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Cassidy Reese Professor Alicia Bolton English 101 17 October 2013 8-Bit World We live in a place of two different worlds, whether we are aware of it or not. Some of us choose to live in one world, while others choose to live in the different one. What are these two different worlds that we live in? The technology world and the real world is the correct answer. Whether we know it or not, the two different places surround us, and we are slowly bringing them closer and closer to one another. Two essays that give strong examples and good arguments of these two worlds is, Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted by Malcolm Gladwell, and, Should Gamers Be Prosecuted for Virtual Stealing? by Alex Weiss. The two essays put up good arguments by using examples of pathos, ethos, logos, and many more. The essay by Gladwell explains the difference in activists now than activists back then. People are starting to use technology to get known and take a stand, when a few years ago they would actually go out and take a stand in person. In Weiss essay, he gives a single situation on how people were bringing the court into a simple crime that was committed in a popular video game. The two essays give vivid examples on bringing technology and reality together, but Gladwells essay uses more and stronger examples of logos and convincing reasons and evidence throughout the essay. Gladwell uses vivid examples of logos, and he uses convincing reasons of evidence throughout his essay. He starts off his essay with a story that happened about fifty years ago. He explains a situation about four black college students sitting down in a white section at the lunch

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counter. The students were asked to leave, but they stood their ground. People began to come where the students were to protest about the situation. Day by day, more protestors would show up and protest about what they believed in. Others came to support the boys, and some just threatened the whole lunch counter. This situation caused a big fuss. People were in danger, and some were killed. Later on in the essay, Gladwell explains how people are less likely to do something like this in this day and age. People are now less likely to stand up for what they believe in in person, because they now have the option to stand up for what they believe in by hiding behind a computer screen. This could be a more positive and less violent approach. Gladwell explains the difference between activists now and activists in the sixties. He gives considerable evidence and reasons in the essay about how technology has changed the people. Gladwell also uses many examples of logos. He uses many examples when giving examples of activists on Facebook: The Facebook page of the Save Darfur Coalition has 1,282,339 members, who have donated an average of nine cents apiece. The next biggest Darfur charity on Facebook has 22,073 members, who have donated an average of thirty-five cents. Help Save Darfur has 2,797 members, who have given, on average, fifteen cents. (321) By giving this information, Gladwell explains that people now have the ability to use Facebook and other social networks to be activists. Instead of going out and taking a stand in public, the people have the choice to make a stand in the comfort of their own home. He is using the arguing strategy of logic and facts as the rhetorical appeal. He gives many more facts about other situations along with this example. Weiss does not use many, if any, examples of logos in his essay. Weiss does not logic, statistics, and facts to argue the point of his essay. He establishes a clear and arguable position

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instead. In Weiss essay, he explains teenage gamer was being tried for a crime they committed in a video game: According to the Associated Press, the defendants attorney argued that the stolen amulet and shield were neither tangible nor material and, unlike for example electricity, had no economic value. The court, however, disagreed, ruling that the time the thirteen year old victim spend in the game trying to ear the objects gave them value. (727) Weiss says that this made no sense to him. He believes that Video games are not work or investments for which people should be compensated; they are escapism (727). He argues about how he feels like situation is unfair and how there is a line between the gaming world and the real world. Weiss explains how the two different worlds do not need to be brought together. His essay, however, lacks other rhetorical appeals. He only gives one example of the situation, and it is somewhat brief. Weiss essay seems to be the weaker one because of the lack of logos, ethos, pathos, and other examples of the gaming world and real world. Both of the essays use some type of rhetorical appeal, whether it is logos or ethos, or a clear and arguable position or convincing reasons and evidence. They also both explain the difference between technology and reality, and how they are coming together. Gladwell explains in his essay that the use of technology might not be a bad idea when it comes to activists. It can lessen the chance of physical harm. Weiss essay explains that technology and reality coming together might not be the best idea. Both of the essays are argue what they believe, and they use good examples bringing together technology and reality while using examples of logos.

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Works Cited

Weiss, Alex. Should Gamers Be Prosecuted for Virtual Stealing? The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3rd Edition. Ed. Marilyn Moller. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 727-729. Print.