Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mab.pdf: 6149568 bytes, checksum: 94a2f808a709ed2c7bc97c6a4943be74 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-28 / This work functions as a multidisciplinary approach which aims to characterize journalistic enunciations on Twitter through the observation of the writing techniques used in its composition. Desiring to achieve such an objective, we make use of a first bibliography review which exploits the standard technical model of the news constitution (standard journalistic enunciation), the standard journalistic language and the new technical possibilities arisen with the cyberspace, the Twitter tools, and subsequently the analysis of 134 journalistic enunciations found in it. It is intended, thus, to achieve our objective by observing how the cyberspace and the Twitter platform fall upon the application of the standard journalistic technique in the constitution of the news published as tweets and what are its possible idiosyncrasies relating to the traditional journalistic enunciation. Our central presupposition is that the hierarchical and objective pattern which orientates the composition of the standard news and, therefore, of the very language which characterizes the journalism as we know it, starts being supplanted by more horizontally and interactive models which remodel the standard technique and, consequently, modify the journalistic enunciation, interfering with its discursive effects / O presente trabalho se coloca como uma abordagem multidisciplinar que visa caracterizar os enunciados jornalísticos no Twitter através da observação das técnicas de redação empregadas à sua constituição. Almejando alcançar tal objetivo, lançamos mão de: uma revisão bibliográfica inicial que explora o modelo técnico padrão de constituição da notícia (enunciado jornalístico padrão), a linguagem jornalística padrão e as novas possibilidades técnicas advindas com o ciberespaço e com a ferramenta Twitter e, posteriormente, a análise de 134 enunciados jornalísticos veiculados nesta. Pretendemos, portanto, atingir nosso objetivo observando de que maneira as características do ciberespaço e da plataforma Twitter incidem à aplicação da técnica jornalística padrão na constituição e produção das notícias veiculadas como tweets e quais suas possíveis idiossincrasias com relação ao enunciado jornalístico tradicional. Nosso pressuposto central é que o padrão hierárquico e objetivo que orienta a constituição da notícia padrão e, portanto, da própria linguagem que caracteriza o jornalismo como o reconhecemos, começa a ser suplantado por modelos mais horizontalizados e interativos que remodelam a técnica padrão e, consequentemente, modificam o enunciado jornalístico interferindo em seus efeitos discursivos

The aim of this licentiate thesis is to examine the means of self-presentation on the websites of 18 upper secondary schools in Sweden. This empirical material may be referred to as a kind of marketing since they render a highly idealized image of schools. To some extent they exaggerate what school is about, as a way for schools to promote themselves as well as to maintain their hold on the market. Self-presentations thus play an important role in the struggle to attract prospective students and keep these enrolled. The fact that self-presentations refer to schools and not companies in general—although several schools certainly strive to define themselves as such—indicates that self-presentations are not like any other marketing practice. They can also be read as a kind of imaginative documents. In this capacity, self-presentations do not only express what school is or may be interpreted as, but foremost how it envisions itself in the future. The material underlying the study consists of a selection of excerpts that were collected from the schools' webpages at different points of time during the years 2011/2012 and 2016/2017. This allowed me to study both continuities and change in the way schools are presented online. In this study, schools' self-presentations are analyzed thematically in combination with Jason Glynos and David Howarth's so called logics approach, which has been developed out of poststructuralist discourse theory and its ontological assumptions. A logic may be understood in this case as a rule or pattern governing the way a phenomenon like school is constituted. As a research strategy, logics have helped me explore, step by step, the conditions of possibility as well as impossibility of identity-formation processes. I mainly deal with four logics that comprise the overarching principles that structure what it means to be a school: business adaptation, academization, individualization and social responsibility. The empirical study thus consisted in setting out the social, political and fantasmatic aspects of these logics—which consequently served to thematically analyze the contemporary identity-formation on schools' websites. Social aspects have been a descriptive tool to study what characterizes school as presented in the empirical material, whereas political and fantasmatic aspects refer to analytical and critical perspectives. The aim has been to illuminate not only the way schools' identities are organized but also how and why this happens – in other words, what logics do to the identity-formation of schools. Importantly, the logics in question are interrelated and work together at the same time as they 'struggle' over the significance of being a school. As I argue, the identity-formation of upper secondary schools can hence be perceived as crisscrossed by competing and complementary logics that all make certain claims as to what a school is supposed to be (or not). The main task of a traditional Swedish school has been to foster democratic members of society. The findings of my study, however, question such a general understanding. In my empirical material a self-referential meaning of school rather emerges with the purpose to produce good employees; that is, a competent work-force willing to submit to the norms and values of the corporate sector. Subsequently, the boundaries between school and the surrounding world are also increasingly loosened, as business is brought into the classroom and made a premise of learning and development in accordance with the needs and interests of the labor market. However, this replacement of a traditional school is only partial. Since schools are equally dependent on the societal tradition to appear as legitimate and credible alternatives on the educational arena they cannot wholeheartedly commit themselves to a corporate identity. Hence, self-presentations often indicate a struggle to be different enough to stand out from the host of other schools, but also to be similar enough to be considered a 'proper' school. This licentiate thesis has in common with previous studies that statements about qualification and employability measures have indeed increased. A corresponding decline of statements about active citizenship and critical thinking could not be detected – but then again, educational-political aspects confirm that a traditional school may be understood as a background against which an alternative school is formed. This is a conclusion which is consistent with the findings of previous studies on school and education policy.

As transformações sociais advindas da popularização de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TICs) como a Internet são flagrantes. E a regulamentação destas novas práticas deve ser condizente com as peculiaridades das relações jurídicas desenvolvidas neste âmbito. Este trabalho visa analisar o problema da responsabilidade civil por danos à pessoa humana sofridos no âmbito dos sites de redes sociais pela criação e uso de perfis falsos. Assim, primeiramente, faz-se uma análise introdutória do fenômeno da Internet e das visões sobre as possíveis formas de regulamentação jurídica das condutas praticadas por meio da Rede. Posteriormente, adstringe-se à temática dos danos morais, buscando-se conceituá-los sob a ótica civil constitucional, como danos à pessoa humana. Finalmente, chega-se ao estudo dos perfis falsos, enfrentando-se a problemática dos danos morais sofridos por seu manejo. São desdobradas em três subproblemas: se são ou não capazes civilmente os usuários, chegando-se ao estudo dos perfis de menores de idade; se existem ou não as pessoas representadas nos perfis, subdividindo-se a análise nas hipóteses de perfis criados em roubo de identidade e perfis que representem criações intelectuais e; se estão ou não vivas as pessoas descritas nos perfis, trazendo-se à baila a hipótese dos perfis de pessoas falecidas. / The popularization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) like Internet brought undeniable changes for many. The legal regulation of these new habits must be harmonized with the quirks of such legal relations. This work aims to analyze the problem of the civil liability for moral injuries due to the creation and use fake profiles on the online social network websites. First, it studies some preliminary notions about the Internet and some legal opinions about its governance. After, the issue is restricted to the study of moral injuries at the civil constitutional legal doctrine measure as a damage to the human dignity of person. Finally, the work arrives at the fake profiles and the moral injuries caused by it. Then comes three sub-problems: if the user is legal incapable or not, taking to the study of profiles children and adolescent; if the person represented at the online profile really exists or not, taking to the problems about identity theft and intellectual property violations, and; if the person is alive or not, taking to the topic of deceased persons profiles.

近年來，網際網路發展迅速，公共關係人員利用網路媒體向利益關係人進行溝通已為必然之勢。孫秀蕙曾以2003年台灣五百大服務業之企業網站做為分析樣本，建立可供衡量的企業網站公關效果指標。奠基於此，本文將以2010年《天下雜誌》1000大企業大調查資料中的500大服務業作為研究樣本，將「企業網站公關效果評估指標」界定為「營利性組織透過網站與目標公眾進行溝通的表現程度」，用內容分析法來了解目前服務業設置網路媒體之現況，進而分析各種經營與發展的可能性；並透過個案訪談，以了解企業經營網路媒體的模式究竟為何，其操作細節又是如何。 本研究以Esrock & Leichty對企業網站內容之架構為基礎，將功能與技術指標合併，並新增互動性指標，共分為目標公眾內容、網站功能與互動性三構面，與組織性因素（產業別、員工人數、營業額、有無上市等）進行交叉研究，以了解組織性因素對於網站公關效果可能的影響。 研究發現，時間因素不影響組織性因素與網站建置之關係，但公共議題討論之發展隨時間影響有所改變。本研究推估營業額較小的企業，因其所擁有媒體資源較少，故更積極大膽運用網路媒體。而大企業在資訊發佈上考量較多，在網路策略上則較為保守。整體言，企業越來越重視網路媒體，各種內容與運用形式隨時間與科技發展更趨完善。 / With advances in technology, the terrain of public relations practices needs to be re-defined as new media bring about substantial changes in communication patterns. Based on the framework Hsiu-hui Sun had established in 2003, which attempts to measure the effectiveness of corporate website, this study used quantitative content analysis to assess current Taiwan's top 500 corporate of service industry's effectiveness of public relations on online media which are defined as the degree of performance level for corporations’ internet communication. In addition, a case study is conducted to understand the rationale and operational details of the online corporate public relations. Adopting the theoretical framework from Esrock & Leichty, this study combines the functional and technical indicators and categorizes them into three dimensions, including target audience contents, interface features, and degree of interaction. Because past research found that the size and resources of organizations were positively related to their overall performance, including the quality of public relations efforts. Therefore, in the present study we posit that target audience contents, interface features, and degree of interaction as indicators of public relations effectiveness are associated with organizational resourcefulness (i.e., factors). Findings suggest that time factor does not affect the relationship between organizational factors and the presence of website. However, time factor is relevant to the awareness of the importance of corporate social responsibility. We conclude that small business with fewer media resources tends to leverage internet media more progressively. On the contrary, big corporations are more conservative toward utilizing the Internet. To sum up, corporations nowadays take the role of the Internet media more seriously. The content and applications of the Internet become more important for business communication as time and technology evolves.

近年來，國際間政府推動資訊公開蔚為風潮，伴隨著資訊通信科技的發展，電子化政府和政府網站更普遍被各界視為一個低成本且高效率的透明化途徑。台灣的政府網站長期受到國際間高度評價，在發展中國家更是名列前茅。然而，既有的研究與調查大多數僅片面側重於政府供給面的探究，通常以化約且可標準化的指標來評鑑特定政府網站的介面資訊功能。相形之下，鮮少有關注民眾的需求認知、機關政策執行以及網站內容評估等較全面的研究成果供參。因而無法更深入地釐清政府網站、法制和政策執行績效不彰等困境與透明化治理之間的關聯。 在委託代理理論的運用之下，本研究兼顧政府治理中委託方民眾的認知以及代理方政府機關的經驗與成效。目的在於釐清網站資訊公開供給和需求的現況與問題，並更具體地檢證政府網站資訊公開對機關施政資訊揭露、績效衡量和政府課責的影響。爰此，研究者參與多項網站資訊公開相關研究，以蒐集多元化次級資料，包括：量化的網路民眾問卷調查，各級機關的跨年度問卷調查，機關網站內容評估比較，以及質性的個別訪談、焦點團體座談。藉由理論聚焦與多重研究方法的交叉檢證分析，以達研究綜效。 研究結果分為網站資訊公開對政府施政資訊揭露，施政績效衡量，以及政府課責的影響三個部分來討論。首先，相較於法制，網站資訊公開更有助於揭露政府施政資訊，特別是網站資訊公開實施過程可呈現出政府治理內、外部的多重代理關係及代理問題，甚至可緩和部分的代理問題。其次，網站資訊公開可具體地呈現並衡量施政績效，以因應傳統官僚體系內各層代理績效難以衡量的困境。但囿於目前整體制度缺乏績效誘因設計，而限制了此效益。最後，因整體資訊公開績效制度的匱乏，也使得網站資訊公開對政府課責的效益備受限制。 整體而言，本研究揭示了代理理論應用於政府治理的價值，並檢證政府資訊公開、績效和課責等三項治理要件的關聯。研究成果可彌補實務與研究的落差，並對相關文獻做出貢獻。 / In recent years, governments from around the world have adopted Freedom of Information Act to increase transparency in their governance. With advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs), e-Government has been seen as a cost-effective and possible mean to promote openness and transparency. Taiwan’s efforts to develop e-Government services have been well-recognized; especially, have made remarkable advantages among developing countries. Nevertheless, most of the existing researches in evaluating e-Government service are based on supply-side indicators and often assess websites alone; as yet, little information is available on the demand aspect of e-Government. The paper aims to explore the potential and practice of government website information disclosure in terms of the perspective of end user and government agencies. The results show the significance of three aspects in information disclosure of Taiwanese government websites through the application of quantitative and qualitative methodology, including self-administered questionnaire, website evaluation, individual interview, and focus group interview. First, government website information disclosure benefits the revelation of government information, manifestation of multi-agent relationships in internal and external governance of government, and alleviation of partial ageny problems. Second, government website information disclosure enhances revealing and measuring the performance of government agencies; nevertheless, in which the effectiveness is limited due to the absence of institutional incentives. Third, under the circumstances of unsound institution, the effectiveness of accountability has difficulties to be thoroughly realized through government website information disclosure. In sum, the finding contributes to a valuable reference for other countries in implementing information transparency of e-Government, and has significant implications for policy makers, government agencies, and system designers.

網路社群媒體平台可能是數位發行的年代中至目前為止最具有威力的媒體平台。整合Facebook、部落格、微網誌、影音社群、SNS（Social Networking Service ），即時通訊等的網路社群媒體平台，可與真實資料的他人免費、不受時空限制的合作、共同參與、分享彼此資源資訊，使得訊息發送、情感聯繫不但更加緊密並快速營造如朋友社群般的關係影響力，再加上無線網路環境和數位化載具的快速進展，智慧型手機IPAD等滿足了大家的多元即時性，網路社群媒體平台串聯出的威力和影響力，已成為傳統媒體之外的另一個發聲利器，其威力甚至有時要比傳統媒體還要強烈，影響還要深遠！ 本研究旨在探討網路社群媒體平台之於表演藝術團體的價值，表演藝術團體如何運用網路社群媒體平台來進行營運，以及其關鍵的成功因素等議題，盼能引起大眾及表演藝術團體對網路社群媒體平台的了解與重視。研究選擇國內已經在網路社群媒體平台上活躍使用的表演藝術團體個案進行深度訪談及觀察探究，並輔以國外表演藝術團體網絡上的實地觀察和研究，以及次級文獻資料的蒐集佐證，進行分析探討。 本研究將「網路社群媒體平台」的角色定位為「表演藝術團體營運推展的有力夥伴，以體驗經濟形式共同創建表演藝術團體的營運產值」，研究問題及研究發現如下： 研究問題一：網路社群媒體平台之於表演藝術團體之價值為何？ 對應結論一：其價值有二點，包括： 一、網路社群媒體平台與表演藝術團體是虛擬的A型團隊合作關係。 二、網路社群媒體平台是表演藝術團體另一個微型的線上舞台，也是體驗經濟的延伸實踐。 研究問題二：網路社群媒體平台如何幫助表演藝術團體營運？ 對應結論二：其營運協助有五點，包括： 一、網路社群媒體平台讓表演藝術團體有更多的自主性及主導權來宣傳其創作作品，如同自己開了一家不用成本的二十四小時專屬媒體頻道。 二、網路社群媒體平台可協助表演藝術團體擴展精準觀眾群，並讓彼此之間關係互動更即時熱絡和緊密。 三、網路社群媒體平台可以協助本土的表演藝術團體更容易國際知曉增加國外粉絲。 四、網路社群媒體平台的免費及低學習門檻特性，讓非營利組織的表演藝術團體節省了大部分網路軟硬體設備及網路專業訓練的成本，甚至行銷宣傳經費。 五、網路社群媒體平台已成功協助表演藝術團體販售周邊商品，票券和募款。 研究問題三：表演藝術團體運用網路社群媒體平台營運的關鍵成功因素？ 對應結論三：關鍵成功因素，包括： 一、表演藝術團體運用五感體驗及說故事的力量鼓動並掌握群眾的互動和黏著度。 二、創意、主題策畫、知識涵度並以觀眾服務角度勤發布的真誠內容仍是吸引群眾擴充增加、協同、分享並每日追隨的重要因素。 三、明星偶像效應勢不可擋，表演藝術團體中靈魂級人物的訊息和親自上陣互動仍是令群眾瘋狂黏著並串聯分享的主因。 四、表演藝術團體對社群網路媒體平台的媒體特性、功能及操作技巧的了解以及主事者的全力支持是其推展營運最重要成功關鍵。 / In the digital publishing era, the media platforms of social networking websites have probably been the most powerful figure by far. By integrating the social networking websites of Facebook, blogs, microblogs, video-sharing websites, SNS (Social Networking Service), people can join and share resources and information and get from people their substantial cooperation that is free and unlimited by time and space.The delivery of messages can be speedier, and relation closer; moreover, the effect as that produced within a community of friends can thus be developed.Due to the highly advanced WiFi and digital devices, smartphones and tablet computers meet the need for diversity and instantaneity.The power and influence gained by integrating media platforms of social networking websites has become efficiently instrumental for one to be heard, and its force can reach far greater and deeper than the traditional media! The research aims at exploring issues concerning what the value media platforms of social networking websites can have on performing arts groups, how to run the groups through those platforms, and the key factors of success, in order to draw the attention from and increase the understanding of the public. The subjects chosen in this study are performing arts groups that have been active in media platforms of social networking websites in Taiwan. In-depth interview and observation will be used in exploring each case. Foreign performing arts groups will also be observed at the scene and studied; besides, the documentation of secondary materials will be collected, analyzed and discussed. Topic 1 What is the value of media platforms of social networking websites to performing arts groups? Conclusion 1 There are two valuable facts: 1.The relation between media platforms of social networking websites and performing arts groups belongs to virtual "Type A" cooperation. 2.Media platforms of social networking websites function as an alternative micro "online stage" of performing arts groups, and that is also the realization of the extension of experience economy. Topic 2 In what ways can media platforms of social networking websites help operate performing arts groups? Conclusion 2 There are five ways: 1.Media platforms of social networking websites allow greater independence and control for performing arts groups in promoting their works, as if they own a channel exclusive for themselves, broadcasting non-stop and without cost. 2.Media platforms of social networking websites can help broaden the targeted audience, and make the interaction between them closer. 3.Media platforms of social networking websites can help local performing arts groups increase their visibility overseas and thus the number of foreign fans. 4.The free-of-charge feature and highly accessibility of media platforms of social networking websites allows the non-profit performing arts groups to save much of the cost of hardware, software and training, even the promotion. 5.Media platforms of social networking websites have successfully assisted performing arts groups to sell merchandise and tickets, and to raise funds. Topic 3 What are the KSF (Key Success Factors) in the employment of media platforms of social networking websites by performing arts groups? Conclusion 3 The KSF are: 1.The force created by performing arts groups using sensory experience to tell stories can encourage and control the interaction and attachment of the audience. 2.Creativity, theme planning, knowledge imparted, and the sincere and diligent posting of messages that are service-based, audience-centered, still serve essentially to attract the public that may increase in number and be willing to cooperate and share with each other day after day. 3.Stars are invincible! The messages and presence of, and the interaction with the key figures of performing arts groups can make the audience crazy and thus get closer to share. 4.The understanding of the characteristics, functions, operating skills of media platforms of social networking websites by performing arts groups, plus the full support from the person in charge, is the crucial factors of success.

隨著網路的崛起，傳統實體通路的存在價值與市場地位也飽受威脅，在市場上的實際演變，書店、銀行、證券、旅遊、機票等中介者的角色，明顯的已可被電子商務網站所取代，因此在國外已經有很多針對網路對實體通路產生「去中介化」之研究，在國內雖然也有類似的現象產生，但迄今還沒有類似的研究，所以本研究有開啟此議題研究先河之意義。 與其他遭到「去中介化」產業或服務比較，不動產仲介業更倚賴「人」之中介角色，但其銷售之產品又具有高度不易「去中介化」的特性：異質性、高總價、少交易經驗等，所以其面臨「去中介化」之威脅，的關鍵因素是什麼，其受到「去中介化」衝擊之程度到底多大，都是本研究想要探討之課題。 根據問卷調查，本研究發現交易成本是不動產仲介業面臨「去中介化」的關鍵原因，不過在目前之環境下，不動產仲介業還是不可能完全被不動產自售網站所取代，而不動產自售網站如果想要發揮自售之功效，還需多強化網頁內容呈現、提升網站知名度以及增加配套服務。 / Following the emerging of internet, traditional retail channels of books, banks, stocks, tourism and ticketing have faced the challenges from many internet-based businesses (electronic commerce) which eliminating intermediary between buyers and sellers make products or services to sell cheaper and faster. And there are many researches on such kind of disintermediation effects in foreign society. But till now there is not any kind of disintermediation study in Taiwan. This study is a beginning research of disintermediation in Taiwan. Though the real estate brokerage industry, which relying more on middleman (broker) than others, has the high-priced and idiosyncratic product features, it also faces the direct challenges from for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) websites. So the study tries to find out what is the key factor that caused the disintermediation and how far it goes in the real estate brokerage industry. The major findings of the study are that transaction cost is the real factor that caused the disintermediation, the functions and status of real estate brokers are still not easily to take place by FSBO websites and the later has to intensify content layouts, increase website’s reputation and offer extra services to attract more users to FSBOs.

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is interested in textual features of websites which cover the same kind of content, but represent different organisations and address different kinds of audiences. Specifically, it investigates how information on HIV/AIDS is multimodally represented on the webpages of two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and two governmental organisations. First, the websites of the national Department of Health and of a provincial Department of Health (Western Province) are scrutinised. Second, the websites of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Avert, NGOs with a special interest in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, are investigated. The aim of the research is to consider aspects of layout, the use of multimodality, and the introduction of selected themes and concerns foregrounded in the selected websites. The focus of the thesis is on the transmission of information, particularly through the electronic media, by investigating multimodal elements (language, images, sound, colours) and the layouts of websites, in order to identify possible interpretations which the intended audiences may afford the various texts. The analysis of the sites relies theoretically on the metafunctions developed by Halliday (1985) in his systemic functional linguistic framework. It also refers to an extension of Halliday’s work developed to allow multimodal discourse analysis that considers aspects of visual design and placement, developed by Kress and van Leeuwen (1996, 1998) and Kress (2003, 2005). These approaches focus on text, multimodal elements, the placements thereof on a page as well as the coherence between design of layouts and communicative modes that intend to send a convincing and meaningful message. The thesis also refers to Critical Discourse Analysis in that it considers matters of language and power in internet based communication. It seems that the governmental sites are set up with an audience in mind who needs to be informed on policy matters, while the NGO sites are set up with a more vulnerable audience in mind. One kind of web-communication is likely to alienate the exact people who should be receiving state support and treatment in the face of HIV/AIDS. Another is aimed more at supporting activism against the perceived lethargy of the state. A third supports various charities that reach out to communities where HIV-infection rates are particularly high. The interpretation of multimodal pages requires knowledge of website design for educational purposes as well as information on usage of the internet to get sufficient information. Further, access of the intended audience to electronic communication needs to be considered as this will determine whether the seriousness of the illness and possible prevention or treatment, is well communicated, especially to those who have been identified as most vulnerable to new infection. The thesis finds that electronic communication cannot be the first step to circulating information related to HIV/AIDS. Non-governmental and governmental institutions are still dependent on other forms of media than websites, thus on the printed media, radio and television, and on campaigns or community based projects to communicate with particular audiences. Electronic communication is complex in that it works with various modes (visual, verbal, audial) and requires some technical sophistication from producers and receivers of texts. Theories of communication and discourse analytic methodologies can assist in our understanding of how the internet succeeds or fails in circulating critical health care information. However, to gain a reliable understanding of how the internet functions in transmitting HIV-information to all interest groups, received knowledge of other areas of scholarly interest in health care communication, such as multilingualism, sociology, anthropology, behavioural sciences, cognitive psychology or brain research elaborations, would eventually have to be considered as well. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis stel belang in tekstuele kenmerke van webwerwe wat dieselfde tipe inhoud weergee, maar verskillende organisasies verteenwoordig en verskillende tipes gehore aanspreek. Dit ondersoek spesifiek hoe inligting oor MIV/Vigs multimodaal op die webbladsye van twee nie-regeringsorganisasies (NRO’s) en twee regeringsorganisasies aangebied word. Die webwerwe van die Nasionale Departement van Gesondheid en die Provinsiale Departement van Gesondheid (Wes-Kaap) word eerstens noukeurig ondersoek. Tweedens word die webwerwe van die Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) en Avert, NRO’s met spesiale belang in die voorkoming en behandeling van MIV/Vigs in suidelike Afrika, ondersoek. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om oor aspekte van uitleg, die gebruik van multimodaliteit en die invoering van spesifieke temas en sake wat op die geselekteerde webwerwe beklemtoon word, na te dink. Die tesis se fokus in op die oordrag van inligting, veral deur die elektroniese media, deur multimodale elemente (taal, beelde, klank, kleur) en die uitleg van webwerwe te ondersoek, om sodoende verskillende moontlike interpretasies wat die bestemde gehoor aan die verskeie tekste mag heg, te identifiseer. Die analise van die webwerwe steun teoreties op die metafunksies wat deur Halliday (1985) ontwikkel is in sy grammatikale raamwerk, Systemic Functional Grammar. Dit verwys ook na ’n uitbreiding op Halliday se werk, wat deur Kress en Van Leeuwen (1996, 2005, 1998) en Kress (2003) ontwikkel is om multimodale diskoersanalise toe te laat wat aspekte van visuele ontwerp en plasing oorweeg. Hierdie benaderings fokus op teks, multimodale elemente, die plasing daarvan op ‘n bladsy en die koherensie tussen die ontwerp, uitleg en kommunikatiewe modusse. Dit kyk na hoe hierdie elemente saamwerk om ’n oortuigende en betekenisvolle boodskap uit te stuur. Hierdie tesis verwys ook na aspekte van Kritiese Diskoersanalise wat betrekking het op kwessies van taal en mag in internetgebaseerde kommunikasie. Dit kom voor asof die regeringswebwerwe ontwerp is met ’n gehoor in gedagte wat oor beleidskwessies ingelig moet word, terwyl die NRO-webwerwe ontwerp is met ’n meer weerlose gehoor in gedagte. Lg. gehoor word ingelig oor die siekte en behandelingsmoontlikhede eerder as beleid. Een soort web-kommunikasie sal waarskynlik dié mense wat juis regeringsondersteuning teen MIV/Vigs behoort te ontvang, vervreem. ’n Ander soort is meer daarop gerig om aktivisme teen die staat se vermeende traagheid te ondersteun. ’n Derde soort kommunikasie ondersteun verskeie liefdadigheidsorganisasies wat uitreik na gemeenskappe waar MIV-infeksiekoerse besonder hoog is. Die interpretasie van multimodale webwerwe vereis kennis van webwerf-ontwerp vir opvoedkundige doeleindes asook inligting oor die gebruik van die internet om voldoende inligting te bekom. Verder moet die bestemde gehoor se toegang tot elektroniese kommunikasie in ag geneem word, aangesien dít sal bepaal of die erns van die siekte en moontlike voorkoming of behandeling, goed weergegee word, veral aan dié wat s besonder blootgestel is en dus hoë risiko loop vir nuwe infeksie. Die tesis bevind dat elektroniese kommunikasie nie die eerste stap kan wees in die proses om inligting oor MIV/Vigs te sirkuleer nie. Nie-regerings- en regeringsorganisasies is steeds afhanklik van ander media as webwerwe, soos drukmedia, radio, televisie en veldtogte of gemeenskapsgebaseerde projekte, om met bepaalde gehore te kommunikeer. Elektroniese kommunikasie is kompleks omdat dit met verskeie modusse (visueel, verbaal, oudio) werk en tegniese sofistikasie van vervaardigers en ontvangers van tekste vereis. Teorieë van kommunikasie en diskoersanalise-metodologieë kan ons insig in hoe die internet daarin slaag (of nie) om belangrike gesondheidsorginligting te versprei. Om egter ’n betroubare begrip vir die werking van die internet as verspreider van MIV-inligting aan alle belange-groepe te verkry, moet kennis van ander areas van belangstelling in gesondheidsorg-kommunikasie, soos veeltaligheid, sosiologie, antropologie, gedragswetenskappe, kognitiewe psigologie of brein-navorsing, ook uiteindelik oorweeg word.

The aim of this thesis is to show how to design a commercially successful website and what are the possibilities of its succesive promotion. First a user research and analysis of competition is done and on the basis of this a new website is designed and created. After its implementation this site is then supported by several online marketing tools.

Empirical evidence indicates that companies that reduce information asymmetry by increased voluntary disclosures achieve several benefits, such as lower cost of capital, improved pricing, and liquidity of their shares. Despite the possibility of such benefits, many studies report varying degrees of voluntary disclosure behaviour that is attributable to various factors. Recent studies indicate that investors’ investment horizon has a significant effect on actions taken by management. Companies with predominantly short-horizon investors spend less on research and development, invest in shorter-term projects that are less profitable than longer-term projects, and are more likely to manipulate earnings to meet short-term earnings expectations. This study investigates whether investors’ investment horizon has an effect on the quality of companies’ information environment. Long-horizon investors should be familiar with their investee company’s risks and rewards, using both their own internal information gathering processes and the cumulative information disclosed by management over time. Moreover, over the course of a long-term relationship, they can become familiar with management’s capability to deliver long-term sustainable returns. Long-horizon investors should therefore be less concerned with short-term fluctuations of earnings and management’s public explanations and disclosures thereof. I hypothesise that higher (lower) proportions of long-horizon investors are associated with lower (higher) quality voluntary disclosure. The shareholder familiarity hypothesis was tested in this study, using an ordinary least squares regression. Voluntary disclosures were observed via the channel of companies’ websites. A checklist was compiled of best practices for online investor relations, and content analyses were conducted on the websites of 205 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Shareholder familiarity was proxied by shareholder stability, measured over nine years. The stability measure was lagged by one year to create a temporal difference between the shareholder profile and disclosure behaviour. I found that companies with a profile of unstable investors that are larger, younger, dual-listed and have a Big4 auditor have higher quality online investor relations practices. The hypothesis of a negative association between shareholder familiarity and voluntary disclosure quality is therefore accepted. This study extends the theory on information asymmetry and voluntary disclosure by providing evidence supporting the argument that investor horizon is a predictor of voluntary disclosure quality. The dictum of more is better does not hold in all scenarios. It is important for financial directors and investor relations officers to establish the investment horizon profile of their respective companies’ shareholders before they embark on extensive disclosure programmes. / Financial Intelligence