UNIB20018 Going Places – Travelling Smarter Week 2 Travel Writing in the Digital Space: Volume, Variety and Velocity Shanton Chang Digital Journeys The term ’journey’ suggests the act of travelling from one place to another. Digital Journey refers to the transition that an individual makes online from relying on one digital bundle of information sources to a new bundle, perhaps based in the new host country or internationally. Therefore, a Digital Journey is deemed to have been made when a sojourner comes to rely on a new digital bundle of sources that is distinct from any pre-existing ones that they have been relying on previously. Writing Online “I relish the free-wheeling marketplace of ideas that abounds there. People from all different walks of life are on the page, challenging me, each other, and doing it all mostly with good cheer, since this is largely a platform for daily belly laughs, with a sprinkle of thoughtful commentary on life tossed in. I also appreciate that fans can “send” me notes simply by posting on my wall, and I have a direct and immediate way to thank or acknowledge them.” Takei Hosato (2012) Credit: Tom Atwood Writing Online: Considerations Some key factors to consider; There’s a lot of it (Volume) There’s great diversity of topic, angles, perspectives, content, form, audience (Variety) It travels at great speeds (Velocity) Challenges of Volume • With Volume comes overload • It is hard to analyse and compile • Getting lost online is easy • How do you compete for attention? • How do you work out relevance? • How long should your blog entries be? • Thinking you are safe from detection Challenges of Variety • There’s great diversity of topic, angles, perspectives, content, form, and audience • So, what are the challenges associated with Variety? Most Popular Sites Around the World Digital Journeys • The Digital Journey ‘refers to the transition that an individual makes online from relying on one digital bundle of sources to the other new bundle, perhaps based on the new host country or internationally’ Chang and Gomes (2016, 2017a). Factors to Consider • Who is your audience? – Understanding who you are writing for is important? – How do you ‘protect’ yourself? – What is “trolling”? • What is your tone and angle? – This helps you set a framework for reflection – It also attunes your audience to your style – What are your values? Challenges of Velocity • You have the potential to travel at great speeds and widely online… what does this mean? What makes something go “viral”? • The Internet Environment is populated by tribes of users who cluster into different online communities – each with their own interest, purpose, philosophy and aesthetic. • So – what has to happen for things to go “viral”? Let’s have a look at some • http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/ • http://www.501places.com/ • http://www.wanderingearl.com/ • http://eatandbemerryfortomorrowwediet.blogspot .com.au/ What makes a good Digital Traveller? • Digital Astuteness – Digital Skills? – Digital Literacy? – Digital Emotional Intelligence? – Digital Personal Branding?
