1/30 Blog Post

Posted byJulia McDermottPosted inUncategorized
  1. Drawing from examples in the readings, in what ways do platforms and modes influence the way we read, write, and circulate communications?
    1. Platforms and modes influence how people communicate in several different ways. Social media has allowed faster and universal communication as the world is much more connected now. The rise of digital media has also been associated with the idea of multimodal writing. However, these platforms contain algorithms which can affect how information is communicated to others. Additionally, these platforms have the capability to “ban” users or draw attention around a certain topic. For example, as Gillespie describes in the article “Platforms Intervene”, certain hashtags on Twitter may be studied by researchers, but this data is leaving out valuable communication from private accounts or tweets that did not use the hashtag.
  2. What argument is the author(s) making (what is their main point or what do they want you to think or do)?
    1. “Platforms Intervene”
      1. In this article, Gillespie’s main point is that although social media has circulated much communication, the platforms on which this occurs have algorithmically publicized and silenced certain content. Thus, the author is arguing that it is important to study a platform itself when examining data, and remember that it is a private company that may have certain financial, social, or political agendas.
    2. “All Writing is Multimodal”
      1. The authors of this article are mainly arguing that any form of communication is multimodal, meaning it uses a variety of meaning-making to convey a message. Additionally, the authors make a point to explain that there is no such thing as “monomodal” communication.
    3. “Keeping Up with the Algorithms”
      1. The main argument that Hutchinson makes in this article is that each social media platform uses algorithms so that users can see more engaging and relevant content. However, he explains how these algorithms can cause issues for marketers and businesses, thus showing the necessity of understanding how each algorithm works.
  3. What are key concepts from the reading (keywords and their definitions according to the author(s)?
    1. platform: social media outlets that guide or silence communications
    2. algorithms: machine learning and data sorting on social media that decides what users see
    3. censorship: purposefully restricting information, comparable to being banned on social media but the true form of it is more restrictive
    4. public culture: the social norms that arise from social media and communications
    5. multimodal: any combination of modes/meaning making. every form of communication is multimodal
  4. What is a key quote from the reading and what do you think it means?
    1. From “Platforms Intervene”: “We study what content these platforms circulate, but we too often describe it as what ‘returns’ as search results or ‘goes viral,’ rather than seeing them as the result of strategic actors selecting and assembling user content into a particular composite”
      1. This quote stood out to me because it perfectly describes how content on social media can be skewed and exaggerated, especially on the news. However, the algorithms that likely caused a rise in a particular subject, or the idea of going “viral”, are rarely included in these reports or discussions. Thus, the lack of understanding around algorithms may distort how people view certain topics.
  5. How does this work inform either our current project or how you think about digital rhetoric–in other words, what is your take away from this reading?
    1. These readings helped me realize how social media platforms have evolved communication even more so than we thought. The businesses behind them have created algorithms that influence what information we see, which can be deceiving. Thus, it is important to consider all modes when looking at a form of communication- including the platform it is on and how its algorithm is designed.

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