“If anything, the recent expansion of literacy and educational opportunities has increased our access to literature and our enjoyment of it.” J. Peder Zane —What Good is Literature? Similar:The six wives of Henry VIII, in pie chart formIf you’ve ever wanted to see the reigns …AmusingLincoln’s last play; or, the continuing fascination with “Our American…
“Today, I’m one of the world’s leading anthropologists, an accomplished archaeologist, and an award-winning novelist. And, at 41, I’m only now becoming aware of the globetrotting rut I’ve been in my entire life. Looking back on everything I’ve seen and done, I can’t help but ask, ‘Is that all there is?’” more satire from The…
Microsoft Word requires at least 30% more keystrokes and 100% more mouse moves to accomplish certain editing tasks than would an optimal word processor. Forbes —Bad Design Can Be Costly Similar:Futuristic Acrylic Chair (Blender 3D Animation)Yesterday, I sketched a chair I found at…AestheticsStudents Speak Up: Trust Us With DevicesThe students who are, in the first…
“We are the Gist Generation. We have acquired a taste for hit-and-run, cut-and-paste knowledge. We expect a home page or e-mail correspondence to give us the gist and only the gist—time is money and you’re a click away from an iconographic trash can, so get to the point.” Jeff Barbian Similar:This Is How My Composition…
This computer game tries something new. “If a character tells you he’ll call you tomorrow, he’s not kidding. You’ll have to wait a day to get his information. Faxes may arrive without warning, and instant messages may pop up onscreen when you least expect them — maybe even while you’re at work.” Wired.com —“Majestic” Invades…
“Organized religion was a primary target of every one of the twentieth century’s regimes of terror. But as is evident in Nazi and Communist terrors alike, organized irreligion (to put it in Royal’s sharp formulation) has proved far more dangerous than organized religion ever was.” Alicia Mosier Similar:The Value of Truth: We are living through an…
You might assume there could not be a worse time for a field calling itself “Internet studies.” You would be wrong. The Chronicle of Higher Education Similar:Here is an example of how I teach with Inform 7.Here is an example of how I teach with I…AcademiaPen Pals (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 15) Data Hears…
“Lambert received the e-mail in December, a piece of scrap in the vast electronic junkyard that is the World Wide Web. Regrettably, she says now, she removed the letter’s forwarding markers and unintentionally put her name at the bottom, making it appear that she was the author.” Washington Post —Don’t forward that e-mail just yet!…
“[W]hat could be more scholarly than a nice, authoritative statistic, quoted from a professional journal in the student’s field?” The Chronicle of Higher Education —Telling the Truth About Damned Lies and Statistics Similar:Why Japanese Kids Can Walk to School Alone It’s a common sight on Japanese mass t…CultureWhere are Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, etc. in…
The longer the company’s annual report, the less successful the company. This isn’t really a technical writing issue — usually companies with bad news to report need a lot of words to explaining themselves. But if this is what it takes to get some pinhead CEOs to appreciate brevity, so be it. Wired Similar:AI-generated essays…
Danielle Preston —You Know You’re a Technical Writer When… Similar:100 Word ChallengeIt is a weekly creative writing challeng…CultureBlender 3D UpdateHoly ray-tracing, Batman, it’s a Blender…AestheticsFacebook shrinks fake news after warnings backfireIn its efforts to combat the spread of f…BusinessTimed Essays: Top 5 Tips for Writing Academic Essays Under PressureWe have one more day of classes…
A student of mine makes comments on interactive fiction, garish colors, and dancing text. Jan Carroll —Just For the Record Similar:"We Need to Be More Vigilant With What We Trust From the Internet." –Fake PresidentFrom Buzzfeed: Sitting before the Sta…CybercultureNYT newsroom integration memoBy integrating the newsrooms we plan to …BusinessRussian troll factory paid US activists…
learns something from my freshman comp students. On March 13, 2000, I e-mailed web guru Jakob Nielsen to tell him that six of my freshmen spent 8-30 minutes on his site without finding a plain-text “search” link on the home page. A week or so later, I noticed that Nielsen changed his page, making the…
“[W]hen it comes to writing, whether you’re a seventh grader, a college student, a professor, a beginning copywriter, or an accomplished novelist, a B isn’t good enough.” Kathy Henning —For Writers, Writing Is Never a Waste of Time: Part 2 Similar:"You work for the @CollegeBoard?" the bright-eyed teen behind the fast food counter asks. …”Unsweetened…
“[A] society without literature, or a society in which literature has been relegated–like some hidden vice–to the margins of social and personal life, and transformed into something like a sectarian cult, is a society condemned to become spiritually barbaric, and even to jeopardize its freedom.” Mario Vargas Llosa Similar:Analysis | The fake news is coming…
The creator of Cliffs Notes has died. Here’s his obituary — although I know you probably won’t bother to read the whole thing. Similar:Has life in the age of casual magic made moviegoers numb to the amazing?This is one of the reasons I’ve become m…AestheticsDoes the phrase "based off of" make you shudder… or shrug?Jerz > Writing >&nb…AcademiaLanguage…
On the tasteless side, but still very funny: “Some Features You May Need on Your Computer“ Similar:Another section of a #steampunk control panel for a texture atlas. #blender3d #blender3dar…Aesthetics"The face of the last man on Earth." #alquist #rur #robots #capek #virtual #theater Gettin…AestheticsThe State Of Media EmploymentThis is why I require my “new media jour…BusinessDennis…
“It is our duty, as responsible citizens, to stop the rot. Next time someone touches base with you or moves your goal posts, punch them in the face.” Clint Witchalls —Business and the English Language Similar:Text Games in a New Era of StoriesClever NYT writer cleverly notices a gen…CultureCarnegie Science Center's Guitar ExhibitThis summer, I’m…
“Europe once sought to bring enlightenment—literacy, civil society, modern technology—to benighted parts of the world. It did so in the name of progress and civilization. The ethic of Third Worldism dictates that yesterday’s enlightenment be rebaptized as today’s imperialistic oppression.” Roger Kimball Similar:Professor teaches class of 300 students from his phone while trapped in elevator…
Imagine yourself creating a game with a world for other people to inhabit on your own computer. It is a world without sounds or visuals. Now, put yourself into the textual world and imagine yourself in that world and living through the game. Laura L. Hogue —Text-based computer game lets players interact with story. Similar:"Do…