Thanks for bringing up the fact that the environment where digital storytelling is useful is important.
That is what I have been grappling with. When I first started put up websites, the purpose was not clear to me - actually, it was "everybody has one or will have one, and we should do". However, after doing a couple of "online presence" websites, which I found drew a little traffic, I realized it was important to be specific in my own mind what the primary audience and the primary purpose of it was, and found that the narrower the focus, the easier it was to start.
Likewise, once I had the primary audience and purpose focused, I found the most practical way was to just put up a website. Yes - "Ready, Fire,Aim" in its purest form, and its goal was to help one person become more effective in dealing with a large number of volunteers.
As it developed, there were suggestions and requests for other capabilities which would have been useful, but moved away from the primary purpose.
In that respect, the examples of Digital Storytelling that were pointed out to me had the impact of evoking a strong response, and if that was the purpose, it succeeded. It also appears to be a way of sharing personal emotions and thoughts for the purpose of informing and giving greater insight into an individual's personality and experience.
From discussions here, I am drawing a conclusion that the journey of creating the story is a growing and learning experience between the author and those the author interacts with. The final product, the story itself, is a way of sharing it with a wide audience.
Thanks,
Shahid