Interactive Narratives

The article I looked at this week from the Interactive Narratives website is from the Roanoke Times online edition. The article provides a 3-dimensional graphic walk through of the Taubman Museum of Art, which I can only assume is a museum that is yet to be or in the process of being built in Virginia. Like all the other examples I have used from this site, the article proves what a substantial advantage online journalism can have over newspaper if used properly. The walk through gives a 3-D portrayal of how each room will be constructed, as well as providing architectural information on each aspect of the building, nothing that a newspaper could depict as well with words (and no pictures since it hasn’t been built). There are also videos about the idea behind the museum and its contributors.

I Have The Power

Well it’s official: I am your designated fivethirtyeight.com aficionado. It is my specialty to bring to you any noteworthy evidence that I find from the political website, and that’s just what I’m going to do. This week, what I had in mind maybe doesn’t pertain to you, but it certainly does to me and that’s all I care about.

The article I would like to focus on is one which empowers…me. Go figure. According to a Columbia University professor, voters in the following states will have a 1-in-10,000,000 chance of deciding the outcome of the election: New Mexico, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Colorado. Why is this relevant? Because I am from New Hampshire of course.

Let’s be honest, 1-in-10,000,000 is not the greatest odds in the world, but it is better than the average American’s chance of affecting who the next president of the United States will be. Not since residents of Florida in the 2000 election have any group of Americans been so politically empowered. I can feel the power surging through me.

Considering there are approximately 120,000,000 Americans who will participate in this election (and I base that on the popular vote from four years ago), I like my odds. Does anyone else? I’d be willing to sway my vote for the right price if you are a believer or if you really care that much. Just kidding. But seriously, citizens of these states, realize the power that is in your hands and how you could potentially have a drastic affect on this election, and get out there next Tuesday, November 4th and vote.

Just A Little Something To Think About

I have to get all your attention back on that website, fivethirtyeight.com. I told you it had a lot of interesting polls and tidbits about the election, and I have stumbled upon another. A recent Nickelodeon poll result was posted on the website, and it appears that the children’s vote in the election is extremely tight: Obama 51%, McCain 49%, with about 2.3 million kids voting. The actual projected popular vote right about now, according to the website, is approximately 51.6% for Obama to 46.8% for McCain, with the remaining 1.6% undecided.

So, although not significant, there is an increase in McCain supporters among children. This brings up some interesting ideas, one of which being, are there really more republican kids than adults? Or is it simply the fact that kids are influenced by their parents? I believe that the real solution is this:

The kids’ poll is a poll that is essentially one of their parents. Unless you get some really political little kids, I am inclined to believe that the kids are influenced by the views and opinions by their parents which are placed upon them. The kids then say that they are pulling for whichever candidate their parents are voting for. This is not uncommon. Kids look up to their parents and, whether their parents do or not, they will not look at the issue subjectively, and will be in favor of whoever their parents are regardless of the issues (which I doubt they know anything about anyways).

This would mean that a slight amount of kids, probably about 3%, eventually change their mind and actually shift from a republican point of view to a democratic point of view by the time they are eligible to vote. This also makes sense. Kids start taking political classes in high school and then in college as well, both institutions which (I personally believe) advocate a democratic behavior. Also, the majority of teachers seem to be democrats, and though maybe not overtly, I’m sure they can’t help at times but to inflict their own opinions on their students.

This is all personal speculation, but again just something to think about.

Interactive Narratives

The article that I selected to view was one from Interactive Narratives, and it portrayed the story of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise. It discussed the team’s brutal decade after becoming an expansion team and its struggles to its rise to the top where they are now, playing the Boston Red Sox for the AL pennant. But the article did more than what any normal newspaper article would have done, it used is online capabilities to its advantage and has many interactive features that enhance the article. The article uses a timeline, pictures and videos of the early beginnings of baseball in the Tampa region, the franchise’s beginnings, blunders, and ultimate success. It provides much more information than any normal newspaper could contain and makes it more interesting to read.

How Fair is the Electoral College After All?

Interested in seeing how this 2008 election is going? Wondering who’s got the advantage as they head down the home stretch? Even who is predicted to take control of the White House? Stop right there. FiveThirtyEight.com has all the answers you are looking for. It even has breakdowns by state, popular vote, electoral vote, you name it. What’s the percentage McCain has of winning New Hampshire? It’s on there, 8%. How about Obama winning North Carolina? 34%. The website has all different types of scenarios and the likelihood of each coming true.

The most noticeable statistics are the pie charts of popular vote, electoral vote, and win percentage. I was thinking to myself how interesting these charts are, and it made me realize how unfair they are. The popular vote gives the slight edge to Obama, then the electoral vote more blue (democratic), and the win percentage almost entirely blue.

This graphic demonstration represents a fundamental flaw in the electoral college. The overall popular vote is going to be tight, but Obama’s chances of winning are almost guaranteed. It’s like two evenly matched teams playing each other with a huge point spread. For example, if the Cowboys play the Giants and one of the teams is getting 20 points. It doesn’t make any sense. That’s the problem with the electoral vote, and this visual makes it obvious.

There’s all the commercial and television campaigns encouraging people to vote and that every vote counts, but what’s the point of a republican living in Massachusetts voting? What’s his incentive? His candidate isn’t going to get anything out of his vote. Maybe the electoral college should distribute its votes based upon percent of popular votes in each state. So if McCain only gets 7 or 8% of the vote in Massachusetts, as least he’ll get one of the electoral votes. I’m just saying, let’s eliminate that point spread.

(Graph re-displays info given in pie charts on website).

Interactive Narratives

The article that I discovered in “Interactive Narratives” describes the Torrey Pines South Golf Course. This is where the 2008 U.S. Open took place, and this article provides features that a newspaper would not be able to provide because of its online/interactive aspect. The article, published on the San Diego Tribune’s website, gives the reader a view from the tee and from the green for all 18 holes. It makes you feel like you are actually there on the golf course, and even better yet, playing the course. While the article also gives a brief description of each hole, the video footage it provides is just imagery that words in a newspaper cannot match. This article is an excellent example of how much more beneficial online journalism, specifically the interactive aspect, can be.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/golf/multimedia/080122torrey/index.html