Blog #6: Pomp and Circumstance

Lanham’s An Alphabet That Thinks was only slightly an enlightening article.  I say slightly because I found his C-B-S model of communication (clarity-brevity-sincerity) to be an easy target for shooting holes into.  In theory, Lanham argues that the C-B-S model means that we should be clear, concise, plain, and sincere in our communication both in verbal language and perhaps in text as well.  In this model there is no room for fluff, no room for little white lies, no room for imagery or semiotics, and we should top it off with a healthy dose of sincerity as well.  I struggle with that a lot.  When was the last time I had a conversation with someone that followed this model?  How truthful can one be, without the sugar coating, without the fluffy imagery to get one’s point across and without ruffling feathers?  This is not to say that I lie or am not sincere or that I speak full of imagery, but that being that plain and honest could have devastating repercussions (depending on the situation)…and who wants that??  

Lanham thinks that words can be equivalent to “stuff”.  The C-B-S model is “one based on the exchange of goods, of physical stuff.  Words are like things and ideally should be things.”(137)  By being direct, plain, truthful and conservative with our words (so as not to waste one’s time) we would be adhering to the clarity-brevity-sincerity.  However Lanham also points to rhetoric as “the general term of abuse we now use for everything not conforming to C-B-S code” (139) and has been portrayed as a woman: a temptress, hiding behind her “rhetorical mask” and tempting us with her poisoned words pouring from pouty, glossy lips down into the pits of hell!  Lanham sees the flaws in the C-B-S model.  He is happy to point them out and although it is powerful and important, it is indeed limited because “It argues that all expression should be transparent, not noticed existing only to showcase the meaning.” (141) Does the C-B-S model really showcase the meaning?   My gut tells me no.  I like the fluff, the pomp and circumstance, the imagery and that temptress woman named Rhetoric.  It makes like interesting and, like visual rhetoric, leaves “meaning” up to the listener/viewer to decipher.

 Works Cited

Lanham. "DTC|English 355: Schedule." Paul Muhlhauser, Ph,Doctor. 2010. Web. 19 Oct.

2010.

DTC 355: Blog #5

Textology and the Digital Revolution

James R. Kalmbach in his article Publishing Before Computers gives a brief albeit thorough history of writing.  From the alphabet to the printing press to reproductive technologies like the xerox, people throughout time have not only become authors, but they have become publishers. Kalmbach writes, “Over the years, publishing and the technologies for publishing have evolved from a limited, conserving activity to a pervasive form of social transaction,” and his goal is to “show that even though the technologies change the ways in which these technologies are used, the social forces they respond to have remained fairly constant.” (222)  Those social forces produced digital technology which changed the way we learn and communicate.  This is especially true through Textology. 

 

Textology is the digital revolution of creative authoring and publishing, putting text previously reproduced only on paper into the abyss of cyberspace for the public to both revere and scrutinize.  We still wake up in the morning to our faithful cup of coffee, but instead of reaching for the confines of our newspapers, we log onto the Internet and put our thoughts, ideas, opinions and emotions out into the world before we even reach the bottom of the first cup.  Computers and mobile technology have put the power of text into daily practice.  It’s not that the daily newspaper has been replaced, it’s the layer upon layer of hypertext dispersed across the planet - linking our countless souls.  This linking further propels the social forces that text created and continues to change mankind.  We are kindred spirits with digital technology; evolving and changing the face of literacy, understanding and communication.

I reach for my smartphone and type out a quick message: “How did kiddo do this morning?”  I log onto Facebook, checking and sharing trivial bits of information or relaying the latest emotional status through short, yet never ending, bursts of text.  I use punctuation as a way to pace my thoughts and to impress my emotions. The following is an example of this:

“Holy cow! The soon to be vacant duplex next door was advertised last nite with signs in the front yard that read: FOR RENT. In the 2 hours I've been home, I have seen 7 cars stop in the middle of the intersection to write down the number or call the Landlord. I even had one person knock on my door to ask me when someone would respond to her call. I'm scared. :/”

Just as the alphabet, the typewriter and xerography propelled literacy and communication through time, digital technology and textology will continue to make the power of text dynamic, fluid and ever evolving. 

Works Cited:
Kalmbach, James. "Publishing Before Computers." 2002. Web. 1 Oct. 2010