ABSTRACT The author explores the thesis that crossing the boundaries of genre within a medium requires the reassignment of defining constructs and can be used as a tool for deconstructing the medium. In this process, elements considered impartial or invisible become consciously manipulated tools, deconstructed and reassigned as narrative devices. The author posits that this reassessment is essential for the continued development of any medium or genre and discusses reasons for its recent renewed prominence. The author traces convention-crossing in several media, revealing attributes that are redefined by subversions, and explores subversions of digital media constructs, before discussing his own forays into web-based works that hinge on the artifice of convention.