Chelsea’s Blog

Chelsea Simpson
April 20, 2009
English 101

“words are words, get over it…”

There is no question that we live in a technologically advanced world, so much so that new advancements are now allowing for readers to access written works on the internet or via a CD-rom in replace of the traditional bound novel. This has called into question, the affect that the reader will get from reading off the new medium. For example, does a reader get the same effect when reading words through a computer screen than from a print book. Although preferences may change from person to person, “words are still words- on page or screen” (Birkerts 154). Birkerts feels strongly against this notion of sameness. Sven Birkerts, the author of The Gutenberg Elegies, claims that there is a distinct difference between reading a book and reading words off of a computer screen. Birkerts argues that “because the order of print is linear” it allows the reader to stay both focused and engaged in the material. Whereas reading a hypertext lacks the physical aspects associated with a book. In Birkerts eyes this makes it less likely for a reader to concentrate and pay attention to the material. But is that really the case?  After reading, the hypertext, Patchwork Girl, created by Shelley Jackson, being engaged was not an issue.  In fact, the opposite occurred even though it was not linear or organized, it was fairly easy to comprehend and follow. Although, Birkerts would disagree with the fact that Shelly’s hypertext Patchwork Girl is a novel because it is not in traditional print form, my experience with Patchwork Girl has lead to the conclusion that this could be classified as a novel.  Not only does this work challenge the mind but it makes the reader to work to piece the story together.
Sven Birkerts, the author of The Gutenberg Elegies, believes that reading a work through a computer screen is not as effective as reading from a book or print.   Birkerts suggests that  a “screen and book may exhibit the same string of words, but the assumptions that underlie their significance are entirely different depending on whether we are reading from a book or a circuit generated text” (Birkerts 128 ). In other words, he believes that reading on the computer does not produce the same effect as reading from a book. The author of The Gutenberg Elegies points to electronic hypertext as the easy way out.  He believes that the modern day reader may prefer this nontraditional way of reading because of its ease and availability. He brings up the fact that because books are linear and have pages they allow for time management which in turn allows for “the active engagement of the readers attention” (Birkerts 122).  The aspect of  turning from page to page is lost when reading from an electronic device such as a computer and “detail and linear sequentially are sacrificed” (Birkerts 122).  In fact the linear aspect of a book actually is the easy way out; reading a hypertext challenges the mind as well as gives the reader freedom to choose what and when they want to read. This actually allows the reader to be engaged in the hypertext because it is constantly challenging you to pay attention to the text.
Birkerts point of view that when reading a work it must be linear and have a set path; however, from my own personal experience I found this assumption to be otherwise. An electronic hypertext is capable of doing something that a regular book cannot. Books often lead to boredom and distraction.  However, when reading a hypertext by means of the internet or computer screen  the reader can actually become more engaged and focused. The convenience of being able to look up the definition of unknown words with the ease of the internet keeps one reading without hesitation.  Although Birkert’s argues that you need pages to get through a reading, my experience has found this to be false.  Page numbers are not necessary to keep track of time and duration of reading time.  The story plot can serve the same purpose in determining the duration of ones reading time, in low points a break could be taken.
Patchwork Girl, the hypertext by Shelley Jackson, is unlike any print book of I have experienced.  This work is an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; it allows for and challenges the reader to be very “hands on.”  This notion of hands on allows the reader to become engaged in the reading. Patchwork Girl, required an initial process of downloading the text to a computer before it could be read. When it opened on the screen, the expectation of  music or the presence page numbers filled my mind.  Instead, the computer screen confronted me with a of a picture of a woman. After clicking on it the woman forwarded pages to what appeared to be the title page. Initially overwhelming was  the fact that the work had no set direction or path in which to read.  Instead the reader clicks on what interests them and the reader keeps choosing their own path as the story progresses. After a bit of exploring of the Patchwork Girl the story map came to the screen.  It appeared in the form of a web, this gave a visual depiction of the different paths in novel. This seemed odd as the book did not have a set direction and it was hard to determine if there was a beginning. After completion of the reading it can be concluded that Patchwork Girl does not have a beginning nor  an end. This lead to the belief that this media form of novels is far from easy to understand.  But I came to the conclusion that Patchwork Girl challenges the readers mind in different ways, it makes you put the pieces together and use your imagination to an extent that a traditional book would not. Shelley Jackson’s purpose of creating this piece may have been to challenge the mind to new extents, which challenges readers who are  accustomed of reading print pieces to struggle through and become accustomed to hypertext works like Patchwork Girl.  The fact that this piece does not have a set direction allows the reader to have freedom that isn’t present in a traditional novel.
Overall, the hypertext Patchwork Girl served as a challenge for the reader, which I believe may have been Shelly Jackson’s purpose for creating this media. She strove to show that there are different ways in which to read, as opposed to the traditional front to back reading with pages  Although Birkerts suggests the technology or more specifically hypertext is the “easy way out,” Patchwork Girl was far from easy to read. Instead of having a set path or direction  Patchwork Girl allows the reader to have freedom to choose what and when they want to read.  Every time that I opened Patchwork Girl I was challenged, I found something new and would have to go back and “piece” the story together. Hypertext may not be the traditional form in which one reads a novel, but it is still a written work and should be considered a novel regardless of its medium. As technology progresses it would not be surprising to see more hypertext works available to the people. Hypertext may only be the beginning of a media revolution in novels and other written works.

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English 101
“that was than this is now…”

Today, there is no question that we live in the technologically advanced world.  The question is however, is technology having a negative impact on society and more specifically the world of print. Take for example, a computer.  Computer’s are becoming so advanced and popular author’s are starting to create novels on a disk(s) which allows the reader to access the material through a monitor instead of by pages. Although some readers believe that the physical sense of a book is more effective than a CD-rom, it depends on the reader to determine which style is more effective for them. Sven Birkerts, the author of The Gutenburg Ellegies, believes that although we are stepping forward with technology, society is becoming technologically dependent and technology has greatly influenced the world of print.

Sven Birkerts, believes that reading something through a computer screen is nowhere as effective as reading from a book or print.  Birkerts points out that, “screen and book may exhibit the same string of words, but the assumptions that underlie their significance are entirely different depending on whether we are staring at a book or a circuit generated text” (Birkerts 128 ).  In other words, one could read the same piece, one on a printed page and the other by following the words on a  computer screen, and

One of the biggest arguments that I believe that Birkerts tries to make is that electronic hypertext is the easy way out.  He believes that the modern day reader may prefer this untraditional way of reading because it is much easier to use. But is that really the case? He touches on the fact that

I have to say that I strongly disagree with Birkerts point of view that.. I think that he misses something in his argument.

When comparing a book to an electronic hypertext, one of the main differences between the two is the interface. Before I even opened Patchwork Girl, I did have to go through a process of downloading it to my computer before I even could start reading.  Even though downloading the disk to my computer may seem like a process, it only took a minute to open so I did not let that bother me.  When Patchwork Girl opened on the screen, I was confronted with a of a picture of a woman. When I clicked on and the woman it than  took me to what looks to be the title page. I was very overwhelmed that there was no set direction or path to read this piece. Instead the reader clicks on what interests them and the reader keeps choosing their own path. After exploring Patchwork Girl I came across the story map.  This looks like a web, which gives a visual depiction of the different paths in novel. I began to wonder, is their an beginning? As far I know Patchwork Girl does not have a beginning let alone an end that I found, which was my first instinct that this media is far from easy.  Patchwork girl challenges the readers mind to put the pieces together, almost like the process of putting a body together. I believe that Shelley Jackson’s purpose of creating this piece was to challenge the mind. She wants readers who are  accustomed of reading a print pieces to have trouble and struggle when first reading Patchwork Girl.

Compost

Writing Project 4

“that was than and this is now..”

A novel can be defined as something new and not resembling something formerly known or used and or something original or striking especially in conception or style. Today, the more traditional novel, one that is bound with pages in-between and a summary on the back is no longer the only form of a novel. Today, one can read a novel via the computer or internet. However the question here is, is reading something on the computer or online as successful as reading it with the physical properties most reader die for such as such as the pages, smell of a new book, and being able to put a book mark in the book and walk away and come back to it whenever you want. Sven Birkerts, the author of the Gutenburg Elegies, would strongly disagree in saying that one can not get the same experience from a monitor than reading from a book. Is technology making society dumber? A novel does not have to be linear.

In the Gutenberg Elegies, Sven Birkerts makes focus on the topic of the technology and his concerns with stepping forward into the new electronic millennium. For Birkerts, he believes that “screen and book may exhibit the same string of words, but the assumptions that underlie their significance are entirely different depending on whether we are staring at a book or a circuit generated text.” Focus on section with unfinished mess page 157 and 158

messy.

Computer processing the difference between process and product

Random add ins:

Summarize:

His opinion:

Coda

Technology is the easy way out-making pact with the devil

We don’t want to work

Advancements are shallow

“lateral connections”

Easy

World wide

Social/collective

Unfinished mess-pw body parts

We are all going to be stupid because of technology

If we don’t have books we don’t have intelligence

Shelley Jackson

: Messy writer -once you learn, with PW girl you don’t know when to stop

Glog: 3/10/2009

FML

Society, as a whole, depends too heavily upon technology. There are times at which it can be useful; however, other times prove it to be nothing more than a large burden.  Sven Birkerts, author of The Gutenberg Elegies, believes that today’s society, especially the baby boomers, are living in too much of an electronic culture and I must agree. Birkerts pointed out that years ago, he and his friend co-managed a used and rare book store in Ann, Arbor Michigan.  One day they received a call from an English professor that was not much older than them, and said he was “selling everything,” meaning his entire collection of books. The professor had a remarkable collection of wall to wall books, and sold the collection to them for hardly anything. Both Birkerts and his partner were very curious to why this man wanted to get rid of such as collection.  They soon found out that he was switching his life style.  The professor was leaving books behind and stepping into the electronic future with the help of one device, a computer. Birkerts later quotes that, “A change is upon us-nothing could be clearer…The shift is happening throughout our culture, away from patterns and exhibits of the printed page and towards a new world distinguished by its reliance on electronic communications.” This is a very valid statement about society moving towards an electronic culture.  Moreover, I believe we cannot abandon or forget about the purpose as well as the importance traditional ways of life before the technology “boom.”  I am not in any way trying to “dis” technology; for I would be the first to admit I am a techno geek. However, I do think that as a society, we relay too much on something that does have many flaws.  Take for example the computer. Much of society has their “life” on their computer/laptop.   Yet in a second a computer could crash and one’s stress level would be astronomical. 

            You may be wondering why the title of my paper is called FML.  If you do not know what this acronym, I am sorry; you need to “get in on” the texting abbreviations. The term is used when one is having a really bad day.  But I can even say F-M-L is NOT only used when texting. The acronym has become very popular.  I can say with confidence that I hear someone say FML at least three times a day.  Ironically, this just goes to show how abbreviating words to make texting easier has carried on to everyday English.

Today I had a very FML kind of day.  I can say that I wrote this very Glog about two days ago on a totally different topic. However, I foolishly did not post it to Compost and instead saved it to my computer.  I told myself I will read over the day before it was due and send it in.  As one can see I am posting this at 2:40 in the morning due to the fact my computer crashed and I had to re-do this assignment.  I couldn’t believe that the one tool I own which I 100% trusted died on me. Not only did my computer die, so did my pictures, addresses, saved assignments (not to mention a study guide I had just completed for economics that took me hours) music, videos ext. I looked to my computer to make my life a hell of a lot easier, and over the last couple of hours my computer has reversed the favor-making my life living hell. Technology is in no way shape or form perfect.   Thanks computer or should I say technology.     

Blog

Chelsea Simpson

April 3, 2009

Media not Perfect but is Patchwork Girl

Shelley Jackson hypertext titled Patchwork Girl could be looked at as a modern day sequel to the novel Frankenstein. Before I could even start reading Patchwork Girl, I began the process of trying to figure out how to download this software onto my computer, which for someone who is not a computer person is very hard. It was frustrating when I couldn’t figure out how to open it onto my computer after having already spent so much time into it. I finally gave up with trying to upload the software to my computer and used my roommates computer instead. With that said, because I was so aggravated I think that I went in to the reading with already having a negative perspective on the media.

When I finally opened up the reading, I found myself at what looks to be the title page, which was a female body. On this page one can decide what to read by clicking the different sections or chapters. I at first found myself fighting this media and not enjoying what I was reading but instead getting very frustrated. I was very overwhelmed and lost on how to go about reading this story because it is an electronic media and I have never read anything like this before. I am one that likes structure as well as having a set number of pages to read with a beginning and end to a novel. Patchwork girl is quit the opposite of a text that has “order.” As I began to read the experts, I started to somewhat understand what was going on. Patchwork Girl is a monster like Frankenstein who Shelley created so that Frankenstein would have a companion. For the first 10-15 minutes I didn’t really focus that much on reading per say, instead trying to figure out where I wanted to start reading. I still found myself fighting this media and not enjoying it; however, once I clicked on “the graveyard” section I started reading with a different mind set. I told myself I am not reading to get to a certain destination, rather I am just going to read and see where I end up. Once I did this I started having fun with it and actually started to enjoy what I was reading. In this section the reader is informed about the where the Patchwork Girl’s body parts came from as well as background information.

I really enjoyed being able to click on the name of a body part and be able to find where that body part came from. One thing that caught my eye is a first one may think that that Patchwork Girl has perfect body parts or finding something positive about each one. For example, Jackson quotes that the Patchwork Girls liver being, “[my liver is] modest, effect, shapely, and affectionate.” The reader later find out that her finger is from that of a robber, which shows that perfection in a sense is impossible. Ironically, I later found a quote on perfection which sates “The human, more than human resurrected body is a body restored to wholeness and perfection, even to a perfection it never achieved its original state.” I thought it was interesting perfection came up because as I was reading I was think the patchwork Girl is “perfect.”

All in all after reading I began to like how I could choose what I wanted to read or where I wanted to go. I really did enjoy the graveyard section. Unlike the novel Frankenstein, I like how you found out who body parts where used to assemble the Patchwork Girl. As I read I was thinking in my head, this “monster” seems perfect. After every body part the Patchwork Girl tells a positive of the body part; for example, when she sated “[my liver is] modest, effect, shapely, and affectionate.” After reading more I saw that her finger came from a robber which I found to be like a “curve ball,” in the midst of all these perfect body parts. Later on I read I section on perfection. I thought that this was very ironic because I was thinking about that very topic as I was reading the graveyard.

Therefore, I am still not a total fan of “Patchwork Girl” but it is growing on me. If I had to ask Jackson any questions I would ask her how she came up with the set up for her media. When looking at some of the sections I almost see a body, and I wonder if she did that intentionally or not. When looking at the lines connecting the boxes I think of veins which could be an effective way to engage the reader and get them in the mind frame of the Patchwork Girl.