Reading Douglas Eyman’s “Text” in “Defining and Locating Digital Rhetoric”, taught me how there are many definitions of the word text. Text should be seen in a broader light. It is deeper than the words found on paper. There are actually 7 points of criteria that mix into the definition of text. The 7 points of criteria are cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality, and intertextuality. Each point represents a different component that is in regard to text. Now, cohesion is regarding the structure of text. Coherence is the meaning of texts. Intentionality is the purpose . Acceptability is how the audience accepts it as whole. Informativity is what is new or expected information. Situationality is making sure that the text is appropriate to the situation it is being used for. Lastly, intertextuality is assuring that text is always relating an ongoing discourse.
Digging Deeper into Texts
Text is a very broad word once you start to think about it. Text is essentially found everywhere. The first thing that pops up in my head when I hear the word “text” are text messages. They are quick and on your phone. The article said, “Text in itself, is a technology” (23), and text messages are what I would say make it a technology. Now, I wouldn’t say its text messages alone though. Social media has a world wind of texts in all aspects of posts. There are direct messaging, and tweets that I would also consider to be forms of texts.
In all, I would say that the term “text” has turned into something greater over time. It isn’t just the words written in a book needed for a class. Text has become something more technical than what we knew it as. As well as, text takes up one third in creating what we now know as digital rhetoric.
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