The Future of Writing

Alicia Oldham
Comp 106
April 2009

THE FUTURE OF WRITING

There was a time when writers would sit down at a table, pull out a pencil or pen and write. Writing is one of the greatest forms of expressions, so people would pull out their notebooks and utensils and write down their opinions and thoughts. So here’s a question…who does that anymore?! In the current times computers have become the new paper and pen. People now like to read stories off the web, blogs and comment on various message boards regarding their opinions. These forms of writing have effected people’s perception of storytelling and personal narratives greatly. It’s comfortable to be able to type out your feelings in a blog for the world to see or give an opinion on a message board. Many writers and journalists have turned to these forms of writing because of the convenience of them. Computers are the future of writing.
In Douglas Coupland’s book Microserfs, the main character Daniel, constantly wrote in his online diary about his feelings, opinions and summaries of his days. This book was written during the 1990s and was during the times where people became reliant on computers. The internet was officially invented in 1989 and from there blogs, message boards and texting were created. As stated before, these forms of writing allow more expression, freedom and it allows the writer a chance to express their feelings to the whole world through the internet. Now a days there are millions of people who keep blogs and even online diaries like the character of Daniel. These forms provide writers an opportunity to be more creative. One example would be emotioncons. An emoticon is a textual portrayal of a writer's mood or facial expression. Through these writers can write out their feelings and even add a emoticon to exhibit their emotions further like “J” for example. Since many people have turned to blogs or texting, the world has changed and many wonder if that is a good thing…or not.
There are futurologists and theorists who are worried about the “complete control” computers have over writing. Some futurists have even said that by the year 2014, print newspapers will no longer exist. In the past when people wanted news, they either turned it on from the television set or read a newspaper that had it there all laid out for them. Those days have passed and more and more people have turned to the internet for the news. Websites such as Google News, have slowly been wiping newspaper industries into extinction. Message boards have have taken over as a way for people to give their opinions whether then in the op-ed section of a newspaper. Even though both of them gives a reader the chance to speak their mind and let the world know it, message boards can reach out to a more vast range of audience. Now there is even a such thing such as “online journalism” that threatens the world of written journalism. William Denver, a theorist and journalist, had said; “In the future, journalism will not be considered a career, but a hobby. There will also be no such thing as writers because of the fact anyone can own a blog and become one.”(Computers Over Pens pg 78) There is a lot of concern in the world of writing revolving around the internet. It leaves many to wonder whether or not writing will continue to be a talent only some can possess, or a common entity that anyone can achieve. Despite of all those opinions the difference between handwritten writing and online writing is vastly different.
As stated before online writing gives the writer a chance to express themselves more clearly. One form of communication that has became popular over time is text messaging. Text messaging is simply sending small messages from cell phones, computes, etc. Many people prefer to text message rather then using notes because it is less complicating. Text messaging is preferred because you can send a simple note to anyone in the world without the hassle of mailing it and having to worry about whether or not they receive it through the postal service. It is also a quicker way to get a response and stay connected to a friend or family member. The cost may be more then of one was to mail a note but the convience is one that people are more then willing to agree to.
When Coupland wrote Microserfs through a series of documents on Daniel’s laptop, it is believed that he was trying to make a point on how important computers and technology have become in our future. Through his writing of the book in these form he was able to freely develop his characters more and add quirks that the audience could relate to. During these times computers were becoming increasingly popular and Coupland’s book can be seen as a foresight into the future. The reason it can be seen like this is because of Daniel’s preferance to have a diary through the computer rather then a notebook. Coupland also used many emoticons throughout the book that can’t be fully used in written works. This made online writing more exciting to do then the written kind. Even though Coupland was one of the first to demonstrate the fascination with online writing, many other sources have also pulled people into the world of computers.
If one were to flick on the tv and watch a television show they are more then likely to see laptops on them. There are even shows that protrays the main character as an avid writer on the computer. One common example of that is the famous sitcom Sex in The City. In the show the main character, Carrie, both began and ended the show writing on her laptop. In one episode she nearly lost it when her computer crashed. All of this just shows people how strong of an influence computers have over our lives now. Computers are the media, on our television sets, and we are constantly reminded of the benefits of them. Overtime many people adopted into online writing.
Computers have taken over the communication world. In the past people were accustomed to reading their newspapers and writing notes or an entries in their diaries. Times have changed and people have found other forms to replace the former with. The newspapers that people have once read have now appeared on computers for people to conviently read whenever the please and it also provides more information then a newspaper typically does. The notes or diary entries that were once handwritten are now being typed through computers or texted through the phone. These forms of communication have broadened our sense of storytelling and personal narratives through emotiocons, “codes” and many other aspects of online writing. Futurologists may have many concerns about the change, but many people are going to have to accept that technological communication is the future and it is best to be prepared for it, because nobody wants to be left behind.