Briar Jamieson, Text an extension of self (somewhat lost in translation)

• 10 years ago
• Posted in:Introductions
• 4
• Author: Briar Jamieson

Image: Translator’s revenge by Daniela Vladimirova shared using a CC-BY licence.

My brain (or is it my heart or soul) crafts a message of self introduction. Via my extended arms, hands and fingertips interacting with the keypad comes this string of images, we call letters, which create words, which begets meaning (if you read English).

What is text?

This text is me.

…or a part of me

…on your viewer

…your screen

…your retinas

…your brain (or is it your heart and soul)?

What is text?

Text is sensual.

…as others have mentioned

…the art of calligraphy, ink scratching on paper

…the feel of a book, hands pressing on pages

…keyboards pounded.

If the text I craft is me, extensions of me are everywhere.  Twitter. Am I – data? Do strangers (bots) interact with my text/data/me in ways that would please or shock? Do you know where my cat lives?

Text does not change (or does it). I change. My context changes. Perceivers (bots) vary across culture and time, and understand my text/me, within their own textual (cultural, historical) interpretations. So perhaps the text is changed as am I, by time and viewer.

If I run for political office and my text is me, will I haunt myself?

B r i a r

J a m i e s o n

—–

Looking forward to getting to know everyone in this ETEC540 cohort. I see a lot of familiar ‘text’ extensions of previous classmates 😉 Happy to reconnect and meet new ‘texts’.

As always, one of my ‘selves’ is on Twitter, @mbjamieson (please join me there).  I am also in the midst of a job change, leaving my ED position with English Online Inc. after seven years!  When the transition happens at the end of the month I will be able to speak about future plans, which entails more growth, or…more early days/late nights ahead.

I adopted a stray cat last month and my family is positively changed. I am struggling with my cat’s privacy, I don’t share photos of my family, so this should also extend to my cat…right? She is so cute though, I might just share her pic in coming days. (Note: my partner and child are cute too…lol)