Annoying Ways People Use Sources
By: Kyle Stedman
“It helps me to remember that the conventions of writing have a fundamentally rhetorical nature. That is, I follow different conventions depending on the purpose and audience of my writing, because I know that I’ll come across differently to different people depending on how well I follow the conventions expected in any particular writing space.” (Stedman, 244)
I thought that passage was very important because it explains the argument that the writer is presenting to the reader. He wants readers and writers to know that there are specific ways to source things in different kinds of writings. He brings to the attention all the “annoying” things that people do when sourcing and provides examples and ways to fix those things. The key purpose of any kind of sourcing is to make sure you get the point you want to make across the reader as smoothly as possible without any confusion. Stedman makes it clear that he is not saying there is a specific right way or wrong way to do it but that there are certain techniques that are better than others. Stedman states that the conventions of writing are called conventions for a reason rather than calling them rules because they are there to shape your writing not to limit it.
I really liked your comment how conventions are there to shape writing and not limit it, something I think people may forget from time to time. Its important to remember that different conventions apply to different subjects or purposes, and by employing these conventions the author can hopefully better connect with the reader
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