Max Dietz J6

At first I was going to write about how mobility allowed for us to express ideas spontaneously, without forethought or planning, and how this is new and can be attributed solely to the modern era based on expanding technologies. After reading Molz’s examples of historic mobile texts, my opinion has changed slightly and become more specific. As she clearly points out, mobile writing was always a possibility. The clay etching pads of ancient Egypt and Babylon come to mind. Their purpose was to be carried around to record crop production information, legal contracts, and important conversations before they were to be formally written down. These are all very practical things to write down. In ancient Rome, they tablets were used to compose poetry and love letters that were meant to be destroyed before a jealous husband found them. Before the age of self contained pens (those that have an internal supply of ink), writing on the go was not a completely carefree task. One had to remember to bring ink and replacements quills, and if there was motion when the ink jars were open, it could spill. Also, the writer must account for the time it takes ink to dry. Ballpoint pens are more affordable and more convenient than ink pens, and they do not take long to dry. This made writing on the go tremendously easier, but it still required some degree of planning. Modern technologies symbolize the apex of spontaneous writing. No planning is required. As soon as the inspiration hits, you can write as much or as little as you wish. This morning, I, myself, felt the urge to write about why I feel Election Day should be a nation holiday, so I made a Facebook post. This spontaneity also has downsides. Because so little personal effort is devoted into the writing process, the final product may not be as well thought out as it could be. Sometimes this has devastating consequences, leaving a written trail of Faux pas. This is especially relevant to the Twitter feed of the current Republican nominee who is known for posting things that usually end up hurting him.