Print len(python) from datetime import datetime
9 years ago
Thursday, January 29, 2009
where has the quality gone?
Many different technological innovations have changed the writing process. In 1858, the eraser was invented (Trivia-Library.com). Before the eraser, a lot of planning would have to go into writing, for there was only one try. Early on, there was much opposition towards the eraser. Many teachers disliked their students having the ability to erase. Now it is expected for writers to go through many drafts before finishing. In my opinion the eraser greatly improved the quality of writing. Other technologies also have changed writing, such as the printing press, computer, and so on. Like the eraser, many of the technological advancements have made great contributions towards writing. However technology is now significantly harming writing. The downward spiral started with the invention of the Internet. Now, it goes without saying that the Internet is not completely harmful. Email and blogs are two positive uses of the Internet that allow for more communication to take place. However, the Internet brought along inventions such as Instant Message, where users write socially at an extremely fast pace. It is this fast pace that is destroying the quality of writing. People are using writing to communicate with each other at a rapid pace, not only via Instant Message, but also by text messaging. People are sending each other short messages as quick as possible with little thought. All sense of formality is being lost and abbreviations and shortcuts are being created. It seems like an entire new language has formed of quick messages comprised of code. The most basic example of the code is “g2g” standing for “I have to go.” Now a day, many write as though they are in a race, and as technology improves, the race is only going to speed up. Voice recognition software is the next innovation that will harm the writing field. Many companies have developed software recognition programs. Nuance not only created voice recognition for processing sheets, but also for the cell phone. Now people can type and text verbally. This allows writing to take place even faster than before. The faster people write, the worse the quality seems to get.
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I agree with the fast pace the technology has "forced" us into; and I do think that we all need to slow down and breath. :) But, on the other hand, I owe it to instant messaging for the fact of how fast I can type now. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true. I had the hardest time learning to type at a faster speed. Not that there is anything wrong with slowing down, but let's face it, our society is forcing us to respond, type, talk, text, etc... faster and faster. If not, we will be left way behind. We are creating a world where we have more to do than time to do it. Is this right? Not necissarily, but it's reality.
ReplyDeleteThe quality has gone down, but even though I do type fast, instant message, and text; when I need write something that's important and matters, I always take the time to go over it and type slower to allow myself to think through things. I think that quality problem has to do with each individual, not the technology. Technology can help us in many ways, we just need to learn how to use it properly! :)
As always, when a technology is democratized and moves from the Ivory Tower to the streets and avenues of normal human discourse, you get the good with the bad. Today, anybody of any education level can create a blog, and whether they have anything of interest or merit to write is for the market to decide.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that we are seeing a degradation of quality so much as the result of the control mechanisms (magazine/book publishers, editors) being removed. The people who fill their text-messages, blogs, and forums with 'g2g lol zombwtfbbq1111!!' always wrote like idiots. It's just now we have the technology that allows them to let the whole world see it.
The internet is the great equalizer, and it did away with all those draconian "quality control" mechanisms.
Then again, we don't censor the speech of even the most hopeless morons, and I don't think we should censor their digital output either. That's not what a fair and free society does.
Sure...gtg, brb, ttyl pir (parents in room), lol, omg, btw, are all phrases we know and utilize frequently, but when it comes to me sitting down and drafting a paper or writing an email;, those abbreviations do not even cross my mind to use. Those statements are for convience, but I feel that my maybe proofing a paper once, silly "instant message" slip ups can be fixed and the writing quality has not changes. A person should and I think definitely can separate formal from informal writing.
ReplyDeleteThis can be compared to how we talk to our friends versus how we talk to teachers, employers, or authority figures. When I am with my friends sure I'll say "I can't f*&^ing wait for finals to be over" and yeah it's probably not very lady like, but it is not completely inappropriate. However, if a teacher asked me how my semester was wrapping up, using that phrase would not even cross my mind of thought.
We can separate how we speak formally and informally,y and i feel we can also easily separate how we write formally and informally.
I will agree that chat rooms, instant messages, and texts all have changed communication; whether or not this is helping or hindering writing is debatable. My opinion on this is quite positive. Any new form of communication and/or writing should be embraced and given time to develop. There are so many new genres of writing emerging all the time, it is a travesty to rank them or disregard the value of others.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is one of the greatest inventions of all time, maybe the greatest. Technology, more specifically the internet, is doing anything but harming writing. It allows for a more fast paced, instant relay of information, thoughts, emotions, and more. The ability to convey these so easily and quickly is one of modern writings greatest milestones. Some argue the quality of writing is going down the drain, I disagree. Being able to share basically anything at anytime with anyone is an idea that can be hard to grasp. Having this real-time stream of new writing will hopefully continue to change and better writing and communication simultaneously.