I found Bolter's introduction interesting, particularly in his defence or justification of the changes made from the previous edition to this one. Bolter cites "prophetic claims that either did not come true or were simply made irrelevant..." as a cause for the shortening from the previous edition by some 10,000 words. I thought that this was a fascinating example of how fast technology develops, that in the decade or less between editions, much of the writing was already made obsolete. It reminded me of some old science texts that I found years ago, claiming that by 2000 we would be travelling to the moon frequently and space travel would be anybody's right. Maybe a more appropriate comparison would be Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. While oftentimes, revisionism makes us less optimistic, Bolter's edits came because we are in an age of unparalleled technological advancement.
I also enjoyed Bolter's use of Victor Hugo to compare the birth of printed media with the growth of current communication technologies. It's almost eerie how well Frollo echoes today: The internet will kill the publishing house! In a world where becoming self-published is more and more accessible, the old ways are ending, just as the printing press brought literacy, education, and new ideas to the masses. I do believe, however, that Bolter may be a bit early in declaring this the "late age of print." Bound books are not going anywhere anytime soon, and while interactive media are growing more and more prominent, it is more than likely that printed text will continue to rule for the foreseeable future.
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ReplyDeleteI like how you related predictions of the development of technology to the prediction that in 2000 we would be traveling to space. It is interesting to think about the predictions of the advancement of technology. I agree that while there is still the demand for books, books will still be made. People still seem to see printed text as more intelligent and reliable.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the end of the age of print is not in the foreseeable future, however do you think it is because it will take time for publishing to transfer to the internet or because printed text still offers things that electronic publishing does not?
ReplyDeleteI like how you picked up on Bolter's comment of revisions. That is something I did not consider when reading this chapter. And I agree with the comparison of lowered expectations made after Space Odyssey to the fact that it is because of modern advancements, these edits can be made.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say at the end of your post. Bound books aren't going anywhere for a long time. I liked that you used Stanley Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey in comparison of early claims.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the end of print is not near. Many people still enjoy bound books and many authors still prefer having their work printed in a book.
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