VISUAL ARGUMENTS BLOG (Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments.)
Mary E. Hocks provides
some interesting insight into the world of digital media in her article “Understanding
Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments.” In this article she notes that there are
three key components to digital media: Audience Stance, Transparency, and Hybridity. Hook notes that Audience Stance involves “the
ways in which the audience is invited to participate in online documents” (pg.
632). I find this to be an interesting
observation and very notable in most news websites. Alongside being able to hyperlink to
different locations to provide more information regarding a story, its common
to find a comment section on the bottom of most article posted online. This
provides a means for the audience to “participate” in the document as it opens
a window for there to be in-depth conversation between individuals regarding
the post. Additionally it can provide a means for the author to also contribute
further to the article by answering audience questions or contributing to the
online discussion. The comments section is circled in the image below note that the article ends at the top of the image followed by adds into the comment section. In Hocks online
article “Monitoring order”, she provides color coded bars at the top of the
screen to help the audience identify which part of the essay they are
reading. This is a concept that can be
noted when clicking on a hyperlink on a website. The link changes color to notify you that you
have already visited that are of the site. Additionally the navigation bar at
the top of most websites can also help in guiding the viewer through the site
and through online documents. Lastly, hybridity
is noted as “the way in which online documents combine and construct visual and
verbal designs” (pg. 632). The utilization
of space to put text and images in places that may seem unconventional or
innovative is seen on the website www.ign.com. This gaming centered website utilizes the
side margin to promote upcoming video games and movies. Clicking on the image can link to an article
within the site or to a promotional webpage that further highlights the advertisement. Notice advertisements on the side of the site surrounding the document which ends at the very top of the image.
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