The Rhetorical Template

•I argue that Web 2.0 templates do not necessarily cause a form/content split•I situate templates in the scholarship of rhetorical situations, drawing upon genre theory•I highlight, through personal examples, ways that writers could use a template•I include a sample project that explores Web 2.0 template awareness

This paper seeks to expand the conversation about templates in the context of Web 2.0. While templates in Web 2.0 constrain writing options, this does not mean that they divorce form and content. By grounding templates in scholarship on the rhetorical situation and using genre theory as a lens, I argue that writers can still use the prefabricated designs of Web 2.0 templates in creative and unexpected ways. Drawing on examples from my personal web activity and an assignment in my composition class, I call for developing innovative writing practices for templates in Web 2.0.