Writing Spaces – Maureen Erne

The three writing spaces that I most frequently use are e-mail, Microsoft Word, and the traditional pen and paper method.

When I use e-mail, it is for the sole purpose of efficiency. E-mail is rapid, most of the time informal and allows for a prompt response if necessary. I use Microsoft Word for the production of school papers, projects, and work. The editing process of a document is made simple with this program and eliminates the cumbersome task of having to rewrite an assignment when additions need to be added or changes need to be made. I use the traditional pen and paper method when I want my writing to take on a more personal tone. When using pen and paper, I want my reader to know that I am taking the time to personalize my correspondence by using handwritten text, an envelope and a postage stamp. Although these three types of writing spaces have unique characteristics, they all promote dialogues, which is one of the primary purposes of writing.

When discussing remediation as defined by Bolter and Grusin, Microsoft Word created a newer medium for school assignments, writing projects, and work by improving the task of editing and the elimination of the use of carbon paper (I’m dating myself here!). Another example of their definition of remediation is e-mail and how it has not necessarily replaced writing with pen and paper, but has certainly improved the efficiency of writing and the ability to reach numerous recipients of a particular writing piece whether it is a casual note, opinion, or work product.

In summary, the various forms of writing spaces all attempt to improve our ability to communicate with others and demonstrate that writing technology can be just as natural as writing with the traditional pen and paper. In terms of time, writing technology is relatively new and most of us struggle with what is known as a cultural lag.

Writing Spaces: Jackie Williscroft

Bolter discusses in his passages how technology has evolved through time drastically and how it has affected education and how people communicate. The three things I noticed Bolter mentioned was papyrus, paper, and the computer screen. They are all how we see physical works from an individual. They are all ways people converse and get their feelings, thoughts, and ideas down so that other people have the opportunity to hear their voice. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like writing on papyrus. The individuals who wrote on papyrus and constantly hand wrote must have been very passionate about their work; especially the ones who had lengthy projects and made numerous copies. I am able to type homework assignments and then have someone edit them for me. After editing I am able to easily access my document and make the corrections.  Through time it has just gotten much easier. People are now able to “blog” on the internet rather than writing. Pen and paper however is still very important because we still use them both every day. Not every individual is lucky enough to be able to afford a computer. Schools are where most people use a pen and paper. I also find myself “texting” a lot more these days. I used to hate people who were constantly on their cell phones because it was rude. I know find myself thinking it is much easier and cheaper to text. Those three things are very different but similar at the same time. They are all unique in their own way.

            After beginning this class two things that I think are in competition with one another are e-mail and handing in assignments (written on typed). I have never taken a class where I am to post blogs and constantly check a website. Instead of handing in my homework assignments I am learning how to navigate a webpage and learn how to post discussions so that my classmates are able to see what I am doing. I am very curious to see what the future has in store for us.

Writing Spaces: Brittany Meyer

There are many different types of writing space that I utilize, which made it very difficult for me to narrow it down to my top three.  However, I think the writing spaces that I use the most would have to be electronic mail (e-mail), the good, old-fashioned pen and paper, and Microsoft Word.

 

E-mail has become so popular in the past decade that there have been major decreases in regular post office mail services.  This is because today’s society wants immediate responses to everything.  We want to do things fast and we want our responses even faster, patience being a virtue that our society currently lacks.  The beautiful thing about e-mail is the fact that it satisfies these societal needs.  It’s fast and easy and the responses come quick.  You can send a message, a document or a file to anyone, anywhere around the world, whether its two cubicles next to you, or two continents away.  The best part about it is that you don’t even have to leave your seat to do it.  I know that I personally send close to fifty e-mails every day.  I send them to teachers, to family, to friends, to co-workers, to extracurricular group members, and sometimes even to myself if there is something that I need to be able to retrieve from a computer that is not my own.  E-mail is so unique because it has to ability to do all of these things.

 

As much as I love e-mail, I love pen and paper even more.  I take notes this way, write poetry and short stories this way, and write notes to my friends this way.    There is something really rewarding and personal about seeing your own work in your own handwriting.  Pen and paper is unique because everyone’s papers will always end up looking different.  The types of paper may be different, the content is different and, like a fingerprint, there isn’t anyone in the world who has your exact handwriting.  It’s unbelievable.  Also, there is such a variety of things that can be written on of which people don’t even think, such as napkins, cardboard, wrappers, paper plates, etc.  This is also really unique.

 

The last writing space that I utilize is Microsoft Word because, as a college student, I am constantly receiving assignments that I have to word-process.  Microsoft Word is capable of word-processing a variety of documents, such as reports, letters, memos, resumés, flyers, business cards, calendars, etc.  It is unique because of this variety of functions that it has.

 

In reference to remediation, I think that e-mail and Microsoft Word are competing against one another.  Although many teachers still have their students using Microsoft Word and are making them print out whatever assignment they are completing for submission, an even greater number of teachers are just having their students type their assignments into an e-mail and are having the students send the assignments to them via e-mail for submission.  E-mail is a quicker way for teachers to receive assignments and, environmentally speaking, it is saving a lot of paper and, therefore, a lot of trees.  I definitely think that e-mail remediates Microsoft Word.

Writing Space and Redemption-Jen Festa

The use of writing space has greatly increased over hundreds of years, some may feel for the better, others say people depend solely on computers. Since it is 2008, most likely the writing space that most college students use is on the computer. Either on Microsoft Word writing papers, e-mailing friends through with access of the Internet, or simply blogging, as I am doing now. So my number one writing space would be Microsoft Word on the computer because I am constantly writing papers. Microsoft Word is a great program, used by many across the world and it is unique because it is advanced to help you write the correct way. Even though writing on the computer is where I use most of my writing space, I still use the resourceful piece of paper. I still use paper and pen almost everyday taking notes in class, writing down ideas for a paper or even writing a love note to my boyfriend. I think paper is so unique because you can not draw on the computer like you would draw on paper. Lastly, the writing space that I also use all the time, which I am not quite sure it can be considered as a writing space, is text messaging. If anything text messaging is the newest form of a writing space, everywhere I go I see people text messaging! But it is a great, fast, and easy way to keep in touch with friends and family.

Writing a letter on paper to writing a letter on the computer over the Internet completely re-mediates one another, they are actually the perfect example of remediation’s. Before there was computers with e-mailing, people wrote letters to keep in touch with others, which is kind of hard to believe because it is now so simple to just sign on-line and write a quick e-mail to a friend. Yet in time improvement of technology is bond to happen, we did not get rid of the simplicity of writing with a pen and paper, we advanced it to e-mailing on the computer, which is easier for people in today’s day in age. It is basically just an upgrade in writing space, not a replacement.

Hola

Yayyy group BBB5!!!!!

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!