It’s no secret that technology has changed every aspect of our lives. Many art forms and activities that we’ve admired throughout history for their simplicity have become very complex in recent years. In this case I am referring to writing itself. Notably the oldest form of communication besides verbally, this change has taken place over many years. It has now come to the point where simply putting pen to paper is not satisfactory anymore for the majority of people. This form of expression has become ancient in a sense because it is not heavily relied on as it was with our ancestors. Instant gratification and time management has practically wiped written data off the planet. Figuratively of course, however to write something by hand is becoming less and less relevant in our society. With the discovery of new technology, writing as a whole has changed completely. One reason I feel this is the case is due to convenience. As we discovered early in the semester with our crayon assignment, writing can be a tedious task physically. It is difficult to transcribe large amounts of data by hand without experiencing some level of discomfort. Another reason I feel writing is changing is the time constraint it requires. It is very time consuming to simply write down large amounts of data. With the demand for documents and information in today’s society, physical hand writing is simply no longer practical.
Leaving handwritten information in the past was a print book which has begun to be revolutionized in itself. Books are the foundation of text and so is everything about them. Mostly, the codex and how the information is displayed has been ingrained in us since we were born. This being said this revolution is understandably a big deal. However, information was being successfully transferred before this revolution, contrary to popular belief, so why the change? Bolter stated that “a book symbolizes authority and stability, while digital media symbolizes flexibility, interactivity, and speedy distribution. (p.22)” This claim is very valid due to the way both mediums are used. Books prove to be a more legit and qualified source of information and although still used for leisure, they are depended upon as an authentic research tool. Both mediums play significant roles in our society. This being said, what about those who consider themselves old fashion reader? Will they be left behind? As with any change there are some costs. In this case, many people simply have to adapt themselves to the newer technology in order to function in society. Growing up with this technology, I know firsthand that it aids the learning process tremendously. This being one of the most important pay offs in my opinion, due to the fact that students will one day be the ones furthering this revolution. The reason this change in writing has been so successful is because the payoff is substantially more than the cost. One of the sacrifices I feel was definitely made in this revolution of writing is the quality of the written work itself.
The Bayeux Tapestry is a great example of the extent that authors went to relay information. Arguably the influence for webpage today, papyrus allowed readers to view pictures as they read, in a scrolling fashion such as is performed today with a computer. Not easy to make, and with the scarcity of the resources, usually sheep hide, the quality of writing increased because of the hassle is was to document it in the first place. Fast forward to today’s day and age, when all you simply have to so is type, the quality of work drastically decreases. In Writing Space, Bolter mentions that the medium of books is still heavily respected by writers seeing how no one really prefers to publish their books online. However, many authors so make their work available online as well as in hardcopy. This allows their books to be downloaded onto handheld devices. With products like the Kindle (electronic book) and audio book on the market, exploring other ways to publish literature can only benefit the author. In this way the revolution in writing has forced writers to adapt in order to reach more people and see more profit.
In the chapter my group was assigned for our prezi, chapter 3 to be exact, Bolter focused heavily on hypertext which is the text displayed on a computer or any other electronic device that includes hyperlinks. With these hyperlinks one is able to quickly move from one idea to another by clicking the link on the page. Hypertext is probably the most influential factor in the writing revolution. By allowing one to explore several different ideas simultaneously, it changed the speed of information completely. This new “associative writing” style has opened up a new way of thinking that wasn’t possible with print books. Obviously, clinking a link to a new site is much easier and more convenient than looking for another book in all. Also, reading about something and being able to watch a video link about it at the same time is much easier and convenient then doing the two tasks separately.
In literal terms I feel Jay David Bolter’s “Writing Space’ can be directly connected to the enormous growth of an author’s writing space today. It is virtually endless with the resources we have today. Mainly the internet itself, with blogs and forums, as well as the ability to exchange ideas and teach as well as learn, I feel that writing will never be the same, which is a good thing, for the most part.
