Month: March 2024

I thought the article North of Boston was a very interesting read. We get a look into the transition to writing using computers. Computers are a tool that we can take for granted in this day and age. Whether writing an award-winning essay or a high school research paper, it is more than likely that a person will use their computer. Because of how abundant computers are, and how frequently people will use them, little thought is given into what is was like before this technology changed the world.

This is why the article and Stephen King’s transition to computer writing gives us this unique perspective. Stephen King’s moving over to utilizing computers for his writing gives us a look into how revolutionary the introduction of this technology to the public was. Before Stephen King did all the traditionally, writing out then printing his work. When he wanted something changed, he’d have to rewrite the entire thing then print it out again. But when he started using the Wang System 5, he need only go back and retype that line. He was able to decide if a character’s fate with a simple press of the keyboard.

Stephen King’s transition to computers reveals how impactful the technology was to writers. We see how it gave them new control, invoking astonishment for what they could do, the potential.

This would only grow as computer technology advanced over the years. More possibilities emerged for writers. They were given more control and writing became far easier. And their feeling of control, having the power to decide a character’s fate would extend to the readers with the beginning of hypertext, giving them choices and the power to choose what will happen.

Computers are a powerful tool, and seeing how it impacted one of the most successful authors in recent history really puts into perspective just how lucky we are to possess it.

I found the topic of trying to understand technology from Steve Woolgar’s “Reconstructing Man and Machine” and Stephen Kline’s “What is Technology” articles to be extremely fascinating. Technology is always expanding, evolving in new directions. As it continues to grow, it is becoming extremely important to discuss what technology really is.

As Stephen Kline discussed in his article, the word technology covers a vast variety of different objects and systems. While many would consider technology to be manufactured objects like phones or even the train, it can also encompass the knowledge to craft and design such objects. It is important to think about what technology really is, as it has become a staple of the human race and has been quick to evolve. Only a few thousand years ago was the bow the most advanced technology, and now we have space stations orbiting the Earth.

Technology has changed astronomically in a relatively short span of time. As we continue to grow as a species, we need to really think about what technology is and how it should be used. As Steve Woolgar discussed in his article, talking about the abilities and capacity of technology is the same as talking about the abilities and capacity of humans. Humans are dependent on technology, and technology is dependent on humans. Whatever technology is capable of doing is dependent on the abilities of people, their knowledge, creativity and depth they are willing to take it.

As technology continues to evolve, opening the doors to new inventions such as AI generated imaging to 3D printed bones, we need to really think about it. Technology is not just some computers or hardware, it is a part of who we are, and its only boundaries are the ones we set. If we do not truly understand what technology is, then we risk letting a powerful extention of humans grow without any constraints.