Reflection:
This week, we uncovered the multi-dimensional nature of files. A file is a convenient way to formalize and display data. In conventional computer storage, files cascade from one folder to the next. This data structure allows for information to be collected and organized based on attributions to other files. For example, a student may collect all the syllabi from the fall semester under a “Fall 2020 Syllabi” folder. By having everything at their disposal, a student will quickly be able to find and retrieve pertinent information. This “hierarchical system” can be described using a number of metaphors - namely the parent-child relationship where one leads to another. While intuitive, the simplicity of the parent-child relationship helps the digital author devise a structure to approach their own writing.

Web pages give readers the ability to easily transition from different data sources. The following hyperlink displays digital file division:

Example of Digital File Division

Texas A&M’s technology team has the incredible responsibility to house and display all the information pertaining to the University. A visitor to the site must be able to navigate the interface to find what they are looking with relative ease. To meet this need and enhance user experience, Texas A&M’s team, like many other digital authors, split information into separate “baskets.” On the top left-hand corner, a “menu” option can be initiated to produce multiple submenus. In digital authoring, these links are known as “posts” or “pages”. By clicking on them, the user has moved their interface from the parent page to the child page. This transaction can continue infinitely as there exists a never-ending parent-child movement of information on any given webpage. Here, files can be thought of as pages of a book. In order to follow a thought progression, the reader must consume each page sequentially. Similarly, the digital user must go from step-wise to reach their desired end point.

Weekly Takeaway:
Metaphors drove the week’s narrative. The way we studied data organization through the lens of file formation made me consider the possibility that we can look at other things in day-to-day life similarly. The parent-child relationship presented alluded to the iterative nature of processes. While files are designed to circulate around the notion of “closing the loop” (i.e. finding the needed information), the user has the option to refuse “closure”. In essence, the user can continue thinking through this process beyond the digital landscape.

The metaphors we spoke about in this week’s discussion give us prime examples to the well-rounded application of having one thing lead to another. From my perspective, I found myself looking at everything around me using the parent-child framework. When I was cooking, I understood that water and flour mix together to yield dough, then rise with heat and set with time. Doing the laundry involved first setting the wash, then adding the soap only to end with cycles of rinse and dry. These examples, while trivial, contextualized my understanding of files and their signifigance on digital authoring.