Brett Schwarz

Professor Werry

RWS 101

4, September 2014

Exploring Thompson

1. What encouraged him to write about how the internet had changed the way people today write?

2. What would you think writing today would be like if the internet had not been invented?

Two arguments that I found most persuasive about Thompson’s work was that the internet has turned our generation into a writing generation and that the internet is a connection making machine. Before the internet people only wrote mostly in letters or for those working professionals whose jobs required writing. Now people are making blogs, writing emails, and using many other forms of social media to talk to one another via writing. Also before the internet nobody really could connect with people hundreds of miles away unless they sent letters, which takes some time. Now people can email one another and that only takes seconds. One argument I felt that fell a little short was the audience effect. The audience effect itself worked great but how did the internet make it better?

Thompson opens his text with this specific example to show someone who fits into all the categories he was talking about. She uses the internet all the time to write on her blog. She connects other people around the world to what is going on her country. She also writes for a large audience so she knows that what work she puts out should be the best she can produce.