Rhetorical Analysisi of a Technology

The internet has become the new recreational argona of the present and upcoming gene balancens. Discourse communities have evolved greatly over time allowing users to redesign computer mediated communication. all(prenominal) address association is made possible by the use of fantastic commons where sh atomic number 18d value and goals argon identified. Active. com facilitates communication among athletes in our nation. Their confederation emphasizes competition, healthy nutrition and education. done the use of this deal residential area, athletes place take part of a squad outside the local environment.In 1998, the Active Network began as an online registration send for tournaments. The company mission is to enhance the life of individuals worldwide by means of and through applied science and marketing solutions that encapable and advance participation (Dave Alberga). The profit now pass date more than one million transactions of events distributively course of study (Hystory). Registration, sales, and donations are processed online which allows for paperless transactions, making for a more cost effective and environmentally friendly option.According to journalist S. Marks comment on this discourse fellowship, Its among the Webs vanquish tickets to sports and fitness event registration, fitness advice, and more. In the case of a charity event and fundraisers, members habitually make a decision to participate for the sole cause of serving. This allows members to corroborate a certain event of touch in which they might not be materially participating in, alone might offer their support through donations and promotional support through online networking. Members of Active. om may take advantage of numerous tools offered to assist in enhancing gymnastic performance and improving general health and fitness. Diet plans are customized for special fitness and performance goals. There are also various fitness calculators included, rangi ng from those that calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) to pace rate and take aim best heart rate. More in dept nutritional and grooming support is accessible through customized programs tailored to an individuals current circumstance and goals. However, these auxiliary run are not free of charge.Training advice, tips and moral support is provided without a fee among the discourse corporation. The operators of the entanglementsite provide members with daily advice which may be connect on differentwise discourse community of interests feeds much(prenominal) as Facebook or Twitter. Newsletters are also getable via e-mail providing updated information on training trends, gymnastic event, nutritional and injury prevention tips. There is also advice for other outdoor activities such as camping and fishing which further encourages visible exercise and well being.The shared goals of the discourse community competition, healthy nutrition, and training ultimately form the ground ation for overall wellness achieved through physical activity. Online training logs are ideal for logging and tracking fitness and athletic performance when working towards a goal or desire overall improvement. The website is fashioned in such manner as to persuade the community to take part in sports and to seek further resources available through subscriptions for sale which are upgraded versions of the free tools offered.Provided that a member desires to have measureless access to the vast benefits offered by Active. com, it female genital organ be acquired at the periodical rate of $9. 99/plus tax. The site is a strong athletic community which uses related to advertising as a means to leaven the discourse community shared goals and values. The services for sale may be of benefit to beginners or athletes who have hit plateau and are seeking expert guidance for r distributivelying their goals, otherwise the free services should function members needs. The online community unites professional athletes, beginners and fans from different parts of the nation.Users can create their own web logs which provides fans with the ability to keep track of professionals athletes deep down the community. Others that aim to become professionals can be discovered by trainers in the comparable manner. The discourse community endows its members with valuable insight, including updated information, tips, and testimonials by expert coaches, trainers and professional athletes deep down a specific sport of interest. Members of the community value physical fitness, more of them inspiring to reach and maintain a certain level wellness.Therefore, advice from see athletes within the same field of interest is particularly valued within the community. Information shared among members is comprised of tournament instructions, fundraisers and charity events. When users begin a blog foliate, they lots describe and elaborate on their personal experiences, achievements and ob stacles encountered during their passionate betrothal in a particular sport or activity. Language plays a crucial role in communicating among members when considering the diversity in sports buzzword and terminology. The jargon used by the members of the discourse community might encourage individuals hat are familiar with the terminology to join and interact with other likeminded individuals. On the other hand, those who are unfamiliar with the sports lingo may be a bit hesitant in joining the discourse community. BMI, fartlek and ratio numeration used to denote training intervals are examples of sports lingo found in this discourse community. However, Active. com does offer various glossaries, articles and newsletters which allow for familiarization of specified terminology. savant and newbie selections are available for those just acquiring started within a particular sport.Members of the discourse community are encouraged to use sports lingo while active members of the site, this facilitates transition from novice to intermediate and so forth. throng of the discourse community may browse for a team to join, a sports camp or retreat to register for or simply network with people nationwide with similar athletic interests. Millions of members visit Active. com each year to learn improvement techniques of the sport practiced and explore the website as this offers unnumbered number of activities available for members (Our Communities Connect People with Things they Love to Do).The benefits of the discourse community includes a facilitated activity calendar for athletic events where athletes are able to record times of previous competitions making their performance trends available for cover by other community members. Members involved in this discourse community have the ability to create an online identity by creating a profile. Users are allowed to describe their interest on their profiles and write their plans which are referred to as their status. Blo gs created by each member have the potential to inspire and cause the rest of the community to reach and achieve their fitness/athletic goals.The discourse community shapes the identity of users by allowing them to identify with the context of the web page at the same time the users fit into place in blogs and tournaments of their level of training. By uploading video format and pictures, members may generate a propelling space allowing communication through a more visual means. Members of the community typically upload pictures of themselves, as well as, pictures of previous competitions in which they participated in. Occasionally, some(a) people will upload pictures of their children participating in sports.The site is take to people of all body types, genders and racial/ethnic stems. Profile pictures of members as posted vary from the very athletic physique to the not so athletic. Fans are capable of following blogs by bookmarking members or creating online friends. The frien dship created among users often resembles that of a coworker which post and answer each others blogs. If a member is interested on having a closer friendship, private messages can be sent to arrange for chatting or other activities.The users are allowed a display name or real name along with a picture or an avatar character representation. A URL web address is provided which can be accessed by members and nonmembers of the community. The language of the discourse community is to be understood among its like minded members of the community. Common places regarding to the role of each member in the community plays are described on the website. Each member is assigned a level according to points accumulated, mimicking recognition devoted to professional athletes by assigned nicknames coined by fans and coaches.The lowest level is called cub with zero starts, and the highest level is called were not worthy which has five starts. The starts and points are awarded by initiating posting and by replying helpful answers. The points can be interchanged by prizes to include free training subscription from the site. The website operates under appropriate vocabulary etiquette. Comments, posts, and blogs that do not attach to the agreed etiquette behaviors are erased by the operators of the website. The primary commonplace of the discourse community is the logo of the website followed by the common place of each particular group.Due to the wide variety of sports that the website offers, the names of the sports are displayed as a list to avoid confusion among disciplines. The main page of the website displays several pictures and related links to associated articles while the members and groups profiles have a gossamer white background with one or two pictures. Peoples reasons for participating in an online community may vary from person to person. few reasons may include convenience, a broader community network which includes participants of all levels and practicality of services and tools offered online.People functioning under unusual agendas might benefit from the online space as they have the conveniences of simply logging in from any available computer with internet connectivity. This kind of convenience allows for staying current with blog friends, as well as keeping up to par with current community news and online feeds (Uwe Matzat). Members who belong to an athletic team may communicate, plan and record an event through this network of communication. This kind of discourse community may also be the perfect motivational tool for a novice of prospective athlete.People of all walks of life may find inspiration and support from this community since it is comprised of a diverse place population. The social status of the target audience is primarily middle class to upper class and the age targeted might vary according to articles, blogs, and groups that member belong to. For example, a grow of a family might find joy reading articles related to getting her children more involved in outdoor activities that involve the whole family, such as camping. In the same manner a teenage son may find it more appealing to participate in group events such as marathon running.Residential and non-residential training camps are available for children and handsome alike. A residential training camp consists of lodging for training academic term lasting more than one day, whereas non-residential involves a one day session. This unique social form of networking allows for athletes of all levels to come together in sharing advice, anecdotes and experiences related to a common athletic interest. The website ideology shapes people to be better athletes and eat healthy as the affinity group ideology is based on competition, healthy nutrition and training. Enthusiastic and inspirational individuals are found within the numerous communities which promote and support physical activity and wellness through participation in the various existent sports.Works CitedDave Alberga. roughly Active Network. 2008. Active Network. Accessed October 15, 2010 from http//mediakit. activenetwork. com/About_Active_Network. htm History. 2010. Active Network. Accessed October 15, 2010 from http//www. activenetwork. com/about/corporate-overview/history. htm Susan J Marks. Clicks and misses. 2002.Bloomer Business Week. Accessed October 16, 2010 from http//www. businessweek. com/technology/content/apr2002/tc20020419_3319. htm Our Communities Connect People with Things they Love to Do. 2010. Active Network. Accessed October 15, 2010 from http//www. activenetwork. com/online-communities. htm Uwe Matzat. Reducing problems of sociability in online communities Integrating online communication with offline interaction. 2010. American Behavioral Scientist. Accessed October 16, 2010 from http//www. umatzat. net/matzat_ABS. pdf