Once upon a blog Paradigms of Narrative Interaction

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Once upon a blogParadigms of Narrative
Interaction
University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Christian Hoffmann
www.uni-augsburg.de
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Outlook

• Weblog Narration
• 2. Narrative Interaction
• 3. New Concepts of Narrative Interaction
• 4. A Continuum of Weblog Narratives
• 5. Results

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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

1. Weblog Narration
Fragmentation
Multilinearity
Interactivity
Multimodality
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

2. Narrative Interaction
Ordinary Storytelling, in sum, is (choose a term)
a coconstruction, an interactional achievement, a
joint production, a collaboration, and so
forth. (Schegloff 1997)
Although originally intended for individual
use, in practice weblogs increasingly appear to
facilitate distributed conversations. This could
have important implications for the use of this
technology as a medium for collaboration. (De
Moor 2004)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

(Efimova 2004)
? Distributed Conversations ? Distributed
Narratives?
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Taking talk-in-interaction as the relevant
domain, an analyst is constrained to take into
account the different settings of orality
in which different speech-exchange systems with
different turn-taking practices differentially
shape stories and the practice of storytelling,
not to mention the different practical activities
in whose cause, and on whose behalf, storytelling
might be undertaken. (Schegloff 1997)
The Literary View Interaction as Reading
(Cognition) The Conversational View Interaction
as Negotiation (Collaboration) The Subjective
View Interaction as Browsing (Selection) The
Network View Interaction as Co-Construction
(Participation)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

• First Degree Interaction
• (Prototype Written/Printed Text Types)
• Inhibited Interaction Between Interlocutors
  (De-Contextualization)
• Difficulties to Negotiate Ad Hoc Text Meanings
  with Author
• Stable Discourse Structure or Design.
• Second Degree Interaction
• (Prototype Website)
• Readers / Users Determine Individual Reading
  Orders and Select Pre-Defined Text Units and Web
  Sites Via
• Activating Hyperlinks
• Using Search Engines
• Typing in Websites Manually
• Third Degree Interaction (Participation)
• (Prototype Weblog)
• Readers / Users Attain High Degree of Interaction
  By

1. 2. 3. 4.
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

3. New Concepts of Narrative Interaction
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

The point is not that we should add stories to
our sites to ensnare narrative-starved readers.
The point is that the readers journey through
our site is a narrative experience. Our job is to
make the narrative satisfying.
Beyond Usability and Design The Narrative Web
(Mark Bernstein)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Weblog

Hypernarrative
Entry / Comment Weblog as Database
Narrative
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Department of English Linguistics

Gamebook Map
http//www.gamebooks.org/canediff.htm accessed
14 Sept. 2008
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

The Distributed Narrative (Walker 2003)
In the case of blogs, the shaping and reshaping
of narratives, turn by turn, in the course of
everyday face-to-face conversation ,,, expand
their potential in time and in forms (i.e.
written, visual, and aural modes). (Bazzanella
forthcoming)
Distributed narratives dont bring media together
to make a total artwork. Distributed narratives
explode the work altogether, sending fragments
and shards across media, through the network and
sometimes into the physical spaces that we live
in. (Walker 2003)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

The Distributed Narrative (Walker 2003)
Distribution of Authorship
Distribution in Time
Distribution in Space
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Distributed Authorship
One of the ways in which the story of a weblogger
is distributed is by the story being told by
several different narrators, in comments or on
their independent sites. (Walker 20039)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Distribution in Time
Weblogs are an obvious example of the success of
serial narrative on the web. Most posts in
weblogs are short enough to be read in a few
minutes. Instead of watching a twenty-two minute
episode each week, a weblog is read in two-or
five-minute sessions once a day or once every few
days. (Walker 2003)
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Exerpt from Jill/Txt (13.04.2004)
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Department of English Linguistics

Distribution in Space
The authors surrender control of how their work
which spreads and is pasted in new contexts, and
new context produces new meanings. (Walker
2003)
Stickers. Hyperfiction project Implementation
(Scott Rettberg, Nick Montfort)
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Department of English Linguistics

(Quasthoff Becker 2005)
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

4. A Continuum of Weblog Interaction
Default
Conversational
Selective
Distributed

• Hypernarrative
• Multiple (Co-)Tellers
• Moderatly Tellable Account
• Relatively Embedded in Context
• (Surrounding Talk and Activity)
• Multilinear Organization
• Vague, Fluid Moral Stance

• Classic Narrative
• One Active Teller
• Highly Tellable Account
• Relatively Detached From Context
• (Surrounding Talk and Activity)
• Linear Organization
• Constant Moral Stance

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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

• Default Narrative
• 1 Author/ 1 Entry
• - Hyperlinks
• Comments

Selective Narrative 1 Author/Sev. Entries
Hyperlinks Comments
Collaborative Narrative Multiple Authors (1
Blog) Multiple entries Hyperlinks Comments
Distributed Narrative Multiple Authors (Sev.
Blogs) Multiple Entries Hyperlinks/ comment
search eng./tags
First Degree Interaction Second Degree
Interaction Third Degree Interaction

(Participation)

• Classic Narrative
• One Active Teller
• Highly Tellable Account
• Relatively Detached From Context
• (Surrounding Talk and Activity)
• Linear Organization
• Constant Moral Stance

• Hypernarrative
• Multiple (Co-)Tellers
• Moderatly Tellable Account
• Relatively Embedded in Context
• (Surrounding Talk and Activity)
• Multilinear Organization
• Vague, Fluid Moral Stance

www.uni-augsburg.de
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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

5. Results

• Weblog Narratives Vary in Size, Theme, Authorship
  Interactivity
• Narrative Variation Affords Various Degrees of
  Interaction
• Weblogs Decompose Disperse Narratives Across
  Time Space
• There Are Four Concepts of Narration
  Interaction ?Default, Selective,
  Collaborative, Distributed Narrative
• Metaphorical Shift Collaboration ?
  Personalization

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University of Augsburg
Department of English Linguistics

Thank You Very Much for Your Attention!
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