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- Volume 3, Issue 1, 2020
Internet Pragmatics - Volume 3, Issue 1, 2020
Volume 3, Issue 1, 2020
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A pragmatics of intimacy
Author(s): Rosina Márquez Reiter and David M. Frohlichpp.: 1–33 (33)More LessAbstractThis study examines the ways in which multiple modern communication technologies facilitate, across time and space, the maintenance of a close interpersonal relationship between two best friends. The analysis, which focuses mainly on the openings and closings of the different types of communications, reveals a tendency for the friends to shorten openings and extend closings. However, this is possible only if the friends are fully aware of, and care about, the practical, social and emotional details of each other’s lives during periods of absence. The concomitant linguistic behaviours in their interpersonal interactions could be described as a kind of pragmatics of intimacy which cannot be achieved without the explicit and practical demonstration of that mutual care and concern.
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Attitudes towards elastic language in Australian online healthcare information
Author(s): Grace Zhang and Ming-Yu Tsengpp.: 34–63 (30)More LessAbstractBased on questionnaire data in response to six excerpts of Australian online health information, this study investigates university students’ attitudes towards elastic language (EL). The findings show that averaging all six cases a neutral attitude is found, with no strong preference for EL or non-EL. This indicates that it is unnecessary to deliberately use more or less EL – the key is to use EL appropriately when and where it is needed. Examining the reasons for participants’ choices, we identify ten frames. Often the same EL generated positive and negative comments: a phenomenon that can be explained in terms of two sides of a frame. The findings may help healthcare professionals to deliver medical information in ways most accessible to the public and to find effective ways of communicating uncertainty. A ‘one fits all’ rule for language use does not exist, and instead multiple standards guide our use of it.
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Thinking out of the box
Author(s): Romy A. M. van den Heerik, Ellen Droog, Melanie Jong Tjien Fa and Christian Burgerspp.: 64–94 (31)More LessAbstractMetaphor production is a creative process of thinking out of the box, which can be of great communicative value to language users. In this study, we explored how metaphor production can be stimulated by different types of cues in an internet environment. Participants (N = 318) were invited to co-create a metaphorical campaign slogan in a social media setting with randomly selected sets of real campaign slogans. We measured how linguistic (metaphor markers) and social media cues (likes) prompt direct metaphor. Results show that the metaphor marker ‘so’ stimulated metaphor production. Likes for previously posted metaphorical slogans did not affect the creation of a metaphor. We found a correlation between the actual and self-perceived creativity of the co-created slogans. Besides, the co-created metaphors both echoed and deviated from previously posted campaign slogans, leading to different degrees of creativity. Co-creation in a social media setting seems a fruitful environment for metaphor production.
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Constructing authorial pseudonyms and authorial identity in online fanfiction communities
Author(s): Lisa Donlanpp.: 95–115 (21)More LessAbstractThis article undertakes the first linguistic analysis of the innovative online pseudonyms (e.g.,
, <00Q007Narry>, ) used by fanfiction authors. Specifically, this research explores the most frequent lexical formation processes employed when creating pseudonyms, why these processes are used, and what they reveal about authorial identity in fanfiction communities. The most common formation methods identified across the 600 names analysed are compounding, blending, and variant spellings. All three of these processes allow authors to create memorable and unique names which distinguish their work from that of other writers in their community. Indeed, despite their use of pseudonyms, these authors are still highlighting their individual authorial identities, and they do this by turning the process of creating a pseudonym into a ludic experiment in linguistic innovation. Consequently, future studies should further explore the relationship between self-selected names and the articulation of identity.
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Mariza Georgalou. Discourse and Identity on Facebook
Author(s): Shanshan Xiepp.: 116–120 (5)More LessThis article reviews Discourse and Identity on Facebook
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Matteo Farina. Facebook and conversation analysis: The structure and organization of comment threads
Author(s): Christian J. Schmittpp.: 121–126 (6)More LessThis article reviews Facebook and Conversation Analysis: The Structure and Organization of Comment Threads
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Michele Zappavigna. 2018. Searchable talk: Hashtags and social media metadiscourse
Author(s): Dominika Kováčovápp.: 127–132 (6)More LessThis article reviews Searchable Talk: Hashtags and Social Media Metadiscourse
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Jan Blommaert. Durkheim and the Internet: On Sociolinguistics and the Sociological Imagination
Author(s): Hartmut Haberlandpp.: 133–138 (6)More LessThis article reviews Durkheim and the Internet: On Sociolinguistics and the Sociological Imagination
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Self-praise online and offline
Author(s): Daria Dayter
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Exploring local meaning-making resources
Author(s): Yaqian Jiang and Camilla Vásquez
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Introducing internet pragmatics
Author(s): Chaoqun Xie and Francisco Yus
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“Ya bloody drongo!!!”
Author(s): Valeria Sinkeviciute
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