According to
the Electronic Literature Organization (ELO) “Electronic literature, or e-lit,
refers to works with important literary aspects that take advantage of the
capabilities and contexts provided by the standalone or networked computer” (Rettberg
4). This one for all definition sets the precedent for e-lit since earlier definitions
of e-lit were murky. The introduction of ELO helps standardize “E-lit” and
create more reading/learning opportunities. In the early years of E-lit readers
distinguished anything with a hyperlink within it as E-lit but N. Katherine Hayes
states “One problem with identifying the
hyperlink as electronic literature's distinguishing characteristic was that
print texts had long also employed analogous technology in such apparati as
footnotes, endnotes, cross-reference, and so on, undermining the claim that the
technology was completely novel” (ch3 para 2). The reasons behind reading and
writing E-lit are that it helps readers (especially students) process
information in new ways than traditional literature. The digital era has helped
increase knowledge and understanding when consuming literature and E-lit is a
great steppingstone into the future of literature as media and electronics
evolve.
Rettberg
quotes a statement from Bernard Stieger as he describes the potential of
digital media to be reciprocal media – anamnetic mnemotechnology. He says; “Our
abilities to both decode and recode digital media are essential but threatened
aspects of the creative potentiality of digital media” (Rettberg 12). I believe
that this statement is true however I believe that younger generations are
learning and understanding how to decode/recode information without losing any
information. For older generations it becomes harder due to lack of
technological understanding, but this issue is something that is slowly disappearing
as the younger generations are being taught how to understand technology and
literature together. The only barrier of creativity is that of the writer. I believe
that E-lit doesn’t wound creativity. Decoding and recoding is something we do
every single day regardless if its within reading/writing literature or just
figuring out better directions to get somewhere within google maps. Although this
isn’t exactly media it is still just another way, we train our brain to decode
and recode information. In an article by Brian Resnick via Vox he discusses how
the human brain is very sophisticated, and how past studies show that the brain
can handle decoding and recoding information and memorize tens of thousands of
words from a single podcast, he talks about how machines may be the right
direction to show us what the human brain is fully capable of. These studies
help express the power of humans and how our brains can multitask without a
problem. I agree that developing technology to study the brain will help humans
better understand what happens when they do have to decode and recode a piece
of E-lit.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/12/29/13967966/machine-learning-neuroscience
Mason Sweet
Mason Sweet
It's an ongoing discussion, like the chicken and the egg, about whether humans designed the internet after how our brains work and process (or code and decode) information and networks, OR if the internet has changed our brains to take in and respond to information differently. You might be interested in this article by Vannevar Bush: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/ (from 1945 btw) about how we think in connections... For me, it only makes sense that we utilize technology for creative means, we're always looking for more ways to express ourselves...
ReplyDeleteI agree that younger generations are more likely to understand technology better than older generations. Especially now that technology is being used in classrooms as a way to teach young students. It reminds me of the discussion we had about memes in class. You sometimes need to know about other memes and pop culture references in order to understand them. Younger generations are more likely to be comfortable with using technology and understanding it than older generations.
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