STARTER: Using metaphors in our interactions with technology Consider these lexical units: how do the metaphors employed help us understand how we conceptualise technology and computers? Surf the internet My computer crashed I’ve got three tabs open Find a search engine Virus protection Infected files Your computer is at risk I can’t access my s at the moment Enter the website Escape (Esc button on keyboard) Are you sure you want to exit the page? Visit our website Find out more on our website Launch your page Build a website Upload Download Follow the links Sign up Log in Register Forum Thread Update Shopping basket Quit Streaming Buffering Checkout Forward an Copying Pasting Burn Rip Mail Unlock Zip Scroll Browse Tablet Load a page Trash Recycle bin Drag and drop Open/Close tab It went viral Zoom Corrupted file Redirect Attach Spam Don’t forget the visual metaphors through symbolic signs – what is the referent of these signs?

Electronic literacies Why do you think some linguists (Uta Papen, 2009) might prefer the term ‘literacies’? – Hint: what does ‘literacy’ mean? What might pluralising the word indicate? – Hint: Has the meaning of ‘literacy’ changed over time? What do you think it meant 100 years ago? 50 years ago? 25 years ago? Today?

Shortis (2000) – features of electronic texts Enables storage and transmission of diverse information. – This is huge – imagine the sheer amount of information available on Google, in comparison to print texts! – Digital storage is not perhaps as durable as we think! Includes electronic typed text and/or digitised information. – Almost any source can be ‘digitised’ and then transmitted – Some argue that this ‘impoverishes’ social interaction: Moore (2005) refutes this by saying that a greater range of tools are placed at our disposal, and the end user can then use the ones that best fit their needs Allows instant communication across geographical space. – These communications are increasingly widely available – not the preserve of technology specialists or the wealthy/powerful

Shortis (2000) – features of electronic texts Can be linked to other electronic texts and processes. – We can now control central heating through our phones... Keeps a record of its "history" automatically. Echoes previous genres and technologies. Challenges notions of fixity and authority. Is conducive to new patterns of spelling and punctuation, and use of symbols. – Although we have ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ spellings due to dictionaries/printing processes and conventions, in digital texts, spelling/grammar seem to be less strictly controlled – users seem more interested in the ideas and attitudes expressed. – Emoticons/smileys are used as paralinguistic clues, but as Crystal notes below: "Very few of them are ever used. Surveys of and chatgroups suggest that only about 10 per cent of messages actually use them, and then usually just the two basic types - :) and :(. Yet they still exercise a fascination: as an art form, or for entertainment." Crystal, D (2004), A Glossary of Netspeak and Textspeak. 119

Are attitudes to digital literacy a matter of age? (Uta Papen, 2009) ‘Public views on literacy (as well as many teachers’ attitudes) are lagging somewhat behind when it comes to understanding contemporary forms of communication’ – Why might this be the case? What other contextual factors might be at play here? Papen, U. (2009) New technologies: literacies in cyberspace. In J. Culpeper, F. Katamba, P. Kerswill, R. Wodak and T. McEnergy (eds) English Language: Description, Variation and Context

Assumptions and challenges Prescriptivist assumption What the linguists say Technology has changed the way we use language ‘Computers are made by people – they are a product of particular people’s inventions…[which] have been designed by particular people for particular purposes’ (Papen, 2009) Technology ‘impoverishes’ the language we use Technologies give us ‘affordances’ (Kress, 2003); the process of producing a text can be more interactive (i.e. instant messaging enables photos and MP3 files to be shared and discussed at the same time) People use cyberspace to search for online friends Lewis and Fabos (2005) in a study of year olds in the US found that their participants’ IM activities were a way of extending and replaces offline social contacts, especially in winter evenings when meeting outside is less pleasant. However, Davies (2006), in investigating the photo-sharing website ‘flickr’, suggested that digital spaces allow people who would not meet in ‘real life’ to share knowledge, similar to the playing of online video games, or sharing fanfiction. These do, however, have a more specific purpose than social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. People learn bad literacy habits online Gee (2004, 2005, 2007), in his study of young people playing video games, suggest that ‘affinity spaces’ enable people to share practices, including deliberate invention of non- standard literacy practices to establish a virtual community.

Boyd (2014) – categorising of YouTube commenters Boyd, M. (2014) (New) participatory framework on YouTube? Commenter interaction in US political speeches Journal of Pragmatics. 72: 46—58.

Commenting is seen as crucial to the way YouTube operates However, the majority of YouTube users are simply ‘watchers’ and ‘readers’ There is a difference seen with unregistered users only able to like/dislike a video or comment, while logged in/registered users able to comment. Antagonistic comments are common and are often homophobic, xenophobic/racist, crude and flippant. Sometime this is accepted or even encouraged by some users who use this to increase the ‘watched’ rating or move the conversation higher on the ‘most discussed’ list. However, this might also discourage other users from participation on YouTube in different ways.

How might Boyd’s comments on YouTube be similar/different to other websites?

Homework Paper 2 Question 1 – discursive essay Discuss the idea that technology has altered the ways we can communicate. You should use your own supporting examples and the data in Text A. AO1: Apply appropriate methods of language analysis, using associated terminology and coherent written expression (10 marks) AO2: Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use (20 marks)