contemplating digital orality

The Sophistic performance of electronic rhetoric has arrived. …It is on computers. … and it is on television. (137)

Welch, Kathleen E. Electric Rhetoric: Classical Rhetoric, Oralism, and a New Literacy. The MIT Press, 1999.

In this fifth Chapter of Electric Rhetoric, Technologies of Electric Rhetoric, Welch elaborates on her idea of an electric rhetoric–stemming from an Ongian tie to secondary orality, which exists in, and due to, the electronic era. Given the ubiquity of computer use, Welch calls for a digital literacy not only for anyone wanting to enter the workplace, but also for anyone who wants to fully experience that richness that has been brought about by new media and our current state of technology. Read the rest of this entry »

“Fortunately, literacy, though it consumes its own oral antecedents and, unless it is carefully monitored, even destroys their memory, is also infinitely adaptable. It can restore their memory, too. Literacy can be used to reconstruct for ourselves, the pristine human consciousness which was not literate at all.” (Orality and Literacy. 15).

This is the continuation of the discussion on memory (see post on 11.13.2007) and how literacy can kill it (since we no longer have to remember so much, but can merely write it down for later recall). Ong also presents the converse in that literacy can enhance the memory.

This too, is something that digital orality can do: Read the rest of this entry »

Among other classical rhetors, Plato greatly downplays the worth of the written text, believing it is an approximation of orality and that orality is an approximation of thinking. He considers writing an unnatural method of recording knowledge. Additionally, he argues that it brings forgetfulness, killing memory, and that it is good for reminder but not for memory. Read the rest of this entry »

I welcome you to my blog, which is largely devoted to my Dissertation research, ideas, and direction. However, one can assuredly expect other rants, digressions, and discussions. Feel free to comment, question, or initiate new (related) discussions on topics found herein.