Week 6 Journal

     When I first thought about graffiti, before reading the article, I thought it was just a way to mass communicate. Although I mainly just see it on trains in my hometown, I remembered how it was used back in the day for political protesting, etc. Like any kind of writing, the time and place holds great significance.  I wouldn't write a letter on a scrap piece of paper to communicate something important. John Trimbur pointed out that graffiti  "is a mode of public writing." I completely agree because obviously when people tag things it is meant for the public eye. The article claims that graffiti has a number of functions such as to illuminate the writer's personal identity, protecting ones' territory, and to communicate political messages.
     Jeff Ferrel believes that "writing reacts to a call," meaning that people write because of some kind of exigence. Usually, people write to expose their feelings about something or to take a stance. While I mentioned above how I knew graffiti was a way to communicate to the masses, I read the article further and saw Austin confirmed.
     Scenery is a very important aspect of writing. I consider billboards on the highway to be everyday writing because they are large and usually in bright noticeable colors which people see daily on their way to work or whatever. The messages that they intend to publicize are usually somethings that relate to a vast quantity of people. Graffiti, like billboards, are placed in or on specific spots where an abundance of people can read them. It grabs your attention because it is rather unique. I, personally, enjoy trying to figure out what the tags say while waiting for the obnoxiously long train to pass through.
     It was pointed out in the article that graffiti is "socially co-constructed in particular contexts" and that the taggers communicate with others. This is a way that helps the circulation of the texts. Circulation is also a way for a great deal of people to read the message.