I chose this image, because I am interested in symbols in text, and the evolution of text. To me this image is an great example both of those aspects. The QR code is a symbol and it is text. It is also a hyper-linked text. We just can’t read it without technology. So in some cases our text has evolved to a point where we can only read it with the assistance of a particular technology. In this case literacy is a function of the availability of the technology. I also found it interesting that many signs like this are in libraries, and so this emphasizes the notion of the changing nature of the idea of text. libraries are not the old stacks I remember from UBC in the early days.
I am Catherine Spinney, and I am in my 8th course here in the Met program. I chose this course because the idea of the relationship between text and technology intrigued me, and I am interested in studying it further. The way we represent and communicate our ideas, understandings, and knowledge is changing, and I believe this course will help me understand the implications of those changes.
