texts

Bolter, Jay David, Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print chs. 1 – 4
Philadelphia Inquirer online front page for 6 February 2008 (see link off of Readings page)
Philadelphia Inquirer print front page for 6 February 2008 (handed out in class)

Download printable version of Essay 1 (.pdf).

the assignment

In Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print, Jay David Bolter describes hypertext as consisting of

topics and their connections, where the topics may be paragraphs, sentences, individual words, or indeed digitized graphics and segments of video. A hypertext is like a printed book that the author has attacked with a pair of scissors and cut into convenient verbal sizes. The difference is that the electronic hypertext does not simply dissolve into a disordered heap, because the author also defines a scheme of electronic connections to indicate relationships among the slips. (p. 35)

For Bolter, "electronic writing is not the writing of a place, but rather a writing with places as spatially realized topics" (p. 36). Ultimately, Bolter argues that "[h]ypertext in all its electronic forms . . . is the remediation of print" (p. 42). But is this accurate? Can all hypertexts remediate print? Or, are certain areas-or "topics"-remediated while others are not? Can or should a distinction be made for text that is written to be hypertext and text that is written for print but is placed in hypermedia? Do all characteristics of a hypertext have to be an improvement over print text in order for it to qualify as remediated?

For this essay, then: Framing your discussion with Bolter’s ideas on writing space, remediation, and hypertext, I would like to you to discuss whether the electronic front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer is actually a remediation of the print version.

For an essay like this, where you are discussing and describing various features of an object, there is a tendency to go from one characteristic in one paragraph to another characteristic in the next paragraph. Please resist this urge; rather, let your discussion of the ideas grow throughout the paper, bringing in different features of object as you move along.

Rough and Final versions of the essay are to be written double spaced using Microsoft Word, Times New Roman font size 12, and with 1 inch margins all around. Use APA citation format.

due dates and page requirements

Rough Draft
Wednesday, 13 Feb.; 4 – 6 pages; electronic and two printed versions due at start of class
Use the following format when saving the file: "wrt-s08-yourlastname-essay1-rd.doc"
Draft will be submitted to openarea folder entitled "essay-1-rd."

Final Draft
Wednesday, 27 Feb.; 4 – 6 pages; electronic version due at the start of class
Use the following format when saving the file: "wrt-s08-yourlastname-essay1-fd.doc"
Draft will be submitted to openarea folder entitled "essay-1-fd."