Is this thing on?

For my audience piece, I chose a discussion board post titled "Now that I'm thoroughly depressed". I wrote it after watching "Rabbitproof Fence" in our Intermission unit. In this post, I commented on some similarities I saw between the treatment of the Aboriginals in the film and the treatment of Mexicans in this country. I thought that since the topic of illegal immigration is frequently in the news, it would be a good one for discussion. I also considered the various ages and backgrounds of the discussion board members and how their varied life experiences would give each a unique perspective and opinion on my thoughts.

Discussing a topic such as immigration on a discussion board is tricky. Just as with other written communication, it can be easy to misinterpret someone's words because the face to face aspects of a coversation (body language and tone of voice) are missing. However, it can also be a good opportunity to gather one's thoughts and respond carefully and thoughtfully instead of being prone to emotional outbursts. I think the discussion that Trent and I had was just that - thoughtful and respectful. We might not have agreed, but that's not the point of a discussion. Rather the idea is to see a new point of view that challenges your own. You may be introduced to new information that will either confirm your original opinion or give you a chance to reconsider.