RR #12 Baron
Summary
Through his
article “From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literary Technologies” Dennis
Baron examines different writing technologies, how writing is inherently a
technology within itself, and how these technologies affect both the literate
and those striving for literacy. Baron chronicles the history and evolution of
writing technologies, from the general public’s initial resistance of the lead
pencil to the writer’s rejection of the computer in favor of the typewriter.
Eventually, Baron notes, time and time again, as these new forms of technology
soaked into the infrastructure of society, they were accepted as the definitive
tools of present-day communication.
Pre-Reading
I write
with my cellphone, computer and hand. With each tool, I write differently. When
texting on my phone, communication is usually trimmed down to its necessities,
and there isn’t much color in my language. When writing with a pencil, I’ll
usually articulate my thoughts on the page, try things, erase them, start
again. But it is with the computer that I truly feel free to write anything. It
all comes down to convenience.
Synthesis
This
article reminds me of the excerpt from Malcolm X’s biography that we read a
couple days ago. In prison, Malcolm’s literacy sponsor came in the form of a
prison library. There he learned everything he could about reading, writing and
the way communication works and sounds in professional, social, and religious
environments. Today, the internet holds an unfathomable magnitude of
information, all available at the tips of one’s fingers. If you want to know
how a butterfly is born, you can mosey on over to Google and get a good look,
up-close and personal of a caterpillar’s cocoon. Oh, you don’t know what the
word “hibernation” means? Make your way over to dictionary.com and have your
mind blown. The internet is the largest modern-day sponsor of literacy, and the
evidence that backs up the technological revolution it’s spurred is staggering.
Questions for Discussion and Journaling
2) When I read this article, I don’t see Baron scoffing at
the idea of technology being capable of completely renovating the playing field
of modern-day communication. I think he full-heartedly supports this theory.
New forms of technology don’t affect just writing, but its convenience as well.
For example, before the cellphone, communication via telephone required
coordination between both parties. If you weren’t in the house, or even maybe
the closest room to the phone, you could miss out on a conversation possibly
capable of changing your day, week or life. It required time-synchronization;
it required patience. With the cellphone, you can be anywhere, anytime, and
still be able to take care of all your affairs. Convenience is the lifeblood of
technology.
Personal Opinion
I quite
enjoyed this article, and Baron’s thorough analysis of the ways technology
shapes writing. I found myself agreeing with him over and over again. What I found most interesting was the idea that, at one point in time, the pencil,
essentially a wooden stick with lead in the middle, was considered to be a new, radical technology. It really speaks to the inherent resistance people have
towards change. It touches on much more than technology and the way it shapes
society, but I’m getting too philosophical and I’ll desist. But, yes, a very
interesting article. A nice change of pace definitely.
No comments:
Post a Comment