English 5060

a sad day for commas indeed

2006-09-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Within the "7 Deadly Sins of Writing" article, numbers 2 and 3 stick out to me because, I, and English major, nay GRADUATE make this common mistake with commas all the time. Whether it's the lack thereof, or an over-abundance. (I also have a thing for parentheticals), but that's neither here nor there. I am afraid, I am guilty of each sin, but the comma ones most often. yay! I take great comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my writing follies, rather I am probably in the majority. That does not excuse the behavior though, I guess. Since I do specialize in the English language I should be a role-model for young writers and strive for perfection. But I am in an awkward spot, kind of like "old enough to know better, but too young to care." Except I'm better taught than others, too tunnel-visioned to care, but that just doesn't sound as good. I have bigger and better things on my mind than dangling modifiers and comma splices, I tend to focus on the creative and the asthetic rather than the anally correct. (bad term, but you catch my idea (hopefully)) By reading this particular article I have become more aware of my comma placement, though I would bet money that someone reading this could find LOTS of places where I fouled that up, as well as other mistakes, but it's not like I don't look for them, I sometimes just choose not to do anything about them. I like the way I write, and what is right in writing isn't always right to the writer, rather it feels kind of wrong, right? right.

doubting is such sweet chatter

2006-09-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

I doubt that the comment made that technology distances people because it has influenced my social life, as well as my acedemic life too much to say otherwise.

In our technologically advanced world we rely on it so much that without it we feel distanced, isolated and alone...even in a room full of people. (I'm speaking of those of us who have had it once, and lost it). Those who never used technology before will understand someday, because I think the way things are going, we won't be able to survive (in an almost primal sense) without it. I have family to stay in touch with, friends back home, and here as well as aquaintances I have yet to meet in person that I know better than most of the people I see every day.

Part of the original statement was that there is no sense of "community", which I disagree because there are NEW communities growing within the technologically inclined. Online as well as IRL (in real life). Groups of people coming together to 1. create the technology 2. to service the technology 3. to use the technology and finally 4. to loathe the technology. These people are creating communities that are growing in numbers by the day, hour and minute. New people are coming into these communities and thriving.

It's not to say that all technology is perfect and wonderful, but that it isn't going to be the end of civilization as we know it, just a different means in which to communicate. Thank you and goodnight.

________

*edit- damn technology. Stupid internet not working, frantically tried to do this in the library, hit "Save as draft" instead of post. damn technology! *shakes fist*

First Blog

2006-08-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

#1
There have been several instances where technology has impacted my work and my writing. We have become so reliant on technology in the 21st century that when it fails it creates a huge difficulty in our lives.

In one instance I had a very important assignment for a paper that was due later that day. I had started the assignment just hours before the actual class time in which it was due (dumb, i know) but, I was doing it, and I had finished around 30 minutes before the classtime was scheduled. I pushed my jump drive into the computer, pointed my mouse to Save As and the whole computer went black! I was at a loss. This was a two and a half page poem I was writing for an intro to a very important paper. The poem had come out exactly as planned and now it was gone forever. I rebooted the computer, looked and lo and behold the file was lost.

I had to completely rewrite the poem in less than 30 minutes from the library's ATLC here on campus, print it out and haul ass back to class. In that instance I realized how reliant I was on technology, and how I had severely misjudged my first poem. I had written a much better poem under the strained conditions and made the grade in class. So, by me being so reliant on technology and it's invariable ability to fail, I had created something even better.

I have, in many cases, been subjected to failures within technologies, but this one in particular sticks out to me because it made me realize a few things. I rely on computers, printers, software and media storage devices to survive in my acedemic world. I honestly can't remember the last time I turned in any paper when it didn't have to be typed and printed out (or e-mailed even!) to be turned in. Because of this we let our lives be driven by the technology we can't live without now, and sometimes it's not always a bad things for technology to fail.

p.s. I do remember being called an overacheiver in junior high for wanting to turn something in typed.

2006-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Testing again...1....2....3