The Shallows pp. 58-143

The Deepening Page

If I wanted a detailed account on the history of written communication I would have read a book about it, Carr. I found myself skimming and generally not caring about what the author had to say until the last two pages of this chapter. It was like he took an aderall while reading a wikipedia page about written text. The last couple pages were interesting though, when Carr discussed how books changed the way in which we think and argue. I thought that was interesting and valid to the overall theme of the book, however the rest of it seemed like a large lead up to a point that could have been made in less pages.

A Digression

It was really interesting how even in 1952, the inventor of the Audion realized the extent to which his invention would change the world. It shows brilliant foresight and an understanding of the way in which technology would develop. I wonder if inventors now have a distinct vision of the future?

A Medium of the Most General Nature

One thing I'm noticing about this chapter is that Carr's criticisms of web-based text reading (ability to be searchable, ability to move towards citations) were some of the very things that he lauded as progression when discussing the change in format from scrolls and parchment to books. Are we really losing anything in the adoption of web-based technologies? Or is it advancement, just as the movement towards books was? I'm going to keep this in mind while I continue to read.

He does have a point when talking about how easily distracted we get by all of the software available on our computers, but is it really different from the things happening around us while we read? I think the two are definitely comprable.

Does the "unbundling" of media really have an effect on the viewer? I personally am very annoyed when companies put up small clips of videos on hulu or youtube. It just makes me yearn for the actual program even more. I rarely only watch a clip of a program, or only listen to a hook of a song.

The Very Image of a Book

I'm all for kindles, but I really like the feeling of a book in my hand. However I do honestly believe that books are a failing medium. E-readers are so much more convenient, lightweight and versatile than a single book. When I'm traveling, I would much rather be carrying a half pound e-reader than 20 lbs of textbooks in my bag.

Cell phone novels? Give me a break. The Japanese are known for their weird fads that fail to be adopted anywhere else in the world. There's a whole website devoted to weird japanese trends. (http://www.wtfjapanseriously.com/)

The ability of authors to convey their messages in narrative form appeals to educated readers. We have not been getting dumber throughout time, rather the opposite is true. People would much rather get an articulate description of thoughts and ideas rather than the spark notes. (This however was not true of me in my highschool english classes!)

One point in this chapter stood out to me though: wil the adoption of e-readers and marketplaces have an effect on the publishing industry that online marketplaces had for the music industry? How is the publishing industry going to stop the pirating of books? Will average writers be able to pay a nominal fee in order to have their book placed on the marketpace? And will this result in an overall decrease in the quality of work? Now that is a scary thought to me. Current publishing practices ensure that only the best authors are published. I don't want to read some shit by an amateur.

The Juggler's Brain

I look forward to discussing this in class. I feel as if any activity will result in a change in the neurological activity of a persons brain. Is the effect of the internet intrinsically bad for humanity?