Week 15 Journal

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing?

Technology has played a huge role in everyday writing and composing in that the texts can spread infinitely faster than before.  Distribution is a huge part writing.  Famous writings would never have been popular if not first distributed to the eyes and ears of everyone.  Technology also allows people to create more perfect texts.  This is purely because of word processing and spell/grammar check.  Without these technologies people would be send people PDF's of every document.  Also with the rise of technology in the 21st century came the death of the newspaper and magazine.  Almost all composing today is done on a computer because it is much easier to edit a word document than a handwritten paper.  Also shipping and printing is now irrelevant and outdated.  In the end many different types of technology has altered every kind of composing and everyday writing.

LAST JOURNAL!!

Technology has played a major role in the writing community. It has made it easier to be a published writer and to casually write. Computers and the internet provide an effective medium between everyday writing and it's circulation to readers which has allowed the practice of writing to be more convenient and accessible.

The article states that elders have started using email more and more. Technology has changed so much in their lifetime. With majority of the population being younger than them, the advancements have forced the elderly to learn how to use technology to communicate with those younger than them. For example, my grandparents and I Skype on a normal basis. However, until a few months ago, they not know how to operate the technology that they use to Skype (iPad). I have to call them and they need to hear it ring in order to use it. In a way, these calls have helped them learn how to utilize technology more and more, and now they use the iPad to text and email me. This technology has increased the number of people who partake in everyday writing and sharing.

In addition to allowing an easier medium for the composition of different everyday texts, technology has allowed us to advance our everyday writing. We now have the ability to look up information, confirm our ideas, and communicate with sources. This has helped in many regards. As a college student with limited access to television and the news, I rely on the unreliable sources of Facebook and Twitter for my news. The everyday texts that make up my news that I see on my newsfeed, is able to be verified with just a few clicks on google.

Week 15 Journal

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing?

Whether it is printed media or digital media, technology is present in all types of writing and composing. If it weren't for technology, writing wouldn't exist. The technology does not need to be digital, it can merely be a pen and a piece of paper. Technology aids the process of writing; it allows humans to communicate amongst each other and it also allows the distribution of ideas to happen easily. When it comes to everyday writing this is especially true. The purpose behind everyday writing is to communicate between two or more people or groups of people, and the writing itself has a purpose. With technology, especially digital technology, people can express their ideas and compose easily and spread their ideas to the people that they want to communicate whether that is one person or the whole world (i.e. spam).

Technology not only aides everyday writing and composing, but it also creates new genres within everyday writing as well. Letters became phone calls which then became e-mails and then Facebook then Twitter and Snapchat which are all new forms of everyday "writing". Friends in reality became followers digitally who then became internet celebrities who could influence far more people than you as one person could because they became models for our culture. What was a person who couldn't afford new clothes then became someone who was thrifty after the crash of the Stock Market who then became a "hipster" in modern ages. Technology allows everyday "texts" to circulate and spread ideas and connect people who choose to be a part of those ideas. Technology doesn't just have a role in everyday writing and composing, it has become everyday writing itself as well as being a person's aide in composing that writing.

Week 15

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing?

Technology has allowed for new was of creating and sharing writing. As new technologies are created they are not given attention because they are a new technology but rather because they provide some kind of service or use that makes it easier for someone or a group of people. The ability to communicate more easily allows for collaboration to happen and people learning from others. Technology allows for writing to be about more than just writing and has become a way of using writing to teach each other and learn from each other on more than just things that were common before the new technology. Now any topic was fair game when writing because there was a wider audience for the writing and the writers had more motivation to write. When writing the writer knew that they could get feedback from what they write that would allow them to learn in return for what they are providing. Some examples of how technology has changed everyday writing are blogs, social networking websites, and online review boards. Blogs are used to put information about a person or topic out to a place where a large community can access it. This focus on a specific community changes the way that the writing is composed it is written with words that are specific to that community. The physical composition of writing has also changes due to technology; it has progressed from scratching in stone to using pen and paper to a printing press and now to computers, which offer a variety of different ways of creating a text.

Week 15 Journal

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing? 

Technology has played a huge role in everyday writing and composing. It has given us the opportunity to make writing easy, and taking advantage of this opportunity serves you well. It gives us a way to learn, share knowledge, and be apart of something in a convenient way. People of all ages have come to realize the opportunity that technology hold and like it said in the reading "if a tool is useful, people will use it" which hold true today. Many people who were unable or unwilling to use technology due to their age and lack of wanting to change their way soon came to realize how easy it could make their lives. "Looking at technology from a different perspective shows you how valuable it really is" is the outlook people should hold with technology. Its made mean of keeping up with family and friends, and sharing your life with them, very easy and stressless. Not only can you keep up with prior relationships, it gives you the opportunity to meet new people and hear what they have to say. The technology in todays world serves many purposes in our lives. It enables us to communicate, learn, rather than just one thing at a time, like a book where you can only learn from it, not give it more information. 

Week 15 Journal

Technology plays a huge role in everyday writing and composing by enabling mass communication. It is now possible for a piece of literature or important piece of news to reach a sizable audience in a matter of minutes. Not only has the speed increased but the diversity and geological spread of the people. The World Wide Web has created a world where people across the globe can communicate with each other with very little effort exerted.

Technology has also gotten people more involved in communication through the creation of social media. Everyday writing loses its appeal when a reaction by the audience cannot be seen by the person who created the exigency. Getting likes on a Facebook status or followers on Instagram or twitter can encourage a person to keep posting things onto digital media. These incentives didn’t exist (or at least were not as apparent) before technological advances which might be a reason as to why people did not write as much.

In regards to the readings question about what people do with their free time and why it should put towards more productive things, the answer is very simple. People like doing things they enjoy, which usually revolve around unproductive and lazy activities. The Z boys, as mentioned in the article, were able to take a relatively unproductive hobby (in terms of societal advancement) and transform the skateboarding culture worldwide. These hobbies that people do in their free time can generate new ideas and change cultures as is the case with the Z boys.

Week 15 Journal

Technology undoubtedly plays a significant role in everyday writing and composing. After reading the article, my view on its exact significance changed. Its role isn’t as lofty or essential as we have always assumed it to be. Technology is important, but what is more important is its function, and how we choose to utilize that function. This belief is expressed in our assigned reading, where Shirky states that some “articles came from a focus on the technical means rather than on the social opportunities of that communication”. He also makes a profound statement, saying, “No one wants e-mail for itself, any more than anyone wants electricity for itself; rather, we want the things electricity enables”. This supports the idea that technology itself isn’t as valuable as one may think. Having said that, the presence technology should not be overlooked. The ability to enjoy all of the things that e-mail enables, such as gossip, discussion, argument, etc. is not possible without the actual presence of the technology (e-mail). The same goes for electricity. The things that electricity enables, some of which includes light, television, etc. is not possible without the presence of the technology (electricity). Shirky made a very good point early in the reading when he said, “We create opportunities for one another that we wouldn’t otherwise have. By treating one another well (fairly, if not always nicely), we can create environments where the group can do more 98 Cognitive Surplus Opportunity 99 than the individuals could on their own”. That is probably my favorite line of his in the entire reading, and I couldn’t agree any more with that sentiment. This brings back up the concept of collaboration. The ability and willingness to cooperate with others is almost always beneficial to all parties involved. I thought the quote Shirky used from Farrell was interesting. Farrell states, "Most collaborative circles consist of a core group who interact frequently and a peripheral 'extended' group who vary in their degree of involvement. The core comprises those members who meet together on a regular basis, discuss their work, and through their interaction develop a new vision, while the extended group disseminates the ideas arising from the core”. The way that Farrell separates divides the concept of collaboration into two more distinct groups is quite interesting.

Week 15 Journal

In everyday writing and composing, technology plays the role of increasing speed and allowing writers to write more efficiently. There is less mess when using a computer, where words are typed and edited without having to go to the trouble of erasing and leaving smudged ink or graphite all over the page. Nowadays, kids are taught to type at an early age, starting with computer games such as Type to Learn 3 with Father Time, moving on to a game that is not as fun to help them learn how to type, and finally put their skills to the test with projects that require a typed essay. Common technology, such as cell phones, allow us to stay in contact with people without having to flip through a giant phone book to find one person’s phone number. As people who did not have cell phones when they were younger, “We memorized phone numbers when we had to, but we never liked memorizing those numbers and we were never very good at it. We did it because it was a requirement for other things we did like, such as talking with our friends.” This, however, can also be a downside. Electronics require energy to work, so batteries need to be replaced or recharged. If someone is lost, his or her phone dies, and they do not have the charger, the owner most likely has not memorized the phone number of someone he or she needs to reach to go get them. While technology is faster, it does not help reduce the laziness of the human race.

Week 15

Technology has become a necessity in the 21st century for people in first world countries. Internet has become a place for expression on a large stage; people can reach millions of others due to the newest technology.
In the article, the elderly have started to learn new technologies as of late. Now, my grandparents still have trouble using email, but I have heard of many people my age having grandparents that Skype them frequently and even use Facebook and Instagram.
The article also points out that people have made these technologies by using their time in generous ways. I disagree, most inventors invent so they can say that they did something amazing. I do not believe that every person that invented something worked their entire life to selflessly give us The Goonies.
Technology has helped every day writing become wide spread so that others may collaborate and  share their opinions on certain subject matters.

Week 15 Journal

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing?

Technology has sufficiently evolved the world we live in, in even more ways than we even realize. Before the age of computers, there was no email or long distance communication, or accessible knowledge at the click of a mouse. If people wanted to compose or view others' writing, they had no option but to leave the comfort of their homes and send their letters from a post office and find their information from the library. Before cell phones (and more specifically smartphones) print writing or face to face was the only means on interpersonal communication. Now, however, there is a technological tool for just about any task that someone could ever wish to complete. This led to the decline of print newspaper sales, magazines, libraries, post offices, etc because there no longer was a need to venture out and complete these everyday tasks by purchasing these goods when they were more easily accessible online. Following the movement in the direction of technology and online sites, technology has vastly impacted not only what everyday writing is, but also how its done. Technology now helps to define everyday writing in that it enabled individuals to compose through new methods such as email, text messages, blogs, online newspaper and magazine sites, as well as granting the ability for anyone to create their own web pages on the Internet. The emergence of new types of everyday writing goes hand in hand with how these pieces are composed as well, in that due to the ability to instantaneously publish an individual's work and have it be seen by an immense amount of people, a trend has started in the direction of digital composing over print. More and more people are taking this easier and more accessible route and so the technology that allows this is continuously changing what everyday writing is and how we are going about creating it with the help of all of these advanced technological tools.

week 15

Technology was made by humans and intended for us to use it. The point the article makes about us not wanting the technology itself but wanting it because of what it lets us do seems to be an obvious one. When we think of computers we don't start thinking about microchips, motherboards, and servers. What comes to our mind is Google, Microsoft Word, Facebook, or in other words how we use computers. This is because, as the article is also saying that we're more concerned with the ways we satisfy our human desire to connect, interact, and get attention from others. 

In the terms of writing and everyday writing this means first that those who want to write are going to use computers to do so because it allows them to satisfy that desire.

Another point in the article talked about the Z-boys and what their collaboration and shared interest did for skateboarding. These boys were able to work together satisfying their desire to skate, which led to the expansion of the sport.  I would say that the same thing has happened with technology and everyday writing. As people that love to share, communicate, and interact are able to collaborate by using technology like the computer, keyboards, and various sites on the internet the field is able to expand. For example genres we have covered in this class such as status updates, we only have through the creation of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

People have always been social and therefore will continue to be social by the means available to them. The article also talks about this point bringing up mobile phones. Before there were contact lists people had to memorize each phone number. However annoying it was necessary and we did it. Now we don’t have to because of advancement in technology. This same idea can be applied when thinking of everyday writing and technology. We may see a form of everyday writing we use today become a thing of the past with advancement in technology. Technology has the power to do this because we as people are constantly coming up with new ways to do things and changing the world around us. 

Technology has allowed many generations to evolve. It has allowed older people to keep in contact with friends and younger generations to perform tasks easier. All generations use technology in different ways. In the writing community technology has also allowed things to evolve. Long gone are the days of handwriting on hundreds of sheets of paper or blocking out mistakes on a type writer, instead computers allow faster typing and immediate editing. Technology also allows writers to share their ideas to a larger audience. Posting on blogs, emailing or creating emails reaches a way greater audience than simply mailing the works. Writers, no matter they're age, have adapted and used technology in a way that benefits them and their work.

Week 15

     An interesting point made in the article was the fact that we, as humans, do not want the technology itself, but what the technology does for us. For example, the article talks about electricity. We do not like electricity as a thing, but we like what it does for us- turning lights on and allowing us to use the kitchen. In writing, I believe this means we do not like the computer as a technological device, but because it gives us the ability to write.
    The article also states, "Given the right opportunities, humans will start behaving in new ways."
In relation to everyday writing, given technology such as computers and texting devices, humans will use those to act in new ways by communicating differently. Technology plays a very important role in everyday writing. Technology does not have to just refer to electronic devices. I found it very intriguing that skateboards, a form of "technology," could be used to help groups of people collaborate. Michael Farrell said that working together as a group or even just being together will "...improve the ideas of a group and spread them..." This proves how every kind of technology can influence everyday writing and composing. Composing of certain ideas is what communicates messages.
     Napster, an online music sharing software, is another way that people are brought together and can share their ideas and interests. As the times change, people grow older and technology increases, thus requiring everyone to learn it. While some people are reluctant at first, I feel that eventually everyone comes around and learns the new technology because it will help life function more efficiently. We use technology everyday to communicate messages and spread ideas. Phones, emails, social media, interest groups, blogs, etc are all updating constantly which is also continuously renovating the idea of "everyday writing." Technology aids people in adapting to the ever-changing world in order to get across the same ancient purpose which is communication.

 

Week 15 Journal

Technology plays an active role in multiple ways when it comes to everyday writing. For starters, technology has been the forefront of publicity. Ever since the internet was created, not only did writers and composers receive several supplemental resources to use at their disposal, but their unique works had the potential to be widely publicized. This could be done simply by creating a blog, or sharing the work via social media applications such as Facebook. Sure, publication could be possible without technology, but it is technology that makes the process of publication more accessible to both professional writers and casual writers. Technology also serves as both an extension and a heuristic. According to Clay Shirky, people generally use an object not just to simply use it, but to use it in order to conduct another task. The fact that people use emails in order to communicate to friends and relatives indicates that there are other ways to communicate from a distance than by hand-written letters. Because of this, technology can be seen as an extension to the process of communication. It is conducted in the same manner but in a different format, and produces the same outcome. Technology serves as a heuristic for communication because it extraordinarily efficient when it comes to time. Emails are sent and received almost instantaneously. There is almost always no time spent in between sending an email and receiving an email, whereas in physical hand-written letters, writers must usually wait a few days in order to successfully communicate with each other, depending on the amount of distance in between them. Overall, technology has become a big part of everyday writing over the years since its dawning. whether you post on a blog or send an email, just remember; it is technology that initiates the uniqueness and efficiency of your written work.

Journal week 15

What role does technology play in everyday writing and composing? 

Technology continues to grow each and everyday, as using it to write becomes more common and using the usual pen and paper becomes more rare. Technology allows for an easy, uneducated way of staying connected with people. More and more people that are of older age, who grew up without technology, are becoming more aware of how to use things like email and online websites to stay connected with family and friends. Technology is not only used to communicate with people, but to also use as a search engine to find forms of everyday writing that give answers and information to almost anything a person can think of. Other forms of writing and composing, like newspapers, are being transformed onto technological websites, saving people the money of paying for the paper version. Technology plays the role of making all of these things more simply and things like IPads and smart phones, people can bring the internet with them in their pocket and share anything with anyone at just the tip of their fingers, something that can’t be done with print writing. As technology begins to grow, everyday writing will see itself shift completely from pen and paper to computers and other devices. 

Week 15 Journal

Due to the fact that as humans we have an intrinsic motivation to communicate and share with others, it is only logical that the popularity of using technology to communicate instantly is only going to grow. As users of technology, we have the ability to mold a tool to fit the needs of the specific user, sometimes in ways that the maker of the technology never imagined. When the internet was created, the inventor never foresaw the immense popularity and wide variety of new uses that are being created each day. The internet is constantly evolving. Its versatility attracts the inventors of our generation so that they can use their creativity to problem solve and create new ways to communicate, share ideas, store information, spread knowledge and more. Today, technology plays a vital role in everyday writing and composing. The internet, smart phones, computers, tablets, texting, social media, online databases, and more are used frequently and are extremely relevant in today’s society and preferred method of communicating and sharing. People don’t use pen and paper anymore, they type on their lap top. They don’t send out a telegram, they send out a text message. They don’t go to the library and check out books, they go use an online database for academic journals for their research. Instead of buying a newspaper, they simply go to the New York Times website.  Print has its advantages, but so does digital. Technology makes it possible share instanteously, this advantage cannot be ignored. Print media simply can’t compete with the speed of today’s technology. In the article, they describe the internet as an opportunity machine. The amount of information that is readily available to anyone is endless. The simplicity and accessibility to the average person only increases the rate of success with using technology and the internet to take advantage of these opportunities.

Week 14 Journal

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, being a writer in the 21st century means that any idea can be reused to write something more elaborate. Lessig explains how people usually prefer the original over something that is a “remix”, so reusing content that is considered great does not make the remix great. Writing something original that people can or want to relate to makes a writer better than those who reuse something. In Jenkins’ article, Heather’s fake school newspaper based on the world of Harry Potter allows children to share their feelings and use their imagination by pretending that they are part of the wizard world. If used creatively, writing while reusing some of another’s content can be interesting as well as fun.

The emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allows for new ways of composing by giving people a fast way to connect without having to leave their homes. In my previous journal entry, I discussed what collaboration was. Jenkins provided an example of online collaboration with Heather’s fake online school newspaper, as kids went on the site to write their hearts out with their imagination. Lessig’s friend, Ben, wrote papers with a collaboration of quotes in order to explain his findings, but he did not call any of the authors to ask if he could quote them because he did not have to. His collaboration of quotes made his writing not as interesting as it could have been had he tried to explain himself using less quotes and more of his own work.

Week 14 Journal

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, what does it mean to be a writer in the 21st century? Does the emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allow for new ways of composing? 

A 21st century writer is entirely different than the writers from the past centuries. The tools used to write as well as the topics about which people write has completely changed. Lessig and Jenkins both recognized that as technology increases, collaboration has become more and more common. Anyone can be a "writer" in todays world. In the past, in order to be a writer who's work can be seen by many people, you would have to have been published and have what you wrote mass-circulated. Now, thanks to the internet, email, blogs, and social media such as Facebook, you can write anything you want and it is automatically available to anyone with a computer. 

Jenkins discussed how collaboration is increasingly common and how collaboration effects sites and readings such as "The Daily Prophet." Lessig went further and described how the 21st century has allowed to many different means of composing. He described how his roommate from college used quotes from well-known people to construct his arguments in his college papers. This is similar to sampling in music, collaging in artwork, and remixing in digital media, he states. 

week 14

To be a writer in the 21^st century means there is so much more available to you than what other writers had in the past. Today writers don’t have to use just a paper and pencil, if they don’t want to. There multiple technologies that allow for its users to be able to write. The most common and obvious is the computer keyboard. I would say that this is how most people choose to write today. Typing makes writing faster and more efficient through the editing and revising features. Some of these are even done automatically, such as the autocorrect feature. Mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets also allow users to type on a button or touchscreen keyboard. Writers are now able to write on the go, where or where ever they choose. This could mean on the bus or outside in the park. There is no limit to when or where writing can be done today through the use of technology. Furthermore, the Internet allows for writers to instantly upload and publish their writing. On the Internet users have access to writers work from literally anywhere. This provides writers with more information and sources, which expands the possibilities for all writing. With access to pictures, videos, blogs, news broadcast, etc. writers are able to learn and see more than ever before. The collaboration possibilities is also endless because now people from all over the world can look at your writing, and choose to comment or find a way to contact you.  A writer from the United States is able to see what someone from Japan has to say about his or her article instantly. This may help the writer learn more or just see what his work is like through another’s perspective that he would have never gotten if not for the Internet. Technology is improving how we write by opening what we write up to the world.

Week 14 Journal

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, what does it mean to be a writer in the 21st century? Does the emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allow for new ways of composing? 

To be a writer in the 21st century has a completely different meaning then it did before the emergence of technology.  Most people didn't have the access to material to write with that they do today. Before it was all done by hand. You'd write with the materials you had, and to get your writing out there was a process with in itself. Today you are not considered to be part "normal" society if you don't have a smartphone, computer, tablet etc...  Our easy access today makes it so that any piece of our writing can be dispersed to a large number of people just by clicking "post". It gives us a number of options and easy accessibility that we didn't have even 50 years ago. Writing today, on technology, is shorter and, a lot of the time, has less meaning than it did if we were to write in text. Due to social networking our writing has become very short handed and hurried, but only in that situation. Other digital forms like blogs, emails, and Word have make so writing large amounts of text easy and fast, but still holding all the meaning it would have 50 years ago. 

Week 14

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, what does it mean to be a writer in the
21st century? Does the emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allow for
new ways of composing?

Being a writer in the 21st century is much different than in any other century for that main reason that we now have computers and word processors.  Lessig states that writing now has become coding, HTML and other programming languages.  However I think that writing has changed in to very informal writing such as Facebook posts and Instagram captions.  I believe this has happened because a thousand years ago writing was careful and planed because there was very limited resources to write on.  Now places to write are abundant and infinite.  With the world wide web and other digital technologies has created many new ways to compose writing by word processors and blogs such as this website.  Blogger is a perfect  example of how composing texts has changed.  On Blogger someone can quickly draft a flawless text and put it up on a billboard that everyone in the world can see at any time.  

Journal 14

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, what does it mean to be a writer in the 21st century? Does the emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allow for new ways of composing? 

Writers in the 21st century are people that write using the internet as their main tool. Information is available to them for over thousands of sources, and they can also easily communicate with people from all over the world, comparing thoughts and opinions. Before writers in the 21st century, people would rely on others to edit their writing, making sure it would be understood by other people and not just themselves. Now, people use the internet which offers multiple tools and downloadable applications that can edit their paper for any type of audience. The main factor of 21st century writers is collaboration, which is mostly shown through the use of quotes, showing other peoples ideas were incorporated into the writing, supporting the main writers ideas. 

The emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 does allow for new ways of composing. Technology is now becoming the main way that people compose their writing, I rarely ever see people writing on paper, people are always typing on their computer. Not only can a writer use a common writing format, but can also compose in a blog or website, etc. When writing is composed digitally, it is easier for more people to access, read, and enjoy many forms of writing. Technology will continue to improve as the years go on, giving us even more advantages and advancement for composing writing. 

week 14

To be a writer in the 21st century can be difficult. Most of the great words have been said and the great ideas have already occurred. What Lessig alludes to is the idea of using the words of great writers and our own words to make a new and refreshing piece. Collaboration with other writers work helps shine light to new ideas. The quotes pulled from other authors are the backbone of the piece; the words support ideas with theories that have been echoed through time.
The new age of technology has allowed work to be shared around the world. The sharing of work brings people closer by giving them a chance to collaborate and feed off of each others ideas. Like with the kid that made the "Daily Prophet" so other children like himself can write their own online newspaper. The sharing of these kids ideas was only possible because the use of the internet brought them closer.

Week 14 Journal

Before the age of advanced technology, the title of a writer was only given to a select group of individuals who were published, professional, and who made a living off of their writing. However, times have changed and new innovations in technology are continuously made, making the act of writing not only more accessible, but also more common in doing so. With the adoption of computers, smartphones, tablets and other communication devices, the people are now presented with many options to get their word out, if they so chose to. In addition to the increase in technology ownership, social networking sites have been on the incline as well and have granted users with yet another means of communicating their thoughts to the public, making them, in a sense, writers. Although a great majority of these people do not professionally publish their writing for an income, they do indeed perform the act of writing and are therefore considered writers regardless of the reach of their words or the content that they are producing. The emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 have allowed for countless methods of composing works of all sorts as well as venues to display their writing so that it is easily accessible for the general public. To be a writer in the 21st century, in my opinion, does not mean as much as being considered a writer before the age of advanced technology and the internet. This is primarily because it so much easier to not only compose, but also to get the word out and to more people than we can even imagine. Now, anyone who writes is basically a writer, whereas back then it was only those select individuals who possessed superior writing ability and worked hard to publish a book or other text based piece. I feel that the content of the fewer writers in the pre-technological age was more respectable and of higher quality as composed to the ever increasing mass of individuals who publish anything they please (regardless of its quality) and often times do not put as much thought into their writing because it is easy to get it out and into the public. I feel that although these new technologies have made the process of writing and publication easier, the standard of writing has been lowered because of this ease. These new methods of composing have introduced a new, lower standard of what writing and what writers are, changing the field a great deal.

I think being a writer in the 21st century is vastly different situation and holds a different meaning than those who've previously lived. The introduction of the internet shapes the way we look at writing and is responsible for the 'remix' of writing. People are now able to put there writing out there to thousands, even millions of people. A feat that was nearly impossible just a few years ago. The concept of quoting is also an ever changing art form. Access to information is easier than ever before therefore using old works in a common place now. The article was right, it would be very strange to email someone or an institution asking to quote their works. Citing is a very common practice that is made even easier by online bibliography citations. Blogging has also allowed people to easily comment on writing and other art forms. Blogging also in formalizes writing. Blogging is not regulated by an institution nor do many works take long periods of time to compose. Most blogs are quick little snippets of one's experiences or opinions.

Week 14 Journal

Considering both Lessig and Jenkins, what does it mean to be a writer in the 21st century? Does the emergence of digital technologies and Web 2.0 allows for new ways of composing?

Lessig writes, "The RW internet is an ecosystem," in the writing that we read for this week. Within the essay he argues that writing in the 21st century is completely different from writing in the 20th century. With the aid of digital technology and the invention of the internet new ways of writing emerged. Today we have access to a world of knowledge at our fingertips allowing us, as writers, to gather information and use that information to create "texts". In our current society, a text is much more than a credible piece of writing; texts today are pictures, videos, music, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, vlogs, etc. We can, as writers, take from all of these sources and compile bits and pieces of that writing to create something new, much like our past generations did in a library with books and newspapers. What's different now is that we can gather information about a picture taken in 1975 in a moment's notice while students and writers in say, 1980, had to wait until a newspaper was released or an encyclopedia was published.

Composing texts is different now in many ways. The internet allows us, as humans who have their own opinions, to speak out and talk about things as insignificant as what we ate for breakfast that day to blasting the President about his views on environmental protection in a public forum or a blog or a post on some sort of social media. This writing is different than traditional writing such as essays and mandatory assignments. This sort of composing is fueled by our emotions, by the things we find interesting or the things that we are attached to in some sort of way. What is most different between twenty years ago and now, is that most everyone has access to this way of writing. It is public, created for use by everyone.

Before the computer and the creation of the World Wide Web, the masses (meaning populations of people) had to rely on getting information from their televisions and radios. As technology got more and more advanced these dinosaurs of media forms became less needed. As internet became more increasingly available, the average TV reporter and radio broadcaster were no longer needed as the information that they were reporting on had become available hours before the show aired. Information and text were now at our finger tips, allowing us to see the future of the internet, and ultimately changing how generations to come would be able to write.

Blogs, forums, and social media as Lessig says, "are becoming an increasingly dominant form of “writing.” The Internet didn’t make these other forms of “writing” (what I will call simply “media”) significant. But the Internet and digital technologies opened these media to the masses. Using the tools of digital technology— even the simplest tools, bundled into the most innovative modern operating systems— anyone can begin to “write” using images, or music, or video." Digital technologies (computers, smart phones, the internet, etc.) are precisely why writing has evolved to include blogs and such because they aid us in our understanding of our lives and what's happening around us.

Week 14

Based on what Lessig and Jenkins had to say, there are so many more opportunities available to the 21^st century writer. Also, I believe this means that the 21^st century writer can be anyone. This concept in confirmed by how well we have progressed over time. It is so much easier to “write” in comparison to previous times. The heights the 21^st century writer (just about anyone) can attain are limitless, and with that there is a definite sense of freedom.

The emergence of digital technologies plays an enormous role in the life of the 21^st century writer. One can argue that more writing is now done digitally than physically. It is just a faster, usually more efficient way to get your ideas expressed and out into the public. It also opens the door for a number of new ways in which one can compose. These days, a “writer” can write a book using a computer. These days, a “writer” (musical artist) can write a song using a computer. These days, a writer (the average student) can turn in a term paper using a computer. There are so many ways that one can compose these days, due to the ever-changing and evolving capabilities of the digital technologies that exist now.

Last week, we read about Jenkins article and how profound of an impact Harry Potter has had on our culture. There was one particular example from that article that I found interesting and that we discussed in class. It was the young lady who created the “Daily Prophet”, the site where avid Harry Potter fans could immerse themselves into a world that coincides with that of the Harry Potter world. This composition was obviously very important to a number of people, and a particular form of digital technology facilitated this.

In Lessig’s reading, he talks about the extensive yet so accurate and elegant way in which his roommate could incorporate others works to prove his point in his texts. I found it interesting how he pointed out that at a point in time there was a double standard that existed regarding copyright issues between physical texts and digital texts. There was a judge he brought up who was absolutely opposed to the idea of using others’ works and incorporating some of those ideas into one’s own ideas (regarding digitally-music). He came down hard on those artists, who I believe were rap artists. He felt that doing that digitally is much more serious than if you were writing a book and gathering sources. I feel they are all synonymous, as long as one’s sources are accurately transcribed in the physical text or form of digital technology.