Do you normally write by hand or type? Did you find this task difficult or easy? Explain.

I do a mix of both depending on the task. I very much enjoy writing by hand and there are certain tasks I do that can be easily typed that I prefer to handwrite instead. Writing a shopping list comes to mind. Many of my friends type a list into or use an app on their phone but I always like to scribble my shopping list on a scrap of paper and stick it in my purse. At work (as a teacher) I use both depending on what I am doing. If I am needing to take notes that will be shared with others, I will type them up. Typed notes on a computer or phone lend themselves more easily to sharing electronically than handwritten notes. I did not find this task difficult, and I rather enjoyed it. I have kept journals and diaries over the years, and I like writing letters and taking course notes with a good old Bic pen still.

 

What did you do when you made a mistake or wanted to change your writing? How did you edit your work? Did your choice of media play a part in how you edited your work?

I made a couple of mistakes will writing (spelling mistakes) and I simply crossed out the incorrect parts and kept going. Had I used a pencil to write, I would have erased my mistake to correct it, but I was using a ball point pen. I thought about using ‘White Out’ but I did not have any handy, and I find it a nuisance to use anyways. For most people reading hand writing, a strike through relays the message that it is an error and to be disregarded. While listening to ‘The Printed Book’ podcast this week I was struck by the fact that ‘if he makes a mistake, he has a moment or two to scrape the ink with his pen knife before it dries, and every few pages he’ll pause to sharpen his quill with it’ (Harris, 2017). ‘He’ is referencing a monk copying pages of a bible. There was no crossing out, erasers or white out. Mistakes were not permitted. While I did make a couple of minor mistakes while writing, this task made me aware of the amount of editing that was done in my head before I wrote the words on the page. I would think a word or two ahead as a wrote on the page.

 

What do you feel is the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing? Which do you prefer and why?

Handwriting size and appearance varies so much person to person, making mechanized forms of writing more universal and easier to read. While we might be taught the ‘correct’ way to print or write letters in school, everyone develops their own handwriting style and unique letter formation. Current mechanized forms of writing (i.e. word processing on a computer) are quicker, easier to edit, and easier to disseminate. If one knows how to type efficiently and properly on a ‘QWERTY’ keyboard, then typing will be much faster than writing by hand. Which do I prefer? Again, it depends. If I am receiving a love letter, I want it to be in handwriting! It is more personal, as I know the person would have taken the time to write it out. If I am reading a paper for this course, I would prefer mechanized writing as I would be able to read it faster due to the uniform letter size and font.

 

References

Harris, Brad. (2017). The Printed Book: Opening the Floodgates of Knowledge [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://howitbegan.com/episodes/the-printed-book/