Week 6

In the article, it discusses a very unique form of everyday writing, graffiti. Graffiti is special because it is extremely public and it uses unique materials or resources. Spray paint is vastly different from the standard writing tools like computers and pen and paper. Graffiti may be considered vandalism, but it is also an art form. Graffiti is different from most other forms of everyday writing because of how versatile and different it is in respect to place and scene. Scene is very important when it comes to everyday writing. The scene determines the context and often determines the audience. For example text messages can occur anywhere and are read in public. Where as letters and diaries are more public and reserved for the privacy of ones own home. Graffiti on the hand is different because almost every public surface can be vandalized and covered in graffiti. Depending on where the graffiti is, the message will have a different context. For example, in the article, it discusses board of wood covered with graffiti by college kids as an anti-war protest. Where as graffiti on most school buildings is looked at in a negative way and seen as a form of disrespect. Additionally, graffiti in a sketchy alley way is creates an atmosphere of danger where as graffiti on some city walls is almost an art form. Place and scene is essential to the circulation of ideas. For example, with graffiti, the writing is on public surfaces. Therefore, it is continually open for public viewing and the message will circulate quicker. With the Internet, ideas can circulate extremely fast with twitter, Facebook, blogs, news websites, etc. The world wide web is it’s own “scene” all together and provides the best medium to spread ideas. Today, other writing “scenes” like the newspaper or magazines are becoming out of date and irrelevant. Writing in a school or in a busy city will create higher circulation and viewing as opposed to a billboard on a lonely country road. Everyday writing is communication that serves a purpose, by taking time to choose your audience, scene, and context, one can communicate very effectively.