I’ve read Walden a couple of times in some of my favorite classes. Every time it has been a chapter here, a couple paragraphs there, etc. As Cordell said, it is dense and that first chapter can seem as dry as the bark on those trees in Concord. However…
I’m pretty excited to discuss it with the spin of technologies of text. It’ll be quite a different context than I’m used to for this book, but it realizing how it still applies. I really like Thoreau’s style and way of thinking. I agree with him when he emphasizes that keeping things simple is the preferable way to live. He points out that the basic needs of life include food, shelter, clothing, and fuel. So what are we supposed to take from this as a class? In the other classes that I’ve studied Walden in, we’ve talked about the value of going back to our fundamentals. One could argue that TEI or HTML are our fundamentals here, but to the basic web browser, it’s not necessarily essential to understand those things to get the complete your standard internet search. However, I can now appreciate and understand that just because I can search the internet, read pages, search specific names in those coded pages, it doesn’t mean that I’m self-reliant. I can try to appreciate the work that goes into what we know now as the internet.
Maybe another point we can take away as a class is that we need to remember the simple fundamental reasons why we use technologies today. Maybe these fundamental reasons connect to our simple needs in life? As humans, we need communication? I guess one could set up and learn about realty (shelter) online? We have to still live life in this century and use the tools we’re given, such as the internet, to “become one of the worthies of the world.” Sure it’s not living out in the nature on the berries and hunting squirrels, but I think we can take the privilege of internet and our modern technologies and utilize them for the fundamental needs of human nature, rather than abuse them.
One of my favorite quotes from Economy:
“Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves,
dispel the clouds which hang over our brows,
and take up a little life into our pores.
Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor,
but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world.”
This is a very interesting point you propose, Maria. I had also been wondering how reading something such as Thoreau could apply to what we are ultimately trying to accomplish in this class. As you mentioned, going back to our roots with TEI and HTML really does help us appreciate how the internet works. Opening up source codes for simple documents like the poems we looked at today in lab was a humbling experience. Not only is my programming rusty from my sophomore year, my compass was spinning circles when I was trying to comprehend any of the code involved. It definitely leaves me with a sense of reverence when I think of how complicated many of the websites we visit every day could be with out us never knowing. With that being said, I am a huge fan of the association between going back to our fundamentals in order better understand and appreciate things we take for granted every day. Well played.
Cheers.
I really enjoyed reading your post! This is my first experience with TEI and HTML and going back to the basics of computers. I feel a little lost! However, I have been in the middle of the woods with nothing a few times. You said: “I think we can take the privilege of internet and our modern technologies and utilize them for the fundamental needs of human nature, rather than abuse them” unfortunately, I don’t think this is the case. Nowadays, technology ruins everything outdoors. With devices like Smartphones and Garmin’s I don’t even think people know what it feels like to get lost anymore. I agree that these technologies can be very useful, I just think they are overused.
I see your point, Justin, but I’m afraid you have misinterpreted mine. I would have to agree that many people do overuse their smartphones, GPS, and nature apps to the point where they forget the reason they’re using it in the first place. My point was that by going back to the fundamentals of “why” we’re using these apps/information gives us the opportunity to appreciate them. We need to learn the fine line about appreciated them and relying on them. Appreciating our gadgets for what they’re worth shouldn’t necessarily mean we can’t take a break from them. I’ve spent my good days backpacking and camping away from electricity, (not to mention cell phone reception), and the reverse shock of being bombarded by texts and information was overwhelming and disgusting, to say the least. However, it’s the century we live in, and we might as well harness the good in the information presented to us while still not crossing that fine line of overusing/abusing the information.
Cheers
I completely agree with your post. People are becoming reliant on their technologies and can’t seem to take a break from them. Like you stated we should appreciate our technologies but not abuse them or overuse them.