English 569: Digital Media and English Studies

In the book, Writing Machines, Hales uses a visual design element which alters the appearance of the text. This effect makes the text look as if it is being seen through a magnifying glass. Perhaps, by using this design element, Hales is attempting to imitate the appearance of text on a computer screen. In fact, as I sit here at the computer, typing my response, I can see that the text on the screen exhibits the same curved characteristic as those specific sections of text in the book. These magnified sections of text in the book force me to slow down and pay closer attention to the meaning. If these sections of text looked like the text in the rest of the book, it would not catch my attention in the same way as it does now.

In Katherine Hayles, Writing Machines, I do not think her words could appear in different places and format and mean the same thing. For example, on page 121, I found a design element of the book that I found quite interesting and clever. At the top of the page, there is a little gray box with words that talk about such things as “vents” and “ducts.” The gray of the box seems to remind me of the metal these vents and ducts are usually made out of. The box itself seems to represent the space that the duct or vent would occupy. But, my favorite element she uses is that when you turn the page over you can see the back of the words. This seems to give a feeling of transparency and openness of a duct or vent. Seeing the back, reminds me of how it might look if someone were to peer out of those openings. Hayles brings the words to life, so her design elements do contribute to her meaning.

I found it interesting that Hayles uses a barcode on each of her pages. A barcode is a series of lines that contain information about something, a document, or product for example. Hayles book is a series of lines that contains information about writing and designs. In her preface she states that this book practices what it preaches. She is the author of verbal text while her collaborator is the author of design. I think the use of the barcode is very useful symbol and design for this type of text.

The first thought I had on the Hayles book was the feel of the book itself. It is so smooth, glossy, and heavy (for such a small book). I found it interesting that the paper was not the "usual" paper that most books have. I think that this gives you a certain impression before you even open the book. After reading some of the book I will say that while some of the text is interesting I don't care for the style. When the size of the text changes or moves on the page my mind tends to wonder. Whenever I saw that one of the "small to big to small bubbled passages" was coming my first impulse was to skip over it. Maybe my mind is not smart enough to process different visual designs. I am not really sure. I can understand why she uses different visual elements and I believe the book would not be the same without them. That said I still don't have to like them.

I agree with you four girls in different aspects. Katie, I agree with you that it is distracting to have different types of text. When I'm reading a picture book, my first impulse is to skip over the dialog because whatever is said there almost certainly as been discussed in the "normal" text near it, unless the whole book is in this fashion. Dawn - I like what you said, I never thought of the barcodes and text in that manner. I also like what Lyndsay says about visualizing things and think that in many cases that is very important. Jen and Katie, I think, disagree with each other. Although I agree with Katie, I see that images elsewhere on the page are eye-catching and while they work for Jen, they only serve as a distraction for me.
I guess this isn't really my opinion on the book, it's my opinion on everybody else's opinion, but hey, I did my time in front of this screen.

The fish-eye parts in Writing Machines made me think about the importance of the passages. I don't think I would have paid any more attention to them if they were not differentiated so well. Although, I have to admit I love fish-eye effects, especially in places they are not expected, so I could just be insane (except I am agreeing with Jen, so I can't be too insane:-))

I was most intrigued by Hales' use of barcodes, these symbols represent the premise of the book the use of digitery in representation. Barcodes are information sources no different than books, tv.. although the barcode language is unintelligible it visually demonstrates the idea of writing machines. That data was previously documented by text and is now efficiently digitized, without the digital media age this representation would be impossible.

When reading this I noticed that at the beginning of the first paragraph hale begins with a huge letter, making the reader think about the importance of that first I. She is writing the book from the ffirst person and what experience can be felt any stronger than an experience felt in the first person. I can speak until I am blue in the face about my own personal life experiences, but until a person experiences things for themself they will have no idea about what those experiences entail. For example many people have a negative outlook towards eighteen wheelers on the highway because they are big, slow, and turn into lanes that sometimes are full. Until a person sits in the drivers seat and experiences the weight of 80,000 pounds around them they won't understand about the blind spots, why it takes so long for them to get up to speed, or why the driver gets upset when a stupid little four-wheeler pulls in front of him and tries to make a left hand turn. Making the driver try tostop that heavy truck with all its momentum and enertia.