contribution, while focusing a great deal on the other facets, the site will grow to the interests of all while moving toward that ideal form. [idea of eternal progression?]

For professional website critiquers:

Ethos, logos, pathos : What is the ethos? What is the logos? What is the pathos?
Unified action / character development / theme : Can we tell right away what we can do on the site? How we might develop along the way? Something of the theme of that development?
Developed and sharable in stages : Can send intriguing little parts of talks/articles? 
Invitation to open discussion and change of character and contribution : Can users send in posts for development?
Possible to understand but not obvious : Does the purpose requires enjoyable effort to completely grasp?

Aristotle, second draft.

Hey guys, here is maybe a good place to start. I did a little biography and then transitioned into one of Isaac's points. Feel free to add to it or take away from it and/or continue where I left off. #tryingtocollaborate (This isn't a real hashtag).  #gotchya

What would Aristotle say about your Website?

 

Aristotle was the grandson of Socrates, the son of Plato, and the father of Alexander the Great. Not biologically of course, but in thought. He was their mental prodigies. He was tutored by Plato, who was tutored by Socrates, and then even had a protege prodigy of his own, Alexander the Great. Though he was way back then, in 3rd century BC, and way over there, in Greece (assuming your reading this from far away), he still has a lot to say about what a good social website would look like. How it would interact with its users. How it would invite them to ACT!! (possibly buy your product/service).

Aristotle tried to provide a more systematic approach to what his forefather’s had brought forth, along with his own unique spin on things. Unlike Plato’s conception of what an ideal form of a social media website would look like, Aristotle would say that no one knows nor has created a perfect social media website.  We all have an idea or glimpse of what the ideal form is, but none envelope the complete form.

So, are we saying that it is simply impossible to create a good (and profitable) social media website? Give up, stop reading, we tricked you, there is no hope? On the contrary, Aristotle would say that through discussion and contribution to the site, while focusing a great deal on the other facets, the site will grow to the needs of all while moving toward that ideal form.

Aristotle: Second (very rough) draft

Ok, here goes for my first time doing this (but that's ok, cause this is a collaborative effort, right?).  So, the way I have it below is as follows.  From everyone, I tried to take, what I thought, the most interesting and well said points to include in the second draft script.   

I see our objectives as these: (1) create an Exciting and Interesting piece that people would like to hear by (2) Concisely Bundling Aristotle's points so as to provide a plausible script for a video.   

Don't be afraid to make your piece shorter than you may think, though strive for concision.  The magic of concision is the breadth and depth hidden underneath, begging to be discovered.  (Concision may also mean well rounded, so you may need to add something or say it differently.)  We can play Tetris with our drafts on Friday to get the right length.

You are welcome to refer back to the original posts to see the quotes in context (I tried to include the names and titles for quick reference).  Good luck!  I look forward to seeing your second drafts.   

P.S. Dr. Packard would also like to see (about Aristotle) the script with these elements: some brief biographical information, his teachings (again, briefly), then the application to social media with some criteria.  

Dallin - Aristotle and Social Media
In each moment, the potentialities of a thing are developed given the situation it is in. As human beings, we act by actualizing potentialities of ourselves in the situation we find ourselves in. That selection of potentialities to actualize Aristotle calls mind. Given how we act and others and things respond, we find ourselves with a new set of potentialities to act from--a new character. Character is the potentialities we have to act from, and thus our characters, or disposition, develop through our actions. Through this actualization of potentialities, humans can find happiness.

Ethos (author credibility), pathos (passionate argument), and logos (logical reasoning) all should be present to one degree or another. 

The most important part of a social media website, according to Aristotle, would be the beginning, or the first thing a viewer sees. Just as a good movie should start in the action, a good website should immediately make its purpose apparent. It should tell a viewer what it is good for, what it can help them do, and should bring out a sort of theme at the same time. Additionally, a good website should encourage discussion; a marketplace of ideas, in essence. Therefore, it must also be easily shareable. The purpose of this discussion is so that the website can continue to better itself to service the needs of its users.

Isaac - Ancient Aristotle, Modern Application
the perspective Aristotle is coming from is one that says that no one knows nor has created a perfect social media website.  We all have an idea, or glimpse, of what the ideal form is, but none envelope the complete form.

So, am I saying it is simply impossible to create a good (and profitable) social media website?  On the contrary, I am saying that through discussion and contribution (point 2), while focusing a great deal on the other facets (points 1, 3, and 4), the site will grow to the needs of all while moving toward that ideal form.

Topher - Aristotle and new media
we provide opportunities to interpret and interact as this leads to a more advanced form of learning than just sharing or repetition. Finally, he would teach that our communication should develop as it reaches and helps the reader to reach their potential.

First, the website should quickly earn the viewer's trust that it is a credible source. The website should somehow show that it is coming from experts or people that are similar to the viewer. It should influence the reader to feel emotions while providing logical information that persuade the reader to be a part of the community. 

The website, as we learned briefly with Plato, should also engage the viewer, providing he or she with the opportunity to interact with the site and interpret it in his or her own way. 

Finally, the website should provide different levels of information. As one first lands on the page, there should be high-level information but as one continues to search the page the information should become more granular. 

Lisa - Aristotle
His ideas of adult education vs. kids education can be translated to social websites.  An kid or beginner website is one that you create for your purposes and expect people to participate in.  An adult or advanced one would be one that becomes the users, they dictate and manipulate it for their purposes.  It grows as their ideas and wants grow.

Greg - Aristotle Overview
Aristotle believed that these idea could form general principles, but that one must also be aware of the potentialities of the moment in order to know how to act. Aristotle was all about action, phronesis, or practical wisdom. A good social website would invite and attract people who wanted to act and would show them and give them potential ways to act.

Action is necessary to actualize potential. A good social website would actualize its potential by helping users to actualize their potential. It would seek to understand its potential market by understanding its market’s potential, who or what they are seeking to become.

It would allow users to contribute to the potentialities of the website as well. This is what makes it a good social website and not just a good website in general. The users, by their participating in the social aspects of the site, are the dynamic that makes the site able to actualize its potential. Thus, there is an interdependence between the website itself and the users, in that the users help to make it (the website) what it is and it (the website) helps to make them (the users) what they are. This is the most important condition if it is to be truly social at all.

Aristotle Whiteboard Post

My visual thoughts...

WebPhil through the lens of Aristotle

Aristotle's Ideas - Applied

Encourage argument and debate
Reward valid arguments with... likes, swag, etc...

Include ethos, pathos, logos
Ethos will come from a great landing page that shows professionalism and our care for good research (for Qualtrics) or for understanding the philosophers and applications thereof. Logos will come as viewers read the pages. Pathos is developed as we take the viewer on a journey

Continue to work on our outline/prototype of website as we develop our idea for the final blog (is a blog the best medium?)
I think we are doing a great job of this.

Seek to fulfill the potentialities of the website, what are they?

Develop and share in stages; attract, engage, convert, delight; slowly filter people out as you progress
Have landing pages and first pages ultra simple with some type of engagement; like "what would you like to do?" As they progress, the pages will include more detail and will require more of the viewer.

Possible to understand but not obvious; require effort on the part of the viewer (stages)
As the viewer progresses through the website, they should get a deeper understanding of the topics discussed. There could possible be super brief summaries that are most accessible. As readers click on those, they get more options of things to click on that will take them deeper (like Qualtrics). 

Quickly show viewer the answer to "what can I do here?"
I like how the headlines are obvious on the blog. However, I think it could be more straightforward and simple on the final product. There could be two buttons; one that says "Critiquer of websites" and the other is "Website critiquee." 

Allow the site to be shared easily and in stages
Have share buttons that are accessible for the viewers. Also allow different types of content to be shared that cater to where people are on the understanding process.

Character development
Show development over time of the blog but not on the main page. Have a separate page for those who are interested to see how the blog developed.