WNM Handout 2

This set covers key terminology and concepts related to the digital writing process, social media platforms, and essential skills for digital writers as outlined in the lecture notes.

Digital Writing

A rhetorical process that requires careful consideration of complex relationships between technology, audience, author, organization, and communicative purpose.

Digital Media

The convergence of media technologies and computing, encompassing computerized media forms like websites, apps, videos, and social media posts.

Emulation

A digital writing skill involving the imitation of the methods and approaches of successful individuals or established industry practices to align work with prevailing norms.

Experimentation

The practice of innovating and discovering new approaches to gather data and build better practices as language and technology evolve.

Prototyping

A process that allows writers to create mock-ups or low-fidelity demos to test ideas and gather feedback before full implementation.

Optimization

The refinement of digital strategies and media objects for optimal results based on data, ensuring things like mobile-optimization without cutoffs.

Interactivity

A measure of how much a media object communicates with the user, including the responsiveness of a company on social media.

Automation

The use of technology to perform tasks independently, such as scheduling posts or repetitive data entry, but which lacks human ethical reasoning.

Self-Teaching

The ability to independently learn and problem-solve through resourcefulness and credible research, described as the most vital skill for any professional.

Social Media

Online platforms designed to facilitate interpersonal communication and user interactions through features like direct messaging, profiles, and media galleries.

Snowball Effect

A phenomenon where early adoption of a platform by influential users prompts others to follow suit, contributing to the platform's success.

SMS (Short Message Service)

A technology first sent from a computer to a cellphone on December 3, 1992, by engineer Neil Papworth, forming a foundation for social media.

X

A microblogging platform with approximately $192 \text{ million}$ daily active users, tending to attract urban, affluent, male, and educated demographics.

Imperative Mood

A grammatical construction used to make direct commands or requests, essential for crafting punchy calls to action in social media writing.

Quantitative Data

Measurable metrics used to inform social media strategy and grounded understanding, such as the fact that approximately $50 \text{\%}$ of the U.S. population has a Facebook account.