Writing

The aim of the thesis is to investigate how a World Wide Web founded on participatory values of sharing, collaboration, and collectivism (Web 2.0), is affecting reader / writer relationships on the Web and transforming online narratives through participatory storytelling. In order to explore this question, the thesis focuses on critiquing three digital modes of writing: Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia.

In the last six years, Web 2.0 has emerged as the dominant online ideology, with social modes of writing (like Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia) locking in community-driven values that transform readers into writers. This democratisation of reader / writer roles positions the community at the centre of Web 2.0 storytelling, with writers becoming editors of the same text, and communities contributing to a shared storytelling.

Threaded throughout this shared storytelling is a neverending race for control, not just between readers and writers vying for authorship, but also between storytellers and their chosen mode of writing. Using computer scientist Jaron Lanier's theory of ‘software design lock-in’ as a core method of investigation, the thesis describes the unseen (back-end) design controls writing Web 2.0 stories. Equally, the visible struggle for narrative control is demonstrated through the storytelling actions of online editors on collaborative writing modes like Wikipedia.

Presently, there is little critical analysis of the reading, writing and sharing culture of Web 2.0 from a design writing perspective. The Neverending Story 2.0 is unchartered territory and by focusing on a designed participatory Web, the thesis offers an alternative understanding of Web 2.0 storytelling.

The above is the abstract from my MA thesis. I'm working on developing chapters into standalone articles. More to follow soon!