Questions & Responses on Chapter 2:
1. We value the classics of writing such as Greek and Roman literature to this very day. The value of such texts, however, is found in the fact that several of them are becoming rare commodities. In the expansion and refinement of writing technology, will the works that are typed up on a word processor today and distributed electronically throughout the world have the same value place on them years down the road when they are compiled with all of the other works of today that have been word processed and electronically distributed? Will such works as a typed movie script of today be put up in a museum next to a Greek or Roman document years down the road and be met with the same worth as a document of the ancient world? 2. What constitutes the values that we find in the ancient mediums of writing? Is it that they are becoming so rare? Is it because one could not so easily go back and erase a mistake on an etched tablet as opposed to just hitting the backspace key on a keyboard for a computerized word processor? Is it a matter of how it was written/what methodology was used? What exactly makes ancient doctrines so much more valuable then a document written just ten years ago?—Doug
Okay, after reading Ch. 2 in Web Spaces, I'm beginning to take issue of the author's favorite phrase of use -- "the late age of print." Don't underestimate the power of print, my friends. It may be old school, but it still packs a wallop. The author also states: "When in the history of writing a new technology appears, it may supplement an established technology or replace it." Well, I believe when it comes to print, digital technologies are definitely supplementing the medium. I don't believe "remediation," electronic writing replacing traditional print, is a done deal. I do think it is exciting how emerging technologies are revolutionizing the way we communicate. I think eventually we might continue to evolve to the point where telepathy -- yes, I said it -- telepathy is the dominant form of communication. Now, how exciting -- or scary -- would that be?—Farad
“Writing as Technology” is a really good chapter, in terms of analyzing how writing has changed over the years. When we look at text today, it seems meaningless because it is just a button we push, whereas in history people had to learn script, handwriting and calligraphy skills and it was viewed as an asset. Things have changed so much since the beginning of historically recording things by hand. I think that although digital technology is replacing (somewhat) handwriting, it is necessary because our planet strives for proactive measures and uniform ways of doing things, and this is definitely one way of doing that.—Jim
It's interesting how things tend to be competitive in this book. There were some really interesting things but the part that I was kind of attracted to was the writing as an art part (of course). I think of writing as similar to photography. There is really a debate going to whether or not photography is a true art since it is the camera taking the picture. It is the person manipulating that camera though. The person CHOOSES the subject matter, they EDIT the image. It becomes an extension of them. Writing is the same. This person is typing on a computer which is putting the words down for them but it is that person who is choosing, editing and extending themselves into that story. Of COURSE writing is an art.—Jae
xxxxx —Justin
xxxxx —Katy
In this chapter, it kind of seemed like they were saying that digital technology is negative because it is turning out to be one of the more traumatic remediations in our history. Why would they say traumatic? I think that digital technology has been extremely revolutionary. The only other question that I have is why is this author so repetitive? I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. That is one of my biggest pet peeves; say what you mean to say and then move on! There is no need to repeat yourself over and over again.—Krista
I thought this chapter was very informative and interesting at the same time about something as simple as writing. Talking about the evolution of writing with a quill on parchment paper to now. Also I liked when he said even as they speak they know their words can be written down. This is interesting because of something so simple, to someone this is their art. Computers really are tangible objects with significance. This plays a part in everyone lives by the level of simplicity a computer allows. Instead of writing letter for letter out with a pencil, we merely hit a button and it is created for us. Electronic and digital technology are indeed helping to refashion the writing space again. The comparison to the wax tablet or the chalkboard is neat because the computer, as the other two, allow for easy change convenient in our lives. Writing truly has become a technology because it is no more what it was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. It is a changing thing always taking on new shapes. To a reader it is a form of written expression, and to a writer, it allows for easy flow of thoughts. This chapter has a great message on such a simple topic.—Laura
1. I can or should i say cant remeber the last paper i physically wrote. The whole time i was reading ch 2 that i what i was thinking about. I know when I was younger I had to write out every paper and make corrections and write a new one. Writing on the computer had made it faster and easier to write documnet. But, we have lost knowledge and benifits in the old way. Since there is spell and grammer check, we think our papers are great. I am not a good speller as we know and using tech, does not force me to look up the word to see how it should really be spelled. So therefore tech, make us lazy!! 2. Writing documents though technology helps in preserving. It is hard to keep an orginal hand writtin anything intact. Even though it may loose originality... we will always have a backup if need be, that actually goes for anything!—Lorin
xxxxx —Matt
This chapter on hypertext was very interesting to me. I am not really familiar with the way the internet works, but I feel like when I am surfing the internet, I am in a totally different world, hyperspace. It's crazy to think that this techonology makes it possible for people to enter a completely different atmosphere by sitting at home on their couch, or in their office at work. The only question I have about this chapter is, if text is constantly being remediated, what is the next step?—Nicole
Is technology and software ever stable enough? The problem I see with the world moving to technology based is that its always changing. As soon as you get a new computer or software something new has come out. And the one thing that I see being a real problem for writers and people keeping journals on the computer is that they won't be able to convert over to the new software that is needed due to their's being out dated. It also costs money for people for continue to update software and accessories that go along with technology. People continue to hand write journals because they are personable and that has a strong meaning to them. And students still continue to hand write school notes because its fast and they don't have to carry the laptop with them and they can use short hand and share them with other students with great ease. I also think that people who are older have a very hard time keeping up with the times and since when they grew up all they knew how to do was hand write things is another reason why its still done today. —Rachael
Does the economy depend on technology for writing too much? I think that we depend on technology way to much. People are losing grammar and spelling skills every day because of spell check and grammar check. The computer is doing way to much for us and now we don't even think twice about not using spell check or even buying software that doesn't have spell check. Before we know it spelling won't even be taught in schools because we have spell check and the world is going to lose the importance of things that are hand written and the meaning behind them.—Rachael
xxxxx —Rob
Chapter 2 definitely gives new perspective to the term "technology" in characterizing technology within the area of mechanizing, computing and gaining skills surrounding the concept of putting ideas together in some for of writing space. In addition, seeing how various materials have been used within both the economy and social settings and how they have grown/changed and developed over time gives more of a historical viewpoint. The change in going from oral remediation to scripting/presenting speeches to writing on papyrus to having wordprocessors and computers, writing has changed forms, and the perceptions that people have in receiving these forms of communication has also changed over time. Each of these alterations to oral/written communication affect the general public and their perceptions.—Sarah J.
“It is probably best to understand all technologies in this way: technologies do not determine the course of culture or society, because they are not separate agents that can act on culture from the outside.” I think that the above quotation is a very good description of the chapter’s overall essence. Bolter makes a good point with this statement, which many of his readers may not assume is his school of thought, since he’s talking about the remediation of print and so on (he discusses several well established authors who he negatively labels as “technological determinists”). However, Bolter makes a good point in defense of technological advancements because it is easy for many of us to assume that technology is either a benevolent, wonderful outside entity that changes our lives by coming in and giving us the tools to become more organized and efficient, or, in contrast, technology is an evil monstrous entity that comes in from without and takes over our lives and minds. What he is essentially saying in this chapter is that while computer technology is changing the nature of the writing space in very significant ways, it is not so different from technological advancements—those we may not even recognize as technological advancements (i.e. pencils)—that have existed in the past. All of the technologies that we have become accustomed to were at one time controversial and the arguments that we presently make for or against them have waged for centuries. All technologies, both hard and soft, are a manifestation of our culture’s presumed needs and desires. They are not an entity acting upon us, but a physical formation of what we conceptualize as necessary or helpful (or not) as a society. They will only continue to advance further at the same pace as our culture allows them to. —Sarah S.
I thought it was interesting how he called all types of writing various stages of technology. Typically we don't think of writing with paper and pencil as a technology. I also found the information about different types of formating, like the indent, paragraph, period, and capitals interesting. I can't really imagine trying to read something that didn't have those things.—Stephanie |