Rhetorical strategies on www.iReport.com

The study concentrates on the phenomenon of user-generated content on the internet. The article presents an introductory analysis of various rhetorical strategies used by the authors of commentaries on one of the popular user-contributory sites, i.e. www.iReport.com. The analysis of this site shows that there exists a range of diverse means of expression used by the enthusiasts of broadcasting online, involving the submission of written articles, live video commentaries, audio files and cartoons. The study shows that users shape the features of the content in different manners and resort to the use of a variety of rhetorical devices. To the main properties of discourse belong personalization, interactivity, use of figurative and vivid language

EFL students’ experiences with blog-integrated writing instruction

With the advent of the Internet, various tools (e.g. wikis, discussion forums, blogs) have been redefining the way we teach writing. Among internet based applications, blogging especially attracts attention with its user-friendly and open-to-anyone nature, hyperlinked post structure and options for comment and reply that foster interaction. As it is directly related to writing, blogging has currently been regarded as a natural tool for writing instruction. [1]. Describing a blog-integrated writing course, this paper presents the results of a study on students’ perceptions towards blog use as a means of writing. 27 intermediate level university students were instructed according to the principles of process approach and they were required to carry on stages of writing process (drafting, revising etc ...) through blog software. The study lasted for 16 weeks and at the end of the course, the students were given a Post Instruction Perception Questionnaire divided into four categories: student perceptions towards effect of a) blog use on overall writing performance; b) blog use on the components of writing; c) blog use on the feedback and revision; d) effect of blogging on interest, motivation and technology use.The results showed that the students had a positive perception of blog use in their writing course and they believed that carrying on the writing activities through blog software especially contributed to the improvement of the content and organization of their writings

Web 3.0: Are We Building a True Consensual Internet or Yet Another Strategic Platform?

This study employs Habermas’ theory of communicative action to scrutinize the behavior of web service providers (WSPs) in both Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. In the first phase, we uncover the strategic nature of Web 2.0 WSPs. In the context of Web 3.0, we discern a shift towards a consensual, decentralized paradigm, with Web 3.0 WSPs predominantly facilitating participation and consensus-building. Acknowledging that Web 3.0 is in its infancy with a smaller user base compared to Web 2.0, we have applied Web 3.0 principles to derive our insights, offering an initial exploration into the intentions of Web 3.0 WSPs. While recognizing the study’s limitations, including the nascent stage of Web 3.0, this research lays the groundwork for understanding the evolving landscape of Web 3.0. This pioneering investigation, guided by Habermas’ communicative action theory, is poised to be a valuable resource for comprehending the dynamic terrain of Web 3.0

Being social: Missing pre-requisites for online engagement, exchange and inclusion

Despite cautionary analyses and critiques by some scholars, cyberoptimism and what Steve Woolgar calls cyberbole continue to characterise much discussion of social media in the context of democratic politics (e-democracy) and citizen engagement and participation, and is evident in claims of emergence of the ‘social organisation’ and ‘social business’. This paper synthesises the findings of three recent research studies, which show that the allegedly democratising social interaction and dialogic affordances of Web 2.0 are not being realised in many applications. Key missing prerequisites for engagement, exchange and inclusion are identified and highlighted as issues for attention in research and practice

Produsage as experience and interpretation

This article examines the changes in audience discourses that emerge at the intersection between the classical idea of the audience being active in interpretation of media texts, and new forms of audience engagement in text production and distribution. Focusing on produsage, a term that is frequently used to describe audiences’ participation in online ecology, we argue for produsage to be conceptualized with regard to two aspects that are important for audience research: firstly, produsage as a form of relating to texts, and secondly, produsage as an experience in co-creation of texts. This overview of theoretical positions and empirical research is used to identify (in)stabilities in the conceptualization of audiences, thus arguing for greater recognition of produsage as a form of users’ experience and an interpretative act, rather than an alternative model of production, which will allow audience research to better account for nuanced and varied degrees of produsage

E-Electioneering 2007-13: Trends in online political campaigns over three elections

Following the 2004 US presidential election campaign, which was described as 'a critical turning point' in use of social media, and particularly the 2008 Obama campaign, there has been increasing focus on use of social media for political campaigning and what is termed e-electioneering and e-democracy. However, studies of election campaigns between 2010 and 2012 in a number of countries have identified what Steve Woolgar (2002) calls cyberbole in relation to social media for political engagement. With substantive patterns of change in political communication yet to be identified, a quantitative and qualitative study of social media use in the 2013 Australian federal election campaign was conducted using the same methodology as studies of the 2007 and 2010 campaigns to gain comparative longitudinal data. This identified trends in the volume of e-electioneering and the ways in which social media are being used for political communication and democratic engagement

UNDERSTANDING ADVANCES IN WEB TECHNOLOGIES: EVOLUTION FROM WEB 2.0 TO WEB 3.0

The current generation of Web applications (Web 2.0) have made them an outright phenomenon in today’s society helping to redefine the way organisations and individuals communicate and collaborate with each other. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise the evolution of Web technologies from a user perspective. Based on inference from existing studies, this paper attempts to identify the architectural direction that the next generation (Web 3.0) of Web applications would meld itself into. The paper emphasizes limitations of current Web technologies and how future trends may address these limitations by focusing on migration that has been witnessed in the scope of the applications presented and features delivered on the Web from a users’ perspective

Remediation by Design: New Linguistic Domains for Changing Organizational Practices

The paper examines the impact of novel linguistic vocabularies on the remediation of practices using computer-reliant media. As linguistic vocabularies we consider social Web services (with certain material agency) allowing recurrent engagement of users in designated communication acts. On the other hand, remediation is conceived as an evolving state of affairs where new practices (as defined by computer-mediated linguistic conventions) are improvised on the basis of old practices that work differently in new technological settings. In this vein, remediation of organizational routines takes place when established human activities are retooled using digital materials to convey new possibilities for action. The paper advances a proposition and a scaffold for remediating by design which is then ‘tested’ by reflecting upon an empirical case