Task 4: Manual Script 

Analyzing the Manual Script: 

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

I have always found comfort in writing by hand. Throughout my undergrad, I would attempt to write notes from my computer but always found I would get distracted by a notification or I couldn’t remember the material as well. I found this task easy, specifically because I wrote about something that was very much on my mind and heavy in my heart. I tend to journal when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed so this activity not only was for completion but for my grieving process as well. I find my thoughts seem to flow well when I had write and I never have to stop and think what I will write next. It is also important to me that I continue to write by hand as the rest of my world is prioritized by digital technologies.

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 take pride in my neat hand writing, however, I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to the mechanics of writing. I want all of my letters to be consistently spaced and sitting evenly on the guided line. I felt the pressure to keep things neat when I thought of my printing being up on my blog. There were a few times I made a mistake, naturally, I stopped and thought about whether or not I wanted to fix it and ended up using white out to cover it up. I believe in a different setting, I would have scratched it out and began writing beside it. However, because I was posting it to an online space, I felt the need to make it legible. I edited my work by re-reading each sentence as I was writing. I made sure that the topic of my work was on task and consistent. The choice of media did have a effect on how I edited my work as I was trying to translate my feelings to words which made me worry less about my ideas and more about my thoughts. I believe if I were to write about something less personal, I would have been more determined to edit and make changes to my writing.

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 believe the biggest difference between writing by hand and writing with technology is the speed and focus on spelling. For instance, if I were to write this exact letter with a computer, I would have completed this assignment in less that 5-10 minutes. However, writing this letter took me at least 15-20 minutes to complete. In relation to our readings from module 4.3, we recognize that the introduction of more advanced printing, the hourly pages were maximized immensely with the introduction of the printing press (Innis, 2007). In comparison, the speed of writing by hand and writing via a computer is a major time difference as well. Additionally, my focus on spelling was much more heightened because of the reliability I have on autocorrect. There were words I knew how to spell but second guessed myself because I paid more attention to the fact that a red line would not be squiggled underneath if I accidentally spelled it incorrectly. Overall, I prefer to write by hand as it makes me pay more attention to the information I am trying to produce, however, writing via a computer is more time efficient and easier. Writing by hand allows me to comprehend the information and comprehend it as I am physically writing it on the paper.

References: 

Innis, Harold. (2007) Empire and Communications. Toronto: Dundurn Press