Multimedia Rhetoric
Multimedia Rhetoric allows the rhetor to focus on their work from the perspective of the audience. According to Jennifer Sheppard, this perspective on rhetoric will "require additional considerations in order to achieve the desired effect" (122) and there are many "rhetorical consequences for how a multimedia text will be received" (129).
During her work on a scientific website for elementary school children, Sheppard realized that there are many complications and concerns when developing a multimedia text. She had to focus on what her audience needed. Since her readers would be sixth to eighth graders, it was necessary to incorporate interactive games, color, and pictures to provide a more "fun" experience; they wouldn't want to look at text-heavy pages and read articles. In order to encourage them to learn, the website had to be designed to engage them in fun activities.
Christopher Schmidt focused on how multimedia rhetoric allows information to become spatial concerns rather than chronologic. The rhetor is allowed "to explore ways of writing other than the traditional linear arguments in alphabetic text" (305). Maps have allowed us to visually represent the scope of rhetoric. They allow us to understand where we stand. This idea of rhetoric being applied to maps allows us to understand that rhetoric can be applied at any location and there are no restrictions.
Facebook and Twitter both have become popular social media sites that allow the user to track their posts/Tweets and the location they posted them. When I was sitting in the Orlando airport for several hours, whenever I would post something on Facebook or Twitter, it would track my location. I could also use my email and, at the end of all my emails, a short notice saying "Sent from my iPhone" would appear at the bottom. With the increasingly global technology, texts can be written from anywhere in the world and a spatial record keeps track of your locations and work.
What does this tell us about rhetoric?
Multimedia rhetoric allows us to view rhetoric as a concept that can be captured spatially rather than chronologically. With advancements in technology, we are often able to create texts from anywhere in the world. This also requires us to focus on what our audiences require when we develop multimedia projects. Whether its a scientific website or an interactive history game, the focus of the rhetor must be on what the audience needs. Therefore, there are no limitations on subject matter, who can act as rhetor, or even the scope and boundaries of the rhetoric. Multimedia rhetoric allows everyone to take advantage of technological advancements and apply them to any subject to enhance the audience's experience.
During her work on a scientific website for elementary school children, Sheppard realized that there are many complications and concerns when developing a multimedia text. She had to focus on what her audience needed. Since her readers would be sixth to eighth graders, it was necessary to incorporate interactive games, color, and pictures to provide a more "fun" experience; they wouldn't want to look at text-heavy pages and read articles. In order to encourage them to learn, the website had to be designed to engage them in fun activities.
Christopher Schmidt focused on how multimedia rhetoric allows information to become spatial concerns rather than chronologic. The rhetor is allowed "to explore ways of writing other than the traditional linear arguments in alphabetic text" (305). Maps have allowed us to visually represent the scope of rhetoric. They allow us to understand where we stand. This idea of rhetoric being applied to maps allows us to understand that rhetoric can be applied at any location and there are no restrictions.
Facebook and Twitter both have become popular social media sites that allow the user to track their posts/Tweets and the location they posted them. When I was sitting in the Orlando airport for several hours, whenever I would post something on Facebook or Twitter, it would track my location. I could also use my email and, at the end of all my emails, a short notice saying "Sent from my iPhone" would appear at the bottom. With the increasingly global technology, texts can be written from anywhere in the world and a spatial record keeps track of your locations and work.
What does this tell us about rhetoric?
Multimedia rhetoric allows us to view rhetoric as a concept that can be captured spatially rather than chronologically. With advancements in technology, we are often able to create texts from anywhere in the world. This also requires us to focus on what our audiences require when we develop multimedia projects. Whether its a scientific website or an interactive history game, the focus of the rhetor must be on what the audience needs. Therefore, there are no limitations on subject matter, who can act as rhetor, or even the scope and boundaries of the rhetoric. Multimedia rhetoric allows everyone to take advantage of technological advancements and apply them to any subject to enhance the audience's experience.
Sources:
Schmidt, Christopher. "The New Media Writer as Cartographer." Computers and Composition 28 (2011): 303-314. Web. 28 April 2014.
Sheppard, Jennifer. "The Rhetorical Work of Multimedia Production Practices: It's More Than Just Technical Skill." Computers and Composition 26 (2009): 122-131. Web. 30 April 2014.
Schmidt, Christopher. "The New Media Writer as Cartographer." Computers and Composition 28 (2011): 303-314. Web. 28 April 2014.
Sheppard, Jennifer. "The Rhetorical Work of Multimedia Production Practices: It's More Than Just Technical Skill." Computers and Composition 26 (2009): 122-131. Web. 30 April 2014.