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Godin/Shirky Compare & Contrast

The Godin and Shirky speeches are similar in that they both describe how the internet has evolved. In broadest terms, both speeches explained how the internet brings people together in ways that have rapidly advanced and continue to expand every day. Both men explained different ways through which people reach one another. Both show that the internet is a great tool for people to connect with others to make their voices heard.

The similarities end there, though. Godin focuses on the term "tribes" in order to classify groups of people that come together through web interaction, such as the Red Hat Society, or his example of a collective of balloon animal artists. He showed that specific groups of people sharing common ideals or an occupation could come together in a relatively short time. He pushed the idea that we need leaders to get the ball rolling; the next big idea is waiting for a leader to step up and create the movement. Shirky, on the other hand, was more concerned with the explosion of mass media over the web, and how the ways in which we receive our news has changed forever. He used the example of an earthquake in China, a country known for trying to keep outside information from reaching its citizens, and vice versa. In this communist country, ordinary people were reporting on the earthquake as it happened, via instant message updates and cell phone pictures. Most of the media used in the immediate news reporting was either not as popular as it has grown to be today, or in some cases not yet available, when a devastating earthquake occurred a few years prior.

Both men show how the internet has proved to be helpful tool for people to connect with one another; regardless of the distance they may be apart. While Godin explains that the internet can help movements get started, Shirky describes the explosion of media and communication over the web, and how this communication has changed the way in which people share news and discuss issues they feel are important.

Screenshot/Reflection

Composition in the digital world is very different from the traditional format that many of us are familiar with. Our conventional system of composing is usually made up of specific rules and details that must be met, such as the font size and the margin formatting. The assignments for the most part do not reach a large audience. These assignments really do help the student prepare for very formal writing, but they lack the ability to provide other composition skills that the student has come to need in the 21^st century. With social networking expanding everyday via the Internet, composition changes shape. In today’s digital world, professionals and ordinary people are being heard through blogs, articles, journals, audio clips, and videos. A digital composition usually combines many of these forms of media in order to reach a significantly large audience.

To better understand digital composition, I feel we must first look at ways in which the information is being presented. Analyzing online articles, videos, or blogs could be the first step. We could look at the format of the composition to identify which style of presentation works well. This analysis can also allow us to see if the author provides the opportunity for comments to be posted or, where appropriate, if polls are formed to allow the audience the option to take an active part in the discussion. In some cases, the most important information goes unnoticed because the composer fails to use the best digital methods available. I feel we can better understand digital composition if we first try to get a better understanding of the digital audience and their expectations.