Floating Island

As text editor, I reviewed the text portions of the projects and provided general comments and suggestions on the overall direction of the stories. The bulk of my work involved thorough line editing of each student’s text for spelling, grammar and clarity. For most of the stories, I copied the text into a Word document and then tracked my suggested changes, with additional questions or comments in brackets. I wasn’t able to copy Eileen’s text directly into a Word document, so I obtained her permission to edit her work directly on the website.

1. Urban Preservation - I felt this story did a good job of integrating various multimedia components. The text was well suited to online storytelling, including a text description of a walk (with accompanying photos) and transcribed interviews that weren’t too lengthy. I also gave Eileen a few other minor suggestions after class on Friday.

2. Mental Health - This story has three components that work well together: one individual’s story, an essay-style piece that highlights the significance of the story and problems, and another piece that encompasses possible solutions to the problem.

3. Homosexuality - The text in this story presents an introduction to the issue of homosexuality and introduces the speakers in several audio interviews. I suggested adding a few more concrete examples of gay issues in Hong Kong, such as the court ruling from last year, or some information about the gay rights groups in Hong Kong and what they do. I also suggested adding some text captions to the photos, or descriptions alongside the images.

4. The Elderly - This story is told primarily as a photo essay, so the text serves to introduce the main photo portion. The photos were so intriguing, that it made me want to know more about the people in the photos from a text perspective. I suggested adding a bit more information in the last paragraph to introduce the people and the photos of them. For example, providing a teaser about the contents, what types of people will be seen. I was also curious about the motivations and processes behind the essay, such as when the photos were taken, where, and whether Ann knows any of the people featured or whether they were all strangers.