Questions & Responses on Chapter 9:
Since I had to sit down and thoroughly read over this chapter almost twice now, I will honestly admit that I am impressed with what Bolter has to say. Bolter actually says much that is comprehensible and relevant in a space that is not too extraneous or full of diatribes. He actually tends to get to the point and supports it with ample evidence. His discussion of the Cartesian ego and the postmodern self are very interesting ways of thinking, especially since I have never really thought to sit down and think of the writing process in such a way as these. Where as much of this chapter is speculative and theory-based, I am willing to say it is much more driven and focused than most other chapters. The thought that artificial intelligence is considered by some to emulate the human mind in its networking process of symbols is fascinating, though it has really failed in most areas of presenting an human "voice" via hypertext through such tests as proposed by Turing. The concept of the human thought process as a network of interrelated symbols, however, almost really seems to "dumb" down the human mind to that of a cold and methodical "computer." I was also fascinated by the discussion of MOOs and MUDs as electronic forms of writing, especially since MUDs in themselves have evolved into some of the most popular forms of electronic interaction to date (i.e. World of Warcraft.) The concept of the MOO seems so simple, and yet it has become a vehicle through which one can assume several identities that may express some likeness or extension of their real character though in a fantasy setting. Overall, this chapter had much to offer in a concise manner that only suffered from some of the technical Bolter jargon that goes along with his "sophisticated" writing style. —Doug
xxxxx —Farad
Doug did a great job in explaining chapter 9. “Writing the Self”. I found this chapter to be one of the most interesting because it didn’t have definite answers; it was more a chapter where you could interpret what you thought was writing for yourself. I found it very interesting that Artificial Intelligence is believed to never be able to process human-like features, because a human is able to think on the fly, and computers are programmed to think, not to make decisions based on what it sees. I liked the quote by Descartes “I think, therefore I am.” I know we all know that quote very well, but when it comes to actually thinking about it, it means that we are comprised of the thoughts and choices we make, and that is a really cool concept. I also liked the idea that If the technology of writing has been traditionally regarded as the creation of the human mind, possibly the greatest, we could also argue in the other direction: that the mind is the creation of writing. This chapter was full of great logical ideas, such as that, and for that very reason, it was my favorite chapter to discuss yet.—Jim
xxxxx —Jae
xxxxx —Justin
xxxxx —Katy
In this chapter, Bolter discussed writing as a form of expressing one's inner self and how it has changed with the computer age. He refers to writing "as a process of analytical reflection." "Making verbal thoughts visible" "to see logical relationships and subordinate one idea to another." This Cartesian philosophy is challenged with the society that we live in today because we don't extend ourselves and think outside the box as much as we used to. Bolter says, "an electronic writer is seldom alone with her thoughts." There are too many distractions with computer technology.—Krista
xxxxx —Laura
Its really interesting when I look back and think all those times i wrote or talked on the internet I thought I was by myself. Boy was i wrong. The whole world can see everything. When people spill their hearts in blogs, facebook pages and myspace pages we forget the whole world can see. When I was growing up the www was new. I had talked to people in chat rooms that were prob creeps. But like they say its easier to tell your life story to the person next to you on the plane. We are not alone I think thats how we learn about ourselves in a different way. —Lorin
xxxxx —Matt
xxxxx —Nicole
xxxxx —Rachael
xxxxx —Rob
An interesting point in this chapter was the attempt to create a form of Artificial Intelligence. I found it interesting that they could get to the point of having various machines/robots make logical connections that would then lead further into more complex thought; however, the machines were still not able to imitate the associations that human beings form within their conscious mind. I find it unrealistical of these experimenters to think that they could re-create the complexity of the human mind in a machine. —Sarah J.
“At least with their current interfaces, these electronic environments do not seem well-suited to the complex or abstract discussion. Spontaneous, playful, and personal, these technologies seem to lend themselves more readily to the construction of the self as a social agent rather than as a reasoning machine. In writing about the cultural significance of these communications technologies, educators talk about the self rather than the mind.”
As we discussed during the presentation of chapter nine in class, this chapter deals with very complex historical, psychological, and social issues with respect to the writing process and its changing relationships with the wide use of modern writing technologies. The topics are so complex, in fact, that it is difficult for me to concisely write a paragraph about any of them. With that said, I do think that these “interfaces” (MUDs, MOOs, chatrooms, etc.) are helpful for students (and all people) as a tool to transition them into the “complex,” “abstract” discussions that most teachers strive for in planning their curriculum. Most current research on writing pedagogy suggests that students learn best to write when they are taught to view all writing as a process. Students need the “spontaneous, playful, and personal” as a starting point. As young writers and thinkers, students love to talk about themselves and see themselves in relationship to others. It is only moving through this relatively immature stage—writing about themselves and their own limited perspectives—that they can learn to relate effectively to abstract, complex subject matter. While this “postmodern” way of teaching is relatively new (although it’s been around in theory for decades!), researchers effectively argue that students have always learned this way. What is important, then, is that teachers don’t look to these types of writing interfaces as an end rather than a means to a greater end, which is teaching students to use what they have learned from these personal perspectives to move out confidently into the impersonal, academic, and abstract writing forms.—Sarah S.
I thought the term "author" being a figure of "authority" Back in earlier times the few persons who could read and write were the only educated persons in the town and were considered the authority on everything. It makes me think of the Pharisees in the bible. They were looked to as teachers and were considered the authority on God's law. Despite being intelligent and educated individuals, they often put their own twist on things and interpretted them differently than they were supposed to be interpretted. I also found the portion about the MOOs and MUDs very interesting. I had never thought about on-line chatrooms or online gaming as a form of writing. Through this medium, you get to create your character and develop them in a way that may or may not reflect some aspect of yourself. I don't know that I truly see this as a form of writing though. I have difficulty considering something that is primarily dialogue - a conversation between people - to be writing. But it was still interesting to think about.—Stephanie |