Refashioned Writing

Writing is an ever dynamic and fluctuating art form. While it is difficult, if not impossible, to pinpoint the beginning of writing and to what purpose it originally served, we know that today it has come a long way in the few thousands of years since its beginnings as scribbling on the walls of a cave or hieroglyphics within a pharaoh’s tomb. In our highly literate world, it is hard to escape the omnipresent existence of our alphabet. Wherever we turn, there are billboards, posters, banners, signs, menus, and warnings. When described in this manner, we may imagine a life of clutter with the ceaseless bombardment of images and symbols; however writing as a technology helps to describe the culture and society we live in.

Writing has been transformed since the days of the papyrus scroll into a sophisticated form of technology. Ancient papyrus rolls and medieval manuscripts are examples of the earliest forms of written technologies. We can consider these as forms of technology because “they are methods for arranging verbal ideas in a visual space” (1). Even the earliest forms of writing required devices – pens, parchment, papyrus – in order to be created, and were manufactured with the technologies available at the time (even a book was considered a technological achievement at one point!). With the work of the scribe’s hand, there was a notable variation in the size of the letters, the spacing of the words, and the margins of the paragraphs, thus giving the work the feeling of human interaction. The imperfections and subtle differences between each printed copy of any text gave them an intimate relationship with their author. Their creation was a slow and tedious process that was completely manmade.

The printing press was the first to replace the scribe in mechanizing writing as the very first word processor in the 15th century (1). The invention became the first means of mass production: text which had previously been copied down by hand was now inked onto paper several pages at a time. The first printed texts mimicked that of written, with printed manuscripts looking identical to those written out by hand. Gradually, the printed books took on a new, cleaner and clearer look. Thus, the printing press distanced the human from the texts being generated and gave the product a less human feel. The traces of human production were further diminished with the introduction of the computer.

Electronic technology surpassed earlier forms of print in terms of flexibility and efficiency. Like all previous forms of writing, the computer has not separated the human from tangible objects of production: one must have a computer screen, keyboard, and mouse in order to create a text. In this sense, the screen is the paper; the keyboard and mouse act as the mechanical scribe. Like the codex and book before them, computers represent aesthetic and cultural monuments with social significance. Someone’s computer can represent who they are both economically and socially. The writing that computers represent may be virtual, but they themselves are as tangible a thing as any other medium of writing. After all, even previous forms of writing can be considered virtual in the sense that the author was inviting the reader to “participate in an abstract space of signs,” (1). While the computer screen may seem to represent a certain kind of disconnect between people and the material world in a way that printed text does not, “our literate culture is simply using the new tools provided by digital technology to reconfigure the relationship between the material practices of writing and the ideal of writing that these practices express […] The technical and the cultural dimensions of writing are so intimately related that it is not useful to try to separate them: together they constitute writing as a technology,” (1). The basic fundamentals found in the substance of writing are inextricably fused with human history; therefore, they are also bound to the cultural choices, social and political practices, sciences, and economies of the people that have developed them as a means of communication.

Perhaps, also, it is important to recognize the very contexts in which computers have remediated print. It is not safe to say, even in this seemingly tech-savvy world of space travel, split atoms, Dolly the sheep, and artificial intelligence, that all vestiges of our distant and comparatively humble past have disappeared completely. While computers have to a great extent lessened the role of hand writing and print, they have not banished them as important methods of communication. While “word processing, databases, e-mail, the World Wide Web, and computer graphics are displacing printed communication for various purposes,” there is a certain amount of stability and authority associated with printed works. There exists a tension between the electronic and printed modes of writing that is not easily categorized; however there still is a prestige amongst authors whose works are printed rather than published online (it is far too easy an endeavor to be printed online; publishers are still picky over what they will print as a book). While computers grant flexibility of writing, it also poses to diminish the established ideals of good writing as well as careful reading that had long been recognized in association with printed texts (1). “[…] We seem more impressed by the impermanence and changeability of text, and digital technology seems to reduce the distance between the author and reader by turning the reader into an author herself,” (1). The idea that an author became an authoritative figure over the subject of their work has changed; the compromised permanence of text disassociates the reader with the feeling of monumentality once given authors over their fields.

Along with this era of electronic writing, we’ve seen the development of hypertext and the World Wide Web. Unlike the pages of a book, which imply a linear order in which to be read (page by page, in most cases), text on websites may be hot linked so that when a user clicks on them, they are transported to another web page. In this sense, there is no order in which websites are to be read; a user makes his or her own path through the links and chooses which pages are relevant to his or her wants or needs. It could also be said that a website has the ability to refashion itself according to the taste and needs of the reader. “An electronic text may fracture the single voice of the printed text and speak in different registers to different readers. An electronic encyclopedia may address both the educated novice and the expert, just as the same corporate Web site may serve for general public relations, stockholder education, and even sales and marketing. In the ideal, if not in practice, an electronic text can tailor itself to each reader’s needs, and the reader can make choices in the very act of reading,” (1). Web sites create a certain world that based on their subject and reader’s interest, as well as incorporate many different readers interests within one website depending on the users needs. Authors of websites may also chose to utilize the dynamic quality of hypertext in order to distort the nature of their audience’s reading experience (1). The result is highly individualized encounters with reading and writing.

Electronic writing also gives us completely new forms in which to communicate with the integration of abstract forms of representing text and ideas. Pictures become symbols the same way that letters are representations of phonetic sounds. One can easily see an example of the use of pictures as symbols simply by looking at their desktop on their computer. Quite often there are simple, small icons which we associate with a certain software of program: for example, a blue “E” for internet explorer or a music note for iTunes. The same way that words communicate a noun or idea, these images represent something to us. Websites are just another space in which pictorial forms of communication are well utilized. “As electronic picture writing, hypermedia refashions phonetic writing by reasserting the status of pictorial elements: hypermedia claims that it can communicate more effectively or more vividly with the user by embedding these elements in an interactive text,” (1). When traveling to sites, users are often bombarded with advertisements, visual aids such as graphs and diagrams, multimedia, and images. All of these become an integral part of the websites and the text that the represent. We have come to expect all of these things to be included in our online experiences.

Electronic communication is another way in which we define ourselves in terms of a cultural identity. We have become a society which favors a networking culture, which prizes flexibility and dynamics over hierarchical order (1). The move away from print describes the human desire to constantly expand and change the world they live in. We live in a society where there is always the push to communicate faster and to a broader audience, as if to give everyone a shared experience of interaction and knowledge. Humans will always be seeking new ways in which to transmit themselves in engaging and advanced ways, through language, pictures, and multimedia.



Bibliography
1. Bolter, J. David. Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.

FOUR LETTER WORD PROJECT: MODE

This is the terribly diluted version of my presentation.

SONG: All Cats are Grey, by The Cure

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

PAPER SAMPLE "H"

SIX REASONS WHY THIS PAPER WAS MOVING:
1. The introduction is very well presented, the topic of the paper is well outlined.
2. The paper is well written, with variation in sentence structure and interesting word choice.
3. The writer backs up all their arguments with solid facts, the "voice" of the paper is convincing.
4. The arguments themselves are very interesting and true. I specifically like the paragraph about the iPod's advertising image.
5. The paper well documented the growth and development of the product.
6. The product picked is something that everyone knows and uses; the paper seems to be very relevant to the reader for this reason.

SIX REASONS WHY THIS PAPER IS NOT MOVING:
1. The conclusion is absolutely massive and takes up over a page of the essay. Perhaps the writer should disintegrate the paragraph in some way, perhaps into two paragraphs.
2. Never begin a conclusion with "In conclusion..."
3. There are times when the sentences become a bit long and are difficult to understand.
4. The conclusion seems to be a very detailed recap of the previous pages; instead it should merely give the big picture.
5. More information and data on the iPod could have been integrated to strengthen the writer's argument.
6. Perhaps could have used a personal memoir at some point to help illustrate the relevance and impact of this commonly used object.

PAPER SAMPLE "G"

SIX REASONS WHY THIS PAPER WAS MOVING:
1. The concluding paragraph is very strong and well written.
2. The writer is successful at conveying a strong belief in what they have written.
3. Facts are supported by outside sources that add credibility to their argument.
4. Seems well-researched and provides abundant, interesting examples to help demonstrate their point.
5. I like the imagery of people "flying" through their day, which obviously goes well with the Red Bull topic.
6. I thought the paragraph describing the symbolism behind Red Bull and how it relates to American culture and society was interesting and well-thought out.

SIX REASONS WHY THIS PAPER IS NOT MOVING:
1. Just from having read the opening paragraph, there is a lot of repetition with the words "we" and "our."
2. Some of the sentences are short and uninteresting; could use more variation.
3. The writer doesn't acknowledge the dangers of such an energy drink, or the unhealthy side-effects of living such a stressful and high-paced lifestyle.
4. Many of the paragraphs were very short - perhaps the writer could have found more information on the subject or integrated the information with another similar paragraph.
5. "Over 15 million members have joined the Red Bull Facebook page. Over 4,000 people have joined the "I Love Energy Drinks" page on Facebook." Perhaps this would have read better as one sentence?
6. Sometimes the "flow" of this paper was a little hard to get through. Changing up sentence structure would have made it more interesting to read.

RESPONSE TO WILL

"When writing a serious paper, a reader should not see what the writer is feeling by visuals. Instead, the writer should paint a picture with words."

I understand what Will is saying here, and I do agree with the argument he is making: good writing shows the reader what the writer is trying to convey, not tells. Being too vague with words is boring to read and creates a certain kind of disconnect between the reader and the moment or feeling that they are reading about; it is far more powerful to transport them to the event or to make them feel the emotion for themselves. However, I do not agree that writers shouldn't include visuals, as this is very much a part of "showing, not telling." I also feel that visuals are an important part of metaphors, which are incredibly successful at conveying feelings.

"The more professional a paper looks, the easier it is to follow because the reader is less distracted by color or font or how the paper is formatted. Society has set these rules and by not following them, one can become outcast and less accepted."

I find it true that professionalism and creativity do not always necessarily go hand in hand (though of course, sometimes they do). Everything has an appropriate outlet for its use, and quite often creative elements such as color choices or image use seem inappropriate when applied to academic writing. Hot pink cursive font against a pitch black background may be bold, but does not necessarily create a sense of seriousness when used for a carefully researched paper. Tempering too much with stylistic elements can seem childish and therefore diminishes the credibility of the work. The simplicity of the MLA format, while perhaps not as visually amusing as a Kandinsky painting, does possess a certain kind of beauty in its ability to allow the reader to see only the words on the page; questions like "why is the word 'sunrise' green? Do 'green' and 'sunrise' mean something together?" seem trivial and don't help the writer convey any illusive meaning. Academic writing can do without bells and whistles; good writing is simply good writing. A writer's creativity should be gauged by the strength of their work, and just that.

WRITING CENTER VISIT

I just got back from the Writing Center for my appointment with Melanie to go over the small object, large subject paper. I went in not really knowing what to expect; I'd never used the writing center for anything before. I must admit that it was a positive experience, and I could see myself going back at some point in the future. I only had about half my paper with me, so we read what I had out loud and that really helped me catch some errors in punctuation. She helped me work on breaking up my run-on sentences as well as brain storm ideas about how to continue my paper. She definitely helped generate ideas that I don't think I would have come up with, and I thought her perspective was very interesting. I'd definitely go back the next time I have writer's block.

ESSAY 1: OPENING NARRATIVE

Here is my opening narrative for my first essay. I sound like such an addict in it...

My alarm goes off every morning, but it isn’t the annoying beeping the ultimately pulls me from my warm bed into the cool, dim morning air: within 5 minutes, my computer is on and Facebook is up. I scroll through my news feed, the page that lists all of my 500-something “friends’” latest activities, and catch up with everything that has happened since I had gone to bed the previous night. Megan is newly single, Danielle uploaded photos of her recent trip to Paris, and Rebbecca went to spin class at 7:56 (and now her legs are absolutely killing her). After my rushed Facebook session, I finally make my coffee, get dressed, and head out to class.
At first, I’m able to play the role of attentive student – I listen to my professor go over the pattern of the monsoon seasons in Asia, and somehow manage to maintain focus. But it doesn’t take long for my inner Facebook addict to start feeling the need to distract myself. I sit at my desk with my blackberry out, anxiously awaiting the red light in the upper right hand corner to start flashing, summoning me to check my messages (the Facebook application that I have installed on my phone notifies me every time someone messages me, writes on my wall, or comments on any of my photos). The hope that someone out there perhaps liked my most recent status update or posted on my wall to make plans for the weekend keeps my eyes glued to the phone, always waiting for the glittering flash of the little red bulb.
My day ticks on and on, ever forward, but there is always that feeling of lonely disconnect when I am unable to see what my friends are doing, where they are, or what they are thinking at any given moment in time. Sometimes, I press the key on my phone that illuminates the screen, even when there is no flashing light; a compulsive act stemming from the constant need to know every detail in the online database that is my friends’ lives; the site that has taken over as if it were a weed. No one has posted on my wall or commented on my status; the guilt of having looked sets in and I drop my phone into my bag, hoping to forget about the Facebook world that is going on without me.