IAR Analysis of “Taking Black Technology Use Seriously: African American Discursive Traditions In The Digital Underground” by Adam Banks

What is invention? (What activities did the writer have to engage in to create the text?)
To create the text Banks had to find how AAVE is appropriated. One of the ways that he did this was he went on to Black Planet and look at how the people who had a page wrote in AAVE. He also had to do research on how AAVE is properly used by researching the grammatical and rhetorical features of AAVE. In order to find all of this Banks had to research scholars and sociolinguists including Smitherman, Powell, and Holmes. He also interviewed old-timers who didn’t understand why students needed to go on to such sites as Black Planet.

What is being invented? (What ideas, practices, arguments, etc. are created by the text?)
Banks is creating the ideas that websites, like Black Planet, are a good way for AAVE to be appropriated. Also these websites are an underground network where AA don’t really have to worry about being politically correct. They can talk in AAVE and it is even highly encouraged. Even though the internet should hypothetically be place where race doesn’t matter it still does. Also that AA need to be better represented on the internet.

What is being arranged? (What is being put into relationship to what?)
The internet is being put into relationship to AAVE. Then AAVE is being related to the “underground” internet. The Underground is related to the digital divide. Then to Blackplanet.com. Then to feedback form peers. This then leads to the rhetorical features. The finally the rhetorical features is related to how AAs use their own language.

What is arrangement? (How are things being put in relation to on another?)
The text is related by giving examples and then discussing those examples. Then the discussion brought up more examples that needed to be discussed more. The discussion and examples brought out the problems with the internet and the solutions to those problems.

What is revised? (What is the writer trying to change e.g. what ideas, practices, etc.?)
Banks is trying to change and get rid of the digital divide. His best attack on this is just making people aware that there is a digital divide. He also wants to change the fact that even the internet is geared at white middle class men and not everyone. He wants Black to be able to use the internet and also be able to use AAVE.

What is revision? (What strategies are engaged specifically to help the writer achieve the revisions?)
The activities that Banks engaged into the help achieve the revisions was to go to sites that appropriated AAVE. One he found these sites he quoted them and he used quotes from scholars to back up what was on the websites. He talked about his solution to bridge the gap in the digital divide.