Rhetorical An@lysis of Web-Based Writing
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Jennifer Greenholt
Hypertext, text that contains a series of links and is not tied to a particular sequence, is nothing new. What is a dictionary or an encyclopedia but a print version of hypertext? Modern technology merely speeds up and simplifies the process--transforming turning pages into clicking a mouse. Hypertext introduces readers to a world that can take you anywhere you want to go.
As the rhetoric of hypertext develops and intersects with postmodern theory, it also cycles back to have a profound influence on physical texts. New media for hypertext develop and mutate at supersonic speed. MySpace is bested by Facebook and fights back. JavaScript improves on HTML. Blogging replaces the diary. Chat rooms and instant messenger trade places daily.
The characteristics of web-based writing also translate back to traditional print texts. A few of these common features can be found in both.
The Internet is fast-paced, and websites must grab the reader's attention in order to compete with a million other, similar sites. Long expositions and complicated arguments are ineffective in this particular medium. It's all about bytes: sound-bytes, information bytes, and photo thumbnails.
The World Wide Web is extremely transient. Blogs are created and destroyed hourly. It is difficult to maintain traditional patterns of argument when a "link" in the argument can disappear at any moment.
The Internet has the potential to be both anonymous and extremely visible. Privacy issues result when individuals attempt to control who has access to their writing. At the same time, writers can reveal information in a setting that inspires comfort and self-disclosure.
The growth of hypertext calls into question the authorship and ownership of texts. When a text becomes available online, the author no longer has control of how it is used or when it is viewed.
Hypertext and web-based writing are well-suited to multiple voices. Because ownership is democratic in nature, narratives are much more open to questioning and alternative viewpoints.
Hypertext is especially vulnerable to the spread of misinformation. One webpage cites another webpage, which is citing another webpage, and no one knows where the information originated or if it is credible.
© 2008 Jennifer Greenholt