Manual Script
Commentary
- Do you normally write by hand or type? Did you find this task difficult or easy? Explain.
I usually type everything, from work communications to taking personal notes using my iPhone. I can’t remember the last time I had to write so many words in one go. It was easy to develop what to write about, but it was challenging to maintain the patience to finish writing. My right hand started to hurt halfway through writing, and I think it’s because I am unaccustomed to using that part of my muscles for holding a pen. I was also starting to lose my patience in writing so many letters to complete a sentence, and I noticed that I began to write faster and faster halfway through. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep a straight line when writing on physical paper so that the final product didn’t look too messy. In iHeart podcast’s episode From the Vault: Invention of the Book, Robert and Joe talked about the political power of books where written documents create a kind of stability that allows people to know in advance what is the expected behaviour. I experienced that feeling when I was writing about my reflection on my own time use, I felt like whatever I wrote down, I needed to make sure that it was true to the reality. The paper I used was a regular A4 printer paper which was smooth on both sides, so I could choose a side as I wished. It would have been very difficult if I had to write on the papyrus where only one side was easier to write on, so for that, I am thankful for the paper invention.
- 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?
When I made a mistake in my writing, I crossed it out and wrote the word correctly again. I did not edit my written work because I had chosen to write with a blue pen and had no white-outs at home. I tried to be careful of my spelling when I was writing because I knew I couldn’t change it after.
- 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?
I prefer typing on a computer more, because I can do so with more ease and speed. In addition, typing on a laptop I feel keeps me balanced because I am using both hands. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem scientific to write only with one hand, as it gets sore after a while. The most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing are:
- Paged book – When typing on a computer, even though there are pages, I am still scrolling through them in an up and down fashion. When writing on paper, the codex style is very evident where I move on to a new page when one is filled.
- Speed – I can type faster than I can write. There’s also some level of satisfaction when I hear the sound of the computer keyboard when I am typing.
- Presentation – With handwriting, each letter may look different, but typing on a laptop makes the whole essay appear uniform by selecting a font and word size of my choice.
- Spelling/Grammar check – The computer allows for automatic spelling error checking, which is also helpful and speeds up the process of writing.
- Being able to edit and reformat – When I find a mistake or even think of a better way to reword a sentence, I can do so without having to rewrite the whole thing again. On my laptop, I can scroll and enlarge to different parts of the page easily.
