In "From Bards to Blogs" by Jill Rettberg first discusses that there is a new shift of communication following two other shifts: Orality and Literacy which I previously discussed on the blog yesterday. Rettberg describes the switch from literacy to what Ulmer calls "Electracy", very similar to orality. Plato didn't like literacy because he thought that if people could write things down then they wouldn't be as imaginative and almost lazy because they wouldn't have to remember things. Literacy didn't require any feedback and was focused on science or true/false. Blogging allows for users to read something and then typically respond to a comment box where they can voice their own opinions very similar to orality. Of course, blogging obviously uses literacy to bring about discussion as well as orality. Rettberg then discusses what is known as dissemination. Dissemination is communication with an audience without receiving feedback. Plato believed that dissemination was "wasteful" and that it wasn't the best way to spread ideas. Plato believed that having a very careful discussion with people who were actually paying attention was the best method of spreading ideas. Elizabeth Eisenstein is a historian of the switch from word of mouth to print. She believes that there are six features of print that caused changes in or culture: dissemination, standardization, reorganization, data collection, preservation, and amplification and reinforcement.
Today, new types of literacies are popping up thanks to the widespread use and knowledge of digital media. These literacies are called "network literacy, multi-literacies, digital literacy, and secondary literacy." Rettberg believes that we may "be coming out of the Age of Print" even though print is still so widely used within schools. Today, we watch more television, look at more websites, play more video games, and listen to music more than we read books. I know that is true in my household, at least.
Hypertext is much older that the internet. Vannevar Bush, an advisor to Roosevelt during World War II, mapped out what he called a memex in a journal article. The memex was very similar to the web that we know today. Ted Nelson coined the term "hypertext" in 1965 which he said would connect pieces of text by links.
Technological Determinism is the idea that technology determines social and cultural patterns in society. Technology definitely affects the way that we live but we also affect technology as well.
Discussion Questions:
1. Is blogging a new type of literacy today?
2. Was Plato wrong about dissemination?
REVIEW OF "BLOGS, COMMUNITIES & NETWORKS"
In "Blogs, Communities & Networks", Jill Rettberg discusses how blogs become connected and how social media affects the blogosphere. Below I have pointed out the main points of the chapter.
Social Network Theory - Weak ties are more important than strong ties. Weak ties act as bridges between social groups. If A and B know each other very well, and A and C know each other very well, it is also highly likely that B and C know each other very well. A doesn't know D so A might learn something from D that B and C don't know.
A distributed network is when a computer is connected to many other computers and not just one big hub. This was thought to be a good idea because if many computers were connected to one central hub, they would have to rely on that hub and if the hub malfunctioned then every computer malfunctioned. Blogs are organized as distributed networks instead of centralized hubs because blogs link to other blogs.
Blogs don't allow for face to face communication but they do allow response. If I responded to my friend's blog by posting in my blog with a link back to his blog, then our blogs would be connected. People reference blog posts from the past and present to gain insight on news and to start discussions.
There are four characteristics that take place in online spaces rather than offline spaces:
- Persistance
- Searchability
- Replicability
- Invisible Audiences
Many networks that we make in out daily lives collide via the internet. Especially in today's society, employers go online to see what information your Facebook might reveal about you. There is a line that is being crossed here and it's personal space crossing into the professional arena.
Discussion Questions:
1. Will blogs become more influential on the public than newspapers?
2. Is social networking beneficial in the professional arena?
Also I made some changes to the blog. New background and design that kind of describe who I am.
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