2-23-09 Freewrite

I would guess that Johnson, when referring to the hypertext link as a new form of punctuation, means that the hypertext link can play the role of ending or partitioning a paragraph, sentence, idea, or group of ideas. I would have to agree with his theory that the hypertext link plays this role in online writing. One example that I would cite would be the use of links in many blogs. Often times, a hypertext link is posted at the end of a passage and is almost always at the end of a string of thoughts/ideas or sentence. I have seen blogs have several sentences in a row discussing one topic and at the end of this string of sentences will be a link to more information on the topic, similar opinions, or opposing views. Additionally, the hypertext link can be used as punctuation in ending an entire blog post. On many blogs, a link to a news story or column will be posted two lines below the end of a post. Sometimes, a hypertext link is posted in the middle of a sentence or group of sentences. In this role, it can cause the reader to pause to ponder what is contained on the page or to cause the reader to go to the page.

2-16-09 Freewrite

One of the stages that literary technology goes through is an expansion of its user base. At first, new literary technologies are only used by a small group of "elites" that are usually more wealthy and able to afford new, more expensive technologies. Eventually, the technology becomes less expensive and less controversial and spreads to all those who are interested in using it. Baron also asserts that literary technology presents lots of opportunities for fraud. He believes that advances in literary technology can increase plagiarism amongst other things and can lessen the works of honest writers. I think these stages can be accurately applied to increased usage of the internet and mobile devices. Both have become more popular as their cost has decreased and they have become a huge part of mainstream society. Additionally, these technologies provide new frontiers for fraud.

I think that Ong would agree with Baron's stages of literary technology. He would agree that literary technologies, in their initial stages, are often not available to many people. He would also agree with Baron that new literary technologies will eventually cheapen and will become more of a mainstream part of society.

I think that Baron and Ong would believe that the use of web 2.0 and mobile technologies are another example of these literary stages. They would easily be able to see the new abilities that these technologies allow for those that want to commit fraudulent acts such as plagiarism, etc. Additionally, mobile technology, in particular, was very limited in its use during its initial stages. However, in today's world, almost everyone has a cell phone or pda and they are in almost constant use.

Response to Proust and the Squid

As soon as I began to read Proust and the Squid I immediately realized that there was more to the science of reading than I had previously attempted to wrap my mind around. In a society where we are constantly surrounded by writing and text, I think we take for granted how complex the process of comprehending the written word really is, even in its most basic form.
The methods through which Sumerian children learned the skill of writing was strikingly similar to the way in which American children learn to write today. The principles of observation, association, and repetition can be found in both. The English language itself, not just the methods through which it is learned, has it roots in past languages such as Greek and Latin.
It is easy to see why Wolf states that the alphabet is one of the most efficient systems of writing. The brain diagrams on page 62 along with the anecdotes that she tells make it apparent that the circuitry of the brain is very conducive to quick learning of alphabets. Wolf’s assertion that an alphabet leads to more novel thinking is an accurate one, as long as you accept her first premise that the alphabet is an easier and more efficient method of learning writing. If more people are able to learn to read and write, they will be able to learn from the writings of others and come up with their own ideas and mental frameworks. In other words, the alphabet leads to the “democratization” of writing in that more people are able to develop and spread their ideas through reading and writing and these skills are not just limited to the elites, as was often the case in early hieroglyphic systems.
The “two stories” illustration that Wolf uses to describe the manner in which young children learn to read is an interesting an insightful approach. The first story that she tells, in which a child learns to read from hearing readings from parents, phonetics, and association with his or environment, reminds me of the way that I was taught to read (or at least how I was told I was taught to read). My mother was insistent upon frequently reading to me and also insistent that I learn through phonetic methods. As a result, I was able to read at a very young age, so it is clear to me that in many cases, these frequently used methods in our society are efficient ones. However, the second story that Wolf tells shows that many children are at an early disadvantage when it comes to reading. Due to a lack of effort or lack of literary ability in a child’s family, many children from poorer environments arrive at early schooling at a disadvantage. It is obvious that, due to these socioeconomic conditions, many children are less exposed to spoken words and have fewer opportunities to look at written words. I strongly agree with Wolf when she states that a level playing field, in terms of early reading abilities, for all children of all socioeconomic conditions is achievable. However, I believe that the methods of government sponsored pre-school education that Wolf credits are not achieving the results of “leveling the playing field,” as we continue to see little or no improvement in the literacy rates of inner-city children (i.e. Detroit). Thus, making it all the more important that our country continues to study the science of reading, so that we can create better results and opportunities for future children.

Messages in the Landscape

For the “Messages in the Landscape” assignment, I chose to photograph something that we all see an almost daily basis at George Mason University, posters on bulletin boards in buildings around the campus. Most of the posters that I photographed were advertisements but a few were not. Some were posters with tabs, so that people could take the information with them. These posters are something that I walk by each day while on campus and do little more than glance at and I have often wondered how much attention other people pay to these “unofficial” messages. I would consider them to be “unofficial” because they are not sponsored by part of the university nor are they sponsored by a corporation. They are relatively non-complex advertisements put up by individuals or small groups. The designs, for the most part are very basic, utilizing little more than 12 point Times New Roman text or the like. Many don’t even include clip art or images. These postings are almost all on basic copy paper and do not require more than a personal computer and a printer or copier for their creation. I would consider many of the other postings on these very same bulletin boards to be “official” messages. While these may be similarly basic in their design and production, they are put up by departments within the university or by companies such as Kaplan. Many of them also include trademarked logos or official symbols.

2-9-09 Freewrite

Ong's statement that "writing has transformed human consciousness" means that the technology of writing has transformed the way that people think, work, and live. As we have discussed in previous classes, writing and text surround us at almost all times. The knowledge of literacy shapes our society in a much different way than it would be in what Ong calls a "purely oral culture."
Another invention that has greatly transformed human consciousness is that of the computer. Even though the two can be considered to be closely related, I would put the size of the computer's impact in the same range as that of writing. The computer has shaped the way that our society thinks and functions. We depend on computers, much as we do on writing, every day; in fact, most of the the printed text that we see on a daily basis comes from a computer. Computers are used in classrooms in Kindergarten and in doctoral studies and are also used in virtually every workplace in modern society. Computers and writing can be used for a wide variety of activities such as creating a business plan or composing a song. Much like writing, the invention of the computer has enabled new ideas, new discoveries, and other new inventions.

Response to Orality and Literacy

I think Ong’s definition of writing in the first chapter as the “commitment of the word to space” is an apt description but also gives a very expansive meaning to the word. Another important part of his idea of writing is that it is not effective without orality. This, to me, is a very accurate point especially when I step back and think about how I read and write. Often times when I am reading or writing, I find myself unintentionally whispering the words aloud.

It is clear that Ong believes that much literature is based on a structure of orality. In other words, the words or groups of words on paper must come from a pattern that comes out of the way these words would be spoken. This can best be seen when he describes Homer as an “assembly-line worker” rather than a “creator.” He makes it obvious that he believes that Homers work came from somewhat of a pre-determined pattern and paradigm of orality.

The concept of a primary oral culture is very difficult for me, and I would imagine everyone else in modern American society, to imagine. The idea of not being able to see or look up words would make life different and much more difficult. Additionally, I see a primary oral culture as a place in which it is very difficult to organize thoughts and ideas, particularly those that require significant amounts of stringing together. Ong’s example concerning names makes this particularly clear. His idea that names serve as labels in typographic cultures rings true and shows a significant contrast to the way things would work in purely oral culture. Ong’s discussion of the method of memorization in a primary oral culture goes back to his idea of the importance of patterns and formulas to orality, especially in its purest form.

Another of Ong’s key points is that writing in a literate society greatly impacts the thought processes of its members. Ong, working from Plato’s idea that technologies such as writing, computer, and calculators makes the mind weak, actually makes sense to me. I have noticed in my work, that the ability to rely on calculators or thesauruses on the computer allows me to put less effort into learning certain skills and memorizing certain things. Ong’s definition of writing ties in with our discussion in the first class session about writing as an important technological step in human history. Ong presents an interesting question when he discusses the frames of mind of an audience and writer. Even in our present day culture of fast written correspondence, a writer and reader may be in entirely different and constantly changing frames of mind throughout an email chain or instant message exchange.

Ong stresses the importance of text not only to literacy but also to society as whole. He goes as far as stating that the Protestant Reformation was a product of the technology of print. He also makes an accurate point in asserting that print technology played a vital role in making sight a more dominant force than hearing in society. One of the most important factors of this influence is the distribution of books and publications containing things considered to be fact and their spread from there. Print creates what Ong describes an idea or feeling of closure which leads to facts and thoughts becoming more concrete in readers minds and therefore society.

Helvetica Freewrite

After watching the movie Helvetica in class last week, I made an effort to observe the different types of typefaces around me and the contexts in which they were placed. In the past, I had not noticed how prevalent Helvetica was in advertisements, corporate logos, book covers, etc. One thing that I observed, was that the topic or theme of an item had a significant impact on the choice of typeface that was used. For example, at my apartment I have a small collection of political books and biographies of political figures. The typeface used on the covers of these books was something that appeared more serious. I saw Helvetica and similar typefaces in more “casual” places, such as the logos for shops that sell items for the household (Target, etc.).

In addition to noticing the style of typeface around me, I also realized how much typeface was around me. Without making a conscious effort, I had not previously realized the amount of text that we see in our everyday lives. In reality, we are surrounded by it and would not function as we do without it.

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