Journal 10

Technology is the base for everyday writing and composing. It’s the most prominent tool used today for writing. We rarely get letters from people today, except the occasional birthday card from Grandma or Grandpa. Letters have turned to e-mails, birthday cards have transformed into e-cards, and thoughts are now communicated through Facebook statuses and tweets. It is so important in today’s age to have access to a computer, smartphone, or any form of technology. 

I agree with Andrew when he talks about Shirky’s point of how technology creates an “Ultimate Game”. Whether anyone will admit it, every time something is posted, whether it be a picture on Instagram or a tweet on Twitter, they are looking for the approval of anyone who see it. Most people do not simply post for intrinsic reasons, but rather to impress and seek approval from the people in their social group.

“A tool's capabilities don't completely determine its ultimate functions.” I really like this quote by Shirky, a computer is a great example too. We can have a computer, but unless we know how to use it, we don’t access it’s full potential. Technology plays a crucial role in everyday writing and composing because we all now use it on a regular basis to achieve simple everyday tasks.

Technology and everyday writing

Technology is very important for everyday writing. Especially since social media has become so prominent in everyones life.  Social Media is incorporated into cell phones now that makes it so much easier to post statuses and other things to social media sites from just about anywhere. These posts to social media are great examples of everyday writing. Not only does technology make everyday writing easier and more accessible, it also makes it much easier to share with different communities of people (i.e your friends or followers).  Technology like computers and other devices connected to the Internet allow the writer to connect to different communities through websites and other such means.  Writers can post their material and easily gain exposure.

            Technology also makes the composition of writing much easier.   Word processing applications like Microsoft Word and Pages make writing as quick as someone can type.  The use of spell check and grammar checks allow people to check their writing and make their writing more conventional.  Also with the aid of the Internet, research can be done much more efficiently than going to a library and searching through shelves on shelves of books.  The Internet has the information you need all on one screen.  The only challenge is deciding if the source is credible or not. The Internet also supports collaboration. A writer can reach out to peers and give and receive ideas. 

Journal 10

Technology serves as the basis for advancement in writing and plays a vital role in the genre of everyday writing.  With the growth of modern technologies, everyday writing is becoming a more broad and well developed form of expression.  Technology and human advancements of communication truly acted at the catalyst for writing with a pen in general.  As Tayina stated, writing became possible with the carving of images on walls and eventually advanced to the use of paper and pen.  Today, digital technologies such as the internet, word processors, type writers, and the intent have allowed for writing to expand and grow even more.  This is an important aspect of everyday writing, for as we discussed in class a characteristic of everyday writing is that it is non-institutional and can be capable of effecting large communities expanded in different areas of the world.  The advancement of technology allows ordinary, 'everyday' people to create written or communicative texts and disperse their ideas all over the world throughout the internet and social media. 

Not only has technology affected spreading everyday writing to different communities although it has also enabled enhancement in more personal texts.  For example, the prating of picture to put in scrapbooks is made possible by digital technologies.  Tattoos are also a form of everyday writing which has developed and have become increasingly safer over the years.  Getting a tattoo today is much safer, cleaner, and accurately done then it used to be.  Technology has truly allowed for the advancement of communication, and with it the advancement of everyday texts.

Journal 10

In everyday writing and composing, technology enables the creator to do certain things, but it is not the reason why they create them. For example, the senior citizens discussed in the article do not use technology just to use it, they use it because it enables them to more easily communicate with their friends and family. It is true that without certain technologies, certain compositions would not exist, however without the creators desire to create the work in the first place, the technology doesn’t matter at all. If you think about it, centuries ago, people made cave drawings and eventually created pen and paper because they had something they wanted to communicate. But if they did not wish to communicate at all, these technologies would not exist.

Technology is also the reason why writing and composing became more accessible and convenient. In the past, people would only be able to receive news from the newspaper, radio, and television at certain times of the day. People had to make time in their day to watch certain TV shows and listen to certain radio stations. Now, people can have access to news and so much more whenever they wish if they have access to the internet. As we have already discussed in other classes, technology allows people all over the world to collaborate through online communication. People with common interests can find each other online through blogs and social media. They can collaborate their ideas to form ideas which are much better than the originals.

Journal 10

   Technology has helped to advance the composing of everyday writing in many ways.  I agree with Taylor and believe that the majority of today’s everyday writing occurs online.  Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media mediums have helped to revolutionize the way that we all compose.  These online mediums allow for direct feedback and a more collaborative way of writing.  This means that there is now a much larger and broader audience that has potential to see what you are composing.  This relationship between the reader and writer is completely new to the previous methods used for everyday writing.  Shirky makes a point to point out and identify the “Ultimate Game.”  In this Shirky says that subjects now feel a greater need for commutative approval.  I believe that this tends to be true in many cases.  Whenever someone makes a Facebook status, or posts a picture on Instagram, they are all looking for approval from others in the form of “likes,” or “comments.

            I believe that this need for approval from others correlates directly with the fact that we all strive for acceptance.  If not everyone then just from the people that belong to our social groups.  This article also points out that this new form of everyday writing which seems to rely heavily on technology and the use of the internet, does not allow for the same kind of personal attachment that a print text could, but that we still use it because it is more readily available.  I believe that this is definitely true and that it is almost human nature to find the fastest and easiest way to solve a problem correctly.

Blog Post 10

Technology has been around for forever. Technology doesn't have to be digital or computerized. Technology can be as simple as a pencil or as complex as a computer. My definition of technology is the use of a tool to perform a specific function. So technology is the tool used to create everyday writing. Without technology we wouldn't have a written form of communication, only spoken words. We would have no books, papers, or ways of preserving information. The improvements in technology have increased the role technology plays in everyday writing. Now, we can write whenever and wherever we want as long as we have internet connection or service. I like the example they used about having to used to memorize phone numbers. We used to have to memorize phone numbers to be able to get in contact with someone. Now, with improved technology, all the contacts we want can be stored in our phones or devices for easy access to their numbers. Without the advances in technology a lot of what has been discovered, made, and invented would not have been. As we discussed last week, once somethings out there, one can "remix" it into whatever they like. Shirky explains that technology enables that, yet it doesn't cause them.

Journal #10

I consider technology the product of innovation that allows for tasks to be completed or problems to be solved in a faster or more efficient way than was previously possible. I'm also extremely proud that I could string those words together in a seemingly coherent sentence. I will use two journal entries from classmates that I found particularly interesting to discuss digital technology and everyday writing. I believe that Christina brings up a great point by stating the digital technology has allowed everyday writing to thrive and now you can argue that everyday writing is dependent upon technology in of itself.

I really like one topic brought up by the article in particular, and that is the phenomena of social production. The author makes the case that social production enhances the level of writing in democratic countries by using the knowledge to combine. Combining ideas to create writing is a wonderful and fascinating process, that is exponentially enhanced by the ability to communicate with people instantaneously, through means of social media. Like Tayina mentions in her entry, "Each platform has a definite community, and everyone has the chance to contribute." This is no more evident than social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, where it is easy to share thoughts, comments, and ideas about topics almost immediately. Even this blog is an example of others (Tayina and Christina) contributing to the ideas I am currently writing about. Technology has enhanced everyday writing by adding the instant collaboration element, and would not be able to exist without it.