A slide show exploring whether or not Wordpress might be a viable composing environment for new media scholarship. (It is.)

1. Wordpress as a tool for scholarly textual production. Ryan Trauman Digital Media and Composition Institute, 2011

2. What is Wordpress?

3. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform

4. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform Evolved into a content management system

5. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform Evolved into a content management system Other content management systems

6. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform Evolved into a content management system Other content management systems Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal)

7. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform Evolved into a content management system Other content management systems Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal) Course management (Blackboard, Angel)

8. What is Wordpress? Originally designed as a blogging platform Evolved into a content management system Other content management systems Blogging (Blogger, Typepad, LiveJournal) Course management (Blackboard, Angel) General (Drupal, Moodle)

9. What’s under the hood?

10. What’s under the hood?

11. What’s under the hood?

12. What’s under the hood?

13. What’s under the hood?

14. What’s under the hood?

15. But blogs aren’t scholarly, right?

16. But blogs aren’t scholarly, right? Yes and No

17. But blogs aren’t scholarly, right? Yes and No peer-review

18. But blogs aren’t scholarly, right? Yes and No peer-review durability

19. But blogs aren’t scholarly, right? Yes and No peer-review durability formality

20. So, what’s a blog?

21. So, what’s a blog? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice

22. So, what’s a blog? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice Regular updates

23. So, what’s a blog? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice Regular updates Informal, conversational tone

24. So, what’s a blog? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice Regular updates Informal, conversational tone Comments, discussion

25. So, how is Wordpressscholarly?

26. So, how is Wordpressscholarly? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a textual conventions and editing processes

27. So, how is Wordpress scholarly? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a textual conventions and editing processes Regular updates Durable, no updates

28. So, how is Wordpress scholarly? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a textual conventions and editing processes Regular updates Durable, no updates Informal, conversational tone Formal, academic tone

29. So, how is Wordpress scholarly? “Blog” – is a text structured by a practice “Scholarship” – is a text structured by a textual conventions and editing processes Regular updates Durable, no updates Informal, conversational tone Formal, academic tone Comments, discussion Response happens outside the text

30. Types of Content Alphabetic text Pictures Video Audio PDFs PowerPoint or slides (or Combinations)

31. How far you wanna take this? Wordpress.com “Apple model” - limited Free Quick to start No coding necessary Templates Modular Large, generous community Range of tutorial modes Self-hosted WP Installation Highly customizable Free, but… One-click installs More themes More plugins/widgets “Gateway” code CSS (HTML) PHP Javascript

32. So let’s make a blog!

33. (Actually, you’re going to watch me make one.)

34. Here’s the plan… Gather, organize content elements Sign up for a Wordpress.com account & blog Working Title Create alphabetic-texts, links, pages Choose a theme Organize some widgets Embed: Pictures, Videos, Quotations

35. Come on, gang! Let’s go to Wordpress.com!(read: tongue-in-cheek)