Web Writing - First Edition

Reviewed by Thomas Kneeland, Assistant Professor of English (Tenure-Track), Anderson University on 9/4/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

While the book provides neither an index nor a glossary, I feel that for what Pfannenstiel wanted to communicate, she did so effectively and provided the sources at the conclusion of the book for readers to go and make their own connections. To this end, I wouldn't say that this title is a comprehensive approach to web writing, but it is thorough.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There were no content errors found in this title, nor did I ever feel that there were biases in the content provided.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Pfannenstiel's book, I feel, will always be relevant because web writing is and has been the direction for our larger communicative efforts over the past two decades. However, with the rise of AI and assistive technology, I think it will be useful to update the book with a thorough section on the impacts of AI, its affordances and limitations, and the wisdom we must carry because of its potency.

Clarity rating: 5

As a faculty member, clarity is of utmost importance to me, because I want my students to be able to internalize the information. That said, I didn't find any issues with clarity in Pfannenstiel's work. In fact, she does a really great job of communicating the overarching concepts of web writing without relying heavily on industry jargon. The clarity in this book feels conversational and more palatable.

Consistency rating: 5

In terms of framework and terminology, each chapter begins with guiding questions and key terms. At the end, there are reflective questions to both gauge readers' understanding and foster meaningful dialogue. This is useful, especially for students and faculty who are new to learning about and teaching this course.

Modularity rating: 5

I always appreciate when a book is divided into manageable chunks of information. I do not feel that the book was overwhelming, simply because of Pfannenstiel's attention to compartmentalization.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the book was perfect. I felt that I could go from chapter to chapter and build off of the information previous acquired.

Interface rating: 5

The book was VERY user-friendly. Navigation was simplistic and effective, and the images were very clear.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't find any grammatical errors in this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Culturally-speaking, I think that the book could've benefited more from insight regarding how the provided image of the rhetorical situation truly affects us across cultures. There's a lot to be said about the impact that web writing has on the people who consume it (or cannot consume it). Otherwise, from a very general perspective, the book offers a wide range of information that anyone can use, no matter the background.

Reviewed by Jason Parks, Professor of English, Anderson University on 6/14/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book has a lot of very useful activities, reflection questions, and key terms that will help introduce undergraduates to web writing as of 2023. There were a few places where more links to scholarship or examples/links of web writing could be included (although I know these can be easily pulled up on any platform). This would pair really well with an existing course, but all of the advancements with AI in the last 12 months means this book will need some updating or additional chapters, since it doesn't really address how AI is transforming web writing.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The terms and definitions are accurate and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The introduction of AI and LLM's into web writing means that this book will definitely need additional chapters.

Clarity rating: 5

This book is very clearly written and will be appealing to undergraduates. It has minimal jargon and plenty of white space and short paragraphs.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is very easy to navigate and consistent throughout.

Modularity rating: 4

The book is divided up well, though there were some places where some bold headings might help even more. There were a lot of bullet points, but not a lot of other divisions.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Everything was clear in terms of the structure of each chapter. The chapters were mostly activities, so I'd say it was almost a workbook in some places.

Interface rating: 5

It was almost all just plain text. It would be easy to read and scroll through. There were a few images and charts, which helped reinforce the concepts.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

There was nothing in this text that would be culturally insensitive. However, it might have benefitted from a section or chapter that discussed some of these issues, especially in the sections on audience. There is an opportunity to expand on this text with some discussion of how different cultures use various platforms in different ways. There are sections like the quote I've included here but this could be taken a lot more in depth: "Second, culture. When we think of simple internet or text communication like emojis, the purpose includes elements of culture, how humans communicate culturally, and how humans communicate large bits of information quickly and efficiently. Emojis also demonstrate coded language. I am sure we’ve all explained the meaning of an emoji to someone or used an emoji to hide meaning from someone peeking over our shoulder." I'd love to hear a lot more about cultural differences and web writing, or at least have a list of links.

Comments

I think this book offers undergraduates a good basic introduction to web writing and the activities and questions could be used right away. If someone is trying to build a new course on web writing, you could definitely start with this book to help you build out a syllabus, or use it for the first few weeks and then dig into the deeper issues using supplemental materials. It won't have everything you need to teach a course on web writing, but it's worth reading through to help you think about your own course design. It's only a little over sixty pages, so I definitely recommend reading it because it's full of good ideas for teaching.

Reviewed by Miriam Gershow, Senior Instructor II, University of Oregon on 8/29/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

This book does not claim to be comprehensive. Instead it is a brief guide (three chapters) of the rhetorical situation(s) of the internet with a specific focus on analyzing content creation in social media in its last chapter.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate. Much of the text is focused on developing a rhetorical framework for understanding writing on the internet.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is up to date, which is important when writing about the internet. The covid-19 pandemic is referenced, and Facebook and TikTok are compared in a discussion of where to find a young audience. This made the overall text seem quite up to date.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in accessible prose. Ideas such as rhetoric and audience are defined. Key terms and concepts are reviewed. The prose and content - covering issues such as notetaking and best practices for uploading of electronic files - made it seem appropriate for a lower-level writing course, though Pfannenstiel references it as an upper-level writing course text.

Consistency rating: 5

Each chapter is framed with a Chapter Checklist, Key Concepts, Reflection, Chapter Review, and Further Reading.

Modularity rating: 3

Two of the three chapters, Introduction to Web Writing and Web Writing for the Rhetorical Situation, seemed great for integrating into a lower-level WR course that had a focus on web writing (social media, blog posts, etc). The third, Content Strategy and Content Management, seemed keyed to the specific Web Writing course Pfannenstiel teaches. The majority of that chapter focuses on an ostensible research assignment in that course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

As noted, the first two chapters are well organized and broadly applicable. The focus of the third chapter was less broadly applicable, so did not necessarily logically follow for someone teaching a different course.

Interface rating: 5

The interface was error free.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive and, in fact, asks readers to think about the culture and audience of online spaces in a deft way.