Lifehacker, How does it really work
Kayla Rios
Professor Miller
English 5B
March 3, 2014
Lifehacker: How does it really work?
Lifehacker uses many ways to explain their way about things. Through the blog, there are various methods the authors use to support their claim to grasp the reader’s attention. No matter how much evidence you have in your writing, you need to know how to put it fourth to have it make sense and be more valid. This can happen through many different appeals but Lifehacker mostly emphasizes more in tone, organization, word choice, repetition, and ethos.
Lifehacker uses great sense of tone to make the blog posts sound more interesting. The tone is very energetic and persuasive. For example, in one of the posts “This Is How You Reseal A Pack Of Cookies to make them fresh” by Mihir Patkar the author uses tone to have the activity sound fun and easy. When he was explaining the method he explains, “It’s much, much easier than how I am making it sound here. Seriously, watch the video”. By explaining this, the author states that it’s not a difficult task, he also sounds eager about the video. By saying ‘seriously’ he encourages one to watch the video.
Also in the post, “How To Talk To Your Kids About Drugs” tone was given in a very relaxed, supportive manner and even gives the reader confidence. The essay is about teaching your kids about drugs and how to inform them about the affects of drugs. For example, the blog stated, “Just remember to go easy, avoid lectures, let them ask the questions, and above all, be honest” (Walter Glenn). This sentence provides the tone to be very calm when presenting the information. He gives the reader the sense of what they should do without demanding it. Just by reading this sentence makes the reader feel confident within themselves that they can do it.
Organization can come in handy when you write a post or anything in general for that matter. In the post, “Be A Better Patient: What Your Doctor Recommends When You Visit” organization is used wisely and effectively. For example, in the beginning of the post the author gives you a small introduction, the information is then given in different sections. Each section has bullet points with a bold heading, which is then later explained in detail. The post also includes pictures that relate to that certain topic. By doing so, this post grasps the readers’ attention by having the post look organized and thought through as oppose of just having it in a simple lengthy essay.
In the post, “When Gmail’s Filters Aren’t Enough: How To Tackle Spam on Your Own” the author, Alan Henry also uses great organization to get his point across. He too uses an introduction explaining the different options the reader has to take care of spam. Then he goes about explaining every option he mentioned in the introduction more detailed and effectively. The author makes this post look very clean and organized. By giving an introduction, it lets the reader understand what the blog is going to cover to avoid confusion and to keep order. As oppose if he were not to use an introduction, the reader will probably read the blog and find out half ways that this is not what he/she was looking for. There’s also a conclusion, which helps the reader recall what the entire blog was about. Along with many other posts, this one has many pictures that relate to every subject matter within the blog that’s being explained. The pictures make the post more interesting because it gives the reader something else to look at other than just words.
The choice of words authors decide to use can affect the true meaning of the writing. In the post, “The Best Car Tricks And Upgrades To Make Your Ride More Awesome” by Eric Ravenscraft they use word choice effectively. Notice in the title how they refer to your vehicle as “your ride”, they use this specific phrase to make the title more modern and more fun. As oppose if they would’ve used your vehicle or maybe your means of transportation it wouldn’t sound as fun and interesting. They also refer to using these tips to make your car great or as they say, awesome. In the same sense, they try to grab the readers attention by using words such as awesome instead of using words like splendid. This just helps the author sound more up to date with the language people are using now a day.
“How To Stop Giving a F*ck What people Think” is a post whose word choice is much deeper and stronger. The author, Sean Kim, uses word choice differently than the post by Eric Ravenscraft he uses words that are not accepted to just blurt out in our society because they are considered to be disrespectful. When the reader comes across this blog and notices these types of words, it will make him want to read it because it is so unordinary. The author also uses these word through out the text, “Today is the last day we live a life dictated by others. Today, we’re going to get to the bottom of the truth. Today is the day we stop giving a F@$%”(Kim). Notice how the author gives the reader motivation to believe what he is saying by his choice of words. If he hadn’t used that word and used words like careless for example, it wouldn’t have had the same type of affect as F*ck which will probably hurt the motivation he is trying to give.
In the post, “Seven Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting My First Apartment” by Adam Dachis the author uses repetition to have the information stay in the readers mind. For instance he states, “At risk of sounding like a broken record, you avoid this by talking to people nearby” (Dachis). The author is explaining that when you move into a new apartment, you should study your surroundings the author repeated it in the introduction of the post and then later again in the middle and once more in the conclusion paragraph. The author really wants the reader to pay attention to this specific piece because it has a big affect.
The post, “How I Learned to Stop Nagging My Kids and Start Motivating Them” by Sumitha Bhandarkar, repetition is used successfully but not as obvious. The blog was about how to praise your children and appreciate the good deeds they do instead of nagging about the bad things they do. The author explains, “The first thing I understood is that I should use praise/reward instead of criticism/punishment”(Bhandarkar). The author is trying to persuade the reader to use this type of method with your kids by saying it various times through out the blog. For example she also states, “So that leads us to the holy grail of positive reinforcement: cultivating internally motivated kids instead of externally motivated ones” (Bhandarkar). In this quote, the author is once again explaining that parents should take into consideration the good other than the bad. Although she is not repeating it word for word every time, she rephrases it, but it still means the same thing. By having the reader see the same idea over and over again, they are more prone to remember it.
In the post, “How to Teach Young Kids Budgeting Habits Early On” by Walter Glenn the author uses an interesting use of credibility. When the author was explaining how you could teach your kid about saving money he referred to Sesame Street on how Elmo, one of the characters from the show, explained the three jars on how to store money. He states, “In Elmo’s version, the three jars are For You (sharing), For Me (spending), and For Later (saving)”(Glenn). The author used this to have the reader relate to the process for their child. Since you are trying to teach your young child it would be a good idea to have something appropriate for their age so they can understand.
Lifehacker also refers to a more professional stance when trying to explain a point of view. In the article, “How to Talk to Your Kids About Drugs” by Walter Glenn, the author used an expert in the field, “I talked to Erica Curtis, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Santa Monica, about different techniques for engaging your kids in honest discussions about drug use” (Walter Glenn). By using this use of credibility, the reader will be more interested in the article because they will see that its something tested by a therapist. Since the article was about teaching your kids about drug use, the author used a great sense of credibility by using the wisdom of a family therapist. As oppose if the author would’ve used the experiences of a marijuana smoker or an alcoholic it wouldn’t have linked the purpose of the article.
All in all Lifehacker is a blog that gives you tips on life hacks and talks about just anything. The authors of every blog post use different strategies to get their point across although it may not be obvious they might still be there. Lifehacker mostly concentrates in organization, tone, ethos, repetition and word choice.
