AWA essay

Jasmine · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:53 am Post subject: AWA essay

The following was used as part of an internet advertising company's appeal to businesses: "Furniture Depot employed our internet advertising company to help. Since then its sales increased by 10% over last year's totals. Furniture Depot's success demonstrates how using our internet services can increase your profitability."

Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
----------------------------------------------------

My essay.

The argument that the sales increased due to internet advertising omits some important concerns that must be addressed to substantiate the argument. The statement that follows the description of what the internet advertising company can do simply describes the success of Furniture Depot. This alone does not constitute a logical argument in favour of the internet advertising company, and it certainly does not provide support or proof of the main argument.

Most conspiciously, the argument does not address the type of internet service. First, the argument assumes that Furniture Depot employed the internet advertising company and since then, the sales inceased by 10% over last year's totals. In a weak attempt to support its claim, the argument describes that using the internet services provided by the internet advertising company demonstrates an increase in profits that makes all of these things accurately known. But if it gives more information on the type of service provided, whether its cheap or not, it would have strengthen the argument.

Second, the argument never addresses the interface between advertising company and the Furniture Depot. For instance, we all know that the sales increased by 10% percent but in how many years leaves the reader with an empty blank. The advertising company can provide specific details about its company and what type of services they provide. They can provide us with the rates of the services so that the reader can have an idea whether its cheaper than other companies.

Finally, if the services are really good and helps to increase the profit then they must have given a reference of some other company as well. The argument even does not address what would happen if the internet services fails to advertise in order to increase the sales.

Because the argument leaves out several key issues, it is not sound or persuasive. If it included the itmes discussed above instead of solely explaining that the services can increase one's profit, the argument would have been more thorough and convincing.

cjiang16 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject:

I will score 4.5