Shaynna Austin - Final Blog

Shaynna Austin

Digital Rhetorics

Prof. Michelle Miley

5/4

1. Since starting this course writing has more-or-less stayed the same in perspective. Writing 101 told me that almost anything can be considered as text, and this class helped reinforce that way of thinking because almost anything on the internet could be considered a text. Aside from alphabetic text, moving pictures like GIFs, video clips, audio and images can be considered part of the discourse that a website or webpage creates. All the components to a webpage have to be carefully composed to create something with meaning--and it helps a lot of you know how to create all those components yourself. It would’ve been extremely helpful if I had known how to code to make my own webpage instead of learning by trial-and-error how to make someone else’s webpage work for me. But back to the original point--text can be anything. Rhetoric can be used to make the writing more effective, because every part of the presentation/webpage/video needs to have a purpose.
2. This class taught me about the “available means of persuasion in the digital world” is that there are tools for me to use, and that if I am willing to learn to use them, I can do pretty much anything with it. From an ethical standpoint, of course. What I mean is that with a digital media, you have an easier time incorporating anything that might be useful into your overall project/argument. A background can provide some kind of subtle information that a static white background sorely lacks. At the same time--a moving background could be too distracting for the reader/viewer who is trying to glean information from your text. Therefore, you’ve got to be careful not to overload your viewer with too much stimuli while they’re looking through your text. Another thing is that you always want to give your audience a chance to feel like they have mobility within the text. Again, having the ability to make your own webpage the way you want it, anything is possible. But if you have to wrestle with a format someone else lays out for you, the writer, then you have to learn how to work with the constraints that are put in place. Basically, digital rhetoric is a mix of writing and trouble-shooting. You’re not only spending time researching information, processing it, and then making an argument/saying something more about it. You have to come at digital rhetoric with a builder’s mindset. You need something that’s stable and will work for you, but also will work for your audience. There will be a lot of trial and error. Since this was my first time doing this, I noticed I need to do this a lot more just to get used to it. I think I know where I want a project to go, but it’s not easy to get it to that point. But to sum up what I think about digital persuasion now that the course is over: I think I could do a lot more if I knew how to build a webpage from scratch. And in term of making videos, I think I would actually consider investing in a new camera, better sound capture, and maybe a new video editing software program. I mean, if I was serious about making a real project for the “real world,” that’s what I would do.
3. I think I kind of discussed some of this already in the last bit of the second question, but if you’re looking for an honest answer about, “Will I use this information in the future?” I’m going to have to say, “Maybe?” I don’t know what kind of projects or writing I’ll need to do in term of a career. I don’t even know if I’m cut out for writing anymore. I do think that this kind of writing is a little more involved and, therefore, can be useful in more ways than I can with text alone. It’d be nice if I could figure out how to do something original that people want/need. Specifically what I’m thinking is about the blogger that the writers of the “Filter Bubble” mentioned where she would update people in her neighborhood about riots and things for people to avoid. Or like the people who created the software for Google Earth. Something original like that would be great, but I’d need to learn more about the tools I can use on the internet. Plus, maybe, create a network of people I know. That usually helps a lot when you’re trying to get your ideas together and need some help having them come to fruition.