Blog Essay Example -- Alex Goodall

This is Alex Goodall's Blog with a post titled 'Would you rather be in the Post Office?':

http://blog.dralexgoodall.com/2010/05/would-you-rather-be-in-post-office.html

So first, What is the blogger responding to?

• This blog post is in response to an article by Benjamin Kunkel; specifically a paragraph comparing the rise of health care at 400 percent and to a college price rise at 827 percent. It goes on to discuss health and education as the "non-essential goods" that shape our society's structure and where the money (in general, not specific numbers) has been going.

Now, What is their opinion on the topic? Do they agree/disagree?

• Through their comment, "So the question will always be about how to balance the relative costs and benefits of such assessment regimes, to adjust them so they work more effectively and don’t incentivize people to behave irrationally," I believe the author's opinion on the subject is to better approach the spending of money that comes from the increase in price. The author agrees certain degrees of change are needed in money spending and also how the government is doing it.

Next, What are they trying to persuade their reader of? How are they doing it?

• I felt I was being persuaded to become more knowledgeable about how money is being used for hospitals and universities and understand how it structures out society. Then once I know some information (provided in the blog), that I should understand some changes and different approaches are necessary for how the money is being used.
• Alex Goodall uses several convincing examples and comparisons to prove a point that some methods in spending and its uses are not the best.
• A good example of the need for change from the government is the comparison to improving disaster struck countries. That there should be a steady flow of money rather than surges of it and then cutting back suddenly, while expecting a lasting impact to improve the quality of life (or in this case medical treatment and education). The sudden flood of money at various intervals suddenly seemed ridiculous to me, to expect drastic or lasting changes, while it helps to improve the immediate situation, it does not really help to get out of the position of having such a thing happen again.

Finally, How does this seem to be different from an essay in a book, or something you might read in class?

• It had comments from the author throughout, not in a way that is giving influence from an author, but in a way that completely interjects to say something, taking a brief step away from the subject to mention something.
• It is not always formal in writing and jumps around in some cases to cover a new side of the topic without really a transition, maybe an ending question or just a few line spaces.