In “Should Everybody Write?” by Dennis Baron —a professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois— argues that a lot more people are writing due to technological advancement. Earlier technology such as the pen, typewriter, and the printing press have expanded who gets to write. Today, the computer and the internet allows anyone to be a writer as Baron simply states “thanks to the computer and the internet, anyone can be a writer: all you need is a laptop, a Wi-Fi card, and a place to sit at Starbucks” (840). People can “bypass the usual quality controls set by reviewers, editors and publishers” (841). While nowadays anyone can publish their writing without trouble it wasn’t always that way. Writing was criticized in it 's early …show more content…
Writing received a lot of criticism, especially from Socrates, a Greek philosopher. According to Socrates writing was mnemonic and not interactive. Socrates claims “the ultimate effect of writing will be to weaken memory, not strengthen it” (842). According to Baron “we remember this because Plato wrote it down” (842). Socrates views are very disputable since he claims that writing will weaken the memory, yet we know about him because his student Plato wrote it down. Writing was a communication technology. Henry David Thoreau, a pencil maker and 19th century author, suggest “not everyone should write, because not everyone has something to say” (842). While Baron claims “Every new communication technology has the capacity to expand the set of who gets to write and talk, who gets to publish and be heard” (842). The expansion of the authors club is just a by-product of technology. A point was made by Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish philosopher, he complained “that the explosion of reading matter made possible by the invention of the steam press in 1810 led to a decline in the quality of what there was to read” (845). Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist, pointed out “that from the
Even though this makes an effective argument, Carr isn’t afraid to go above and beyond to prove his point. Carr gives credit where credit is due and he compares his argument to a proposal made by Socrates. Socrates is a well-known and respected philosopher so this adds even more credibility to his argument. Carr says,“ … Socrates bemoaned the development of writing. He feared that, as people came to rely on the written word as a substitute for the knowledge they used to carry inside their heads, they would, in the words of one of the dialogue’s characters, “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful.”
It’s also is relevant to the overall argument as it provides a reason why traditionalists don’t use the internet. During the time the book was published, in 2007 Steve Jobs launched his creation of phones, apple launched their first generation of iPad in 2010, windows recently launched their windows 8 recently in 2012, and other technology were invented during the time. This promote the use of technology in our daily writing. This evidence that Thompson provided doesn’t persuade his audience because it doesn’t support the argument that he wants his readers to take away. Bloggers and technology users would argue otherwise that technology helps writers connect with their audience, makes writing faster, and help generate creativity in writing.
For Professor Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, online communication is not as devastating as some critics argue that it reduces people 's ability to read, write, and think in a clear, logical and critical way. They point out considerable problems like reductive abbreviations substitute for complete words and sentences in writing and the fast speed message exchange reduce the time for thinking. On the contrary, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the Internet is only another field that can expose some weak and unsophisticated writers (171). The technology itself has nothing to be blamed, but it is essential for people to step back and discuss how to develop new ability to face the challenge of the new technology. After all, technology improvement
Although some teachers advocate texting helps students’ writing, Cullington provides details to show that it hinders formal prose. Cullington starts her paper by opening it up to draw the reader’s attention by asking “Does Texting Affect Writing?” and, in fact, does texting affect writing is her title. In her first paragraph, she answers the rhetorical question by defining
In her essay "Does Texting Affect Writing?", Michaela Cullington presents her argument that texting does not impact formal writing written by students. She discusses the concerns presented by many people about how texting language can transfer into writing, but through the use of personal experiences and credible sources she discusses how this is not true. Her use of multiple different studies and situations help boost her argument and allow the reader to truly see how students actually do formal writing. She presents a strong argument as to why those who believe students don't have the control and knowledge to write formally, instead of with text speak, are wrong.
With a world full of technology, have humans become just walking vegetables? The symbolism is not referring to garden vegetables, but rather to the term referring to patients who are brain dead. Since the creation of the Internet, we have been able to access virtually any information at our fingertips, but at what cost? An article written by Nicholas Carr titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid” recognizes just that. Carr argues that humans have limited their ability in certain ways because of our complete and total access to everything that is on the internet.
what Humphrys says describes how many others feel about the evolution and rise of texting. Crystal introduces another disciple of the anti-texting movement, John Sutherland, and even quotes Sutherland’s work in way of stating that texting is just a lethargic disguise for learning disabilities, poor grammar and spelling, and illiterate people. One would think that Crystal’s essay is going in favor of the
Today, money has made many people believe that you need to have a lot of money to live a great, happy life. People in the world, especially the people who don’t have as much money as the ones that do, look up to people like popular idols, because they have money. People think they have a great living life with all the money they have earned during their lives. In the short story “Why You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes, the author uses diction, colloquialism and dialect to express the fact that just because people have the money to go out to eat somewhere expensive or buy the newest clothes, does not mean that a person is happy all the time and expresses how people in the town talks. Money is what makes the world goes round and everyone has come
He explains how the creation of the printing press was believed to make people “less studious and weakening their minds,” (Carr) because the printing press allowed the common man to read almost anything at a time when books had to be handwritten. He also gives the example of the clock being brought into everyday life in the 14th Century and how it gave scientists a more understandable way to mathematically prove their theories, so more people could understand. These examples give the reader a better sense of the author’s point of view. He argues the internet has become one of these new technologies that many people were skeptical about, but he proves to the reader how it became an important advancement in content
All of these factors combine and work well together to form a well-executed argument within Cullington’s essay. Cullington begins her essay by addressing her opposition: “It’s taking over our lives” (pg. 361). She cites studies done that suggest that a decline in the quality of students’ formal writing has occurred since the advent of text messaging, and she also cites teachers who believe that their own students’ works are influenced for the worse by the students’ being accustomed to texting and using textspeak. Cullington then proposes her opposing position that the writing of students is unaffected by their use of texting and text speak. She also cites studies that support her thesis that text messaging and textspeak do not have an effect on
“Should everybody write” is the question that is argued throughout the article Should Everybody Write by Dennis Baron. Baron, an English professor at the University of Illinois, incorporates essay styled writings in correspondence to English problems faced in today’s world. His main concern in this essay is to demonstrate to his audience a proper answer to the argued statement and uses rhetorical strategies throughout his article to support his claims. The use of tone is incorporated when he discusses the context of writing history. His purpose in this article is discussed using his strong sense of logic and he also conveys to his audience’s emotions to caution them on their own writing or writing fears.
Not So Fast” Andrea Lunsford researched students’ writing for 30-plus years to see what effect new technology has on how students learn. Lunsford discovered that students are actually improving their own writing skills with the help of mass media. Not only does it allow students more access to educational resources and information, but it also encourages students to do more creative thinking and writing outside of class which Lunsford refers to in her article as “life writing.” In her research she recalls the account of a student who sent a friend a text message which was completely informal and would be considered unprofessional by most piers. However, the same student also sent a very formal and professional report to her faculty adviser later on.
Brandt, Wanberg, and Haynes: Synthesis Outline Brandt, Wanberg, and Haynes discuss many topics concerning ghostwriting throughout the course of history and how it has affected readers, writers, and the economy since the print and press was discovered. Brandt leans towards the personal aspect of ghostwriting, while Wanberg and Haynes lean towards the more historical viewpoint, but each arrive at different conclusions about the way ghostwriting should be interpreted and who should claim authorship. Ghostwriting is widely accepted as an important part in our economy, but it is not the lack of writers, Marxist ideals, or pride that is the main reason ghostwriting is so popular: it is our modern population’s inability to manage time. Even though
Postman addresses that writing is both a blessing and a burden. Basically, there are positive and negative effects of new technology. Communicating with other people
It is also one of the most effective means of education. Conversely, digital technology has caused a revolutionary transformation in all aspects of our lives, whether it is in communication, education or creative writing. This research, therefore, aims to find out what effect this technology has on creative writing and specifically on creativity, writers, the youth and book piracy, as I feel that those are the most significant. Introduction of Technology in