Taking a Look at Ourselves

“The New Literacy,” by Clive Thompson is about looking at the Internet in a good way instead of a tool that is killing the ability to write. “ The Machines are using us,”by Michael Wesch is explaining the affects of the Internet and what we can rethink to keep gaining knowledge. Clive Thompson and Michael Wesch both inform us the Internet can be used for useful ways. As Michael Wesch said that “we are the machine” and when we link onto a website “we are teaching the machine.” How strange that a machine can learn…but then again, he did said that we are the machine, so are we then teaching ourselves when we go onto the net? Clive Thompson’s article explains the irrational comments that some people said about the Internet. Then again, Mr. Thompson quotes a Stanford professor when she said, “I think we are in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we have not seen since Greek civilization.” Could what this professor be true, that we are seeing more writing and better writing because of the Internet?

Clive Thompson brings up an interesting pint when he quotes a Stanford professor, Professor Andrea Lunsford, when she says, “I think we are in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we have not seen since Greek civilization.” One can believe this observation because today, the Internet can show people what is going on in the world in less then three minutes. This is not only because of the speed of the world wide net, but also because of how much people are on the computers these days. In Greek times, people wanted to write to express their feelings and today, people want to write to talk to friends and communicate. The key word is “want.” The public now and days can use their voices by putting what they think on their phones or web pages. Then, intensity the whole world can see what that person’s opinions are and what they think. The more the community can observe these different opinions, the more the can gain knowledge and know what is going on around them. One thing that is important to many people is standing out, and if everyone else agrees, then it is not an opinion but a fact, and then they cannot stand out with their thoughts but only with their physical appearance; and what fun is that? Seriously, if no one is listening why talk, write or post anything at all?

Michael Wesch presents many fascinating facts and thoughts. When he is saying that we are the machine and we are teaching the machine, one thinks about Click. How the remote is remembering what Adam Sandler wants to do and every time that event happens, the remote speed up time or slows it down. For example, when he dog was going to the restroom, Adam Sandler wanted to speed things up, so he pressed fast forward. Every time after that event, the dog would go to the restroom quickly. A fact that Michael Wesch informs everyone is that every half-second a blog is created. When thinking about this, one wonders what all those blogs could be about. Are they sharing information or just chatting with another blog. Michael Wesch makes a person think about the word “rethink.” What is one suppose to “rethink?” As he goes on with what he thinks the world should rethink, one really reflects on these things, for example, ethnics, privacy, love, family, and (the big one) ourselves. Can he really believe that just because he tells people to “rethink” that they are really going to do it and take a look at themselves before they look at someone else? Maybe this is what he was referring to, looking at ourselves and judging us, before judging anyone else. Then, this circles back to the machine being us and how we are teaching ourselves to take a look at what is around us.