Communication Technology and New Media Commons^™

"Thanks For The Free Products! #Ad": The Effects Of The Number Of Followers And Sponsorship Disclosures On The Credibility Of Instagram Influencers, Allison Renee Cox

Theses and Dissertations

Instagram influencers regularly promote products for brands. Some influencers follow Federal Trade Commission rules on advertising disclosures, such as putting "ad" or "sponsored" in a visible line of text, whereas others do not. Disclosures alert users that they are viewing an ad. Many social media users view influencers as authentic, trusted information sources, so it is important they are aware when viewing paid ads. How disclosures affect source credibility remains unclear. This study used 2 x 2 factorial design to evaluate the roles of two possible credibility enhancing factors: number of followers and advertising disclosures. Instagram users (N = …

Consuming Digital Debris In The Plasticene, Stephen R. Parks

Theses and Dissertations

Claims of customization and control by socio-technical industries are altering the role of consumer and producer. These narratives are often misleading attempts to engage consumers with new forms of technology. By addressing capitalist intent, material, and the reproduction limits of 3-D printed objects’, I observe the aspirational promise of becoming a producer of my own belongings through new networks of production. I am interested in gaining a better understanding of the data consumed that perpetuates hyper-consumptive tendencies for new technological apparatuses. My role as a designer focuses on the resolution of not only the surface of the object through 3-D …

Identity, Value, And Power: A Qualitative Study Of The Complexity Of The Working Relationship Between Technical Communicators And Subject Matter Experts, Tammy Joann Rice-Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

The working relationship between Technical Communicators (TCs) and their Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) can impact such key TC goals as adding valuable contributions, engaging in successful collaboration, and producing quality documentation. Despite the primacy of this relationship, no systematic, qualitative research study in our field has yet examined the depth or breadth of the TC/SME relationship.

To investigate the nature and impact of the TC/SME relationship, I conducted a two-part, qualitative study to explore how TCs and SMEs define the role, value, and power of the TC; identify the behaviors TCs and SMEs report as helpful and damaging in their …

The Emergence Of A Content Acceptance Model (Cam): New Thoughts Regarding The Trial, Adoption, And Usage Of New Media, Ryan G. Walinski

Theses and Dissertations

New Media is defined not by the technology that it is based on but rather on individual level attributes that contribute to the development of new artifacts, practices and social arrangements. However, existing technology adoption models tend to stress technology and organizational level attributes over such individual level characteristics. This suggests that new models are required in order to fully capture how the New Media adoption process works. We are moving away from organizational and technology adoption focus and towards an individual and content adoption focus. A review of existing technology acceptance models reveals that the content provided by these …