Glossary

"analog,"

Unseparated, continuous data.

"digital"

Numerical values representing encoded information.

New media

Technological platforms that users can create, share, and interact among content.

acceptability

further information given to someone from the source of writing

accessibility

Availability or simplicity of access.

Agency

the ability to produce an effect through your own actions

Algorithms

A set of clear instructions a computer follows to solve an issue or complete a task.

 

binary

Digital data is encoded using a system of ones and zeros.

binary system

a method used to represent data using 0s and 1s. Used by computers to represent data. The base of all computing systems.

canceled

When someone is said to have acted/spoken improperly and is ostracized or shunned, often by social media.

code

Any instruction given to a computer in order for it to complete a task

coherence

a specific piece of text that is assumed to be understood by the reader, without explanation

cohesion

A certain piece of text displayed to catch the eyes of the reader

Computer Language

The three versions of communication involving computers, creators, and users

Content

Refers to any form of information, entertainment, or communication that is created and distributed through digital technologies and platforms. This can include text, images, audio, video, and interactive elements, such as social media posts, blogs, podcasts, streaming videos, mobile apps, and online games.

cookies

small text files with data used by web servers to save browsing information.

CSS

Stands for Cascading Style Sheets; allows one to better control the presentation and visual style of a web document.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly impressed on clay tablets.

digital

electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data into two terms: positive and non-positive

digital agency

individuals having and maintaining control over their decisions and actions in the digital world

digital footprint

The trail of data left by a user while using the internet. Includes everything from social media posts to what sites someone visits.

Digital literacy

the ability to use information and  communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

digital overload

Stress caused by constant interaction with digital devices.

digital rhetoric

Most simply defined as the application of rhetorical theory (as analytic method or heuristic for production) to digital texts and performances.

digitized

Create a digital version of analog data.

efficiency

Obtaining the highest possible output with the least amount of work.

encoding

The process of converting data into a new format.

engaging

content that catches the audience's attention (with clicks, choices, or other exciting things) but the content doesn't change based on what the audience does

ethics

Moral standards that direct actions.

functionality

The ability to use a tool practically.

gesture-based interactions

Process of interacting with electronics through physical actions.

global reach

The capacity to establish connections with audiences around the world.

hieroglyphics

A character used in a system of pictorial writing, particularly that form used on ancient Egyptian monuments.

HTML

Stands for HyperText Markup Language; the standard language used to create web documents.

human usability

A device made to be efficiently navigated by the users with the least amount of complications

Human-Computer Interaction

The study of how people and computer technology interact with each other.

informativity

the amount of given information on a piece of writing

intentionality

the authors purpose behind the writing piece

interactivity

content being changed based on feedback provided by the audience of the content.

intertextuality

(per Merriam-Webster) the complex interrelationship between a text and other texts taken as basic to the creation ot interpretation of the text

intertwined

(per Merriam-Webster) to unite by twining one with another

late age of print

This current point in time in which print exists in both digital and physical spaces.

Literacy

to have knowledge and/or proficiency in a certain area or topic
competence and understanding written language; encompasses the skills and knowledge needed to effectively communicate, comprehend, and engage with written texts in various contexts

manipulation

Changing information for different reasons.

Marshall McLuhan

Canadian philosopher who studied media theory

media

the main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet) regarded collectively.

Medium

The technology or platform through which communication occurs

Modularity

New media texts are composed of discrete units and can be combined into larger objects without losing their independence.

monochromatic

Monochromatic refers to a piece of work that uses different shades of a single color.

navigate

(per Merriam-Webster) to steer a course through a medium

nuance

Small distinctions or details.

orality

the cultural and communicative practice that rely primarily on spoken language rather than written texts

pictograms

A pictorial symbol for a word or phrase

platforms

the foundation for building and running applications

prerequisite

(per Merriam-Webster) something that is necessary to an end or to the carrying out of a function

preserve

The process of keeping something as it was.

Print

delivering impressions to a piece of material to document

privacy

The ability to limit who can access personal data.

Procedural rhetoric

Messaging communicated through a process or procedure

Remediation

the transition from old technologies to new ones with the implication that the new and improved is the better or more reliable option
the process of adapting and transforming written content from traditional print formats to digital formats and platforms. Involves the translation, repurposing, or enhancement of written texts

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the adaptation of persuasive elements to a wide range of media platforms, to create meaning for the audience.

scalability

The capacity to grow and change without requiring an extensive redesign.

search engine

a program that identifies items in a database that correspond to key words or characters specified by the user, used to find particular sites

Secondary Orality

the use of oral language in a culture that is influenced by writing and print

situationality

Relating to, or changing with, a particular situation

situationally

categorizing pieces of text in genres

Speaking

the action of conveying information or expressing one's thoughts and feelings in spoken language.

tactile

Associated with sense of touch.

Text

any content portrayed on any medium that can be “read.”

user agency

making informed decisions based on interactions with digital technologies and services

Variability

Also related to terms such as mutable and liquid, variability represents the non-fixed nature of new media.

visual rhetoric

(Per Montgomery College) visual rhetoric is the use of visual images to communicate meaning. It is also important to note that visual rhetoric is not just about superior design and aesthetics. It is also about how culture and meaning are reflected, communicated, and altered by images.

Web agency

individuals and businesses choosing to navigate and interact with their own website

writing

the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing text.

Writing as a discourse

the study and analysis as a form of communication or writing has rhetoric; examines how written language is used to convey meaning, express ideas, and engage with different types of audiences

writing space

the physical or conceptual environment in which writing activities occur; involves the surroundings, tools, and conditions that influence and shape the act of writing

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Writing for Digital Spaces Copyright © 2024 by Kean University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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