To support this, she states that speakers with an audience are comparable to “the Greek ideal of being a smart rhetorician: knowing how to debate, to marshal evidence, to listen to others, and to concede points.” (67) How does this relate to the creation of the Internet? Well, while public speaking gives individuals an audience, the Internet increases that audience substantially.

An intriguing argument Thompson makes is that online writing has altered our cognitive behavior. He goes on to explain that online communication has further clarified our way of thinking (51) by writing out vague ideas or half-formed thoughts. In doing so, we are better able to evaluate our ideas objectively and figure out exactly it is we intend to say.

which he admits might not always be noteworthy but unlike previous forms of communication, has created a new space for discussion, debate, and intellectual conversations to take place.

Hi, everyone! I’m Hannah. I’m starting this blog as I begin my final semester at SDSU with a major in Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) and a minor in Studio Art. I’m eager about all the exciting things we will learn in RWS411 this semester and can’t wait to get to know you all a little better

eresting was in the introduction when the Egyptian king claimed writing would weaken people’s memory. If only he knew of the studies that prove that writing something down helps you remember and learn better.

“enormous rod” (446), the oral transcription described that the “Blacksmiths patriarchs shaped a staff, seven-fold forged”

Immediately on page eight, I started to notice the redundancy. Within 14 lines of the mother pleading the King of Nyani, only one word in one line is different, the rest of the lines repeat word-for-word. This makes the story memorable to the listeners (or the readers in this case).

Ong explains that oral cultures live in the present so they must forget old memories that do not have relevance in the current day.

In James Herrick’s “An Overview of Rhetoric” I thought it was interesting that he said one of the functions of rhetoric is building community. I found this section exceptionally timely. Especially in the times of today where is seems like everyday there is a new riot or march to b

On page 56, Thompson discussed a professor from Douglas College in British Columbia who compared her students writing that they turn in to her versus the writing the produce for a Wikipedia page on the internet.

Writing “improves your memory” (57). This claim was the least persuasive to me because he just talked about the “generation effect” and a study from the 1970s. The author did not expand his idea more than a paragraph while his other claims were much more well-developed.

Thompson points out that this is especially true when writing for an audience.

after reading the first couple pages of this passage I’ve realized it was used much less than I’ve been lead to believe.

In terms of writing, I work at the County of San Diego in the Parks & Recreation department as a marketing assistant. I spend lots of time writing for our social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), our triannual program guide that lists and describes all of the activities in our parks. I also just recently got into journaling at the end of every day. I use social media to keep in touch with friends and family and I also like to use it to discover new things, like places to eat in town, visit and explore. I hope to expand my knowledge and fine-tune my writing skills so I can get a great job in the PR world after graduation.

Throughout the “Sundiata” text, strong emotions are revealed. When the mother exclaims, “‘Happiness did not pass us by! Magan Konate has risen! Oh! Today! Today is sweet!,’” she is showcasing her emotion and the audience will feel empathetic toward her, (451).

As Ong claims, this is because oral texts are characteristic of the human lifeworld, and the human lifeworld is full of violence, conflict, and agony. As oral texts do not have literal words to clarify action and thought, the texts rely heavily on description of human action, not verbal explanation.

The entire song follows a repetitive format so as to assist the griots in memorizing the story. Ong states that in oral culture non formulaic thought is simply a waste of time, as there would be no way to remember it without some sort of rhythm, (31). Delivering a proverb in the form of song creates a formula to be traditionally remembered throughout the ages.

redundant, tedious, and even copious, however in oral culture it is entirely necessary to keep the speaker on track. Additionally, Ong claims that hesitation is debilitating, so it is always better to repeat when delivering an oral story.

work is passed on through many generations, and in order to accurately remember details of the stories, repetition is absolutely necessary. According to Ong, the mind tends to move more slowly orally, and the act of repeating words keeps a speaker on track

I utilized Ong’s, “Some Psychodynamics of Orality,” as a lens for the story of “Sundiata,” and found many connections between the two texts.

I find it fascinating that rhetoric is full of different appeals, whether it be to the audience’s emotion or an appeal to credibility, rhetoric always has a purpose. That purpose is always to persuade.

Thompson mentions that although the Internet has fostered many new connections and ideas, it has also given prejudice a stage that it has never had before. It is true that publi

As Thompson mentions, multiple questions and answer sites, such as Quora, have given people the opportunity to bounce ideas off of one another and explore concepts in a way that has never been done before. The answers to thousands of questions can be discovered by mere keystrokes. This new form of conversation that the Internet has created has become vital to public thinking.

n thoughts and concrete beliefs, which I could argue has made me a “better person.”

hompson makes the point that, historically, reading has always had more of a moral dimension and the purpose of influencing one to become a better person. I found this point particularly astonishing and would be interested in exploring this further. I

This new wave of digital writing is largely due to the emergence of the Internet, which has influenced and encouraged the public to engage with one another’s thoughts daily.

Hi! My name is Kayleigh Venne and I am a senior majoring in journalism with an emphasis in media studies. I love all things social media and I also enjoy reading and writing. I currently write for the Arts & Culture section of The Daily Aztec covering campus and community events. I am originally from Michigan but I have been living in Southern California for nine years now. Outside of this class, I engage in tweeting and occasionally journaling. I use social media hourly and utilize it as a quick and simple way to get the news and keep up with those around me. I see social media accounts as a way to promote one’s “brand” and showcase one’s best self. I expect that this class will further prepare me for a career in social media in the future and teach me how to analyze writing in various media settings.

In this text, Thompson claims that although we are writing more words every day, the words that do come out are more often bad or grammatically incorrect. He also points out the fact that students cannot write properly

Hi, my name is Augustin but you can call me Auggie. I am a senior and this would be my last semester before I graduate. I will have a major in IS3D or known as the Inter-Disciplinary program which includes French, History and RWS. I like reading other people’s blogs but this is my first time typing my own personal blog so bear with me if I’m still new at this. Blogging used to be huge in the early 2000’s but I believe we are all transitioning towards vlogs as it is a much faster way to express something. I still don’t really know what to do after graduating but I’d like to start becoming a flight attendant and explore all my possibilities.  

For me, personally, I like to brainstorm my thoughts onto paper before writing an essay or article. If I think along the way of my writing, I find myself trying to figure out how to word it. If I write out my exact thoughts on paper first, I can then go back and fix it. It is better for me to organize and plan my notes as it helps prolong my memory.

The sound is as important as any dialogue, story, setting, and characters given. It is better to understand the story when someone tells us about it orally. This could be a reason why Sundiata’s two versions of his story leave a lasting impression amongst its crowd. The use of repetition, by telling the stories over and over again, has helped griots remember the stories for over a hundred years.

It is easier to understand as we have characters act out a given dialogue. I preferred reading the second version of the text because I was better able to understand it as it was more concise and it had a better flow. The back and forth of the dialogue gave it a more rhythmic flow.

The responses of the audience give the story more of an authentic and realistic feel.

. Man’s memory is tested against time; however, by using these helpful systems, our memory can thrive

“Other people use writings to record the past, but this invention has killed the faculty of memory among them” (443).

The sounds are just sounds, nothing more.

I would further like to research why Millennials text using abbreviations instead of full sentences. I find myself checking my grammar and spelling before sending a text message. How did texting become that way? Who started it all? The question-answer tool had peaked my interest in the sense of addiction. How do people become addicted so quickly to these public forums? I am also intrigued to learn more about why students use correct writing outside of their classrooms rather than an environment where you should learn, thrive, and succeed in that particular skill.

Researchers have found that when a question has been asked online, the audience will most likely respond. These questions tend to elicit a response in writing. Thompson uses Socrates in one of his claims. Thompson finds online writing t

This interesting experiment showed that a child who sat with a parent (audience) beside them was the best at solving puzzles

Another claim relating to the previous one says that having an audience improves one’s writing. This is a persuading claim if we refer back to Andrea Lunsford’s example.

Thompson claims that fewer people are writing grammatically correct

Hey, guys! My name is Raman Sidhu! I am a senior this year with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies. I have always loved to write as it is considered my safe place. I used to be a sports writer for the Daily Aztec. I also used to be a content writer for The Odyssey. In my free time, I like to blog. I have a separate blog page from this one. I use Facebook to share my articles, videos, and thoughts. Career wise, I aspire to work for ESPN and entertainment platforms.

Ong’s chapter was so interesting to me because he is emphasizing the importance of oral language and speaking, but my generation is built on writing. I write everyday, whether it be emails at work, texts to my friends, or essays for homework. His most relevant line to me was “think important thoughts.” I think he basically means, if what you are going to say, write, or do is not important, it is not worth doing.

Each time they repeated a cry of his mother, it reminded the audience what a disappointment he came across as.

“King of Nyani, King of Nyani, will you never rise,” is an example of repetition in the speech.

Another way the performance relates back to Ong is because it is extremely repetitive

reading the actual text she writes. I wonder how many people looked at her blog before it got big, and what kept her going if there wasn’t much attention at first. I thought the small excerpts about her story were so awesome and inspiring.

hildren that clearly backs up his claim. I think he does a very good job in his rebuttals

Many years ago, when reading and writing were first introduced, writing was not used as much. Reading was taught to everyone, was told that it was important to human’s success, and taken very seriously.

Thompson brought up was the audience effect. I resonated and agreed with this because I have done it myself. If I am writing a text to a friend, I definitely will not be as formal as if I am writing a Facebook post that many people will see. If you know people are watching and critiquing you, your desire to perform better will be much greater.

During this class I hope to feel more comfortable in my writing, especially in a blog like setting. I am excited to get the semester going and be able to look back on how my writing changes in the next few months.

It is crazy to me how much I find on Twitter that I probably wouldn’t know if I did not have the app

The poem relates more to oral culture because it is about one person telling the story to an audience in their own point of view, verbally. The first version seems to be more of a written version of the story because it properly introduces and outlines each character and has much more detail pertaining to the events in the story.

The second story relates to oral composition because it is participatory when after each line the audience has to repeat the words “indeed” and “true.”

text because this text is used in the form of storytelling and poetry and used as a representation of many different examples of what Ong may be referring to.

They have no visual presence of words. Without writing words are just events.

sole purpose of writing is to persuade

Thompson also mentioned that this does not change anything about writing because even before the internet, the same thing happened. The internet just gave this “a new stage” (78).

Some of the world’s greatest literature such as novels and poems were written before the age of the internet. Although the internet makes people write more often, I do not think his argument is valid regarding writing before the internet

I found this very interesting because I can relate to it. I do not do much writing unless it involved the internet and social media. Even then, when I do write for my audience, I think long and hard about what I want to say, because I know who will be reading it

Hello! My name is Emma Schultz and I am a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with my three focuses being: history, RWS, and Education. I am from St. Paul, Minnesota, and moved to San Diego when I was a freshman. I use social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. I typically use these websites to communicate with family and friends and post pictures. I really enjoy using social media because it keeps me up to date about what is going on in my friend’s and family’s lives both in Minnesota and California. I am very excited to learn more about the different forms of digital literacy that are happening in social media today!

This text structure in “Sundiata,” represents the effect of an “improvised call-and-response format” (

a redundant manner or formula so that it becomes ingrained in memory. In the “Sundiata” text, redundancy is utilized with repetitive words and phrases. For instance, the word “And,” as well as the phrase, “If he be the man,” are two examples of this redundancy used in the text. This repetition creates a rhythm that is infectious and therefore easily remembered.

For instance, the “Sundiata” transcription focuses on proverbs and phrases that are short and affective in provoking the audience to feel the emotion being illustrated

That is to say, the importance of structure, such as the rules of grammar, is not valued as it is in written cultures.

A few of these claims that can be applied to “Sundiata” are: “Additive Rather Than Subordinative,” “Redundant or Copious,” and lastly, “Empathetic and Participatory Rather than Objectively Distanced.”

Vocalizing creates a new vulnerability that challenges all my premeditated comfort zones, and begs me to connect with people in the physical realm. It asks me to respond and be responded to, to give feedback and receive it, speak and be spoken to, and thus, engage in this arcane world of rhetoric in a whole new wa

When I consider these texts, and the exhaustive study that Ong has done on primary oral cultures, I cannot help but think of music. I consider my experience in Malawi, where music was at the core of nearly everything they did. Every person, from toddler to aging adult, male and female, communicated through song and dance. It wasn’t reserved for concert halls and clubs; it was a language in itself, a necessary practice in a world obsessed with 140 characters. For them, writing was an accessory to other communication. Education was scarce, an issue which necessitates an entirely different discussion, but in the absence of their formal education, they taught me something I didn’t even know that I needed to learn: how to communicate without a pen. They are not a primary oral culture, although they likely were at some point, but they were delightfully ignorant of the power we inject into our daily babbling. Power, for them, was found in moving, speaking, and singing, together.

Throughout Johnson’s text, one can see the use of repetition and epithets to invoke emotion, and facilitate memory. The “blacksmith patriarchs” could just be the “blacksmiths”, or the “patriarchs”, but they are repeated together throughout the story. Couscous becomes “sacrificial couscous”, and “Fata Magan” becomes “Fata Magan, the Handsome”.

Memory is driven by a thoughtful, exhaustive reading of the text, rather than by the sound of the text. This may serve a chirographic society, but read aloud to an audience, without any typographic reference point, this text would be nearly impossible to remember.

One can quickly read these short phrases and surmise that a story is beginning to be told, and it is probably about a woman, or women. The intentional use of a pause, followed by an exclamation (Indeed!), demands that the reader (and certainly the listener), be a part of the story, staying present to the shifts in tone and rhythm as to know when to respond, thus transcending the listener from bystander, to participant. It is in this process that power is created. One can feel the sounds leave their mouth, and can hear the boom of “Indeed!” reverberate through the crowd, understanding that there is something big and important being shared. Without a more dramatic use of audible language and variegated sounds, the story becomes dense with words that may or may not help the teller make their point clear.

Ong alludes to this very idea while citing Malinowski, “…that among ‘primitive’ (oral) peoples generally language is a mode of action and not simply a countersign of thought” (32), recognizing that words were entire “events”, rather than “out there on a flat surface” (32). “Sound,” Ong says, “cannot be sounding without the use of power” (32). Johnson’s Sundiata, reflects this notion that sound is indeed a driving force of the work, using a more dramatic call-and-response to hyperbolize the simple words he was saying:

I remember so vividly the earthy resonance of their feet pounding the red dirt: bum buhhhh, bu bum bu, buhhhh. Young Malawian girls circled around me, giggling and smiling as they showed me, an American woman, their native dancing. There was intermittent singing punctuated by claps, hip thrusts and an amazing aerobic display that left me with a euphoric feeling that is hard to capture in words. I felt like I had just tapped into some primitive sensation, or feeling, or emotion that I had never known before. It was, like Ong stated, “dynamic” (32). I could sit here all day and try to communicate the sensation in words, but it would never be fully understood because you cannot feel it

Can some truths be absolute, and some created by rhetoric? It’s an idea I’m still sifting through myself and look forward to exploring more as the semester goes on.

It is this very idea that I find interesting, that we can use an ancient art to help us sort out modern day issues.

The psychology behind the way people act on the internet versus in-person, is a topic that fascinates me. I would love to learn more about the way digital media, and the connections, made through it, have changed the way we interact with humans in general. Has it made us better communicators? Are we more distracted, and if so, how does that affect personal relationships? Have we really been able to solve more issues with the advent of digital communication, or just created more confusion?

. I don’t think this is a reason to take away online discussion, but I also feel that it’s an issue that needs to be better explored.

Today’s online writing meets Socrates halfway. It’s printish, but with a roiling culture of oral debate attached.”

Due to the public nature of blogs and social media, we are thrust into an environment which forces us to really consider what we write, how we write and who our audience is. We are, in effect, forced to distill our ideas, either by catering to our audience, or through the lively discussions that ensue from a particular post. This consistent writing has also served to create more thoughtful writers, even ones who have become more adept at the art of rhetorical discourse.

I keep a website. I like to write. That’s a good start if you want to know me during this journey through Fall 2017 semester. To read more, check out my site. This post is the first from that blog, and a more exhaustive, personal look into what makes me tick. I look forward to getting to know you all!

The use of expressive language is also greatly used in the oral community, which Ong expanded on in his chapter. Being expressive can create more imagery in a listeners head, which is why this language is used more in oral communities. Description also helped the listener with memorization. The Sundiata tale was made in two versions. The first version is my D.T. Niane, who created a translation for Western readers. The difference in Niane was less expressive, but stating what happen with no deep description. The the language used in oral communities, described by Ong, does have certain devices which is seen in Johnson’s translation.

There is less grammatical structure in Johnson’s version of the Sundiata Tale, but is said in a more poetic and artistic tone. Ong said this device also makes this story more memorable because it provides more meaning

repetition in name and action, creating a build up in the story.

resonates deeper in listers minds.

Ong points out these devices because they are used to make stories more memorable because knowledge is only passed down through memory and speech, not though written research and description

I would want to further discuss the use of these outlets and how they affect our communication today. I would be interesting in understanding how powerful the use of social media is and analyze the language that is being used. Further research would be the topic of fake news and how this affects our students today with getting informed mainly through social media.

Thompson needed improvement on was writing improves cognitive memory. I felt this claim and support did not fit in cohesively in his conversation of public thinking. There could have been more improvement in the evidence

He showed explained how Coats manages their comments so negative and non relatable thoughts are taken out of the public view so these issues can’t affect the community who wants to analyze and create ideas and conversion.

The claim that failed network in communication kill ideas, but successful ideas create a catalyst was relevant and persuasive to today’s audience.

most persuasive claim from the chapter was how having an audience can affect people to think more analytical and create deeper connections from the support and evidence given in the chapter.

The main claims that were discussed in the chapter were writing today is directed toward some type of audience, writing improves analytical thinking and cognitive skills, and communication through the online community can kill or build ideas

ideas throughout the ages.

To split the oral and literate down the middle brings up an interesting point, when it comes to orality, Ong speaks of the importance arguing “writing slows down creativity (34),” whereas, in the Sundiata, storytelling relied on memory. Pictures are another interesting illustration which occur mentally in the Sundiata if receiving the story orally, compared to, reading and analyzing Ong’s Psychodynamics. Pictures hold representation and individual value, yet in a literate society, name values are placed. Lastly, although seemingly obvious, oral culture depended upon being able to recall, whereas, the literate culture is able to record and revisit information verbatim

 For instance, children of oral communities learned by trial and error because an oral culture had no concept of a written and pro-literate instructional system. 

Ong references the creation story to support this (32). Of course, the progression of agriculture received the blame for propelling the written language, as urban farmers implemented a written records system for business purposes and it evolved from there.

The text elaborates how unimaginable to exist in a society which is exclusively oral. 

The readjusting of my life, time management and priorities since becoming a student have completely changed my world view, expanding it to greater empathy. Taking up writing as a college major has also contributed to the changes I have endeavored, for example, I plan to use this as a tool to teach and contribute to education. The goal of teaching sparks emotion and creativity which keeps me motivated on days in the valley, pushing me forward. The insanity of metamorphizing as a student and when all seems to be unbearable, I dance.

Sundiata and understand the two different versions of the ancient story.

Version I looks as if it could be a short story or fable like story due to its length and introduction, while Version II looks as if it could be a poem or song because the verses are short.

Formulas are put in place as a type of rhetorical device that strategizes on how a sentence sounds to is intended to sound like by the author for readers.

al cultures also relies heavily on formulas, which according to Ong, “help implement rhythmic discourse and also act as a mnemonic aids in their own right”(31)”. The formulas in the rhythm of languages are what help establish the formulas in language.

Without Rhetoric we would not have structure in writing and would not be able to think critically about our writing or the writing of other’s.

I find Thompson’s rebuttals to be very persuasive and accurate because he interviews bloggers, scholars, references popular shows, and social media outlets to back up his arguments.

He interviewed Standford Univeristy English Professor, Andrea Lunsford, who states that, “

became very disciplined. Knowing I had these people reading me, I was self -conscious to build my arguments, back up what I wanted to say. It was very interesting. I got a sense of obligation”

Okolloh states in her article

Maybe some of that community and understanding could be brought back to our isolated lands. Maybe we could use that to connect us face to face rather than from a fancy phone

Now we have books and excerpts from all around that can easily pass information, which is why we have the highest literacy rates in all of human history but maybe something is lost. Maybe that sense of community and coexistence is gone and we are searching for it but can’t seem to find it. Who knows hypotheticals are silly. Sundiata was a textbook example of an oral story as understood through the lenses of Ong’s description. Oral traditions can give a new perspective to stories we have all heard since we were children.

it is interesting none the less that we only know that Plato disliked writing because someone else wrote it down.

or native tongue the poem has even greater flow and works more like a communal song with the audience participating with the speake

This would have been necessary for the people to better remember this tale.

epetition is seen to close out each stanza.

Beyond that, I found this article incredibly informative and a wonderful read.

I am also curious as to the current status of Ushahidi

As a writer with poor grammar, it definitely shocked me

However once could argue that anyone could dismiss any of his findings as nonsense

some of the riches that an interconnected world can give to us.

When we attempt to commit something to memory, some- like myself- rely on the method of muscle memory, where constantly and physically rewriting cements the fact into our minds. This method, however, was not uncommon in oral culture. Rather than writing out facts via written text, though, oral

Another claim of Ong’s oral culture can be seen through another form of redundancy, but in a formulaic way. Whenever a character is being addressed to in the second text, the pronoun of that character is often repeated over and over again in each stanza. By doing so, readers can follow the storyline without the need of directly addressing the character within each line. This is seen in both Sundiata’s lines and his mother’s. T

Ong states that an oral culture is one that exists without depending on written texts. Such examples of this can be seen in history, via storytelling, songs, poems, etc. that have survived throughout history. They are often known to hold certain characteristics, such as repetition and redundancy, oral patterns throughout the oral style, formulaic for memory support, enrichment in definition and detail, empathetic and intimate.

Hand-waving: basically wanting to share something, and then having said thing either malfunction or not work at all ‘Blogging forces you to write down all your arguments and assumptions.” – Weinberg Audience effect – the shift in our performance when people are watching effects do not require a huge physical audience to kick in; it proves true online “Once thinking is public, connections take over”; think the theory of multiples, but in the case of ideas, breakthroughs are often seen in more than one individual “Failed networks kill ideas, but successful ones trigger them” Public thinking can be powerful but exhausting Tummeling – mix of persuasion, listening, good hosting; essentially the ‘distration method’ (“Look over here, now look over there!”) Read the room Depends on the human factor examples of where it goes wrong – newspapers and Youtube; constantly unsupervised, trying to grow their community and business, rather than dealing with smaller issues and letting them grow (i.e. comment sections on Youtube) Sharing location online – turns geography into a messaging board More modes of digital media = more sites for public thinking (i.e. eBooks)

sense rather than to the direct individual. His rebuttals are persuasive, but do hold more of a bitter tone in my opinion.  What interested me the most was seeing him connect both the “old” and “new” ways of public thinking, considering that there is a big audience that likes to separate the two from each other.

Least persuasive, however, was when he argued against the statement that the “old way” of thinking and doing things will cease to exist under the new age of media and such

Hand-waving: basically wanting to share something, and then having said thing either malfunction or not work at all ‘Blogging forces you to write down all your arguments and assumptions.” – Weinberg Audience effect – the shift in our performance when people are watching effects do not require a huge physical audience to kick in; it proves true online “Once thinking is public, connections take over”; think the theory of multiples, but in the case of ideas, breakthroughs are often seen in more than one individual “Failed networks kill ideas, but successful ones trigger them” Public thinking can be powerful but exhausting Tummeling – mix of persuasion, listening, good hosting; essentially the ‘distration method’ (“Look over here, now look over there!”) Read the room Depends on the human factor examples of where it goes wrong – newspapers and Youtube; constantly unsupervised, trying to grow their community and business, rather than dealing with smaller issues and letting them grow (i.e. comment sections on Youtube) Sharing location online – turns geography into a messaging board More modes of digital media = more sites for public thinking (i.e. eBooks)

sense rather than to the direct individual. His rebuttals are persuasive, but do hold more of a bitter tone in my opinion.  What interested me the most was seeing him connect both the “old” and “new” ways of public thinking, considering that there is a big audience that likes to separate the two from each other.

Least persuasive, however, was when he argued against the statement that the “old way” of thinking and doing things will cease to exist under the new age of media and such

My name is Ian Lubliner, but a since i can remember most people call me Lub.  I’m studying to receive IS3d focused on Kinesiology, and plan on graduating next may.  I grew up in San Jose CA, and am a diehard bay area sports fan.   When i was eight years old i picked up the two hobbies i have stuck with ever since.  I my  got my first drum set for my 8th birthday and had a passion for rocking out ever since.  The same year i picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time, which has consumed most of my free time for the last 14 years.  I rarely write for my own sake, but believe literacy is as important as ever with the limitless stream of information available which brings me to digital rhetoric.

You can also see that the spoken word is much more concise than the written story.  The written version gives much more background to the story, and includes much more detail in the young king’s activities.  This is because when speaking the audience can only retain so much in their memories.  It is important for spoken word to minimize superfluous details, so that the audience can focus on relevant points.   The written text allows for in depth descriptions of settings and characters because the reader is able to go back and re-read anything they did not retain.

This supports Ong’s viewpoint that oral rhetoric holds more gravity than written word.

his kind of redundancy isn’t used solely to make the audience remember the words.  This repetition adds an increased sense of drama and accomplishment when Sundiata finally is able to stand on his final attempt.

Lock sheds light on the “order and clearness” rhetoric is useful for. Locke deems rhetoric to be important and provides writing structure. Herrick refers to different scholars and professionals in literary studies to support his claims. I agree with Herrick’s claims and believe that rhetoric is important writing that gives us structure and discipline to organize our language effectively.

eel like this holds truth because it is difficult for me to formulate what I want to say in my head, but when brainstorming “half-formed thoughts on the page,” it enables me to begin writing

as well as felt more skeptical of publishing

Social media has been able to encourage society to write and share their thoughts on issues

Although people are writing more, he also discusses how the quality of writing has decreased in some ways.

Alike Ong, I think both versions communicate their point in understanding and intellectual manners. I believe for myself personally, that Johnsons version would be more beneficial for myself because I find it easier to comprehend and recall the information in that sort of format. I also think that I can relate better to this type of writing because I am use to writing how I speak. Therefore I am able to understand others better when its written in more of a vocal climate than the other. Neither culture is considered better than one another, just more or less a different way of learning and communication.

Growing up I wasn’t big on writing, and even now I find myself struggling with it sometimes. However, I just picked up this habit of journaling and I have found to love it. I also am a frequent “tweeter” but my tweets aren’t political or serious, mostly just dumb thoughts that I feel other 20-somethings can relate with. I am big on Instagram and Facebook when it comes to sharing photos and achievements with my family and friends. I have come to realize that it is an easy platform to share photos and information on, whilst reaching almost all the friends and family I need to! I use twitter to stay updated with breaking news happening around the world. From this class I’m mostly excited to see how advertisements, social media sites, blogs, images and media influence my life. I am really excited for a great semester!

One of the most interesting parts of the text that I found was the comparison of Rhetoric and Community. Its not a common thought of mine that rhetoric builds communities and that a lack there of can be devastating to a community. I think this is very applicable in the world right now, where everyone is throwing there opinions on the internet and instead of having an intellectual debate using rhetoric, people are choosing to make a division. This division is caused by rhetoric of each other and the lack of understanding and willingness to try and see the other side. I found this concept very interesting and applicable in our lives currently.

Sundiata is additive, aggregative, repetitive, and overall rather formulaic. Such features ultimately help carve out a rhythm within the story. This rhythm imprints the story into the griot’s memory and allows him to continuously repeat it over time and pass it on to members of the culture and other storytellers.

e three times he tries to do this, the description reads: “He put his right hand o’er his left,/And upwards drew himself/And upwards drew himself” or some slight variation of this (“Sundiata: Two Versions” 449-450). Through these similar descriptions, the audience can see that Sundiata is attempting the same action over and over again (with unsuccessful results the first two times and successful results the third time), and also through them, as at other points throughout the narrative, the griot must remember less words overall.

Sundiata successfully walks with the help of a staff, his mother runs toward him gleefully, and the narration reads: “Running, his mother came forward,/And clasped his legs/And squeezed them,/ And squeezed them” (“Sundiata: Two Versions” 450-451). Two different past-tense verbs are used (clasped and squeezed) that both end in -ed, and they are both used with introductory “ands.” This parallel structure is rhythmically pleasing and congruent, which allows the griot’s mind to retain the phrases without much effort

Sundiata, both of which add rhythm to the story, enhance the griot’s ability to recall it.

Sundiata, which relays the tale of the Manding Empire’s founder (“Sundiata: Two Versions” 443). A specific version of Sundiata by John William Johnson is a record of a griot’s performance of the tale that was preserved without alteration for a Western audience (“Sundiata: Two Versions” 443). This analysis will examine Johnson’s version of Sundiata and Ong’s features of “Orally Based Thought and Expression” that it satisfies.

because writing digitally can be classified as a newer type of Rhetoric that is worthy of further examination and study.

Even though Rhetoric is so closely associated with persuasion, the planned aspect of Rhetoric shows that persuasion does not necessarily equal Rhetoric and vice versa.

It would be fascinating to see if any studies have been done on what number of followers is most manageable.

ge groups of people, claiming “conversation works best when it’s smaller” and “conversation doesn’t scale” (80). He specifically cites YouTube and Newspapers as having so many people contributing to their comments sections

ue to the “audience effect” (51-54)

f Thompson had explained how exactly he had come to that 36 million book estimate

Lunsford is a professor at a well-respected college

“writing” and “production” instead of just “reading” and “consumption”-

This response will include a summary and evaluation of and some reflection on Thompson’s main claims and rebuttals in his “Public Thinking” piece. It will also contain a brief discussion of certain intriguing parts of Herrick’s “An Overview of Rhetoric.”

Ong understands that the audience has no initial investment in your story so you must be quick, simple, and precise; continuity, rhythm, and repetition work in unison to have a captive audience and move your story forward

Ong’s writing is the pinnacle of prepetition ending each of his major points with repetition

Thomson’s writings had many legitimate claims but I feel that the claim that social media and internet benefit all forms of writing had the best ideas and supporting details. Social media has given us the opportunity to go back to the traditional way of communication, openly addressing any topic, regardless of how controversial allowing for the safe analysis and communication among all those willing to have a civil conversation. Being able to communicate through conversational and informal means benefit writing a whole, it allows for thought and the development of ideas.

sharing written works because social media inherently takes possession of any ideas posted in its sited.

ccess to all sorts of audience members, who then can give directs commentary and ins

things suck

the takeaway from this is that we can get away with not writing to exercise memory, but there is still a limit to how much we can retain before we find the need to write things down.

“wicked” or evil queen hindering the protagonis

baggage” over concision (33). In Niane’s version of Sundiata, Sassouma is described as “malicious” and “wicked” (444) to retain her negative persona throughout the

Ong’s characteristics of a primary oral culture can be seen in the two versions of the Sundiata tale. His first characteristic is that a primary oral culture tends to be additive rather than subordinative. In version II of Sundiata, written by John William Johnson, there are plentiful lines where is this illustrated: “Ah! Bemba!/And found some custard apples trees,/And cut one down,/And trimmed it level to her breast,/And stood as if in prayer” (450). This allows a sense of flow and seamless continuation of narrative in Johnson’s version of the Sundiata tale.

haven’t really been prioritizing my time correctly, and therefore haven’t gotten much effective studying done since school started. I started my new job at Starbucks, and commuting to and from Escondido everyday, along with living in a moderately demanding household, is tiring.

think it would be interesting to delve more into this – to encourage society to write more rather than be merely consumers. I

Thompson addresses people who potentially disagree with him particularly in the subject of Ta-Nahesi Coates. Coates went out of his way to moderate his blogs and delete any abusive comments and posts. H

I find this interesting because it emphasizes collaboration over competition; mainly focusing on sharing and expanding ideas seems to be a more productive use of time and knowledge rather than fighting over who owns the idea.

Another of Thompson’s claims involves public thinking, in which today’s Internet encourages talking and writing about the same thing simultaneously

Unleashing ideas in any type of format, whether it be verbally or in typed or written words, helps to express ideas, for “the effort of communicating to someone else forces you to think more precisely, make deeper connections, and learn more” (55

Ong’s essay is helpful in highlighting the ways that oral communication thrives and these characteristics substantiate themselves in the story of Sundiata.

n this narrative, we see a participatory dialogue emerging; the audience is given as much of a voice as a narrator and asserts their authority to contribute. This is characteristic of oral culture’s ability to showcase originality, one where “originality lodges not in making up new stories but in managing a particular interaction with the audience at the same time.”

“Go to that cripple child of yours,” is repeated in the first few verses and its repetition is key in inspiring empathy towards the other figure; with each house she is belittled at, we are reminded her suffering is constant. The refrain, “and upwards he drew himself” evokes suspense and thrill in the reader, hoping that the narrative’s underdog will succeed.

We see this use of fixed, rhythmized expressions in the second version of the Sundiata legend. Conveyed by a griot, it establishes a marked departure from Western conventions of storytelling. It is written in the form of a free verse ballad, giving the words an immediate musical quality.

here are many avenues that digital world has given these fandoms; collectives where there can engage in intense debate, creative works such as stories and art forms, podcasts and shows of their own.

has seen a rise in digital writing in the last few years. While we must prize the luxury of free speech, we also must understand how its tenets are abused by those who would spread racism, xenophobia and homophobia in its name

Thompson is aware of the misgivings that individuals may possess about digital writings, but through an amalgamation of research and facts, manages to deconstruct them.

against the rise of digital literacy

n this way, the digital era borrows from the knowledge forming processes of the past, while simultaneously witnessing its evolution.

all over the Internet who speak to our personal passions, interests and goals.

Chennai, India, bringing daily lives to a standstill and endangering thousands. Rescue teams, supplies and funding were conducted online for a large part, with people utilizing their blogs, social media platforms and digital campaigns to ensure aid reached those in need.

validated.

our cognitive thought processes; in terms of the way we write, respond and cater to an audience. Writing is no longer a contained activity reserved for a few; an era where there is little constraint on who can publish means that a plethora of voices have sprung forward. While Thompson concedes that not all writing can be considere

Walter Ong writes about the sounded word being of power and action. The nine different methods talked about can be summarized as: aggregative rather than analytic, redundant or ‘copious’, conservative or traditionalist, close to human lifeworld, agonistically toned, empathetic and participatory rather than objectively distant, and situational rather than abstract. These characteristics can contrast the two versions of the same story both written and orally reproduced.

king’s palace, the second versions food, culture and names can be interchanged to fit other regions in their narrative. By painting a picture of the story so well, we are not able see outside of the situation that is currently in front of us.

he fact that most of the lines are dialog between two or more people further emphasizes the empathy that we as an audience are meant to feel.

The first version, a work by D. T. Niane describes the tale in written form to be read by their audience. The second version is transcribed to text by John William Johnson as a spoken, call and response story told verbally to an audience

King of Nyani”, and “Will you Rise” that extends in the next stanza. By telling the story of the King of Nyani through the use of repetitions in a rhythmic poem, the power of the words is not only able to project visual images that paints the poem into a story but also it allows those hearing the poem to remember the story, which is then orally passed down generation to generation

Laugh of the Medusa,” a manifesto for women to write women, a call-to-(writing)-arms if I may. Another point Young and Sullivan make is that “the reason we write is to enable ourselves to engage in a kind of thinking that would otherwise be beyond us, that is extended thinking” (216). Writing absolutely helps me organize my thoughts.

pically complex prose story for an audience.

Kònaté,” and other epithets, untranslated. The most striking difference between oral and chirographic cultures is that the audience’s responses to the storyteller are included in the transcription, emphasizing the participatory nature of orality, that “the audience must be brought to respond…vigorously” (Ong 41), versus the “objectively distanced” nature of the written word (45).

allows the audience and griot to keep their place in the story, but also emphasizes the emotions the storyteller is trying to evok

cultures are “agonistically toned” in that they are steeped in themes of physical prowess and violence, as well as effusive praise, which creates a “highly polarized, agonistic, oral world of good and evil, virtue and vice, villains and heroes” (45).

very immaculate

This is very true when there are larger audiences, Ong states that not everyone understands every single word that a speaker is saying but it does not stop them from moving towards the next thing said. Copia is an idea that rhetoricians use to explain that when you’re speaking it is better to move on or repeat what you said previously instead of stopping, this is done to keep the listener(s) captivated. Another aspect that was brought up by Ong was the idea that when you are reading something your mind is open to a different type of speculation of how something may have happened. In the oral culture, there is much less speculation because every story is unique and is told certain ways to insinuate and certain happening at the time. This could be done many ways but can be done the way they articulate the story and the emotions the speaker may have. These can all influence how you may view and hear a story.

With more repetition comes a more accurate representation of the oral story told to the next person.

“Sundiata.” At the end of most of the lines, there are chimes that create a receptive element to the story.

learn info much quicker and m

Rhythm is one thing that Ong discusses as a very important part of learning something orally. Repetition, patterns, breathing processes and gestures are all things that make it easier for people to learn something orally.

He compares it to picture and video saying that sound could never be stopped like a movie could into pictures.

writing for an audience,” not only encourages people to write more

Thompson claims that in today’s age, there are a lot more writers than before, he adds that the usage of Internet and social media platforms have modified the way that writers carry themselves