Gamertag: The Online Identity of a Gamer

X-Box Gamertags

  My name is Matt and this entry is for my Digital Rhetoric class. I will be talking about the concept of Online Identity as far as videogames are concerned but I am limiting the topic even further to console videogames because I am only recently getting into pc gaming. For those unaware; yes there is a difference.

  In the virtual world of videogames gamers interact online in a mode typically referred to as multiplayer and each and every gamer has their own online identity known as their gamertag which linked to their account on their console. The quantity of multiplayer games has increased exponentially since the start of the current generation of game consoles (Playstation 3, X-Box 360, and Nintendo Wii/ Wii U which will be released soon).

Narrative Mechanics: Strays

  At its heart "Strays" by Mark Richard is a story about stability vs chaos. The story handles themes of abuse and neglect and is a tragedy in that the downfall is caused by the fatal flaw of the main characters. In the case of "Strays" the fatal flaw is that the boys are young children and therefor powerless to affect the world around them.
  The two boys desperately try to grasp onto something consistent in their lives but because they are so young they are at the mercy/indifference of the adults around them.

  The story features a binary between Uncle Trash and the stray dogs. What makes them two sides of the same coin?

  What are the elements that provide the boys with stability?

  How does the very broad strokes first person style affect the tragedy of this narrative?

  The adults spend the story destroying the elements of stability in the boys' life. What does the work accomplish by having the boys destroy that last vestige of stability?

Thoughtful Cat is very thoughtful.

Interacting with Rhetoric in Virtual Worlds: Blog Remix

  The studies and practices of rhetoric have been around since the fifth century BCE where the Greeks used the language skills taught to them by the Sophists to operate within the structures Greek democracy. These new methods of discourse became known as rhetoric and since then it has been evolving to include new mediums and styles. 

  One new rhetorical medium that is still in its fledgling stages and has immense potential and value is video games. The medium of video games gets a lot of bad press. Some of it is deserved and some is overhyped scare mongering perpetuated by a public that would rather stick its fingers in its ears than admit that video games can be more than noisy diversions for children and violence obsessed teenagers. 

Salutations All Around!

  Greetings. Welcome to this educational blog where we will be replacing the chalkboard. And yes I said we. That doesn't mean that I am some crazy Tyler Durden persona with multiple identities in one body. We means that I want you to get involved. My name is Matt and I will be your host.

  Now, I am a college student and I made this blog for my classes so the content here will be very analytical and critical. But I will not forget that this stuff is fun as well.

  This blog will regard my "learnings" as learning cart so eloquently stated. And the focus will be literature because I am an English Major. My definition of literature, however, is rather broad. To me literature includes the following:

• Books
• Movies
• Television Shows
• Song Lyrics
• Comics
• Graphic Novels (Yes there is a difference)
• Video Games
• And I'll likely add more to the list as I go.

  Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to some discourse.