How is technology changing the art of writing?
Summary
TLDRThe digital age has transformed authorship, making storytelling accessible to everyone through various platforms like Wattpad. The script discusses the evolution of writing and the importance of language as a symbolic system for communication. It explores the idea of non-textual forms of expression, such as images and videos, as languages in themselves. The script also highlights the potential of technology, like MRI machines, to generate images from thoughts, bypassing the need for words. Furthermore, it emphasizes the value of community feedback in enhancing writing skills and the role of positive online communities in fostering creativity and growth.
Takeaways
- π The act of writing is evolving in the digital age with more tools democratizing storytelling, allowing everyone to express their narratives.
- π Language is a system of symbols representing truth, and writing is just one form among many, including visual and auditory media.
- πΌοΈ The potential of visual media is highlighted by advances like MRI machines that can generate images from a person's thoughts in real time.
- π€ There's a discussion about the limitations of visual storytelling, suggesting that creating genuinely interesting images is challenging due to interface constraints.
- π The idea of communicating thoughts directly without language is explored, hinting at a future where inner experiences could be shared through thought alone.
- π£οΈ The importance of language in intelligence and communication is emphasized, suggesting it's a fundamental skill that is unlikely to be replaced soon.
- π The internet has lowered barriers to authorship, enabling anyone to publish their work and gain an audience without traditional gatekeepers.
- π The internet also facilitates immediate feedback, allowing writers to improve their craft through audience engagement and data analytics.
- π₯ The script mentions the value of community in the context of writing platforms like Wattpad, where authors can receive encouragement and constructive criticism.
- π The impact of feedback on authorship is underscored, showing how it can provide insights into what resonates with readers and how to enhance storytelling.
- π« The contrast between supportive online communities and the harsh reality of receiving negative or unhelpful feedback on the internet is noted.
Q & A
How is the concept of authorship evolving in the digital age?
-Authorship is evolving through the use of digital tools that democratize storytelling, allowing everyone to express their own narratives and experiences in various forms beyond traditional text.
What is the speaker's view on the role of language in communication?
-The speaker sees language as a system of symbols that point to a truth beyond the symbols themselves, and writing is just one form of symbolic creation among many, such as Instagram photos, Vine videos, and conversations.
How does the speaker compare traditional text writing to other forms of communication like images or videos?
-The speaker suggests that while text writing has been a long-standing method, it is not the only or final way to communicate. Other forms like images and videos can also serve as languages to convey experiences and ideas.
What is the potential future of communication according to the speaker's perspective?
-The speaker envisions a future where communication could be more direct, such as using MRI machines to generate images from thoughts in real time, allowing for a more immediate and unfiltered exchange of experiences.
What is the speaker's opinion on the universality of text in communication?
-The speaker believes that text is very universal and that the ability to read and write is a fundamental skill that is not likely to disappear soon, despite the emergence of new forms of communication.
How has the internet changed the landscape of authorship according to the script?
-The internet has removed barriers to getting an audience, allowing anyone to publish their work and receive immediate feedback, which can help improve writing skills and resonate with readers.
What is the role of feedback in the digital writing community mentioned in the script?
-Feedback in the digital writing community serves as a valuable asset, providing encouragement and constructive criticism that helps writers improve and understand what aspects of their work connect with readers.
How does the speaker describe the experience of receiving feedback on the internet?
-The speaker contrasts the positive feedback culture on platforms like Wattpad with personal experiences of receiving negative or unhelpful comments on the internet, highlighting the importance of supportive communities.
What is the significance of the community aspect in digital authorship as per the script?
-The community aspect is significant as it fosters a positive environment where authors have control over the feedback they receive, which is intended to encourage writing rather than critique.
How does the script address the issue of negative feedback on the internet?
-The script shares a personal anecdote of receiving a negative comment after a long wait, illustrating the potential downsides of seeking feedback online and the value of supportive digital communities.
What does the speaker suggest as an alternative to traditional language for conveying insights or experiences?
-The speaker suggests that describing insights or experiences verbally to someone else is a more immediate form of communication than creating a visual representation like a chart first.
Outlines
π The Evolution of Authorship in the Digital Age
This paragraph explores how the act of writing and authorship is evolving with the advent of digital tools. The democratization of storytelling is highlighted, allowing everyone to share their stories. The speaker discusses the fundamental nature of language as a system of symbols and how different mediums (like Instagram photos and Vine videos) also serve as forms of communication. The traditional text-based writing has been prevalent for a long time, but there is potential for new forms of symbolic creation in the future.
πΌοΈ The Limitations of Visual Communication
Here, the discussion turns to the limitations of images in communication. While text is a fundamental skill, creating interesting images is more restrictive due to the complexity of interfaces. An example is given of MRI machines that can generate images from thoughts in real-time, imagining a future where communication could be as seamless as thinking. The speaker believes in going beyond language, suggesting that thought-based communication could be a future possibility, although text remains an essential and defining characteristic of intelligence.
π Text as a Universal Communication Medium
Text is emphasized as a universal form of communication that everyone learns. The internet has revolutionized authorship by removing barriers to audience reach and providing valuable feedback to writers. On platforms like Wattpad, authors can receive immediate and constructive feedback, which enhances their writing skills. This immediate interaction with an audience changes the traditional isolated experience of writing and offers a significant advantage for new authors.
π€ Personal Experience with Online Feedback
The speaker shares a personal anecdote about the challenges of receiving feedback online. In 1999, uploading a song online took months to get the first comment, which turned out to be negative and unrelated to the content. This contrasts with Wattpad's supportive community, where authors can control comments and foster a positive environment focused on encouraging writing rather than harsh critique. This supportive approach is crucial for nurturing new writers and maintaining a positive community.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Authorship
π‘Digital Age
π‘Democratizing
π‘Language
π‘Symbolic Creation
π‘Communication
π‘Feedback
π‘Wattpad
π‘Community
π‘Inner Experience
π‘MRI Machines
Highlights
Discussion on how the act of writing and authorship is evolving in the digital age.
Introduction of tools like Wattpad that democratize the ability to tell stories.
Emphasis on writing as a system of symbols used to communicate inner experiences.
Comparison of different forms of symbolic creation, such as text, Instagram photos, and Vine videos.
Argument that language is a fundamental skill and communication method.
Mention of MRI machines that can generate images based on a person's thoughts.
Speculation about future communication through thoughts without words.
Importance of language in explaining insights, even when visual aids are used.
Recognition of text as a universal medium of communication that isn't going away.
Impact of the internet on authorship by removing barriers and providing access to audiences.
Benefit of immediate feedback from audiences on platforms like Wattpad.
Difference in community purpose on Wattpad, focusing on encouraging writing rather than critiquing.
Anecdote about early internet experiences with audience feedback.
Highlight of Wattpad's positive community where writers control comments.
Overall shift in authorship dynamics due to digital platforms and community interactions.
Transcripts
well so how about the act of writing how
about this this issue of authorship how
is that evolving now in the digital age
I mean we see all these tools wad being
a great example that's sort of
democratizing the ability to tell
stories everybody can tell their own
story now um so do you think that the
stories are fundamentally different when
everyone can do them um I think again
like writing is a I mean language is
basically just a system of symbols that
are used to point at some truth which is
not the symbols themselves the symbols
are symbols um and if you look at
language in that way writing text is
just one form of symbolic creation you
could also look at an Instagram photo as
a type of language or a Vine video as a
type of language or a conversation as a
type of language all of these ways are
just ways of like one human
consciousness trying to communicate the
inner experience to another human
consciousness text writing happens to be
one way that we've stuck with for a long
time but I don't think in any way that
has to be the final way right although
one would argue that the language is a
is a relatively fundamental uh
fundamental uh skill and communication
would argue one would argue um I mean
the I think one of the the issues with
uh with with with images um uh is that
um it's actually a it's a it's a a
limited a limited a limited U uh Creator
set that can actually create genuinely
interesting images that's because the
interfaces aren't I was just s panel
this morning that talked about uh MRI
machines that can basically uh at a
distance scan a person's brain and
generate images dynamically on the fly
in real time based on the thoughts that
that person is having I mean imagine if
you could just through thinking
communicate your inner experience to me
without having to bother with the the
trouble of words oh oh
absolutely fure I think that U um um and
I I I I mean I'm I'm a huge believer in
a little bit beyond that where in fact
we are simply communicating with each
other uh through background thought um
Cy do want to sit next to me and we hold
hands I feel like this is the um but but
there is ending of the world I know
there's a there's there's a funny moment
that people have when um they'll look at
a they'll they'll I mean today they'll
look at an image they'll um they'll have
an experience and it ends up getting
communicated primarily through um uh
through language not not not so much
text but through language through
descriptions um um when you when you if
you see a charter graph and there's a
piece of insight you you get and you
turn to the person next to you to
explain that Insight you usually don't
draw that Charter graph first you
usually explain it first um and I
actually I think that there there are
things we can do a thousand times Beyond
language but I think it's it's a mistake
to degrade language um it usually is one
of the things that is that people think
of when they think of intelligence um as
a defining characteristic I I completely
agree and I think uh text is very
Universal right like everybody uh learns
how to read and write and I think that's
not going away anytime soon and I think
what the internet has allowed authorship
how it's really changed is that a
anybody can do it there's no barriers to
actually getting an audience anybody can
put their work up but not only that
you're able to get tremendous feedback
uh from an audience that will actually
make you a better writer at least on
watpad that is the single biggest uh
asset that we offer people is you're not
writing in isolation with nobody there
nobody listening it's the fact that you
just have to post one chapter and
there's an audience and that audience is
encouraging and they're giving you
feedback and you're able to get data and
you're able to see who's commenting on
your work and what what parts work and
what resonates so I think you know this
really changes the game of authorship in
a massive Way by giving access to people
and then really great feedback no that's
interesting because usually on the
internet people don't leave you great
feedback
I mean when I uploaded my first song I
waited three months for the first
comment it was
1999 there was no highs speed internet
and the first comment was after three
months and you know it took a lot of
time to load that comment I was really
looking forward to and it was I didn't
even have the I didn't have time to
download your song but you have a silly
last
name great and that was the first evil
comment I
got I I think that's very true and on
what pad we've really why we've been
able to grow our audience is because
it's a really positive Community where
the writer the author actually has
control of the comments in that you know
they can choose to uh keep the comments
on their page or take them off if that
is the case but the the purpose of the
community is to get people writing it's
not to review or critique stuff which is
very different in certain communities
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