Addressing audience through defining action: a rhetorical examination of civility and audience engagement on two online discussion forums
Addressing audience through defining action: a rhetorical examination of civility and audience engagement on two online discussion forums

Summary/Abstract: Web 2.0’s progressive use of personalizing algorithms has dangerously situated users into filter bubbles, or digital habitus. This insulated nature leaves users with an inability to engage civilly with others during online dialogues. This work examines how users on the sites Facebook and Countable frame and address online audiences, paying attention to the correlation between civility and action beyond the online dialogue. Through careful analyses on the respective comment threads, this work finds that the coupling of fewer personalizing algorithms and the inclusion of an established action beyond the dialogue can better ensure civility online.

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