1. The way I solved my length issue was quite simple really (with some help from Natalie). I identified the weakest points in my paper (my counter-argument and solution) and simply expanded on those. By expanding on those, I was able to introduce new ideas that weren't stale or overused, and it also allowed my personal opinion to come into the paper a bit more, rather than expert opinion.

Four effective websites:

mormon.org

lds.org

yahoo.com

reddit.com (simple, but I like it)

Four ineffective websites

hankforsenate.com

drunkronswanson.com

I hate to say this, but byu.edu... Not the most simplistic layout.

supervideo.com

Patchwriting

“We do not in everyday life reflect much on how one people’s ‘myth’ may be another people’s religion or episteme. What ‘we’ label ‘myth’ from other cultures then translates into the ‘that’s just a myth!’ formula that implicitly sustains the value of our own beliefs. Thus trivialized—though in different ways—both outside and within Western culture, ‘myth’ in common English-language usage today is the object of exoticizing amusement or dismissal; it is deprived of its associations with history, knowledge, and vision—what has made myth culturally valuable and has most fascinated scholars of myths and traditional narratives” (Bacchilega 25).

According to Bacchilega, the definition of myth has become completely skewed. What may be one man's myth, may be another's treasure (or personal values). Myth has become less and less about the cultural background, and more about the "fanciful beliefs" of "outsiders."

And the biggest thing I've struggled with on my Issues Paper is simply length. It's difficult to write an 8-10 page paper without feeling like you're repeating or dragging on. I've tried doing deeper research, but most of it I feel like I've explicitly stated. I'd love your help!

The library mainly taught me one thing on Monday: I'm an awful researcher. The BYU library offers so many services that I quite honestly had no idea about. Often, as I go through google, I end up frustrated as I can find only Wikipedia articles. The databases that BYU library provides give academic article after academic article. This will make papers MUCH more credible. Plus, the library chat function always seemed like a gimmick, but after yesterday it seems like a function that could help quite a bit. The Opposing Viewpoints website seems like it will be the most helpful, considering it deals with extremely kairotical issues.

I do, however, have concerns about my topic. Because the topic of SOPA is fairly recent, I find that scholarly articles and other credible sources are hard to come by. I'm confused as to how I can find credible sources for such a kairotical issue. Overall though, the library was very informative and I find that future research papers will be much less stressful.

Issues Paper Proposal

The second I learned about this paper, I knew what I'd like my topic to be: SOPA. SOPA is the recent bill congress is trying to pass that will in essence destroy any user-created media content. The main premise behind the law is to stop piracy and protect copyright laws on the internet. Essentially, SOPA would create an internet without websites like Youtube, Reddit, and streaming websites. It would also drastically change the way search engines like Google run as well.

My initial stance on the subject is to reject the bill. This bill changes the way the whole structure of the internet. No longer can people upload videos that have copyrighted items in them. No longer can people stream videos of themselves involving music or other videos that have been copyrighted. No longer can Google or other search engines link to other websites. I understand that the intentions behind this bill (to stop illegal piracy) are noble, but I think the way they've gone about it has been almost inhumane. Another reason I chose this topic is because of the corruption in Congress lately. I've been fairly disappointed with our Congress's actions lately, and I feel SOPA is just a result of lobbying by higher-ups at music and media companies.

My main research questions will be "How exactly will SOPA affect the internet?" and "Why are some companies so wholeheartedly supporting this?" I want to get a better sense of why what seems like such an outrageous bill has support.