Unit 3 Bards of the Internet

About the author

About This Author

Philip Elmer-DeWitt has been covering Apple since 1982, first for Time Magazine, and now on the Web for Fortune.com.

a lyric poetBardStandard; a degree or grade of excellence

or worth; diameter of a tube or gun barrelCaliberconsider or describe as similar, eqLikenwrite quickly Dash offa fluent and prolific writerwordsmith

a momentary flash of light; stimulate, launch

Spark place the organ of a donor into the body of

a recipientGrafta malicious woman with a fierce temperVixenroar, snarlRant

Terse (synonym)brief, summary, compact, concisean improbable (unusual or incredible or

fanciful) storyTall talethe common people at a local level (as

distinguished from the centers of political activity)

grass rootsthunderous verbal attack; scandalDiatribe

be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

Prevaila person with an unusual or odd

personality; freakGeek go back to something earlierHack backold; no longer in use or valid or fashionableObsolete

ordinary, stupid, dull and lacking excitementProsaicgrant voting rights; grant freedom to; as

from slavery Enfranchiseas if under the influence of alcohol; drunkenIntoxicatedclose, brief; closely and firmly united or

packed togetherCompact

constituting a copy or imitation of something

Mock noble, aristocraticblue-bloodedlacking neatness or orderSloppysimple, tender, childish; displaying or

suggesting a lack of maturityPuerile

Disperse; dispelBlow awaya very boastful and talkative personBlowhardroaming, ramblingMeanderinghaving a misleading appearance; unreal; fakePhonygreatest in importance or degree or significance

or achievementPreeminent

using or containing too many wordsLong-windedelementary, basic, fundamental, essential,

primaryRudimentarymake faces, pull facesGrimaceremove unwanted elements; get rid ofWeed outreference, quoteExcerpt

a large quantity of written matter; a quantity of paper

Reama word formed from the initial letters of the

several words in the nameAcronymtreasure, pearlGembeing on the point of death; breathing your

lastMoribund

of or relating to or involved the practice of aiding the memory

mnemonic

◆ Contents: Text Explanations

In this essay the author describes the current fashion of net-writing, explores the causes of the poor quality of writing found on the internet, explains its merits and differences from published writing as well as justifications for its survival and prevalence.

Paragraphs 1—2Analysis

The first two paragraphs are an introductory lead that presents an analytical comparison between what happened to writing when the telephone was invented and what is happening on computer networks now.

1) "...and give their fingers--and sometimes their mind--a rest”(Paragraph 1)

---and prefer to use the telephone rather than the pen (in a humorous way)

2) Which makes what's happening on the computer networks all the more startling”

(Paragraph2)Here "which" is a relative pronoun referring to

the situation mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The sentence would be grammatically acceptable if it were restructured as "All this makes what's happening on the computer networks all the more startling."

Question:

1. What is implied when the author says “… the media of McLuhan were supposed to render obsolete the medium of Shakespeare…”?

The phrase "the media of McLuhan" refers to the new media that became popular in the 20th century, such as radio and movies, while "the medium of Shakespeare” refers to the traditional way of “letter-writing” in the main clause of this sentence. The sentence implies that, instead of being rendered obsolete, letter writing is experiencing the fastest development since the 18th century, though it is in the “online” form.

Language Work

1. One of the unintended side effects of the invention of the telephone was that writing went out of style.

---When telephone was invented, no one realized at that time that it would outdate writing.

an unintended slight The group argues that many of the proposed

reforms will have unintended consequences.

2. Just when the media of McLuhan were supposed to render obsolete the medium of Shakespeare, the online world is experiencing the greatest boom in letter writing since the 18th century

---Contrary to what is expected, at a time when the media of McLuhan (e.g. television) were supposed to make the medium of Shakespeare (i.e. letter writing) out of date, letter writing on the Internet is enjoying the greatest development since the 18th century.

His rudeness rendered me speechless. The singers rendered the song with

enthusiasm.

Paragraph 3Analysis

In this paragraph a number of people's remarks are quoted. These quotations serve as evidence of the fact that deviations from the traditional medium of letter writing arc not rare in history. The implication is that we should not be surprised by the boom of net-writing.

1) “...the tall-tale folk tradition” 一 the tradition in which people tell a story or a tale in

a fanciful and exaggerated manner. A “tall-tale/a tall-story” is a story or a tale that is hard to believe, because it is so exaggerated or unlikely. Here the author refers to a unique kind of journalism in which people report news in much the same way as people tell tall-tales.

2) "...pamphleteers..."---Though most pamphleteers were not professional writers,

they were passionate advocators of North American independence.

Question:

What does the author mean when he says"...E-mail and computer conferencing is teaching an entire generation about the flexibility and utility of prose"?

The author means that E-mail and computer-conferencing demonstrate to a whole generation of people that the language we use does not have to be always so formal as in traditional letter-writing; it can be used in a casual manner while still serving its purpose effectively.

Language Work

3. David Sewell...likens net-writing to the literary scene Mark Twain discovered in San Francisco in the 1860s,"when people were reinventing journalism by grafting it onto the tall-tale folk tradition."

--- David Sewell compares net-writing to the literary scene Mark Twain discovered in San Francisco in the 1860s,"when journalists were fond of writing news reports in the traditional tall-tale style."

Paragraph 4Analysis

In this paragraph the author concedes the most serious problem of net-writing---its

poor quality."I THINK METALLICA IZ REEL KOOL

DOOD!1!!!" 一 This is an example of sloppy writing on the Internet. Presumably it should read "I think Metallica is really cool

dude! Number one!!!"

Language Work4. For it can be very bad indeed: sloppy, meandering,

puerile ,ungrammatical, poorlyspelled, badly structured and at times virtually content

free. --- For it can be very bad indeed: careless, pointless, childish, with many grammatical and spelling mistakes, and structural mistakes, and sometimes it has no real message or meaning.

Spelling mistakes always look sloppy in a formal letter.Another sloppy pass like that might lose them the whole

match.a meandering rivera long meandering speech

Paragraphs 5--6Analysis

In these two paragraphs the author explores the reasons why the quality of net-writing is so poor. Once again the author quotes some remarks made by other people.

1) “They're not to have and hold; they are to fire and forget” (Paragraph 5)--They are of little literary value, so people write them, send them and forget them.

2) “Many online postings are composed” live “with the clock ticking.”(Paragraph 5)-- Many online postings arc written spontaneously, with no preparation within a very short time. (i.e. They are improvised under great time pressure.)

3) "... a hell of a lot of ..."(Paragraph 6) -- (used as an emphasizer) ... a great deal of ...

Question

What are the reasons that could account for the poor quality of net-writing?

First, things (such as E-mail) written on the Internet have little literary value, so

they're not meant to be permanent. They just come and go and no one will ever remember them, once they are read. Second, many online postings arc produced under great time pressure. Third, there is actually no threshold on the Internet, so that anyone can log on and send out what they have written.

Language Work

5. … Gerard Van der Leun ... has emerged as one of the preeminent stylists on the Net.

--- Gerard Van der Leun has become known as one of the most important stylists on the Internet.

The facts behind the scandal are sure to emerge eventually.

She's the most exciting British singer to emerge on the pop scene for a decade.

She is the preeminent authority in her subject.His preeminence in his subject is internationally

recognized.

6. It takes a hell of a lot of work to get published, which naturally weeds out a lot of the garbage. --- If you want to have your book published, you need to do a lot of work. In this way a lot of untalented writers are prevented from publishing bad works.

Oh ‘hell, I've forgotten my key!What the hell was that noise?

Periods 3-4 ( 80 min )

Paragraphs 7

AnalysisIn this paragraph the author begins to cite

examples in defense of net-writing. He first points out that there are actually some really good writings (gems) on the Internet.

Question

What is implied in the sentence “... when I met Mark I was dressed as the Canterbury Tales. Rather difficult to do as you might suspect, but I wanted to make a certain impression”?

In the sentence “Mark” refers to the fellow network scribbler mentioned in the preceding sentence. “I was dressed as the Canterbury Tales” means “I was dressed in a very old-fashioned medieval style.” The whole sentence suggests that Green wanted to attract attention.

Language Work

7. But even among the reams of bad poetry, gems are to be found. --- Even though most of the poems are of bad quality, there arc still some really good ones.

I ordered three reams of the best typing paper.She's written reams of poetry.The boss reamed them out for sleeping on the

job.a little gem of a bookShe inherited $20,000 in gold and gems.

8. He did, and blew them all away --- He did publish his poems, and overwhelmed them all. Here “to blow someone away” is an informal expression which means “to make someone feel very surprised, especially about something they like or admire.” It also means “to defeat someone completely.”

The ending will blow you away.That concert blew me away.

Paragraphs 8--9Analysis

In these two paragraphs the author discusses two reasons why there are some “gems” on the Internet: one is that “the Darwinian survival principle has started to prevail,” which means that only good writing will survive; and the other is the “collaborative” work in computer conferences, at which ideas are knocked against one another “until they spark.”

1) “The ... discussion groups ... have become so crowded with writers crying for attention that a Darwinian survival principle has started to prevail, ” (Paragraph 8) --- There are so many writers in the ... discussion groups who are competing for attention that a kind of Darwinian survival principle (i.e. the survival of the fittest) has started to be widely accepted.

2) “The caliber ...” (Paragraph 9) (American English) --- The quality and taste …

3) “ the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal ” (Paragraph 9) --- a high-quality newspaper and a high-quality magazine respectively. Here the author is trying to emphasize that there are some gems on the Internet which major newspapers have printed excerpts from.

Question

What are the criteria for good writing favored by the Internet?

Good writing on the Net should be clear, witty and brief. Units of thought are to be found in short paragraphs, bulleted lists and one-liners.

Language Work

9. ... a Darwinian survival principle has started to prevail. --- Darwin's survival principle has started to come into effect/gain influence or control/be widely accepted.

I am sure that common sense will prevail in the end.

This attitude still prevails among the middle classes.

The town is kept cool by the prevailing westerly winds.

10. ...writers compose in a kind of collaborative heat, knocking ideas against one another until they spark. --- ...writers work in a kind of cooperation by engaging themselves in heated discussions and arguments about different ideas until they come up with really bril1iant ones.

Two writers collaborated on the script for the film.

A German company collaborated with a Swiss firm to develop the product.

The two playwrights worked in close collaboration on the script.

Paragraphs 10Analysis

In this paragraph the author explains one of the distinguishing features of net-writing (i.e. Net-writers freely lace their prose with strange acronyms and “smileys”, which, however, does not detract from its quality.

1) “...can come across as self-important blowhards” --- ...can leave an impression as a conceited person who loves to show off

2) “...their blue-blooded peers …” --- blue-blooded people are usually members of royal or noble families. Here the author refers to well-educated kids.

Question

What are the differences between the work of net-writers and that of professional writers?

Net-writing is usually terser than professional writing, filled with short paragraphs, bulleted lists and one-liners. Net-writers can freely lace their writings with strange acronyms and “smileys,” the key stroke combinations used to convey various facial expressions; the polished prose by professional writers often seems long-winded and phony when it is copied onto bulletin boards from books and magazines.

Language Work

11. Unless they adjust to the new medium, professional writers can come across as self-important blowhards in debates with more nimble networkers --- If they do not adjust themselves to the medium of netwriting, they can make themselves look conceited and self-important in online debates with more quick-witted and flexible networkers.

What comes across in his later poetry is a great sense of sadness.

Stop being such a blowhard! Do you have to talk about yourself the whole time?

Paragraphs 11Analysis

In this paragraph the author mentions another merit of the Internet, that is, it allows thousands of common people to take up the craft of writing.

1) “...inherently democratizing” --- Here the author suggests that writing online (the technology) provides equal opportunities for everyone who wishes to write.

2) “… senior citizens” --- a euphemistic term for “old people”

3) “… computer geeks …” (American slang) --- Here the phrase refers to computer wizards.

Language Work

12. Not only has it enfranchised thousands of would-be writers who otherwise might never have taken up the craft ,but it has also thrown together classes of people who hadn't had much direct contact before ...

--- It has not only encouraged thousands of potential writers who, without the introduction of the Net, might never become writers, but has also brought together people of different social backgrounds who hadn't had much communication before.

Paragraphs 12--13AnalysisThe last two paragraphs present a counter-

argument to one of the criticisms against net-writing, that is, “It is easy to make this stuff look foolish and trivial.” According to Nielsen Hayden, “a lot of everyone's daily life is foolish and trivial,” and besides, net-writing represents “for millions of people, a living, breathing life of letters.”

1) “I mean, really, smileys?”(Paragraph 12) --- I mean, smileys are really foolish and trivial.

2) “Housewives in Des Moines who log on as VIXEN?” (Paragraph 12) --- Is the writing of housewives who live in a less-known place such as Des Moines and use VIXEN as their user name foolish and trivial?

3) “it would be a mistake ... to underestimate the effect a lifetime of dashing off E-mail will have on a generation of young writers.” (Paragraph 13) --- a generation of young writers who will spend their whole life time dashing off E-mail is bound to be affected by it, and it would be a mistake to underestimate this effect.

4) “...the Bard himself...might have dived right in and never logged off.” (Paragraph 13) --- Shakespeare himself ... might have joined in net-writing at once and never logged off. Here “the Bard” refers to William Shakespeare.

Questions

1) How does the author justify the legitimacy of net-writng?The author contends that net-writing may seem foolish

and trivial, but most people's lives are foolish and trivial. For millions of people those networks represent a living breathing life of letters.

2) Who does “the Bard” refer to in the last sentence? And how does it differ from the “Bards” in the title?

In the last sentence “the Bard” (with capital B) refers to William Shakespeare, while “Bards” in the title refers to the people who write on the Internet. It appears that the author suggests by the title that the medium of net-writing, like that of Shakespeare, is perfectly justifiable. The medium changes with the time, so does the “bard.”

Language Work

13. After all, a lot of everyone's daily life is foolish and trivial. --- In spite of everything, our daily life consists mostly of foolish and insignificant things.

Getting computers to understand human language is not a trivial problem.

I'm a busy man --- don't bother me with trivialities.

I'm fascinated by the trivia of everyday life.

14. One suspects that the Bard himself, confronted with the Internet, might have dived right in and never logged off.--- We suspect that if Shakespeare had had access to the Internet, he might have stayed online all the time and never logged off.

As she left the court, she was confronted by angry crowds who tried to block her way.

It's an issue we’ll have to confront at some point, no matter how unpleasant it is.

She actually enjoys confrontation, whereas I prefer a quiet life.

Periods 5-6 ( 80 min ):◆ Comprehension Questions:

1. Why does the author relate what happened to the telephone with what is happening to the computer?

By relating the invention of the telephone with the use of the computer networks, the author seems to suggest that writing, which went out of style with the invention of the telephone, is experiencing an unexpected come-back with online letter-writing.

2. What does the author wish to convey in his comparison between net-writing with “scribblers compact”, Mark Twain’s discovery of new journalism in San Francisco, Revolutionary War pamphleteers and the Elizabethan era Gutenberg printing press? And what does he find with his comparison?

The author uses these examples to tell the readers that there are some similarities between net-writing and those experimental, even innovative writing modes in history, and so net-writing could be regarded as a kind of renaissance. But he finds in this comparison that much of net-writing is awfully bad---sloppy, meandering, ungrammatical, poorly spelled and even content free.

3. What are the common assumptions that could explain the poor quality of net-writing?

There are three reasons that are assumed to be responsible for the poor quality of net-writing. The first has to do with the nature of the writing which is regarded as “written speech” and is of little value. The second is the fact that some netwriting such as E-mail is written in a hurry. The last reason is the low barriers to entry of the online world, so that much second-rate fiction and poetry are produced and sent out.

4. Why does the author say that “a Darwinian survival principle has started to prevail”?

Because too many people are competing for readers’ attention. Obviously those who fail to make any impact will be washed out, hence Darwin’s principle of survival of the fittest.

5. What does the author mean by “what works on the computer networks isn’t necessarily what works on paper”?

The author is referring to different features between net-writing and published papers. Net-writers can freely lace their writings with strange acronyms and “smileys”, while the published prose copied onto bulletin boards from books and magazines often seems long-winded and phony.

6. What makes the author believe that networks are going to persist and survive, even if they may look foolish and trivial?

The stuff of net-writing may seem foolish and trivial, but most people’s life is foolish and trivial, too. For millions of people those networks represent “a living breathing life of letters.” In other words, networks will survive because they appeal to most people.

◆ Oral Activities

1. How do you view net-writing, i.e., things published on the Internet as compared to the traditional forms of writing?

2. Can you predict the future of net-writing? Will it survive or die out soon? Give reasons to support your argument.

◆ Language work ◆ Text II: Always On

Questions for discussion:

1. Why did the author feel a pang in the Himalayas?As a tourist the author was supposed to enjoy the

exotic scenes in the Himalayas, but unfortunately, he found himself checking his emails in an Internet Bar. The author had a sudden strong feeling of sadness when he realized that he could not escape the intrusion of technology even in the Himalayas. (Paragraph 2)

2. How does the author view the lifestyle practiced by a 21st-century man?

The author thinks that the typical lifestyle practiced by a 21st-century man is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it offers us a convenience which was unimaginable a decade ago, on the other hand, it also encourages some of us to indulge our weaker impulses. (Paragraph 3)

3. Why is BlackBerry an addictive device?According to the author, BlackBerry is so

convenient a device that you may find it impossible to resist the temptation to bring it with you wherever you go. For example, you may have it with you when you are on vacation, or attending a friend's wedding, or even enjoying a ball game. You are addicted to it because you cannot leave it behind any more. (Paragraph 5)

4. What is the most important message that he author wants to convey in this essay?

The author is trying to convey his worries about what changes modern technology has brought about and is going to bring about in our lives. The cell phone and the Internet, as well as many other inventions, have fundamentally changed our lives. We are addicted to them, and we are “always on,” and we are lost in the artificial world totally oblivious of the real world. In Short, the author seems to suggest that modern technology is more of a curse than a blessing to humanity.