Reconfiguration of textual editing practices in a digital environment based on algorithmic mediations

Abstract

Abstract: The dynamics of text circulation in a digital environment are greatly altered by algorithmic mediation and the use of platforms. These softwares hold the symbolic power of contemporary society's gatekeepers, defining not only what information should circulate, but reconfiguring collective practices and perceptions. This article takes a look at this reconfiguration process with a focus on embedded practices for editing and publishing texts. This article make a brief analysis on one of the reverse engineering works (Gillespie, 2018) practiced by information producers, who try to deduce the criteria of the algorithms since computational tools started to mediate the circulation of information. In particular, it analyzes how the use of the Yoast S.E.O. plugin for Wordpress interferes in the editing actions with the promise of ensuring visibility in the publishing instance, showing that information producers adopt “obedience” to the logic of algorithmic.