Re: Re(2): Discourse structures

Martin Nystrand (nystrand who-is-at ssc.wisc.edu)
Mon, 12 Jan 1998 12:02:38 -0600

The problem of addressing a community--and a fictitious one, at
that--without the possibility of conversing with anyone particular face to
face is pretty much the problem of writing in school, isn't it. Usually
this problem is formulated as one of including the (reified) Reader (in the
suggested guise of everyone). A more practical approach, however, is
writing in such a way that one does not _exclude_ those particular people
one hopes to address. This approach, no doubt, includes a wider audience de
facto.

Marty

At 09:20 AM 1/12/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Rachel writes:
>>But what is the proper way to address a community, particularly if I've
>>never - literally - seen any of its members face to face, and in fact
>>don't know who most of them are? Obviously many members of xmca know
>>each other from other contexts, but what about newcomers? I feel the
>>tension very clearly, and also feel a difference between posting a
>>general question to the list (pull towards formality/written style) and
>>replying to a particular posting from a named individual
>>(conversational/informal). How does one learn to interact in such a
>>situation, where immediate feedback is minimal and usually limited?
>>(Think of all the nuances gleaned from non-verbal cues in FTF
>>interaction.)
>
>It wasn't all that long ago when I was in a similar place with similar
>worries.
>
>And I probably would have viewed an FAQ on participation as supportive and
>helpful.
>
>But when such things are given to new participants, they constrain the
>possibilities for creative expression and make innovation more difficult.
>Some new members may be turned off by what could be viewed as restrictions
>and prescriptions for participation. If the rules are ambiguous, they are
>open to interpretaion, open to new possibilities.
>
>I, personally, feel that I benefited from "taking the plunge" without
>sufficient information to feel completely comfortable.
>
>Kathie
>
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Life's backwards,
>Life's backwards,
>People, turn around.
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Sinead O'Connor and John Reynolds
>Fire on Babylon: Universal Mother^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu
>http://ouray.cudenver.edu/~kegoff/index.html
>
>
>

Martin Nystrand
Professor, Department of English (608 263-3820)
Editor, Written Communication (608 263-4512)
Director, Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA)
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
685 Education Sciences
1025 West Johnson Street
Madison WI 53706
608 263-0563 voice
608 263-6448 fax