Journal Post 1

I find it difficult to choose a distinct answer if writing is a different experience than it was before digital technology emerged. The mediums on which we write are different, but the content that is written is the same. Writing is not revolutionary, but the way writing is shared in today’s society is revolutionary. Writers have a larger audience to which their information can be shared.

Porter, Gitleman, and Pingree talk about the new media on which we write. People started writing on clay tablets, papyrus, parchment, and paper. Now, we have electronic tablets, computers, and cell phones. We have the ability to influence others at our fingertips. Today, if someone writes a blog post or a status update, the reader has the option to leave comments on someone’s thoughts. We have invented a trend in communicating our thoughts and research in a quick and fluid motion. I think nowadays people use social media for ephemeral writing, but some will use an old media, such as a typewriter, for a more permanent form of writing.

Writers do not have to wait long periods of time to have their worked looked over and critiqued. Publishing has changed as well. What once would take weeks, maybe months to have published can now be self-published in a matter of seconds. Today, people can create a name for themselves by self-publishing. In the vegan community, it is very common to publish an Ebook full of recipes. Some self-publishers become very wealthy and famous in their community with the help of their social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube channels. An example would be Freelee the Banana Girl. She has over 400k followers. She had a message to spread and with the internet’s ability to reach a larger audience than that of a just a printed book, she has successfully released four ebooks and made thousands of dollars from her Youtube channel.

Writing has not changed due to the evolution of technology. Humans have always had the desire to write and record moments of our lives. The medium that is used to write and record is the only thing that has changed.