The Discourse of Blogs and Wikis

Reviews / Votes

... makes a valuable contribution to the burgeoning literature that has been produced over the last few years on social web technologies... particularly useful for both students and teachers of language studies, who are interested in the study of the newly emerging communicative forms that are occurring in the interactions that blogs and wikis are enabling... The format of the book is reader-friendly and its methodological approach clearly explained... ... informs and offers insights into two major newtypes of discourse, weblogs (or blogs) and wikis, which have made a huge impact on electronic communication and provide a basis for the analysis of discourse and genres on the internet. The online genres of blogs and wikis like Wikipedia can help focus on some taken-for-granted aspects of language in social interaction becoming important in political, social and economic spheres--aspects often eclipsed by a fixation on the technology. Myers analyzes the dimensions of these distinctive types of text, devices used to address an intended audience and convey stances, and debates, e.g., over whether Wikipedia should have a 'Neutral Point of View' (NPOV). The book includes examples, notes on student projects, blog addresses, and a glossary. * Book News Inc *