INTERNET FORUM AS A GENRE (LINGUISTIC FEATURES)

Abstract

The system of genres in the Internet discourse is complex and versatile as a result of the development of Internet technologies, so there are a number of approaches to the genre classification of the Internet discourse. The paper gives and analyzes the definition of the concept of “genre”, as well as the accompanying concepts of discourse-forming and discourse-acquired virtual genres. Several genre classifications within the Internet discourse, proposed by various scientists, are presented. The term “genre format” is also considered by the author. The structure, stylistic and lexical-grammatical features of the Internet forum as a separate genre, its main linguistic characteristics, which include axial and reteal addressing, are given and analyzed in the paper. The model of spatio-temporal relations within the forum, where actually time and space do not interfere with Internet communication, is considered. It is noted that the genres of computer communication are characterized by a certain set of interrelated parameters (thematic feature, communicative purpose, sphere of communication, image of the author-reader, mode of synchronous/ asynchronous time, form of objectification, dialogue/polylogue, composition, linguistic features). Depending on the purpose of communication, the topic of communication, communicative goals and the sphere of communication are determined. The image of the author is determined by the collective set of communication participants in the time-space continuum. The concept of the message of Internet forums is analyzed and defined as small in volume completed texts, interconnected by certain semantic links, which are implemented through a system of hyperlinks, which main features are defined as incompleteness, openness, non-linearity, lack of exact authorship, elimination of the opposition between the addresser and addressee, objectivity, heterogeneity. It is specified that the main components of the communicative situation of the Internet forum include anonymous participants (addresser, addressee) and the electronic channel of information transmission. Among the main types of addressees, the actual addressee and third-party addressees are defined. A feature of forum texts is the presence of the author-editor (moderator), who monitors the observance of etiquette in the network and has the right to propose a topic for discussion. It is found out that communication in the forum is facilitated by a certain communicative code, which main elements are graphic, lexical, grammatical and stylistic means of expression.