The Writing Process and Technology Represented in WRTC 200

I first got the idea for this blog while sitting in class during a lecture given by WRTC professor Pavel Zemliansky, who was nonetheless entertaining. He discussed with the class about how writing has changed and is now represented heavily through writing on websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. I immediately was interested in this topic. In addition to Dr. Zemliansky coming to speak to my class, the textbook that I use for the course (Professional Writing and Rhetoric by Tim Peeples) also has a chapter focusing on technology. Within this chapter, one article ("The Shape of Text to Come: The Texture of Print on Screens" by Stephen A. Bernhardt) is about different aspects of how writing and reading have changed because of the transition to screen rather hard copy. One part of this article especially interested me because it directly linked to the topic I have been writing about in this blog. In this section of the article, Bernhardt is talking about how text is now "infinitely more fluid, expansive, and adaptable to individual uses." I agree with his statement. On-screen writing, versus hard copies, is easier to be used by readers because they can manipulate it to be more understandable. The reader can make fonts bigger, the paragraph lines to be bigger, and can also annotate the reading without permanently marking hard copies. Another aspect of writing that has been greatly influenced by technology is publishing. It is now easier to publish works to get out to broader audiences. According to Bernhardt, "Anyone can now design, display, and print work that is potentially indistinguishable from professionally printed work." This is a positive aspect of technology and the writing process. I think that if writers and editors used technology to its full advantage, then it could be very beneficial to our society. However, I also think we need to watch ourselves so we don't get too caught up in technology so we lose our identities.

Bernhardt, Stephen A. "The Shape of Text to Come: The Texture Print on Screens." College Composition and Communication 44 (May 1993).