Week of 6/15 – Bogost Rhetoric

A recurring rhetorical strategy Bogost applies is in crafting a descriptive narrative. The earliest example we see is when he describes NYU professor and author Amy Webb looking at a TSA security screen with her “cast, head, and breasts [as] big blocks of yellow.” Any immediate response in reading this would itch for an explanation serving to keep the audience curious and invested in the storyline.

Bogost signals that “she had other problems with the machines, too, including that her mop of thick, curly hair confuses them.” He even goes onto mention that another colleague too received similar treatment issuing a “cranial patdown.” This conversational tone keeps a reader-friendly framework to appeal to his intended audience of a publishing blog/ journal webpage. More importantly, however, is understanding that Bogost’s decision to introduce more people/ issues into the eclectic mix suggests that maybe the issue with tech, as we come to find out, isn’t a specific a lone case, but rather a familiar situation recognized by many others.

Later on we begin to understand where Bogost stands on the issue which is best interpreted under one of TSIS’s template of “Okay, but…” It’s evident when he mentions the “Tech industry diversity is improving but it’s still pretty terrible.” Acknowledging what they (the tech industry) say moves the anecdotes Bogost gave with a larger subject the readers can process in mind. In doing so the rhetoric behind the title of his article gains scale presenting the issues and insufficient solutions we’re currently at.

Following the ‘they say’ format, Bogost is also seen challenging the conventional wisdom of diversity and inclusion. He’s explicit in saying “the thinking goes…” when describing how the people with the right educational background, connection, and  access will, “produce the workforce that Webb and others are calling for.” This claim reinstates the negative consequences a lack of computational diversity presents with its logistical train of thought.

And finally, he rounds out his argument sharing insight of his own experience on the subject. By introducing himself as a faculty position holder at Georgia Techs Constellation Center for Equity in Computing, Bogost appeals to audiences who may have questioned his accountability or reason to write on the subject. He adds to the conversation sharing data, statistics (such as the one on Google), and other scholarly directors/ leaders  perspective in the field opening lines for a fruitful discussion and strengthening his credibility with broader audiences.