During the first ten minutes of class, quickly write your summary memo of Miller’s Chapter 16, “The Internet” in Digital Storytelling. We will discuss it after you have posted your responses and then transition to building your HTML-based digital stories.
4 thoughts on “Beginning of Class Writing: Miller, Digital Storytelling, Chapter 16, The Internet”
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TO: Professor Ellis
FROM: Samantha
DATE: 4/11
SUBJECT: CH 16
Chapter 16- The internet is essentially a review of topics and terms we’ve seen throughout the book and in our class thus far. Youtube has grown to an enormous community of vloggers, novices and more. You can find directions and tutorials on just about anything and there are webisodes as far as the eye can see. Youtube fosters 8 elements of story telling and discourse the notable terms being; community building, dynamic ,participatory ,deep, edgy, personal, easy to nav/organized and snackable. The term snackable, being quick and easy to digest in little bits and pieces also reminds me of the idea we discussed in a previous chapter about commercials and how companies have turned them into mini series that consumers remember and can recall quickly, these commercials are also “sticky”. TV shows sometimes move from TV air time to webisodes and get better ratings in the process. All of these are forms of interactive media because now users can interact, react and create dialogue as they watch. Netflix is the most notable in my mind with web series and their tendency to launch shows like OITNB or FULLER HOUSE exclusively on their stream.
Web games, similar to webisodes tell a story but instead the user is actively choosing the turning points instead of watching and reacting. I explored the first few pages of DepressionQuest.com to get a better feel for internet based stories and their navigation. I liked how easy it was to read, chose and get to the next phase of the story and I imagine that our own projects will be similar in form. Such low stakes stories and games are nice in a world that now often totes fancy flashy interfaces.
The other piece of the chapter that stood out to me was blogging because I am currently a blogger for the school and have realized I create a narrative every time I write, proposing an issue, my take on it and my propose solution or learning from it. Anything we produce can be considered a story really we just have to identify how and where a user will see it.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Mariah Rajah
Date: 04/11/2016
Re: Chapter 16 Summary
Chapter 16 was a look at the internet and in ways in which it has shaped digital storytelling with the numerous of platforms it hosts. The internet as Miller states is a robust medium used as a communications pathway by the linkage of computer networks and networks which is not be confused with the Web (which is a small portion of the internet). The chapter elaborates on Youtube stories, webisodes, original web series, blogs, and webcam dramas which have all arise due to the internet. What was most interesting about the chapter was the introduction to “Stickiness”. Stickiness is a term that stipulates if a website has many great attributes. This might not be a quality that every website has but for a digital storytelling website it is essential. A sticky website means that it appeals to the user, it engages, and invites them to participate. A sticky website offers:
Community building – the ability to communicate to others in sharing their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and opinions.
Dynamic – the constant updating of content and design which keeps current and does not remain static or stagnant in the every changing world of the internet.
Participatory – the ability to interact with content, characters, creating new avatars. Users want to immerse themselves in the world which is created.
Deep – dimensional content invites users to dig deeper.
Edgy – the website must contain humor, opinions that challenge conventional thinking, and content that is not vanilla or mainstream.
Personal – offers user the chance to express themselves and be creative.
Easy to navigate and well-organized – users must be able to easily navigate and locate content.
Snackable – Entertainment that is easily digested or in simpler terms can be enjoyed within few minutes.
As mentioned in the chapter, YouTube is a great example of a sticky website because it is a platform that allows users to participate, upload their own content, and become truly immersed in the website. I believe that for any digital storytelling website to be successful it needs to attain some sticky quality because if it fails to then users will not engage.
To: Professor Ellis
Form: Pamela Drake
Re: Digital Storytelling – Summary of Chapter 16 The Internet
Date: April 11, 2016
Chapter 16 of Digital Storytelling by Carolyn Handler Miller discusses the internet and the impact that it has on digital storytelling. She discusses the characteristics of the internet and the ways in which it is used for fiction and nonfiction storytelling.
Miller begins by saying that there are a diverse array of narrative-based genres. Some of them are unique to the internet and without doubt, play a major role in digital media and storytelling. An attribute of the internet Miller elaborates on is its “stickiness” a term used to connote its ability to draw people to the site. Users are attracted to community building which allows users to communicate and share as a community, dynamic well maintained websites with new features, participatory interaction with content and ways of becoming involved, deep in depth and rich environment, edgy environments that offer humor, opinions and challenging thinking, persona allowing users to express themselves and be creative, easy to navigate and snackable short spans.
Miller also points out that YouTube is attracts users by offering them a terrific feeling when sharing with family and friends. However, important is the right equipment, good communication skills, unique content and a compelling and interesting stories. Web series or webisodes, small stories in installments shown on the internet is full of motion and animation and adds to the popularity of surge of interest in creating and producing content. The internet also is home to fiction and nonfiction blogs, which have evolved into a lifestyle. Also mentioned is lifecasting as a kind of wearable camera that is attached to a person and captures their everyday life. This offers interactivity with only one main participatory.
Miller concludes by saying that the internet is ever evolving and changing and advances in digital technology will advance digital storytelling in new ways.
To: Dr. Ellis
Fr: Jodieann J. Stephenson
Date: 04/11/2016
Subject: Chapter 16
In Miller’s Chapter 16 “The Internet,” she introduces us to the word internet and the idea of internet. The meaning of internet has completely changed drastically over the years leading to many different interpretations of internet, specifically what it means to be connected in the new digital age. This medium of global interconnectedness has led to many different ways of adopting and transforming the ideas. Deeper into the chapter Miller introduces us to the different ways the TV, internet has changed. Also, she reminds how important participation is in the internet of things. This chapter stresses the how audience/users are able to build on their stories and develop deeper meaning and new ways of engaging in this digital ecosystem. It allows individual to engage which makes them participate. So many websites allow users to create their own stories and can create digestible. This introduction to the word stickiness but something that I was not aware how important having “stickiness” to your site can make you have a unique brand that can draw users in.