“If one scrolls down the Google entries for discourse community, it seems about a quarter consists of extracts from published or presented work, such as Beaufort (1998), Borg (2003), and Johns (1997). Another quarter consists of entries from encyclopedia-type websites such as Researchomatic and the NCTE briefs. Most of the rest are either post from instructors expounding the concept for their composition students, or blogs from those students, summarizing and applying the six criteria to their own experiences.”

what interested me about this quote is the fact that the large swaths of people manage to link together through databases of information, cross-referencing information to better understand topics they may not understand or need proper guidance before concluding anything on. The concept of a discourse community also helps weed out incorrect information if it is debunked when it is given proper consensus and peer review. People are therefore capable of informing the next generation of students through this information as well, letting them stand on their shoulders to continue their work.

“A DC has acquired and continues to refine DC-specific terminology. Classically, this consists of abbreviations and shorthands of all kinds, not including various kinds of codes. For example, hospitals in the U.S. have a rich menu of codes that the staff employ, especially in emergencies, partly for efficiency and partly to keep information from patients and the general public. So, “code 236 on floor six” might indicate a heart attack on that floor.”

The purpose of discourse terminology allows for small and large communities to be fully in tune with other members of the group. The idea of a large group of people being aware of a large lexicon of acronyms meant for a specific emergency or case is very interesting. The discourse terminology allows for a valuable understanding between coworkers, higher-ups and even between students to handle specific situations at the tip of a hat.