Post 12

I agree with Barton’s argument that technology isn’t changing the face of writing. Of course there will be shorthand written via texting and e-mails. Have you ever taken a look at the notes you write in your lecture classes? They are written in shorthand without anything more than a pencil and piece of paper. Whether you’re writing on a computer or simple sheet of notebook paper the final essay is still graded on organization and correct grammar. Writing with a computer doesn’t let you misspell words as easily, but I’ve always had access to a dictionary while writing. The great thing about computers is ease of access and use. The ball point pen was invented to make writing easier than some POS feather dipped in ink. Language will evolve much as it did over the past several centuries, but a fundamental shift to acronyms and a lack of punctuation don’t seem to be possible. It’s not only a question of educators embracing new technology; it’s the question of what makes sense and is understandable to all who read our writings. I can’t throw in a random lol and expect my 78 year old grandmother to understand, so I write something she can understand like, “I laughed”.  Technology makes it easier, but you can’t fundamentally change thought. It’s a regression, if this than this.