Summary: Porters research paper analyzes rhetorical delivery in digital communication. He describes that delivery is comprised of five key components; Body/Identity,  Distribution/Circulation, Access/Accessibility, Interaction, and Economics.

To describe these functions further he turns to the history of rhetorical delivery to explain how delivery has evolved in respect to the advancement of text technologies. Porter explains rhetorical delivery originated through oral communication in the Roman/Greek era. Changing ones oral delivery by speaking in a deep voice with long pauses is claimed to generate an emotional response from listeners. Oral delivery also pertain to how a speaker positions their body in addition to the volume, tone, and pattern of their speaking.

Porter explains how the printing press revolutionized delivery in the textual world by creating variety and standardization in this method of communication. He goes on to explain technology as a whole and focuses on the term "teche" which refers to the combination of abstract and physical knowledge. He discusses how technology restricted delivery by confining it within grammatical rules and standardization.

He discusses how the "body" of rhetorical delivery can be subject to invariables aspects such as race, gender, or age;  as well as alterable features such as pen names, profile photos, and background information. He describes delivery as the author's direct intended method of distribution and circulation as a works' degree of redistribution. Accessibility refers to how obtainable a piece is. Obstables in accessibility could be disabilities such as colorblindness or illiteracy, or could refer to physical barriers such as the inability to purchase the device a work is viewable on. Interaction refers to the exchange between two humans or a human and a machines, systems, or designs. Economics refers to the economical motives, hinderances, and overall effects on distribution that shapes a communication's rhetorical delivery.

Comment: I enjoyed how this piece deeply investigated textual delivery. I found it interesting how Porter describes humans as "cyborgs" referring to the degree of connection between humans and technology. I've always understood that as technology continues to advance it will become increasingly standardized in our lives; but never viewed it as becoming apart of us. This makes me curious how communication will evolve over future generations.


Question: Why do you think altering pen names affects how a text is received by the reader? Do you believe that readers like to read texts from authors whom are more similar to themselves or authors they feel are superior to them academically?