Chapter 3 Informed Argument
What questions can encourage a writer and reader to reexamine how an argument fits together?
Should a particular claim or bit of evidence appear on a main page or on a page linked to that main page? Why? What pieces of an argument should every reader see? Which pieces can be skipped without weakening the argument?
T/F: Reading is a passive activity
False
T/F: Language cannot be used playfully because most people expect an advertisement to be entirely true
False; Language can be used playfully because few people expect advertisements to be entirely truthful
T/F: Print can't influence arguments in other media
False; it can
T/F: Print is natural
False; it is a set of technologies evolved from printing press
T/F: anyone can anticipate how media will influence the ways you engage in argumentation about important issues
False; no one can
T/F: Icons created by corporations can also make explicit arguments
False; they can make implicit arguments
What are some elements of argumentation that apply to all media?
addressing an audience appropriately and using evidence effectively
What are asynchronous forums?
allow participants time to consider their responses before posting them
What does hypertext enable authors to decide?
alternative ways of presenting claims, evidence and warrants
What is art enlisted directly to do?
an effort to persuade or put forth a particular position on an issue or situation
What should you be aware of when reading an argument critically?
how an argument can be shaped by the specific print publication for which it is written
What should you pause to think about when engaging in written argumentation?
how the conventions of print shape the argument and how the volume of material in print influences the cultures through which you try to make yourself heard
What should reading an argument be like?
ideally, reading an argument should be as careful and sophisticated as writing an argument
What is the difference between radio and television?
radio is not a visual medium
What might be changing the nature of communication?
specific characteristics of communication, especially speed and availability
What are the two main concerns skeptics often cite in their criticisms of online forums for public discourse?
the questionable nature of much of the discussion that occurs online and the sheer volume of online discussions
How are radio and television similar?
they are available to hundreds of millions of people worldwide
What happens when icons change?
they reflect a change in argument
You are not simply trying to __________. But you are also _______
understand the writer's point; engaged in a sophisticated intellectual and social activity in which you try to analyze, evaluate, and react to the argument
Who is David Brooks?
well-known conservative commentator who appears regularly on tv shows devoted to political affairs
When does light have a positive connotation?
Always, especially when surrounded by darkness
What is an extremely effective technique for argumentation?
Combining text and visual elements
What forces us to read differently and think differently about how to present an argument?
Hypertext
In the "Migrant Mother" image, what plays an important role?
Pathos
Advertisements often make what kinds of appeals?
Patriotic
What example shows traditional argumentation?
Plagiarism
T/F: Icons can be used subversively
True
T/F: Printed text continues to be a major medium for communication
True
T/F: The extent to which such material is available can be seen as both a blessing and a curse
True
T/F: Websites that are hypertextual can differ dramatically from a print document in the way they are structured
True
T/F: What you choose can be read with equal degress of attention
True
T/F: no one can predict how the Web's role as a medium might grow or change
True
T/F: someone glancing through a magazine is more likely to be interested by strong color and effective design than by a word heavy text
True
Technology will complicate argumentation in way we cannot anticipate
True
What are hyperlinks?
a link a user clicks to move from one document to another
What do we tend to see print as?
a natural medium for communication
The World Wide Web represents what?
a potentially unprecedented medium for argument
The internet helps people form and maintain communities by providing what?
a ready medium for communication, discussion and debate
What does electronic media provide?
a rich context for argumentation that can differ significantly from print media
What must you have to argue effectively in media?
an understanding of how media might influence or change the way you construct and present an argument
What is the purpose of the newspaper ad. by St.Lawrence Cement?
argument to negotiate differences
What are implied arguments?
arguments that can be deciphered by people who are attentive to visual rhetoric
What does engaging these arguments critically include?
assessing visual elements and what they might contribute to the author's claims
Which advertisement's implicit claim did not hold up under analysis?
cologne
What do you do when you encounter textual arguments that incorporate visual elements?
be aware of the effect that the combination of text and image can have on you as a reader
Why should you take into account the specific print forum in which that argument appears when reading an argument carefully?
because different forums lend themselves to different kinds of arguments
How is the internet influencing how arguments are made?
because its so important in how people communicate and interact with each other
Why is Brooks able to use the term "thymos" in print?
because punctuation- one of the conventions of print- helps him to define his term
What do websites do?
can advance arguments but do not necessarily involve discussion and have multimedia capabilities
What is "A Founder's Advice" shaped by?
conventions of print
Images on the internet are ____ rather than ____
dynamic; static
Why should you always read skeptically?
it can help you guard against subtle but powerful appeals that can shape your reaction to an argument
What claim does Francisco Jose de Goya's painting make?
it conveys sympathy for the victim
What is the most effective way to use synchronous discussions?
keep statements short but clear and focus on one claim at a time
What does reading critically mean?
looking carefully at the way a writer tries to address a specific audience for a specific publication; being aware of how your perspective, beliefs, and values might influence your reaction to particular arguments
What are powerful tools an author can use in effort to present their argument?
multimedia, color and design, video or audio clips
What are synchronous forums?
participants post and read messages in real time
What are the 4 types of images?
photographs, advertisements, icons, and art
What can an effective advertisement do?
prompt people to make decisions that have little to do with common sense
What has become increasingly significant as forums for public discourse?
television, radio, newer online media (internet discussion groups and world wide web)
The possibilities for arranging _____ and _____ in a hypertext are endless
textual and graphical information
The more you know about the strategies writers use in constructing their arguments _____
the better able you will be to analyze and evaluate those arguments
What is hypertext?
the capacity to link documents through hyperlinks
The more you know about yourself as a reader ____
the easier it will be for you to identify appeals or lines of reasoning that might be questionable or flawed
What happens the more you analyze the argument carefully?
the more substantive will be your engagement with the argument and the better you will understand the issue being discussed
What is the purpose of propaganda?
to persuade rather than to engage viewers in serious argumentation
What are advertisements designed to do?
to promote a product or influence behavior
What do links represent?
transitions that can support or enhance an argument
