Chapter Two of Writing Spaces

            In Bolter’s Chapter on writing as technology he argues that every instance of writing in history has been technological. Bolter first builds his argument on the idea that the word technology comes from the Greek word techne, which means an art or craft. In this I believe Bolter is completely correct seeing as writing is not something that we are born to do, but a skill that we learn. However even past this idea Bolter uses the point that even a modern day pen is technology, making writing with pen and paper, something that we see as traditional, writing with technology. The pen is not a natural thing, but rather a mechanized device that we have created to make writing easier. The word processor can be seen in the same light of the pen, it is not natural; it is something that we as humans created to make writing simpler for ourselves. So in this sense it is not writing with technology that is new to us, but rather the form that the writing is in is the change, such as being on paper, or on a screen. The computer and Internet create a new medium in which we can receive and create writings, however the technological aspect of writing is nothing new to the history of the written word.