electronic composition
My Professional Writing studies at Old Dominion University included exploration of various new media including hypertext, MOOs (Multi-User Domains, Object Oriented) and other non-print formats. This exploration examined not only the theory behind appropriate use of computer-mediated communication but also focused on the practical creation of works within these new media. I also have found the ability to look critically "at" a medium as well as "through" it has allowed me to better pair technology with the rhetorical goals of my task.
I am particularly proud of a collaborative project designed for ENGL 666: Writing in Cyberspace that explores the boundaries of MOO technology in terms of developing setting-driven fiction. Triggered by a passage in a class reading, this project sought to build a virtual space that told a story without the traditional reliance on characters to move the plot along. The goal was to create a virtual, textual reality that any visitor could enter and, through it, experience a compelling story. The result was The Loft -- a MOO space created online at LinguaMOO that recounts the fictional "12-Step Murders." By my analysis, this experiment met many of its intended goals.
Via ENGL 696: Independent Readings/Study I explored the medium of digital video. The advent of low-cost digital video cameras and inexpensive software packages for desktop video importing and editing have placed video production squarely in the realm of the consumer. Whereas video production was formerly the province only of experts with significant financial resources, this capability is now readily available in homes across the country. As part of this exploration, I created and/or collaborated on three digital videos: