As someone who has been recently introduced to the field of computers and writing, what have been some of your initial reactions and sentiments toward this new and unfamiliar field?
For the past few months, I have learned many new things about the field of computers and writing. I have always been someone who has embraced new ideas and concepts with an open mind, but there are instances in which I have felt a certain sense of emotional apprehension when it comes to trying something new. Currently, I am twenty-six years old, so if someone had to guess, he or she would probably figure that I have been exposed to the ever-changing world of computers for a long time. Of course, the cultural society in which we live definitely has something to do with this overall assumption. For instance, if I lived in a very poor third world country where technological resources were few and far between, this assumption would obviously not apply. However, since I am a graduate student at Texas State University, and a graduate of the University of Texas, it is safe to assume that my peers picture me as someone who is technically proficient. I mean, let's be honest, I am pursuing a master's degree in technical communication. I am in fact at a point in my life where I rely on computers and technology very heavily. I currently work as a technical writer at a clinical laboratory in Austin. I spend hours upon hours at my computer writing and editing technical documentation including: standard operating procedures, software validations, and assay validations. The rest of my time, when I am not at work, is spent going to graduate school. The little personal time that I have on the weekends is spent amongst friends and my significant other, but Sundays are also spent on the computer, because in fact, I am constantly in need of checking my fantasy football teams. Yes, I did use the plural form of team, and yes, I am a big dork. My reliance on computers for writing and other professional and personal duties has not always been this prominent. In fact, when I started college in 1999, my computer skills were definitely lacking as compared to my fellow peers. It has taken a significant amount of time for me catch up in the rat race that we all take part in, and I am still not where I want to be as far as my technical knowledge is concerned. Anyways, I digress. James Inman's Computers and Writing: The Cyborg Era is a work that differs from the other books we have read thus far. His historical approach to analyzing the field, along with the shared community voices he uses to accentuate the many viewpoints of those involved in the field, offers the reader a unique perspective on a field that is growing with an evolving technological landscape. Inman's concepts that explore the "Cyborg Era" constantly revert back to the idea of "community" when describing those people who work in the computers and writing field. The fact that our class has recently been exposed to all the upcoming call for papers, and the looming conferences that are part of the computers and writing world, make our reading of Inman's book that much more poignant. It's funny to think about how I am barely realizing that there is an academic field that focuses specifically on computers and writing. It is interesting that it took a specific class entitled "Computers and Writing" to make me come to this realization. However, in my academic career I have been directly and indirectly involved in the field. This seems to be the case for many people in today's society. Computers and technolgy are such a dominant force, and people just seem to take these entities for granted. My realization about the existence of the computers and writing field and community has made me come to appreciate this world and all the advantages that it offers.
In chapter 2 of Computers and Writing: The Cyborg Era, Inman focuses on many of the historical aspects that have influenced the computers and writing community. Based on the reading, what are some of your thoughts on the history that surrounds the computers and writing community?
The "Cyborg History" in chapter two offers the reader a brief background that surrrounds the world we are studying. I found the references to the Space Race and the Cold War to be very intriguing. The Space Race was a time when the country and the world listened to a certain rhetoric from world leaders that emphasized the need to win the technological race into the cosmos. The Cold War saw a time in American history when people were genuinely frightful of the new technologies that were being utilized by the dominant military powers of the world, namely Russia and the United States. The term that comes to mind for me is "push-button warfare." I constantly picture Stanley Kubrick's satirical masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. This film embodies many aspects about how computers have shaped a paraniod society and a society that at times has been quite apprehensive when considering the uses of computers and technology. Computers and surrounding technologies were growing exponentially during the Cold War, and Inman has made it very clear that our lives have been shaped by the events that took place during this time. I love the fact that Inman references the film Wargames. I found this reference to apply perfectly to the paranoia I described above. This film literally paints a picture of a world where computers have decided the fate of society. For those who haven't seen this film, I won't ruin the details, but it is definitely worth a viewing.
Inman's descriptions of certain philosophies offer the reader an in-depth and thoughful look into the resistance that has overshadowed technology. I have always wondered why certain people exude such a strong resistance to the ideas of technology. During WWII, technology became more prominent than ever. The rise of the Nazi Party and the fact that it embraced and employed technology to wreak genocide over everything in its grasp, gives readers a sense of why the resistance to technology has resonated over time. The Allies were able to use technology in their favor to combat the Axis powers and subsequently win the war. Of course, the Cold War started up shortly thereafter, so people must have had a sense that technological ideas were mostly spawned from elements of warfare and global domination. Can you really blame people for their ambivalent resistance toward technology? I don't think you can blame anyone, but in the end Inman makes a very poignant statement, "Sadly, either direction- whether to adopt and use the technologies available or to resist them-involved making substantial sacrifices, and these are the same problematic options many people face in light of similar influences today."(66) The historical perspective that Inman offers is extremely important because it sheds light on the path that technology has taken to mold the world in which we live. I have always been a history buff, so this chapter touched home on a lot of historical events that I am familiar with. However, Inman was able to articulate how these historical events have shaped the field and community of computers and writing. For that, I am grateful.
In conclusion, I chose to write a blog about Inman's work in the same fashion that he chose to utilize his so-called "community voices". I presented, to myself, one broad question about this new community I have discovered, and then I chose to elaborate on a more specific question of interest in the work, namely the historical examination. Inman might have lost some authorial power with his decision to use such a vast plethora of voices from the computers and writing community, but I still think that he accomplishes his overall goal of having a broad/community voice. In time, I hope to study and better understand the computers and writing field. I think I am on my way.
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