Find two additional social networking or blog sites.

Question

Explain how each function as discourse communities and give examples of some of their genres.
How do these genres and lexis help the community achieve their shared goals?
If one doesn't appear to be a discourse community, discuss why.
Write a two-hundred-word response and post in the discussion board under
Include the URL for the other sites you examined even if you choose not to discuss them.

Answer 1

One social networking site that functions as a discourse community is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). This platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development. LinkedIn users join groups related to their industries or interests where they can engage in discussions and share knowledge. This platform facilitates the exchange of ideas and expertise through its various genres, such as group discussions, articles, and job postings. For example, in a group dedicated to entrepreneurship, members can share their experiences, ask questions, and provide advice. The use of professional lingo and industry-specific lexis in these discussions helps the community achieve their shared goal of knowledge-sharing and professional growth.

Another example of a discourse community is Tumblr (www.tumblr.com), a blogging platform that allows users to create and share multimedia content. Tumblr users form communities around shared interests like photography, music, or social justice, and contribute to these communities through the creation of posts and reblogging. The genres on Tumblr include text posts, images, gifs, and videos, where users can express their ideas, opinions, and experiences. For instance, in a social justice community, users may share informative articles, personal narratives, and artwork related to activism. The use of hashtags and specific Tumblr jargon (e.g., "reblog," "askbox") help navigate and contribute to the community's shared goal of raising awareness and promoting change.

One social networking site that does not appear to be a discourse community is Snapchat (www.snapchat.com). While Snapchat allows users to communicate through multimedia messages, it lacks the characteristic features of a discourse community. There is no centralized space for discussions or the exchange of ideas in Snapchat's design. While users can engage in conversations through private messages, those conversations are not visible to the wider community. The absence of public forums or genres for knowledge-sharing on Snapchat makes it less conducive to functioning as a discourse community.