Close Reading of Digital Text: Semiotic Analysis and Formal Studies
摘要
A digital text manifests itself differently every time due to its generative and/or interactive nature. This chapter will discuss why and how we can apply close reading to analyze digital text, given that the content of digital works can be dynamic, thus presenting different texts in every round of reading. It will also cover how to conduct a semiotic reading on the components of sinographs as incomplete written signs in digital texts. This chapter will explain why close reading is the best method for research of this kind and why we should also take into account the structure of sinographic digital language art to fully understand their potential meanings. This includes the handling of characters and subcharacters at the programming level, as well as the mechanisms of interaction, generation, or both. Theories and ideas from hermeneutical phenomenology will also be applied to aid the analysis process; that is, the interpretation of sinographs in digital work, and the interpretation of the work as a whole.