Inventing A Writing Technology Essay examples - 1511 Words

Inventing A Writing Technology According to Walter Ong, an influential scholar of the relationship between technology and media, Literacy is imperious. It tends to arrogate to itself supreme power by taking itself as normative for human expression and thought. This is particularly true in high-technology cultures, which are built on literacy of necessity and which encourage the impression that literacy is an always to be expected and even natural state of affairs (316). Ong would probably agree that literacy is so embedded in our current technological culture that it has become part of the standard of living, a necessary requirement for functioning in this highly professionalized world. However, the point of Ong’s prior statement†¦show more content†¦Portability was described as the extent to which the text could be moved or carried. Nature referred to the extent to which the materials used in creating the text and/or writing surface were found in nature and not manufactured or highly processed. Du ring this experiment, I tried to consider what completely natural materials I could find. I resorted to using materials found in my backyard including rocks, dirt, sand, sticks, grass, and leaves. The permanence criterion of the assignment narrowed my choices by eliminating writing in the dirt, sand, or mud or with grass or leaves. Wind or rain would erase any writing created using these materials. The issue of portability further narrowed my decision to use a small, hand-held, sharp rock to scrape or chisel words into a larger stone which was able to be carried. The stone needed to have a writing surface large enough to chisel words but not so large that it could not be easily transported. All in all, inventing a technology which was creative was somewhat of a problem when considering permanence and portability and was overlooked as a criterion. Although the solution to the assignment may sound easy, the creation process was actually very challenging. One reason may be that Oral speech is fully natural to human beings in the sense that every human being in every culture who is not physiologically or psychologically impaired learns to talk (Ong, 322). In U.S. culture, oral speech and writing areShow MoreRelatedEssay on Review of Janet Abbates Inventing the Internet990 Words   |  4 PagesJanet Abbate, Inventing the Internet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999, 258 pages Janet Abbate’s Inventing the Internet explores the history of the Internet as a tale of collaboration and conflict among a remarkable variety of players. (3) Abbate’s writing concentrates on the Internet’s development through social and cultural influences. The book explores the evolution of the Internet from ARPANET to global networks. The Internet’s expansion has existedRead More The Power Of Writing Essay995 Words   |  4 PagesThe Power Of Writing When I entered this class I didn’t think that we would be discussing the concept of writing. In fact, I never thought the concept of writing was that complicated enough to be discussed in a classroom setting. However, as demonstrated throughout history different forms of communication, such as writing, have shaped and evolved human interaction and invoked societal change. For example, in Walter Ong’s essay, â€Å"Writing is a Technology that Restructures Thought,† Ong acknowledgesRead MoreThe First Things Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pageswill perform and be powered. Varying technologies are powered very differently, and this is why it is very important to spend a lot of time in the designing process. One piece of technology can actually perform the same way, but the way it is powered can still be designed in many different ways. Consequently, the drawing and designing process is very important because engineers must find out the most efficient way to power and program their piece of technology. Considering there are so many ways toRead MoreSustainability And Discredit Arguments For Space Exploration1473 Words   |  6 PagesI am writing this paper to claim that space exploration is a huge waste of resources and we should focus our efforts on the sustainability of the Earth. I plan to explore the benefits of sustainability and discredit arguments for space exploration. Sustainability is the more realistic and feasible choice. A very popular argument for space exploration is to protect our Earth that we have managed to almost destroy, by finding another planet to retreat to. Many people believe the only option is toRead MoreEffects Of The Neolithic Revolution1045 Words   |  5 Pageswide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement. The Neolithic Revolution changes the way people lived and peoples roles in society. Additionally, it caused science and technology to advance at an unprecedented rate. Though the Neolithic Revolution changes much of the human race, it never interfered with religion and the need to center society around food. The Neolithic revolution was a major turning point in history thatRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Steve Jobs1178 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis- Steve Jobs Given the task of conceptualizing a man who truly changed the realm of technology as we know it today, my mind secludes one person. That person is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer, now known simply as Apple. For this rhetorical analysis, I will be using three biographies/profiles about Jobs including â€Å"The Real Genius of Steve Jobs† by Malcolm Gladwell with The New Yorker (June 19, 2017), â€Å"Jobs’ Biography; Thoughts on Life, Death, and Apple† from NPR (OctoberRead More B.F. Skinner Essay708 Words   |  3 PagesB.F. Skinner B.F. Skinner was born on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a happy and â€Å"stable† home environment. Skinner spent a lot of time as a child building and inventing things. After Skinner attended Hamilton College, he worked as a newspaper writer. Then, he went to New York City for a few months and worked as a bookstore clerk. It was here that Skinner read books about the famous behavior theorists, Pavlov and Watson (B.F. Skinner Foundation, 2002). When SkinnerRead MoreThe Effects Of Plagiarism1143 Words   |  5 Pagesadvancement. The problems of plagiarism have been discussed for hundreds of years. With technologies, plagiarism becomes a fairly common practice in recent years. Plagiarism is actually recognized as a dishonest act from the 18th century when the original literature takes on more value within society. Readers want to read new creations of ideas and words from writers instead of seeing them polish the writings that have already been emitted. Writers are able at this moment to earn money with theirRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Steve Jobs By Malcolm Gladwell1165 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis- Steve Jobs Given the task of conceptualizing a man who truly changed the realm of technology as we know it today, my mind secludes one person. That person is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer, now known simply as Apple. For this rhetorical analysis, I will be using three biographies/profiles about Jobs including â€Å"The Real Genius of Steve Jobs† by Malcolm Gladwell with The New Yorker (June 19, 2017), â€Å"Jobs’ Biography; Thoughts on Life, Death, and Apple† from NPR (OctoberRead MoreWhat Was Technology Before The Information Era?998 Words   |  4 PagesWhat was technology before the information era? Society revolves around the advancements of technology for the improve efficiency for task and easy access for information. Today, we usually consider a mechanical devices, such as smartphones and computers, something that is categorized with those or relate to them in some way, but was this the start of technology? The word â€Å"technology† has been around longer than the average person would expected, and technology has been the primary component for