In Porter’s article he discusses the contribution of technology in the development of writing. He states that tools such the pencil, typewriter, and computer play a significant role in the way we compose. Each of these writing technologies influence our writing to different levels; some more than others. He assures that technology does not only ‘influence’ writing but revolutionizes it. Writing technologies are not isolated from the human as a matter of fact, as some individuals presume, rather they are machines that have been innovated according to the humans’ needs to be more effective in satisfying our writing products. We adapt our writing to these writing technologies. As Porter explains in his personal experience he was taught how to write through the use of these technologies. “In my story, it’s the pedagogical context that matters: the training, discipline, and practice that accompanied my use of the pencil, along with the ideology that framed that use and provided its reason of being.” (384)
Porter also asserts that a notion that neglects the contribution of technology in composition is technological instrumentalism. This notion separates humans from technology as two individual entities. It is the presumption that writing and technology do not interact in such way that the product depends on the machine. It is presumed that the computer, as the pencil, are no more than an instrument that aids the person to place its ideas in text. A secondary view that rejects this relationship is formalism. The formalist view takes interest in the value of the writing. This is to say, it does not matter what technology one uses, either way, the writer will compose in the same level of writing.
In effect, technologies matter in writing in significant ways, not only how we compose but also in distribution and within the social realms.
Synthesis
Porter claims that technologies have an important role in the way we engage in our writing. I had not considered this perspective of the relationship between writing and technology before as more than a medium to aid my thoughts to become textual. I believe that our process of writing has changed significantly from the transition of the pencil to the computer. The computer is a much more complex tool than the pencil that provides delivery options and organization. The computer corrects words that one has misspelled, it provides synonyms, it signals when punctuation is needed or not needed, and it gives options to arrange the structure of the page--things that are not possible to do with the pencil or the typewriter. The computer revolutionized the writing process. In Table 1, Porter illustrates the effects of technologies in different time periods. For instance, if we see the time period during late 1980’s were desktop publishing is introduced and productions becomes more efficient. Then in the 1900’s email and chat in introduced and social interaction and delivery becomes more efficient thus changing the manner in which people communicate.
To conclude, technology matters in significant ways and it has revolutionized our writing habits.