Assignments | agirlwithastory

Analyzing Customer Reviews (Week 3)

Reviews of Amazon.com on the Better Business Bureau website. The 1st review was by Eric E. and he gave ⅗ stars. He is a repeat and consistent customer but has no expertise in shipping which he was discussing besides being a customer needing shipping. The reviewer thoroughly described his experience of shipping delays and unprofessional communication of the shipping delays. The review was to express displeasure at a decreasing service quality. The review is a complete narrative about a recent experience the author of the review had. Reviewer 2 Nick K gave Amazon ⅕ stars. The reviewer has no expertise that is claimed in the review other than claiming to have previously spent thousands of dollars shopping at Amazon before finally claiming to quit the online store because of terrible customer service and poor quality delivery. The final reviewer, number 3, is Gena B who gave ⅕ stars. I wanted to get a 5 star review here, but the 5 stars I came across were so short and nonspecific and they felt disingenuous. And also, Amazon doesn’t have a good overall score on BBB so 5 star reviews were difficult to come by. Moving on. Gena claims to have been a loyal Amazon and Amazon Prime customer for 15 years and didn’t have a problem until August of 2022. Her complaint also expresses severe displeasure at Amazon’s delivery/Shipping, the lackluster Membership benefits that don’t seem to guarantee anything that they promise, and a horrendous encounter with customer service during this incident.

All of these reviews paint Amazon’s delivery poorly. The first review by Eric only paints the delivery as “to be desired”. Nick includes customer service and Amazon’s verifications for secondary sellers are deplorable, and claims they are only out for the company itself and not its customers. Review 3 also claimed delivery issues, customer service issues, and that the membership is not worth the price tag. Reviewer 1 made no such claims about never using Amazon again, Reviewer 2 swore they would find a different retailer, and Reviewer 3 gave the warning to Amazon that other delivery services exist at places now and that Amazon should shape up or prepare for the exodus. All three reviews are narrations of events the reviewers experienced while shopping with Amazon. All of the reviews inserted personal opinions into the reviews, with 1 being the least aggressive and 2 giving (hopefully baseless) threats about the company.

Better Business Bureau is a review website where people can share experiences they’ve had with companies and also inform consumers if the business is accredited or a potential/outright scam. The website allows for anyone to write and submit reviews so that the public can inform the public in the ways that they can. As a result, most of the reviews are informal in language and punctuation. BBB does not allow people to comment on reviews or interact with them beyond just reading them. Because the reviews are not professionally done, I trust them more because of Amazon’s resources. These feel more genuine because they are informal and emotional and sometimes written with the caps lock on.

Write a Review Draft 1 (Week 4)

Product: Black Light UV Flashlight, LED UV Torch 2 in 1 UV Blacklight with 500LM Highlight, 4 Mode, Waterproof for Pet Clothing Food Fungus Detection/Night Fishing/Travel

Product Bought From: Amazon.com

Reviewed On: Amazon.com

Reason For Buying: Work

Intended Audience: People who use flashlights for work.

Stars: 3.5/5

Recommend: Maybe

Pros: powerful close distance light, a bit heavy but durable and relatively small, good for storing, good battery life, not expensive

Cons: the “strobe light” mode, limited UV/Blacklight success

On September 1 of 2022, I ordered the Black Light UV Flashlight, LED UV Torch 2 in 1 UV Blacklight with 500LM Highlight, 4 Mode, Waterproof for Pet Clothing Food Fungus Detection/Night Fishing/Travel from Amazon. It was delivered to me in a timely manner, arriving on September 5, 2022. Overall, I give this flashlight 3.5/5 stars.

It is a powerful light and, while it is a bit heavy, the flashlight is made from a durable material and it is relatively small which makes storing it incredibly convenient. The battery life of the flashlight also seems good. I bought this light in September, 2022 and haven’t needed to purchase or replace the batteries yet in February of 2023 despite the flashlight being used fairly frequently. For me, I only use two functions on the flashlight: the “Ultrabright Light” and the “UV Light” settings. I am unsure what distance this flashlight is good up to. All of the work I use this flashlight for is up-close, detail work. For that I personally have been extremely satisfied with how this flashlight has performed.

On the other hand, I very much dislike the “strobe light” mode on the flashlight. I have yet to find a purpose for it and it annoys me every time that I have to experience a few rapid strobes of light to get to the “UV Light” mode that I frequently use for work. Just for clarification, for work I use the UV light to determine if certain elements/properties exist in crystals and this function works perfectly in this capacity. Outside of work, I attempted to use the UV light to detect dog urine and it failed to show anything. While I would like to credit this fact to my cleaning skills, I know that I missed urine and the light showed nothing. I tried it again on food mold, just because I was curious. It showed nothing despite the food deterioration being relatively obvious. So unfortunately, the UV/Blacklight function of the flashlight does seem to have limitations that I am generally not affected by.

Overall, I do not really recommend this product. While I personally have no fault with it when I use it for work, I find one of the functions on the flashlight useless and unnecessary. It is industrial in design but relatively compact, making it useful to keep in a glovebox but I make no claims on the distance the beam covers or the quality of that beam. In the limited ways I have used the flashlight, I have been disappointed a few times and they were noticeable disappointments. The price is attractive as long as the usage of the flashlight is limited.

Peer Notes on Assignment

1. Hello, You did a good job describing your experience with the flashlight, but details such as the light distance would be useful to potential purchasers, an approximation would be good for most people. The strobe function is used for emergency situations such as signaling, so while it may be annoying to cycle through the functions just for UV, it is a goof function to have if you need it.

2. Hey Jessica! I enjoyed reading your review on the Blacklight UV Flashlight. I found many great things about your review! I like how you were clear, concise, and to the point. Not everyone wants to read a super long review, you got your point across in a review that was reasonable in length. I loved your honesty in regards to whether or not you would recommend the product. You gave reasoning as to why you wouldn’t recommend the flashlight and that made the review useful. I like how you didn’t only highlight the cons of the product, you also made sure to highlight pros as well. Most reviews that people find on products are either one way or the other. When it comes to things to work on with your review, some of your sentences don’t flow easily. I would maybe change some of the wording occasionally. While you eventually made clear your stance on the product, at times it was confusing. At the top you said that you would maybe recommend the product but at the bottom, you said that you did not really recommend the product. I would also maybe list the price of the item that you were reviewing, or at least a price range.

Write A Review Final Draft (Week 15)

Product: Black Light UV Flashlight, LED UV Torch 2 in 1 UV Blacklight with 500LM Highlight, 4 Mode, Waterproof for Pet Clothing Food Fungus Detection/Night Fishing/Travel

Product Bought From: Amazon.com

Reviewed On: Amazon.com

Reason For Buying: Work

Intended Audience: People who want a UV flashlight.

Stars: 2.5/5

Recommend: No

Pros: powerful close distance light, a bit heavy but durable and relatively small, good for storing, good battery life, not expensive

Cons: the “strobe light” mode, limited UV/Blacklight success, UV does not last.

It is a powerful close-distance light and, while it is a bit heavy, the flashlight is made from a durable material and it is relatively small which makes storing it convenient. The battery life of the flashlight also seems good. I bought this light in September, 2022 and haven’t needed to purchase or replace the batteries yet in April of 2023 despite the flashlight being used fairly frequently. For me, I only use two functions on the flashlight: the “Ultrabright Light” for up-close observations of rocks/crystals and the “UV Light” settings to see which products I sell have UV reactions and how good that reaction is. I am unsure what distance this flashlight is good up to due to the up-close nature of my work, but I wouldn't expect the light to reach more than 25 feet, if it even reaches that distance. I was satisfied with the quality of the light until a few months ago, when the UV light stopped showing reactions of even the most reactive of materials.

While I didn't understand the function of the "Strobe" setting, I have since been told it is to show the location of the object. It still annoys me every time that I have to experience a few rapid strobes of light to get to the “UV Light” mode but I've made peace with the annoyance. Outside of using the flashlight for work, I have only attempted to use the UV light to detect dog urine and it failed to show anything. While I would like to credit this fact to my cleaning skills, I know that I missed urine and the light failed to detect it. I tried it again on food mold, just because I was curious. It showed nothing despite the food deterioration being relatively obvious. So unfortunately, the UV/Blacklight function of the flashlight does seem to have major limitations.

Overall, I do not recommend this product. It is a product I specifically bought for work and it didn't even last a year. It is industrial in design but relatively compact, making it useful to keep in a glovebox but other than the convenience of size and durability, it isn't a product I'd like to rely on. In the limited ways I have used the flashlight, I have been disappointed in noticeable ways. The price is attractive but the usage of the product is limiting.

Blog Rough Draft (Week 6)

Topic:Mental Health. Mental Healing.

Subject: Me. I’m not qualified to talk about anything else but I’ve been dealing and learning about me my whole life.

Intended Purpose: To create a space of emotional intimacy/vulnerability.

Intended Audience: People who feel like they, for whatever reason, can’t talk about the parts of themselves that are ugly, broken, or scarred.

Promote: The message that it’s okay to talk about the things that make us uncomfortable. We can heal together. As long as we’re alive, we’re winning.

Web-Hosting Site: WordPress (already have an account and blog, so it’s convenient and familiar.

I don't even know how to begin writing this wistful nothing of thought, but I guess I'll start with this.

I was never meant to be locked indoors. My makeup is to be outside with nature - to be part of it. I was born with energy pulsing through my body, an energy that is revitalized every time I feel the sun hit my skin and heat my blood. The minute I smell the fresh air I feel such freedom. Nothing can hold me back in these moments.

Except, of course, my MS. The disease that decided to take away my ability to run, to walk, to just move properly for any period of time. The disease that is taking away my autonomy. The stupid disease that is taking my own body away from me.

I miss my old body. I miss the strength I used to feel in my muscles and bones. I miss how powerful I felt as I moved and the control I had. I don't even have to stand up anymore to feel how different, how weak, my body is now. And everyday it kills a little piece of my soul to feel so helpless and dependent.

I miss taking long walks while listening to music. This was my original form of self therapy. It was the time I used to reflect over everything that had happened that day and what was going to happen in the coming days. I would look up at the stars and think of how huge the universe was and how insignificant my problems were overall. It was a sobering and humbling time for me. It's such a small thing that I can't even do anymore.

I miss running. I actually used to love doing this. It was my exercise of choice when I was feeling stressed, sad, angry, etc. or when my body just felt like it had too much energy. Running made me feel like I was flying, and in my dreams I still remember what it was like: the pull of muscles being pushed, the beating of my heart, the burning in my lungs after a while. I enjoyed these things. I enjoyed pushing myself to go just a little bit faster, run just a little while longer. But my memories of what it was like are starting to disappear and I know once they're gone I'll never be able to get them back. I'll never run again.

I miss basketball, the sport that stole my heart. The one sport I consistently played. The sport that was taken from me before I even really had the chance to begin. I played basketball starting in elementary school and ending the summer after 8th grade. I thought my knees were messed up so I took a year off to rest them up and let them heal. My MS exacerbated and I was unable to play ever again. And like I said, I miss it.

God help me but my bitterness over everything I've lost is going to suffocate me. All I can think of is all the things I've lost. I'm not sure what I've gained from my disease. I think it's safe to say that I haven't actually gained anything from it except a slight understanding of a disease I had had no prior knowledge of. To be honest, the trade off doesn't really make me feel any better.

I know this is a ridiculous thing to write. It serves no purpose other than making me feel better for getting it out... But I hate who I am now and miss who I was then, and I don't know how to not feel that way. I don't know what to do with my life knowing that my MS, already being this bad, is only gonna get worse.

I am trying though. I took this semester off school to try and figure out what I want to even go to school for. I have plans of going back this fall. I have incredible friends who I am always trying to do right by and who always, always, always have my back. My family, for the most part, is incredibly supportive of my decisions, even when they are outrageous. And my boyfriend loves me regardless of my insecurities though I know they can sometimes drive a wedge between us. I love them all dearly and I don't know what I would do without them though it's safe to say I'd probably drown in a pool of self-pity.

I understand that who I was isn't necessarily who I was meant to be. It's still hard. I don't know where I fit in anymore. I haven't for a long time. I want my life to mean something, as most people do, I'm just not sure what yet. I don't know how to accomplish things when I can't even tell if I'll be able to get out of bed next week. But I am figuring it out. I exaggerate my own stubbornness to keep myself from giving up. I lie to myself to keep myself from giving in. And I force myself to smile and laugh everyday to keep myself from living in bitterness one-hundred percent of the time.

Just keep on keepin' on, I always say. Tomorrow may not be better, but at least I get to see it.

Peer Notes on Assignment

1. This blog post is incredibly powerful and I commend you for being so open. In light of peer-reviewing, you nailed your intended purpose by setting the tone for any readers to potentially share their own experiences and be vulnerable. Or for them to simply read and be introspective for a moment. The rhetoric in this is so powerful. It's powerful because there is no intention to be use rhetoric, or be a writer trying to accomplish a goal. It is simply you bearing your heart and being a human. I have nothing but good things to say about how you wrote this. You did a fantastic job. It feels so superficial to grade this, but you get full marks from me.

2. Hi Jessica! First off, I applaud you for writing this topic! I have family members with MS, and I personally also have a debilitating illness, so thank you. However, with full honesty, I felt your passion come alive, but I don't know where it was going. This read like the beginning of a novel, and that's not a bad thing, except I couldn't figure out where the post's message was. You could elaborate on how you keep on keeping on or the best coping mechanisms you put in place for yourself. Whereas I appreciate your vulnerability, it needs a path to promote a meaning to the unfortunate madness. It could be the top worst feelings you feel because of MS, because it still holds constraint on the topic. The other thing you need to omit is that the post is ridiculous to write. Do not discredit yourself. You are powerful for living daily, and there will be someone who will read about it and be inspired to keep living daily as well. If someone finds it ridiculous, they are on the wrong blog (and probably a jerk to begin with). Overall, lovely writing and imagery. Tighten your point and don't sell yourself short.

Blog Final Draft (Week 15)

Topic:Mental Health. Mental Healing.

Subject: Me. I’m not qualified to talk about anything else but I’ve been dealing and learning about me my whole life.

Intended Purpose: To create a space of emotional intimacy/vulnerability.

Intended Audience: People who feel like they, for whatever reason, can’t talk about the parts of themselves that are ugly, broken, or scarred.

Promote: The message that it’s okay to talk about the things that make us uncomfortable. We can heal together. As long as we’re alive, we’re winning.

Web-Hosting Site: WordPress (already have an account and blog, so it’s convenient and familiar.

I don't even know how to begin writing this wistful nothing of thought, but I guess I'll start with this.

I was never meant to be locked indoors. My makeup as a human is to be outside with nature - to be part of it. I was born with energy pulsing through my body, an energy that is revitalized every time I feel the sun hit my skin and heat my blood. The minute I smell the fresh air, I feel freedom. Nothing can hold me back in these moments.

I miss my old body. I miss the strength I used to feel in my muscles and bones. I miss how powerful I felt as I moved and the control I had. I don't even have to stand up anymore to feel how different—how weak—my body is now. And everyday it kills a little piece of my soul to feel so helpless and dependent.

I miss taking long walks while listening to music. This was my original form of self therapy. It was the time I reflected over everything that had happened that day and what was going to happen in the days to come. I would look up at the stars and think of how huge the universe was and how insignificant my problems were overall. It was a sobering and humbling time for me. It's such a small thing that I can't even do anymore.

I miss running. I actually used to love doing this, though I've seen many grimaces towards the activity. It was my exercise of choice when I was feeling stressed, sad, angry, etc. or when my body just felt like it had too much energy. Running made me feel like I was flying, and, to this day, in my dreams I still remember what it was like: the pulling of my muscles, the beating of my heart, the burning in my lungs. I enjoyed these things. I enjoyed pushing myself to go just a little bit faster, run just a little while longer. But my memories of what it was like are starting to disappear and I know once they're gone I'll never be able to get them back. I'll never run again.

I miss basketball, the sport that stole my heart. The one sport I consistently played. The sport that was taken from me before I even really had the chance to experience it. I played basketball from elementary school until the summer after 8th grade. I thought my knees were messed up so I took a year off to rest them and let them heal. The MS I didn't know I had exacerbated and I was unable to play ever again. And like I said, I miss it.

God help me but my bitterness over everything I've lost is going to suffocate me one day. All I can think of is what I've lost. I'm not sure what I've gained from my disease. I think it's safe to say that I haven't actually gained anything from it except a slight understanding of a disease I had had no prior knowledge of. To be honest, the trade off doesn't really make me feel any better.

This might be difficult to understand, but people who have lost something I think will understand. I hate who I am now and miss who I was then, and I don't know how to not feel that way. I don't know what to do with my life knowing that my MS, already being this bad, is only gonna get worse.

Despite feeling hopeless, I am still trying. I took a few years from school to try and figure out what I want to even go to school for. Now that I am back in school, my goal is to graduate. I have incredible friends who I am always trying to do right by and who always, always, always have my back. My family, for the most part, is incredibly supportive of my decisions, even when those decisions are outrageous. I love them all dearly and I don't know what I would do without them though it's safe to say I'd probably drown in a pool of self-pity.

I understand that who I was isn't who I was meant to be in the long-run. It's still hard. I don't know where I fit in anymore. I haven't for a long time. I want my life to mean something, as most people do, but I'm just not sure what yet. I don't know how to accomplish things when I can't even tell if I'll be able to get out of bed next week. Regardless, I am trying to figure it out. I exaggerate my own stubbornness to keep myself from giving up. I lie to myself to keep myself from giving in. And I force myself to smile and laugh everyday to keep myself from living in bitterness one-hundred percent of the time.

Just keep on keepin' on, I always say. Tomorrow may not be better, but at least I get to see it.

Editing For Wikipedia (Week 8)

Topic: Secondhand/Used Books

Intended Purpose: Shedding more value on secondhand/used books as a form of environmental activism.

Intended Audience: People who love books but want new when older books exist rather than constantly using paper and ink to print new.

Main Points: Buying used is for more than just people who want to academically read. It’s also an achievable form of activism.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Used_book

Old Page: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Used books (Original)

A used book or secondhand book is a book which has been owned before by an owner other than the publisher or retailer, usually by an individual or library.[1]

Some new book shops also carry used books, and some used book shops also sell new books. Though the original authors or publishers will not benefit financially from the sale of a used book, it helps to keep old books in circulation. Sometimes very old, rare, first edition, antique, or simply out of print books can be found as used books in used book shops.

A reading copy of a book may be well-used, may include highlighting or marginalia, and is suitable for reading, but is not collectible. This is a term used in the used book business, to indicate the lack of collectible value, while claiming that the book is in sufficiently good condition for a purchaser whose interest is primarily in actually reading the book. A reading copy is typically less expensive than a collectible copy.

Booktowns

A number of small towns have become centres for used book sellers, most notably Hay-on-Wye in South Wales.[2] They act as a magnet for buyers, and are located in country areas of great scenic beauty.[3]

Peer Notes on Assignment

1. The first thing I'd like to mention is It is very well organized. You broke things down really well with the original piece and you edited piece. As someone who knows nothing about Used Books your paragraph explained it very well and I could follow along. You had pretty much everything you needed for the edit There is not much I would change. Maybe I would be a tad more conscious with the paragraph that explains to us what Used books is. That is the only thing I would change but the edits were really solid and made it more understandable.

2. Hello Jessica! First off, I’d like to start by saying that I love this topic! Go sustainability!!! If sustainability is something you are passionate about, you should consider joining the sustainability club on campus! It is called (*redacted*). They meet on (*redacted*) nights, and I will be there some evenings that I am available as well! (You can email me if you have questions *redacted*) Recommendations for improvement You say “More than that, used books are a good way to procure books that have been handled before. As a result, the binding tends to be softer as do the pages.” I recommend adding a sentence about how this is a preference to some readers. You could say “…tends to be softer as do the pages, which is preferred by some readers.” I have a couple of recommendations for the sentence where you say “Used books should not be discounted or written off since the selling of used books is growing faster than the selling of new books.[2]” My first recommendation is to include the number fact in the sentence, or add it in a new sentence. What percentage rate is it growing at versus new books? My second recommendation is to change the wording for the first half of the sentence. Wikipedia articles are often straight to the fact, and if there are any opinions on how people should feel about a topic, then they usually include that by adding the opinionated quote directly. For example, if the website said “Used book sales should not be written off because their sales are growing at 200% per day” you could say [ WordsRated says that the sales are growing at 200% per day, and because of this, they recommend that “used book sales should not be written off.” ] Good There were many good parts of your wiki additions. First off, this sentence is written especially well, “particularly with the students of the US and Europe, used books provide a more sustainable and cost-effective way to purchase books for a single use.” You changed the use of centres, which is often the Canadian spelling of the word, and changed it to the American use of the word which was done correctly. You changed the grammar of one sentence by adding “just as” which is a good comparative word. The information you added helped with logos and pathos, since you mention the importance of used books for sustainability and you give the credibility behind it. I also noticed the references you cited are in the same exact format as the other three citations. These references were added flawlessly. Moreover, you changed all of the corresponding in-text citation numbers, and not just the numbers of the ones that you added. I feel like that would be challenging for some, so it’s good that you noticed it. Overall, your additions were also written very well! - (*redacted*)

Editing for Wikipedia Final Draft (Week 15)

Topic: Secondhand/Used Books

Intended Purpose: Shedding more value on secondhand/used books as a form of environmental activism.

Intended Audience: People who love books but want new when older books exist rather than constantly using paper and ink to print new.

Main Points: Buying used is for more than just people who want to academically read. It’s also an achievable form of activism.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Used_book

Old Page: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Used Books (Final Draft)

A used book or secondhand book is a book which has been owned before by an owner other than the publisher or retailer, usually by an individual or library.[1] A used book could have been read once, discovered in estate sales, passed down through a family, etc.

Used books typically become available on the market when they are sold or given to a second-hand shop or event; they are usually sold for about half or three-quarters the price of what they would cost new with exceptions. Rare books and books still in demand with no new printings or books that are difficult to obtain might sell for more than this. Book appraisals happen at some locations or using an expert to determine if there is value in a used book and what that value is.

Used books should not be thrown away because the selling of used books is growing faster than selling new books.[2] Particularly with the students of the US and Europe, used books provide a more sustainable and cost effective way to purchase books for a single use. Used books are a good way to procure books that have been handled before. For a buyer, that means that there may be writing in the margins or other marks and damages. As a result, the binding tends to be softer from being opened and the pages are relaxed because of the oils of a hand or of hands.

A reading copy of a book may be well-used and may include highlighting or marginalia as described above. While the used book is suitable for reading, it is not collectible. ‘Reading copy’ is a term used in the used book business, to indicate the lack of collectible value, while claiming that the book is in sufficiently good condition for a purchaser whose interest is primarily in actually reading the book. A reading copy is typically less expensive than a collectible copy. A more thorough list of terms for understanding used books, their value, and what an evaluation of a book means, go to https://www.raptisrarebooks.com/antiquarian-and-rare-book-glossary-of-terms-you-should-know/ which has a more inclusive list of terminology. [3]

Booktowns

A number of small towns have become centers for used book sellers, most notably Hay-on-Wye in South Wales.[4] They act as a magnet for buyers, and are located in country areas of great scenic beauty.[5]

Creating Instructions (Week 11)

Name of Topic: Shipping Packages

Intended Purpose(s): Assisting others to ship with confidence.

Intended Audience(s): People who start small businesses and require shipping.

Main Point(s): Securely wrapping the product(s). Securely boxing the product(s). Making sure the box is protected. How to place shipping labels.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Jess and I’m here to assist anyone who might want it on how to ship a product or products. Shipping is a relatively simple process, but there are still some tips I have learned from experience that I am happy to share now to perhaps prevent the same issues I faced from passing on to you.

Step 1: Choosing a box

This might feel self explanatory but this step is vital. Choosing the right box is important for breakable items especially. The product, if fragile, should not touch the box's edges. At this point, your budget should be considered. The box should be big enough that the product doesn’t reach the edges but it should also be known that the box needs to be packed so there isn’t wiggle room.

Step 2: Securing your product(s)

For non-breakable objects, like a book, this is relatively simple. Get a box as close to the six of your product(s) as possible. Fill in the empty space with packing material such as bubble wrap or packing paper. Movement of shipped products in boxes is the enemy!

Fragile materials require a bit more care. It isn’t enough to prevent movement inside the box from happening. The object itself needs to be protected. Wrap the product in packing material, secure it with tape for extra security, then place it in the box with additional packing material to keep the product away from the edges.

Step 3: Securing the box

Some people like to gamble, but not me. For that reason, I always make sure the boxes I ship will not open accidentally. Boxes are secured shut with tape that will only be opened with a blade when the recipient receives it.

Step 4: The shipping label

Shipping labels are personally my least favorite part of the process. Shipping labels require two parts: the sender’s information and the receiver’s information. A “to” and “from” part. Once the labels have been correctly filled out, place the “from” information at the top left of the upper middle part of the package. Place the “to” information at the bottom right or lower middle part of the package. For extra protection, tape over the labels to create a waterproof barrier and to prevent the labels from coming over.

Peer Notes on Assignment

1. I think your script that includes pictures was very well done! I like that you included the "obvious" steps because like you said those steps are vital!

2. Hello Jessica! To begin, you were very clear regarding your rhetorical elements and it made it very easy to follow along with your review. Great job! Secondly, the images you showed with explanations were very helpful in understanding the importance of each step in this process. Lastly, this review was very high quality and it was apparent that you spent a long time working on it. I am unsure if this is due to my computer or the video itself, but I was only able to play a few seconds of your video. Had this been able to be viewed in full, your project would have been even better. Secondly, it would have been interesting to know how/why you learned to do this process. Lastly, it would have been informative had you explained the different shipping companies and if this process varies for any of them. These are very minor critiques, and you did a great job!

Creating Instructions Final Draft (Week 15)

Name of Topic: Shipping Packages with USPS (United States Postal Service)

Intended Purpose(s): Assisting others to ship with confidence.

Intended Audience(s): People who start small businesses and require shipping.

Main Point(s): Securely wrapping the product(s). Securely boxing the product(s). Making sure the box is protected. How to place shipping labels.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Jess and I’m here to assist anyone who might want it on how to ship a product or products with USPS. Shipping is a relatively simple process, but there is some information I have learned from the experience I possess from having an Etsy shop that I am happy to share. Maybe this will prevent the same issues I faced in the beginning from passing on to you.

What you’ll need

The items being shipped
A box
Packing material such as bubble wrap
Name & address labels
Scissors
Box tape
A pen

Step 1: Choosing a box

This might feel self explanatory but this step is vital. Choosing the right box is important, especially for breakable items. The product, if fragile, should not touch the box's edges. At this point, your budget should be considered since a box that is bigger than necessary will cost more to purchase and will require more packing material. The best box choice should be big enough that the product doesn’t reach the edges but it should also be known that the box needs to be packed so there isn’t wiggle room.

Step 2: Securing your product(s)

For non-breakable objects, like a book, this step is easier. Get a box as close to the six of your product(s) as possible. Fill in the empty space with packing material such as bubble wrap or packing paper. Movement of shipped products in boxes is the enemy!

This is an example of how a package with fragile items should not look!

Fragile materials require a bit more care. It isn’t enough to prevent movement inside the box from happening. The object itself needs to be protected. Wrap the product in packing material, sealing it with tape for extra security. Taping it isn’t necessary but will prevent the material from slipping off the product. Place the product in the box with additional packing material covering at least the bottom to protect the product from breaking.

Step 3: The shipping label

Step 4: Securing the box

There are people who like to gamble. Not me! For that reason, I always make sure the boxes I ship will not open accidentally. Boxes are secured shut with tape that will only be opened with a blade when the recipient receives it. I make sure to cover the labels with the clear tape as well to prevent the ink from spreading and blurring any part of the label’s ink.

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Jessica A. Sagebiel

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Creating Instructions (Week 11)

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