Lab+2


 * Why is the definition of genre controversial and not so applicable to the formation of digital genres? **

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines Genre as “ a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.” (Oxford American Dictionary) Genre definitions can be narrowly or broadly constructed. The idea of a genre, being based on some set of stylistic criteria, can be confused with media categorization. Literature can be categorized into genres if there are recurring themes and environments. Digital technology introduced the application of multimodal and hyper-textual content into literature. Digital genres have become significantly different from genres existing in other media due tot heir dependency on the medium and the technology. // “  ////  They propose a two-dimensional perspective on genre, where genre is characterised both as a text, in the reading mode (in terms of its communicative purpose, moves, and rhetorical strategies), and as a medium, in the hypertextual or navigating mode (in terms of its communicative purpose, links, and rhetorical strategies).”  // (Alfonso, Madrid & Marco) In other words, genre can be defined in terms of composition, medium and design. Digital media depends on specific hardware and software to support it. The technology becomes part of the genre. The same literature for instance can be available as an iPhone and a Computer App. They possess the same subject but differ in form and style. This contradicts the traditional definition of genre. “A web text also functions in the navigating mode where the text, due to its media constraints, becomes an interactive medium, used actively to navigate the website.” (Alfonso, Madrid & Marco) Textual reading is no longer sequential but can be actively constructed to navigate accordingly. An Application designed for the iPhone is targeting a very specific demographic. Only people with an iPhone would be able to view the app.

// New Oxford American Distionary  // http://www.bgsu.edu/cconline/DigitalGenres/
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