I'd love to come, unfortunately, if we made it at all (not sure), we'd have to be dragging our camper trailer down and leaving the bike behind, which would pain me to my very soul, but my daughter's less than a year old, and we're not quite ready to drop her on Gina's folks overnight yet. Planning a camping trip in September, most likely around Hampton Roads VA, though, it'd be great to meet you and anyone else then!!!!

Just so you know, others are bringing their kids... and others will be coming in other vehicles.. Including me, who was considering not going initially because of my bike issues. Think about it... read the forum on it if you haven't. Would be great to meet the 3 of you!

We'll keep it in mind. You've got an open invite to VA in Sept., too. The "Lunch in Hampton Roads" thread by TheBullDog is the one to check out if you're interested!

I'll go check that thread now

Good deal hope to see you there!

Progress Update: I only had to do 2 out of the possible 3 drafts for my Unit of Analysis statement (proposal). He gave me a "check plus" and I'm pleased with that. This weekend I am working on creation of my "Measurement Tool" and have to turn in a blank version of that during Monday's class.

* not related but wanted to share. Our professor played a tape for "War of the Worlds" during class Wed. & Thurs. I found it an interesting experience as I sat there listening and trying to imagine what it was like to hear it when it first came out.

The professor asked us if we found it believable. My response was that all of the 'speakers' were so animated in the way that they projected their voices. I can understand it in the radio announcer's voice because that is part of the training for the job but in the experts at the scene, and witnesses it sounded rehearsed. But again not having lived in that era nor having heard other radio shows of the time for proper comparison my judgement is biased to today's standards. Trying to put myself in that place was a rather surreal exercise. It's something I will revisit again I'm sure. Just because he's piqued my curiosity.

no clues on hear ??

I received a message today from a friend that I'd met on the road during my long distance trip and still keep in touch with. I remembered he had helmet stickers but it was summer and people weren't wearing leathers. So I asked him if he wears patches and if he knew of others that did that he could ask for me. He has a brother that rides so I have contributions to the project from the 2 of them. Today he's at an event in GA and there were a bunch of bikers/motorcyclists there who were wearing patches so he decided to take pictures of them (with their permission) and help me out. Thanks to that very thoughtful act on his part I have officially met my minimum, in fact will be a few over so I now meet that requirement. *yay*!!

OH and I told him for the people who agreed to help that if they were curious about the project they could read more about it here on CycleFish. :-)

My professor pointed that out, though phonetically they are the same, they are spelled different (Wells vs. Welles). Still it was a curious coincidence to be sure.

Hey g,
War of the Worlds was a rather historic event that took place around 1938 in the U.S.A. It was a radio show based off of a novel. People missed the disclaimer at the beginning of the show and it resulted in a bit of mass hysteria. They actually believed we were being invaded by aliens and it sparked panic. 

Because of that show there was a call for research into the quality of receivers (listeners) as opposed to the quality of senders (broadcasters). The first government study happened as a direct result of that show and that lead to the creation of Communications as a field of study, and so offered as a major at educational institutions.

I guess I will owe my degree to the demented genius of Orson Wells (perfect characterization Rex!).

OK, back to the project for this forum.. I got a good laugh out of this message so I'm sharing it with you.

I am going to Stone Mountain Harley today to take pictures of patches on jackets to help out a very close and dear friend of mine! If for some reason you don't hear from me for a little while again, it probably means I got beat up, stabbed or shot by a biker that didn't want to help!!! Thats life, but I would do it for you!!

it's funny because he IS a biker. He's poking fun at himself and outside perceptions.

Glad you met your minimum, at least you dont have to worry about that part anymore.

You go girl....I believe that this project will open a lot of perspective on the Biker world for a lot of people..You are doing great and your resolve will be stronger the more you study this topic...

Good job,can't wait to hear about the finished project.

thank you for all your positive replies. I will continue to share as I progress.

I should mention to a couple of you who had asked family members about their patches and were waiting for a response. If they still want to contribute I will happily accept their submission. I have a few drafts to write on the measurement tool before I begin adding the data to it. Which is to say there is still time. In fact, there is probably at least a week before I have to begin sorting the information I have collected.

UPDATE: First, let me just say my brain was not originally engineered for this kind of data analysis. 

By the end of this class I will have learned a whole new way to examine media. However, at this early stage of the project, I am letting the professor direct me. I'm developing a better understanding of the fundamentals as we work through them but I do not quite understand them enough to be able to complete this project without the direction he is giving me.
I think if I even attempted to do this without his input I would

That said, here is draft 2 of my measurement tool (including an updated unit of analysis).
 

1) This content analysis evaluates the patches that 30 motorcyclists own or wear and examines a.) what genre of belief the patches communicate, b.) the presentational qualities of patches (color, font, size, shape), c.) the message style of patches (text-focused vs. image-focused), d.) the importance of the patch as a function of where the motorcyclist places it (Jacket/Vest: back, front, sleeve, or elsewhere), e.) whether or not each patch has special representation for family members or friends; if so, discover what it is, f.) diagnose whether or not each patch indicates charity runs or involvement, g.) if so, discover what it is and h.) diagnose each tourist patch determine what place the patch represents.

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Measurement Tool for patch wearing motorcyclists

Basic Info:
Unit #:
Gender:
Geographic Location:
Race:
Age Range:  a.) ___16-29 b.) ___30-39 c.) ___40-49 
   
   d.) ___ 50+ e.) ___ unknown

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurement Interests:

A. Genre of Belief the patch communicates:

__________    __________    __________    _________    __________

B. Presentational qualities:

 a). Color: __________ b). Font: __________

 c). Size: __________ d). Shape: __________

C. Message style of patches:   _____ Text-focused _____ Image-focused

D.  Patch importance according to where the motorcyclist wears it:

Most __________ 2nd most__________ 3rd most__________ 4th most__________ 5th most__________   

E. Is there a patch with special representation for: a.) ___Family b.) ___Friends         c.)___Neither

What is the importance: __________   __________   __________   __________
 
F. Does patch indicate Charity: a.) ___Run b.) ___Involvement c.) ___Neither

G.  If it represents charity run, what is it? ___________________________________

If it represents involvement, what is it? _____________________________________
 

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Defined terms

Patches: Sometimes referred to as colors, they are embroidered material with text, images or both that are a sometimes a symbolic representation of some one, place or thing. Also considered a badge of honor.
30: The minimum quantity of units being measured (motorcyclists that own patches).
Motorcyclists or bikers: Motorcyclists are considered enthusiasts, but separate from bikers. Bikers are considered more hard-core in lifestyle. In this study I am not differentiating between motorcyclist or biker so the term motorcyclist will be used.
Own: possess but may not have sewn onto attire
Wear: sewn onto leathers, jean jacket, vest or other clothing that is worn while riding.
Genre of belief:
Presentational qualities: The physical shape and color of the patch itself and decorative stitching. Color, font, size, shape of the text and or images displayed on that patch.
Message style: Text-focused (words, names, acronyms), image-focused or a mix of both.
Importance: Personal belief that a certain location holds a higher meaning. Club requirement for designation of membership, affiliation, and/or rank.
Special representation: Does this patch communicate a special meaning for (family member, club member, or a friend)
Family member: Husband, Wife, Mother, Father, Grandfather, Grandmother, Son, Daughter, Brother, Sister, etc.
Friend: someone close to you but not related, may or may not be a club member
Club member: someone who is a member of the same club
Charity Runs: An organized event that motorcyclists attend to show support and raise funds for a particular charity or to help out the family of a fallen brother. Meet at a designated area, time, and date. Participants ride as a group from the starting location to an ending destination (or return to starting location). Donations of money or goods are made during a formal or informal ceremony. Collection of items for a future presentation to the named recipient can occur. Events can be social. Sometimes there is food and entertainment included.
Involvement:  An active participant in a charity or charity event in a volunteer capacity, through making donations, or showing a presence during the events.
Tourist Patch: Is a patch that let’s others know where you’ve been. Most patches are places that motorcyclists have  ridden to, on or through while on a motorcycle. Or have tailored their motorcycle to.
Place: is a geographical location and/or specific event (Sturgis, Little Sturgis, Daytona, Americade, Laconia, Route 66)

For two items I need to ask the professor for clarification. He's asked me to develop and define categories for:

A. Genre of Belief the patch communicates:

__________    __________    __________    _________    __________

E. Is there a patch with special representation for: a.) ___Family b.) ___Friends         c.)___Neither

What is the importance: __________   __________   __________   __________

 

Question for those of you who'd like to weigh in: Are my definitions correct in your eyes? Are they clear enough in their description?

Unit # replaces the names of contributors.

also, "race" is included in the basic information section but I did not ask that of anyone so I am going to remove it.

Was wondering how the project is comming along. If it was finished or still being worked on.