Developing Scalable Rhetorics: A Case Study
Clay Shirky (2008) argues that every successful online community relies on an effective “fusion of a plausible
promise, an effective tool, and an acceptable bargain” with its members. This presentation explores the
discursive infrastructures of the promise—tool—bargain complex across three very different community-
building communication channels deployed by the charitable organization Heifer International, with an aim
towards answering a simple question: how do rhetorics scale?
Scalability is a term used in software engineering to describe programs, databases, or networks that can handle
increasing complexity or rapid enlargement; a program is said to scale well when it can handle such growth with
little interruption or down time. Scalability is a quality that can also be seen in economic and social terms, and
Nassim Taleb (2007) has suggested that a property's scalability comes under scrutiny when subjected to
extremes. I argue in this presentation that our rapidly evolving communication activities demonstrate and
reinforce the need for scalable rhetorics, messages and visuals that scale well across a continuum of print to
handheld digital devices.
In charitable organizations like Heifer International, striking the right balance within the promise—tool—
bargain complex is a matter of tremendous importance for the communities involved—both those that give, and
those that receive. By deploying the promise—tool—bargain premise as a rubric for gauging rhetorical
effectiveness across three channels of organizational communication—print, web, and mobile social media—I
will explore the scalability of Heifer's core message to potential patrons, while suggesting broader approaches to
scalable rhetorics.
Brian J. McNely
University of Texas at El Paso