I Accidentally Deleted This Post...So, For Your Enjoyment, I Have Written Every Damn Word Again

As the title implies, I deleted my post for this week. I can say without hesitation that it was one of the most disheartening moments of my life. Nothing like writing paragraphs of analysis only to erase the whole damn thing with the click of a mouse...gotta love technology. 

Anyway, I write a lot. Whether it's a second blog post, a paper for school, or a chapter in the novel I am working on; I spend a lot of my time working with words. I naturally use different formats and visual cues in each type of writing. I had not until this week's readings, however, ever considered the fact that, though my writing lacks pictures, it is nonetheless "graphic". But it makes sense. We don't just think about how we create sentences, but the presentation of our finished writing. I carefully selected a font for this post, and thought out paragraph breaks so that you fine people would enjoy reading what I have to say. As Bernhardt said, we do things like this, "as a means of revealing structure, content, and logical progression."

This simple matter of "graphic" proponents has a huge impact on writing. Everyone judges books by their covers. Wysocki echoed this concept when he said, "The visual presentation of a page or screen gives you an immediate sense of the genre." You don't need to read a single word to have an impression of what kind of writing is being presented. I would be interested in seeing an example where the visual properties and the writing do not match in this way. I imagine that it is rare. Would a disjoint like that provide interest or just confuse and anger misguided readers?

In reference to the Solomon reading, I am just happy to know that someone else is as passionate about punctuation as I am. 

Critical Photo-Essay Proposal

I am very interested in the question: What is writing? As writers, we should have a concrete concept of this, but I would be willing to argue that we none of us completely agree on the answer to that question. Naturally, if I write a novel that's probably indisputably writing. But what about the text message I just sent? Or how about the tweet I just...tweeted? (Is that the correct jargon? I don't actually do the twitter thing, I just figured it well illustrated my point). 


For my project, I will be researching how others have addressed this gray area. I will pay almost exclusive attention to writing involving electronic elements, and how technology can, or has already, changed the way that we view writing as a whole. I plan on using visual examples of writing found within the world of the interweb that applies to the research presented in a way that clarifies the points being made. 


I would like to eventually show that the very definition of writing has been altered by online formats, and then offer some scholarly opinions in regards to the positive or negative elements of that change. 

Thoughts and Stuff...

IText

In this article, I was struck by the commentary on meaning assignment. In studying rhetoric, we spend a lot of time discussing how the way we present a piece of writing can influence whether or not the work is successful. In the article, it was said that, "the new forms and functions of ITexts present new challenges to meaning-making." I had never before considered the idea that technology would alter the way in which we, as writers, assign meaning to our texts. 

Essentially, the entire concept of rhetoric has to be altered to apply to the newer, faster mediums in which writing is now being done. With little to no demographic control, writing has to become broader and more accessible in order to be more technologically friendly. How will this change the way that we write? I almost feel that something will be lost if the meaning of writing has to be altered to appeal to the greater reaches of audiences. 

Pencils to Pixels

It is so strange to consider a pencil as technology. When someone says technology my first thought is of iPads, laptops, and cell-phones. A pencil? A pencil is just something that I keep in the bottom of my backpack just in case my computer runs out of battery power. To think that something so simple could cause such an uproar is remarkable. It makes one really consider how every small advancement in our society was at one point revolutionary. 

It is interesting to consider the technology that we use on a daily basis, and think back to a time when it was revolutionary. Our class alone utilizes so many incredible advancements. Heck, I probably wouldn't have been able to spell the word "advancements" without the spell-check feature of this blog (that's a hypothetical example. Of course I can spel) 

This article made me wonder: What will the next revolutionary idea be? What will knock us off our feet the way the pencil once did?

History Now

I just recently had an friendly argument with my father regarding Wikipedia. He, like many of his generation as I have noticed, voiced a hesitation. He claimed that Wikipedia is unreliable, and cited a few examples where errors have not been corrected properly. I agreed with the point that errors are not fixed immediately, but made the point that the 

ability to connect people and utilize vast areas of knowledge is an incredible concept. 

We have talked a lot about the ability of technology to connect people. Wikis are a fantastic example of the possibilities. We can all connect and share our experiences and knowledge with others. There are some douche bags that give sites like Wikipedia a bad reputation, but, as a whole, I would say that the benefits outweigh the potential lunacy. 

There is simply a necessity to verify facts that are found on sites like these. But, then again, these days you should probably verify everything you read on the internet. For instance, I can tell you on this blog that the man that invented chloroform used it to kill himself in prison after after throwing sulfuric acid on prostitutes. Or, that Jagermeister was intended to be a cough syrup originally. You probably should verify that before you take my word for it. (Except I got those facts from Reddit and we all know that Reddit is always full of truth). 

Introduction Video

What is Rhetoric? No, Seriously. What the Hell is Rhetoric?

I've been an English major for a couple of years now, and I still have no idea what the hell "rhetoric" means. It seems to be a word that becomes more complicated the more that you know about it. Reading this week's articles, I came across some points that I found quite interesting and thought provoking.  


Firstly, Covino and Jolliffe made me feel a lot better about not understanding rhetoric. They acknowledge the fact that, "there is no short answer...rhetoric might be understood as the study and practice of shaping content." One could possible understand rhetoric (or at least I do) as the set of tools you have to present yourself to the world. Elements like delivery, style, and arrangement can have an effect on the way an idea or concept is perceived. In that way, rhetoric is essential to the transmission of thoughts from one to another. 


Rhetoric's function then is to offer explanations and persuasion. As Grant-Davie puts it, "a rhetorical situation is a situation where a speaker or writer sees a need to change reality and sees that the change may be effected through rhetorical discourse." A writer has the opportunity to alter another's state of thinking through strong rhetoric, and in turn alter their sense of what is real. When thought about in this light, rhetoric is a powerful tool. The ability to shape another's perceptions through your work is an outcome that many writers hope to achieve, and a strong understanding of what discourse is most applicable in which situation can go a long way. 


My favorite point made by the readings was one stated by Porter. He quotes that, "property and 'creativity' in language lies in the speaker's ability to create new meanings." The message is that the creation of words and sentences is not the integral part of writing. This naturally comes as a shock to a writing student. I spend a great deal of time focusing on words and sentences. But when I really think about it, I often use what I have heard from others to create my own words. I borrow and sometimes downright steal the words of others. What makes it my own is the meaning that I assign to it. I never realized that by doing that I was actively engaging in a rhetorical situation. I may not understand it, but I apparently do it. 

The World in Shocking Technicolor

I never really experienced a world free of technology, as my generation was surrounded by technological innovation from a very early age. In fact, it's hard to imagine not having that element of life present. It is how we connect to the world around us, and how we manage to present ourselves to others, but it is so commonplace that I think we often miss how impressive technology is. 


Whitacre's videos made me think a lot about this point. People from across the globe that would otherwise never cross paths come together to sing. It is a powerful example of how we can all be unified through the use of technology. We need not be geographically close at all, but can still share moments and create things together. That is much like this class. I am currently in Alaska, and I doubt any of the rest of you are. But here you are, reading my words, connecting with me on a level that would not be possible without the internet. We are being drawn out of our surroundings and are able to experience the world on a grand level. 


The most amazing thing I found within the Whitacre videos, however, was the sense of intimacy that remains intact despite this technological merging of individuals. It is easy to get lost in the world of the internet. Personal identity is not a necessary element, unfortunately. But Whitaker placed emphasis on individuals. Despite having hundreds of people in his virtual choir, he knew certain names and locations to share. The singers were made to be people, and not one technological entity. That's beautiful. 


I often wonder how technology will effect my writing. I certainly don't want to get lost; one amongst millions of nameless voices. These videos give me hope that technology is not going to bring an end to the personal, but simply change the way that we are able to connect ourselves with others. 

Howdy Y'all

I like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. I'm not much into health food. I am into champagne. 

I'm a Junior studying Writing, and whenever somebody asks me what I plan on being later in life with a degree in English I generally respond with "homeless", "the President of the United States", or "trophy wife". I actually want to be Johnny Depp in Secret Window before John Turturro shows up. Or, in other words, I want to live in a kick-ass cabin in the woods and write short stories in my bathrobe.

Before I was an English major my dream was to study psychology and work with violent sexual offenders with the Behavioral Sciences Unit of the FBI. Although I didn't go that route, I can still tell you almost anything you want to know about most serial killers, which I have found makes a lot of people uncomfortable and is not a good conversation starter at parties. 

I was raised in Alaska, and rocked the stereotype by being a competitive sprint dog musher for most of my younger years. Nowadays, I like reading, writing, playing mandolin, and spending time with people I love. I also like Pilates. I don't actually do it. I just think it's a good idea.