Material Girl in a Digital World
Originally, when I heard the term “digital rhetoric,” I pictured myself in a computer screen as a pixelated character clicking through the web. In Defining and Locating Digital Rhetoric, Eyman discusses the ideas of Gary Hubba, specifically “infrastructure as a key element of digital rhetoric.” Reading this took my little pixelated character off the screen. Now I was sitting again in front of a computer, listening to the slight buzz, watching the wifi bars go back and forth, and all the tabs of different social media platforms I always forget to close. A material girl once more, I could see the physical aspects of digital rhetoric alongside the virtual. Eyman notes, “materiality is not elided for an abstraction.” Which I understood to mean you can’t forget the material aspects of digital rhetoric and the role it plays in its communication.
Software, networks, coding, platforms, the algorithm, OH MY! The infrastructure of digital rhetoric runs deep. All of these elements shape how we communicate digitally. What we see, how we see it, and how we can use it are all based on these aspects. Infrastructure dictates which messages are heard more than others and influences online interaction. Algorithms control what we see. Different platforms and media change what this looks like. Not to mention, if we can’t connect to certain networks, we can’t communicate in those spaces at all.
Figuring Out Digital Rhetoric
While this is only a part of digital rhetoric, it is an important part to recognize. I’m still trying to figure out the full scope and definition. So to do so, I’m going to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature for a little while, and try a different approach to figure it out. I’ll be back, Eyman. Till my next post 🫡
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