This year I am living with my Boyfriend and his family and we decorated the Christmas Tree so I thought I would photograph it and uploaded it, furthermore, I am heading down to my parents place for Christmas and I am going to take pictures down there as well.

Christmas 2015

<SongInfo artworkSrc="https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644449201/thumbnail/elimaaijxoxljct321vy.jpg" artworkTitle="It's Only Calm Artwork">

**Original(ish)**: One Tuesday, I found myself bored and had nothing to do, so I turned to my iPad mini and GarageBand. I decided to play around with the guitar, drum kits, and piano functions on the app and to my surprise, what I heard was good. Therefore, I decided to record the digital instruments and make a little song out of it. I got the title from listening to the song repeatedly and just thought this song was calming so I came up with the name, It's Only Calm. I further felt that the title fitted with the theme and to the tempo of the song.

**Released On**: September 14th, 2015

**Genre**: Easy Listening

</SongInfo>

### Available On

<TabSection id="links" tabTitles={["For", "Pay What You Want", "Stream"]}>
<div>
**[Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Donald_Louch_It_s_Only_Calm?id=Byncn437baa7vsjlr4sbl5n753u)** ($0.99)

**[iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/its-only-calm-single/id1035102738)** ($0.69)
</div>

<div>
**[BandCamp](http://donaldlouch.bandcamp.com/track/its-only-calm)** ($0.69 Or Above)
</div>

<div>
**[Apple Music](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/its-only-calm-single/id1035102738) **


**[Deezer](http://www.deezer.com/us/album/11147676)**


**[SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/idonaldelouch/its-only-calm)**


**[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6dUQ00zPx0xy2lwHkviuiL)**


**[YouTube](https://youtu.be/9J_GmXnoVTI)**
</div>
</TabSection>

### Watch the notes come alive on YouTube

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9J_GmXnoVTI?rel=0" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

It's Only Calm

Mark and I went down to Esquimalt Lagoon on June 25th for a nice evening at the beach.

Beach With Da Bae (June 25, 2015)

On June 18th, 2015 I crossed the graduation stage at Camosun College! I graduated from both Digital Communication and Digital Production Writing and Design!

Camosun Graduation 2015

My boyfriend and I decided to go up to Nanaimo, BC for our official one year anniversary. Here are some of the pictures from our trip.

Anniversary Trip to Nanaimo

Here are some pictures of the Christmas decorations that my mom put up this year. There are some decorations that couldn’t get photographed due to lighting, positioning and that type of stuff.

Christmas 2014

I additionally was an extra in the video. I know for sure I am featured at 1:47 and I maybe featured in other parts of the video but at 1:47 is where you can for sure tell that I am featured.

<Toggle id="vDescription" toggleAlt="Video Description">

© 2014 Chatter Records

This song is available here: [https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/o-holy-night-single/id938215118](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/o-holy-night-single/id938215118)

Producer: Matthew Lopez

Production Assistants: Darlene Crawford, Gauge Hutson, Sarah Rampling

Videographers: Mike Morash, Luke Connor, Ben Miller, Shea Swenson

Lighting: Graham Caesar, John Kirkpatrick

Lead Extras: Nana Mewat, Hannah Moore, Daniel Cho, Selah Skinner, David Beck

Makeup: Viktoria Kuzmina

Post Production: Cassie O’Neil

Wardrobe: Capital City Tuxedo

Special thanks to Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church for the use of their Sanctuary.

</Toggle>

I helped out on the set of this music video.

Featured In: Tristan Thompson - O Holy Night

There are over a thousand variations in language, which can have a potential of using different signal systems, sign language or even different spoken languages. In communication, rules also play a big part in how we structure words. The rules include, phonological rules, syntactic rules and semantic rules. Within communication, language can be confusing to learn and with discourse, communication gurus are hoping to close the gap of confusion in language.

Within human cultures, we speak about 10,000 different languages variations (Adler, Rodman & Sévigny, 2011), which can be confusing. However, with all of these different language variations we use the signal system to communicate different things to help with the confusion. Within the signal system we have signs and symbols:


> Signs are signals that are casually related to the message [which is being] (conveyed). We say that a smile is a sign that someone is happy because we know that happiness is ... [the only] ... cause [for] smiling. Symbols on the other hand, are the products of social conventions. Because of an implicit agreement among speakers of English, the sound pattern we recognized as the word pig denotes the familiar category of broad-snouted barnyard animals. (Knapp & Daly, 2011, p. 202)

Along with the signal systems people can also use sign language as a way to communicate. Sign language,

> Is 'spoken' by many deaf people, [which] is symbolic in nature and not the pantomime it might seem. There are literally hundreds of different sign languages spoken around the world that represents the same ideas in different ways. These different languages include Canadian Sign Language, Langue des signs québécois, British Sign Language, French Sign Language, Danish Sign Language, Chinese Sign Language-even Australian Aboriginal and Mayan sign languages. (Adler, et al., 2011, p.84)

Even though the signal system is different from sign language and sign language is different from spoken language, they all pose the same characteristics of language. We have learnt that, "… language [is] a collection of symbols [that are] governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals" (Adler, et al., 2011, p.84).

Within communication, there are some rules, such as phonological rules, syntactic rules, semantic rules and pragmatic rules that govern certain aspects of language and communication. The rule that is linked to the pronunciation of words is phonological rules (Adler, et al., 2011). Take the example of "… the words champagne, double ... and occasion [they] are spelled identically [the same] in French and English[,] but are pronounced differently in each language" (Adler, et al., 2011, p.86). It has been stated that, "English is notable for having particularly inconsistent phonological rules..." (Adler, et al., 2011, p.86). The rule that is linked to the structure and arrangements of symbols of language is syntactic rules (Adler, et al., 2011). With the English syntax the arrangement of sentences is a subject, verb and an object. A bad example of an English sentence would be on page 87 in our text, which is, '[have] you the cookies brought?’ However, that would be a perfectly acceptable sentence in the German language (Adler, et al., 2011). The semantic rules are what guides the meaning of specific words (Adler, et al., 2011). With "(semantic) rules [it] ... (makes) it possible for us to agree that 'bikes' are for riding and 'books' are for reading..." (Adler, et al., 2011, p.88). The final rule that governs language is pragmatic rules, which governs how we use language in everyday interactions (Adler, et al., 2011). Which can be seen differently from culture to culture. For instance the example on page 88, 'hold the fort while I am away' can be "(a) hurtful reminder of the era when the fort was a colonial outpost that had to be held [securely] against Indigenous 'enemies'" to a Native employee, whereas the employer was meaning it to be "(a) casual remark upon stepping out of the office" (Adler, et al., 2011). With this all being said, "(when) people use language, they usually understand one another, and do so at [an] exceedingly intricate level of detail" (Knapp &amp; Daly, 2002, p.216). With these rules people of all cultures and languages can begin to understand one another.

By learning the function of languages it is more common for it to be unnecessary of knowing what language is (Knapp & Daly, 2002). However, the attitudes about language are beginning to fade, the term language has been so carefully adopted by the structural interests of sentence interpreters that any effort of studying the use of language goes beyond sentence structures and now requires a whole new term called discourse (Knapp & Daly, 2002). With discourse, sentence interpreters are "… [attempting] to close the gap between conceptions of communication process and language structure and function" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.213), these sentence interpreters have been working on this process for some time now. With the concept of discourse, "… (messages) communicated may not be connected in any obvious way to what is directly and literally said" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p. 216). With this "(language) [can be] systematically organized in a variety of ways beyond the units of word and sentence, all of which contribute to the information conveyed and the actions performed by a message" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.214). Along with this theory of discourse:

> [When] producing messages, people decide what will make sense and what will not. They are more or less sensitive to the need to be polite. They know how to do things with words like bet, beg, and complain. (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.214)

Furthermore, it has been said that, "(all) animals communicate, but humans do so with unparalleled precision, flexibility, and creativity. These strengths derive largely from humans' unique ability to use language" (Knapp & Daly, 2011, p.201). Communication of any and all kinds operates on the principle that signals transmit messages from one source and sends them to a destination (Knapp & Daly, 2011). With that, we are beginning to realize that at the end of the day, communication is a systematically chain of event of sender and receiver, no matter the language that they speak and how they structure their sentences.

Within language and communication, there are a vast number of variations that utilizes certain principles. Some of the variations can be contained in the signal system, which includes signs and symbols. You can also use sign language and even spoken language to communicate with one and another. There is a list of rules that govern language, like how words sound, to how sentences are structured, even what the meaning behind words are and how we use language in everyday interaction. Furthermore, learning language is difficult and a new term has been created to help close the gap within communication. Language is expressed by everyone in different ways and we are only starting to learn how to use it and learn why we communicate in the way we do.

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

Adler, R., Rodman, G., & Sévigny, A. (2011). Understanding human communication (2nd ed.). Don Mills, ON.: Oxford University Press.

Knapp, M., & Daly, J. (2002). Handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, CA.: SAGE Publications.

Knapp, M., &amp; Daly, J. (2011). The Sage handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, CA.: SAGE Publications.

</Toggle>

Language in communication includes a vast number of variations, which contains similar principles.

Language Within Communication: A Communication Issue

On August 29th to August 31st, 2014 I went with my sister and boyfriend to Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. The trip was a 11+ hour car ride through some pretty neat towns and mountain areas. Therefore, I couldn’t help it but to take pictures. I used my Sony Xperia Z2’s camera to capture all of these pictures.

Trip To Kimberley, BC (August 29th to 31st, 2014)

On June 6th, June 11th, June 13th 2014 and July 12th, 2014 I took some pictures of my backyard and front yard! Therefore, here are some pictures of the “Outside” in the year 2014!

---

### Watch

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kCZtN9x-2gE" width="560" height="315" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

Outside 2014

<SongInfo artworkSrc="https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644289374/thumbnail/hlutz1lkglmrjihkne3z.jpg" artworkTitle="triumphthumb">

**Original**: Here is my second single. I titled the song Triumph because I felt that the song has an uplifting beat and the feeling of hope and victory. The guitar part of the song was recorded by me just randomly playing random notes additionally by me not knowing how to play. However, I think it makes for an interesting instrumental. As for the electronic part of the song I used the app NodeBeat by AffinityBlue.

**Released On**: March 31st, 2014

**Genre**: Easy Listening | Electronic

</SongInfo>

### Available On

<TabSection id="links" tabTitles={[ "For", "Stream" ]}>
<div>
**[Amazon MP3](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ISS1NEI?ie=UTF8&amp;*Version*=1&amp;*entries*=0)** ($0.99)

**[CD Baby](http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/donaldlouch2)** ($0.69)

**[emusic](http://www.emusic.com/album/donald-louch/triumph/14824022/)** ($0.49)

**[Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Donald_Louch_Triumph?id=By63qweiifgjucmbfx2vzcrhbke)** ($1.29)

**[iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/triumph/id834681664?i=834681673)**
</div>

<div>
**[Apple Music](https://itun.es/ca/aTdWX?i=834681673)**

**[Deezer](http://www.deezer.com/track/83549898)**

**[JUKE](http://www.myjuke.com/servlets/2452328105705Dispatch/50/jspforward?file=.%2Findex.jsp&amp;page=frontpage&amp;nosplash#/?page=album&amp;albumId=130406345)**

**[Last.fm](http://www.last.fm/music/Donald+Louch/Triumph)**

**[Rhapsody](http://try.rhapsody.com/artist/donald-louch/album/triumph)**

**[Shazam](http://www.shazam.com/track/108161309/triumph)**

**[Slacker Radio](http://www.slacker.com/song/donald-louch/triumph#album/8851114)**

**[SoundCloud](http://soundcloud.com/idonaldelouch/triumph)**

**[Vimeo](https://vimeo.com/90379495)**

**[Yandex](https://music.yandex.ru/album/1822440)**

**[YouTube](http://youtu.be/Nt4XbyHHwOg)**
</div>
</TabSection>

### Watch the Music Video

<VideoFrame src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Nt4XbyHHwOg" width="900" height="506" options="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" />

Triumph

<NewSection id="introduction" />

### Introduction

With technology advancing and new ways of communication being invented and always changing, the way we now communicate is so different from the “old messenger system”. In addition, with such things as cell phones and social networks, we are now presented with more easier ways of communication. However, with that begin said, people are now getting “lazy” and using things such as abbreviations, poor grammar, emojis and an over reliance on auto-correct (even if we all hate it).

<NewSection id="newCom" />

### New Ways Of Communication

The "new" way of communication in todays day and age has changed in many ways and in such a short time. Nowadays, “[anyone] [has] a wider variety of options for communicating with their peers than was available 15 years ago” (Conti-Ramsden &amp; Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). In addition, with digital technologies such as cell phones and the Internet, communication is now widely accessible and also very poplar, by many people which is mainly seen with in teens; but those of the older generations, are beginning to adapt and are learning how to use this technology, which is slowly eliminating the old “messenger delivery method” (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). For instance, the old way of communication was sending letters and or post/general card via. the mail system (or now called “snail mail”), which took time to reach the receiver; where with digital technology we can get a message instantly. Which, now “[…] messages [can] travel faster than a messenger” (McLuhan, 1995, p.89). According to a survey conducted by CTIA & Harris Interactive (2008),

> [...] over 2,000 teenagers in the United States revealed that 80% of teens, or approximately 17 million young people, have a cell phone. The figures are very similar for teenagers in the United Kingdom: Approximately 90% of adolescents own a cell phone; 96% of these use SMS (short messaging services), and 1 in 10 spends more than 45 minutes a day using it” (as cited in Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197).

As Nicholas Negropnte said, in time, “we will find that we are talking as much or more with machines than we are with humans. What seems to trouble people most is their own self-conscious about talking to inanimate objects” (as cited in Postman, 1999, p. 41). We are becoming so attached to our technology that, people are starting to feel that, if they leave their homes with out their cell phones, they feel as if they were leaving with out cloths on (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010).

As this new technology gets invited and communication changes, we as a society change. “As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of "do it yourself” (Rajendra, 2014, p. 1). In the nineteenth century, the following invention, were produced and is now being seen as something that is wracking our culture as we know it:

> telegraphy, photography, the rotary press, the telephone, the typewriter, the phonograph, the transatlantic cable, the electric light, movies, the locomotive, rockets, the steamboat, the x-ray, the revolver, and the stethoscope, not to mention canned food, the penny press, the modern magazine, the advertising agency, the modern bureaucracy, and even (although some dispute it) the safety pin“ (Postman, 1999, p. 39).

<NewSection id="meaning" />

### Different Meanings To Words

It can be said that, “[cell] phones afford what can be broadly categorized as two principal routes for interaction: oral communication and text-based communication via SMS and similar technologies” (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). We now live in a world, as pointed out by Postman, where, meanings to certain words are different from the original meanings such as the words “community” and “conversation”. The world

> […] ’community’ is now used to mean, simply, people with similar interests[, which is] a considerable change from an old meaning: A community is made up of people who may not have similar interests but who must negotiate and resolve their differences for the sake of social harmony. […] As for ‘conversation,’ two (or more) people typing a messages to each other are engaged in an activity quite different from what is usually called a conversation. To call messages that lack the presence of the human voice and human faces a “conversation’ […]” (1999, p. 53).

As time goes by the meaning of words get changed or even to some extreme, people can create a different spelling of the word, creating a “new feel” to the word. Another example of this would be when someone “Tweets” in today’s age that would mean that they send out a short message (under 140 characters) on the social network, Twitter; where even a few years ago, it would be considered to be and only be the sound that a bird makes. “Needless to say that like any other aspect of development, the technological development is similar to a double edged sword which on one side can kill someone and on the other side can lead to one’s own protection” (Rajendra, 2014, p. 6).

<NewSection id="abbreviations" />

### Abbreviations, Bad Grammar and Auto-Correct

As Postman noted in his read, “[what] changes in language are being enforced by new technologies, and what is being gained and lost by such changes” (1999, p. 53)? This is true when you think of social networking, instant messaging (IM), or even text messaging (SMS). People nowadays, uses short texting (also known as, abbreviations) and poor grammar. This is due to the fact that, with these new forms of communication, you are expected to reply back instantly. Furthermore, with certain social networks, you can have whats called, a “Character Limit”. Take the example of Twitter, with there limit being 140 characters; which then leads to people tweeting out tweets that are filled with abbreviations and ungrammatically correct language.

With the use of abbreviations, it cuts down on the charters and can make it easier to look at a message. An abreaction can be something as easily as “BRB” (Be Right Back), “U” (You), “Y” (whY), “YOLO” (You Only Live Once), "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud), "L.O.L." (Lots Of Love), “TMI” (Too Much Info), and many other shorten words. However, you can get some people that just simply does not know how to use the correct abbreviations; and then you are stuck there trying to decrypt there message and to try and figure out what they are trying to say.

Some people may even call this a “[…] nineteenth-century Americans, technology [that is] clearly the engine of spiritual progress” (Postman, 1999, p. 38). Abbreviations and bad grammar, is now seen everywhere, from on “Tech” (Technology), the way we talk “F2F” (Face To Face), essays, in school, and other places where you see communication. However, with this all being said, all this “[information] and communication technologies have transformed our world in many ways” (Pikas, 2006, p. 3).

Another, thing that should be mentioned, is "Auto-Correct" (or even better known as, Damn Auto-Correct). Auto-Correct is when you are in the middle of typing something (a text, Facebook status, tweet, email, or a note) and you may have one wrong letter or not the proper grammar and then auto-correct comes in and totally changes everything. At times, auto-correct can be handy a fix your grammar and at times even know what you were wanting to say (which is how its programmed to work), however, most of the time it gets it completely wrong. For instance, one could be typing, "I love you to!" but auto-correct could correct it and place, "I love you too!" or it can go the complete other way and get it wrong and say, "I love you TiVo!" (If you want a good laugh, just search on google for, auto-correct fails). Another example could be, you typed "skilks" and it corrected it to "skalds" but when you were wanting "skills".

In addition, to abbreviation, poor grammar skills, and auto-correct, our language seems to be filled with smile faces and other "Emojis". Emojis are starting to take over the way we communicate. Which can be a good thing, because it gives "emotion" to the text. Like someone can type "Hey :)" and then the "receiver" knows that the "sender" is in a good mood, or they could have typed, "Hey :|", which would mean that they are in an okay mood, or they could even type "Hey :(" and that would mean that they are in a bad mood.

<NewSection id="conclusion" />

### Conclusion

We now live in a world where the use of improper language (abbreviations and poor grammar) is okay and excepted as “passable” language. We are re-creating words and making them shorter and re-creating the meanings behind them. We are making sentences with less characters so that it fits in a tweet. Most of all, with auto-correct, it’s creating a lazy feeling and corrects you as you type (even if it gets the word completely wrong).

---

[An Interactive Website For This](http://dlcmns105.weebly.com)

---

<NewSection id="question" />

### Question

**Concept One:** Is the new form of communication (such, as abbreviations, poor grammar, auto-correct and emojis), a good thing or a bad thing? Why or why not?

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

Conti-Ramsden, G., Durkin, K. & Simkin, Z. (2010). Language and social factors in the use of cell phone technology by adolescents with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Journal Of Speech, Language, And Hearing Research, 53 (1), pp. 196--208.

McLuhan, M. (1995). Chapter 10. Roads and paper routs. Understanding media: The extensions of man. Cambridge, ME: MIT Press.

Pikas, C. K. (2006). The impact of information and communication technologies on informal scholarly scientific communication: a literature review.

Postman, N. (1999). Chapter 3. Technology. Building a bridge to the 18th century: How the past can improve our future. New York: Vintage.

Rajendra, P. (2014). Technological Advancements and Its Impact on Humanity. Academia, Retrieved from: [http://www.academia.edu/346486/Technological_Advancements_and_Its_Impact_on_Humanity](http://www.academia.edu/346486/Technological_Advancements_and_Its_Impact_on_Humanity) [Accessed: 22nd, March 2014].
</Toggle>

<Toggle id="additionalResources" toggleAlt="Additional Resources">


- (A project that a group of my classmates did on a similar topic): [http://cmns105groupone.wordpress.com](http://cmns105groupone.wordpress.com)
- (An awesome history of the English language): [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3r9bOkYW9s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3r9bOkYW9s) [found by one of my classmates, that she used in her presentation with her group, that was similar to this one]
- (A relatable video from a YouTuber that I watch): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UPvddDJ-RY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UPvddDJ-RY) (by our2ndlife member ConnorFranta)
- (Funny Auto-Correct fails | For the laughs): [http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com](http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com)

</Toggle>

The Co-Existence in Mass Media Forms: Technology Changing The Way We Communicate

Hello, I'm

Donald Louch

and, I'm a Web Developer and Digital Content Creator

Blog Posts

Photography

Christmas 2015

Audio

It's Only Calm

Photography

Beach With Da Bae (June 25, 2015)

Photography

Camosun Graduation 2015

Photography

Anniversary Trip to Nanaimo

Photography

Christmas 2014

Videography

Featured In: Tristan Thompson - O Holy Night

Education

Language Within Communication: A Communication Issue

Photography

Trip To Kimberley, BC (August 29th to 31st, 2014)

Photography

Outside 2014

Audio

Triumph

Education

Technology Changing The Way We Communicate