Reproduced and emergent genres of communication on the World-Wide Web

K. Crowston

doi:10.1109/hicss.1997.665482

Abstract

The World Wide Web is growing quickly and being applied to many new types of communications. As a basis for studying organizational communications, Yates and Orlikowski (1992) proposed using genres. They defined genres as, typified communicative actions characterized by similar substance and form and taken in response to recurrent situations. They further suggested that communications in a new media will show both reproduction or adaptation of existing communicative genres as well as the emergence of new genres. We studied this phenomena on the World Wide Web by examining randomly selected Web pages (100 in one sample and 1000 in a second) and categorizing the type of genre represented. Perhaps most interestingly, we saw examples of genres being adapted to take advantage of the linking and interactivity of the new medium, such as solicitations for help and genealogies. We suggest that Web site designers consider the genres that are appropriate for their situation and attempt to reuse familiar genres.

Highlights

IntroductionForms or because the page did not have a clearly identi able form or purpose
Background imagesForms or because the page did not have a clearly identi able form or purpose
They de ned genres as “typi ed communicative actions characterized by similar substance and form and taken in response to recurrent situations” (Yates & Orlikowski, 1992, p. 299). They further suggested that communications in a new media would show both reproduction and adaptation of existing communicative genres as well as the emergence of new genres. We studied these phenomena on the World Wide Web by examining 1000 randomly selected Web pages and categorizing the type of genre represented

Summary

Introduction

Forms or because the page did not have a clearly identi able form or purpose. Some of these unclassi ed pages may be emerging genres. We recognized the purpose and form of the page, we were at a loss for a convenient name for the genre. One page described a franchise opportunity and included a form to request additiona l information. Such pages may represent genres that are common in a community of which we are not members (e.g., franchising). Other pages represented types of communication that are stereotyped but not usually named, such as someone dis-

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