Blog Four: Internet changing Genres
Storme Black
Image 1: Cow Wash. Retrieved from
http://i.imgur.com/18PntH1.jpg
While the content found within Reddit is undeniably ‘real’
the users and participants of the virtual network are not necessarily ‘authentic’.
Many of the users use names that are clearly made-up, this helps people to come
out more easily and feel more comfortable in a foreign place, however, this
does add concerns to a person’s true claims while uploading and contributing to
this website.
For example,
while looking at a question asked by a peer in relation to dinosaur fossil
information gathering, a user contributed to the article with important insight
in relation to the topic; but how do we know whether or not she/he is a
professional, or just a knowledgeable teenager with a keen interest into palaeontology?
Here ‘we recognise the possibility of alternative emphases and thus,
alternative ways of understanding what the writer is saying and suggesting’ and
also alternative ways of deciphering who really is delivering the information
(DiYanni, 2005, p.10-11). Moreover, I feel this also shows how ‘technology has
the capacity to create new kind[s] of genre’ with or without authentication
(Van Luyn, 2013).
Image 2: Being high in public. Retrieved from
When going through my virtual network, I realise I
am more likely to click on a page/article that states its content and purpose
in a few, self-explanatory words. Qualities of good writing are said to include
‘(1) clarity; (2) coherence; (3) logical organisation; (4) accuracy and
correctness; (5) sufficiency; and (6) style’ (DiYanni, 2005, p.15). While all
the titles on this virtual network do not uphold all these necessary steps of
good writing, they do constantly reflect clarity, coherence and sufficiency toward
its readers.
These blogs
do this by keeping the details of content simple and easy to understand so as
soon as readers identify themselves with the article or picture, they are aware
of how the title fully explains the purpose of what they are reading. This has
been done in numerous ways throughout the network, including both my images; Image
1 was titled ‘Cow Wash’ while Image 2 had the name ‘Being High in Public’.
After viewing these pictures the reader can assume instantly that the labels on
these articles use clarity about what the image holds; coherence as to why it
was named/titled that; and sufficiency for readers to feel they understand the
content and titles properly, an overall effective way to catch reader attention.
References
12--12--12. In Jurassic
Park, Dr. Grant knows how velociraptors hunt from studying their remains. Can a
paleontologist really determine that much from bones?, in askscience. Retrieved 2013-09-06 from http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1ls46e/in_jurassic_park_dr_grant_knows_how_velociraptors/
DiYanni, R. (2005). Introduction: Reading and
writing essays, in Twenty-five great
essays (pp.1-30). New York, NY: Penguin Academics.
I_PUNCH_BEARS. Whats the stupidest way you’ve hurt
youself? in self.AskReddit. Retrieved
2013-09-06 from http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ls4ms/whats_the_stupidest_way_youve_hurt_yourself/
Reddit: the front page of the internet. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.reddit.com/
non4prophet. Well trained, in gifs. Retrieved 2013-09-06 from http://i.imgur.com/ouazRNn.gif
Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Week
6, Part 2: Genre. [Podcast]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Images
Image 1: pedigreeBaker. Cow Wash, in aww. Retrieved 2013-09-06 from http://i.imgur.com/18PntH1.jpg
Image 2: Highonfruits. Being high in public, in funny. Retrieved 2013-09-06 from http://imgur.com/OdHp8fd
