Ong – Oral and Literate Storytelling

In chapter 6, Ong outlines some of the differences between oral storytelling and literate stories. They are constructed differently (if you can even use the word construct for both) and they each hold different values for what make good stories. This comes from the function and capacity of memory, and how it influences the expectations of an audience.

In oral cultures, the values important to storytellers and their audiences have more to do with the actual performance. Imagery, details, events can go in any order. Tellings are done in a lucid and free-flowing way in terms of plot, but conventions for rhyme or stanzaic form or rhythm might be more important. For that reason, organization usually manifests in the form of episodes and not plot, as literate cultures come to expect.

In literate cultures, a different set of criteria are held important. Order and organization are such expected characteristics of story that we are disgruntled and confused when they are missing. We come to recognize this in the form of plot. We want to be introduced to the characters, understand the conflict, see it build and then resolve. If the telling of that story goes in any other order, we get uncomfortable. Thoughts like "Where are they going with this?" cross our minds, and that deviance will derail us as listeners.

I would chalk these differences up to the fact that oral storytelling emphasizes the feelings of the experience being recounted, and the reader of story in literature needs to follow a formula to know what she is to expect when reading a story. This comes from training, and as with most things, when the order strays from what we learned in our training, it is difficult to interpret and follow. We have just become so accustomed to organization that it throws us off when we have to sift through the details on our own. And that may be much more natural to an oral listener, who depends more on the senses –feeding on sound, volume, expressions of the face, body language, etc.

Ong's Orality & Literacy ... What's the Difference?

In the first half of "Orality and Literacy," author Walter Ong introduces this topic of verbally-transmitted tradition with written tradition. He begins with a summary of the development of scholarship around the concept over the history of its study. Ong's current view holds that the two traditions are separate, and should be regarded as such, in contrast to previous methods of study: older scholars would describe oral culture as "preliterate," or the more primitive version of literacy. He uses a metaphor to explain this, proposing that one can describe a horse as an automobile without wheels. At first it seems a trifling discrepancy, but he makes a case for the importance of such a distinction. 

If the frame of the comparison between orality and literacy is built around the notion that literacy is the more advanced, or that oral cultures are somehow stuck in the past, or underdeveloped – basically, inferior – this breeds a skewed understanding of the two. However, when taken separately and compared or contrasted based on individualized analyses (and not the list of what the inferior subject lacks next to the superior) one can come to a greater appreciation and understanding for both.

In our case ("our" meaning the literate culture), it seems more important to come to an understanding of an oral culture. Without comparing what one or another lacks, the evaluation of a culture void of written text stretches us to consider those aspects of a literate culture that we take for granted every day. This is not to say that we "literates" lack a thankfulness for our own tradition. On the contrary, I believe it helps illuminate the assumptions which we have come so deeply to expect that they have become part of our daily consciousness, our culture. We don't even think about the implications anymore. Actually, it would be a lie to even use the word "anymore" because we can't even imagine or reflect upon a time when we were not completely surrounded by written words. 

And that's just in the first 15 pages!

Taking a look from outside the frame, we can now begin to dissect the different ways that we as a literate society do something as simple as complete a sentence – now with the backdrop comparison of the oral culture. More specifically, how is memory involved in that process?

Already, I'm trying to find links to my life that could demonstrate this mindset, the simple recognition that spoken words and written words have very different meanings in the society I live in. One very recent anecdote comes from my experience this summer as a door-to-door salesperson. When I knocked on certain doors, their owners would immediately request “to see some literature.” The context of door-to-door sales is obviously important, considering the reputation of salespeople, scams, homeowners’ busyness and disinterest, etc. there is a truth hidden below that layer of context. People wanted to see some proof, or needed reassurance that my company and product were legitimate, and they needed something in writing to satisfy that fear, disbelief, or skepticism. In other cases, they would ask me for a business card. Hah – as if it takes more than a couple dollars at Staples to print out stack of them.

Text somehow substantiate or legitimize the truth to us. We don’t have to rely on any “gut instinct” to decipher the truth. If it’s in writing, well then, I guess it could be true. At least I have her business card so I don’t have to look her in the eye to know if she’s telling the truth.

But I digress. There is a lot more than “truth” to be found in written vs spoken word. Certain human things just do not translate well into text. Inflection, tone, enunciation, and emotion are replaced by punctuation marks and maybe some italics or capital letters. While this offers us the ability to communicate with an infinite audience, it somehow dwindles our expression of the original utterance. There is no way to recreate the entire space and feeling that surrounded an event, but we can attempt to conjure them up with letters and characters so that someone in a different time and space can experience it in some way.

A theme surrounding this topic seems to be that for every advancement in technology, something or someone suffers for it. This comes from the fact that the technology is usually designed to replace something – a function or a previous artifact that was less convenient or efficient – and the old technology is lost in a small (or a very big) way. When literate cultures adopted an alphabet so they could record words, thoughts, speeches, prices, dates, etc... they sacrificed something. I think Ong is trying to get at that, at what that something is.

Post 7

A personal "About Me" section, contact information, and a high-quality portfolio are all things I plan to include in my site; they're the most essential parts of an online portfolio. I will reluctantly come up with a logo and a tagline, but only because they are web standards that users come to expect.

Tips 8 and 10 are my favorites. I wasn't aware of 8's instruction to have a call to action on each page; it will help a user weave his or her way through the site. The tenth tip is one I agree with very much. I pride myself on being able to write in a concise way, and appreciate when web authors do the same. Maybe my attention span is getting shorter, but...

I may not link my site to my facebook and Twitter accounts. I'd like to keep those aspects of my life a little more private. Same goes for my blog (if I decide to keep up with it).



My two favorite sites belong to Chirag Solanki (http://www.chiragjsolanki.com/) and Robyn Morris (http://digitalmash.com/). Chirag uses beautiful colors and artwork, and his navigation is unique; everything is on one page. The links take you not to another page, but to a part on the same page. He also has a cool table to show his skill levels with different programs.

Robyn's site reeks of his personality. In a good way! His word choice and wit are inspiring, and I like the way the blog works -- very colorful paragraph of the topics, but as soon as you scroll over a tag, everything but the tag turns gray. I also like his photos, but I wish he would have organized them better since there are so many.

To mimic the styles I like in these sites, I need to learn how to connect links to anchor points on other parts of the page and how to create a slideshow for my photography.

Also, make sure to explore the "40+ beautiful personal portfolio websites. Which sites are your favorite and why? What would you need to learn/know in order to make this type of portfolio?

Digital Literacy Narrative Evaluations

Scannell's narrative about her writing roots mimicked a documentary style: cycling through interviews, original videos, and panning across images that relate to the narration. It got a bit long and over-detailed, to the point that I began wondering when it would end.

Eww. Didn't like Andfull's video. She stumbled through her narration which could have used some spicing up (I stopped counting the number of times she said she "luuuhved ____ book" after 6), and the images she chose were low quality. Even though her sequence and concept were pretty good, these features distracted me enough to reject her video; to me, it just conveyed a lack of editing or refining, which is important when telling a story (making sure the medium doesn't distract from the message).

The author of this video chose a unique style to tell a story, giving "Words, Magic" by Truaman a much different feel than the others; the transparency of its recording and prompt, as well as the impression that the interview is completely impromptu, generate a sense of genuineness. The sounds of hubbub in the background also add to this effect.

Peyton's narrative used fun music that established a fun pace with his videos and text, and he used a variety of views to convey his story. The blurriness in his cell phone shots definitely took away from the overall quality of the video, but it was cute, concise, and exaggerated enough to keep a smirk on my face through the whole clip.

Though Eric Wooten used the smallest variety of media, he had the most effective narrative (IMO). His captions were short, witty, and displayed with enough time on each picture to absorb both the words and the image.  The narrative had a clear intro, climax, and resolution, and his pictures were comical and endearing. However, I wish he would have done something more creative with his captions.

So what should we look at when evaluating literacy narratives?
I believe these things are pretty important:

• Quality of the story -- diction, plot, narration/text, readability
• Use of video/pictures -- image quality, composition, how it fits with the rest of the video
• Text -- are we given enough time to process the words as well as the images they accompany? Color, placement
• Music, special effects (ie: transitions) -- do they distract from the message?
• Editing!

Our Websites Are Done!!

Having struggled all the way through this project myself and with Professor Arola canceling class in the spirit of our class's exhaustion, it comes from a place of utmost sincerity when I say

THANK GOD THIS PROJECT IS DONE (for now)

...and congratulations to my classmates for designing some pretty impressive sites. 
My favorite web text is probably Cassie's or Tai's. Cassie's is very clean and navigation is a breeze; Tai has great style with his graphics and links.

I furthered my knowledge of what makes an effective text during my research before and experimentation during this project, as well as through the texts that some of my classmates put forth.

Kristen Parton uses her web space to analyze the effectiveness of different video streaming sites. While her analysis is critical, concise, and specific, I found myself in want of a more user-friendly menu system -- one placed at the top of the page instead of the bottom, perhaps, since it took me while to find it -- and some proofreading errors distracted me from her message. I learned what made each specific site effective or not, but without a page of her own concluding/summarizing thoughts or analysis within each page explaining the relation between each site I had to interpret on my own. Her main stressor was the importance of layout and color in directing the viewer's eye and attention.

Ariel Popp's website analyzes web comics, specifically those based on real life. Her slideshow of (awesome!!) hand-made comics progress in a story-book fashion, with an intro and a conclusion and details in the middle that hit all the major points. Her visually appealing format makes it a pleasure to learn that the effectiveness of a based-on-real-life comic has to do with relatability; in other words, an comic is funny if the reader doesn't need a lot of context to understand the humor. In addition, web sites about based-on-real-life comics have to follow a format that allows the viewer to navigate easily and without too much distracting content on the sides (ie. ads).

AJ Robertson wrote his site to analyze ... well, I think it's to analyze websites about various video games... wiki's, I presume. Without an introduction or a conclusion, the site is a collection of pages that individually analyze one site at a time in a very orderly format. His parallel format throughout helps me link ideas together, and he addresses the established genre convention that each site does or does not follow. That being said, I understand what wikis are, but I am still not really sure why the texts are ultimately more or less effective after reading through his site.

Project 2 Proposal: Multimodal Analysis Webtext

For Project 2, I will analyze five online portfolios of photographers. Each of them use their own strategies to present their work, market their skills, tell about themselves, etc. Each artist represents him- or herself in a unique way; some come off with a resume feel, while others seem to be aiming more towards entertainment. One front that they all seem to attack differently is the presentation and organization of their photos. Some are more effective than others, with easily-navigable slideshows; others make you dig more through project folders and events.

These differences could be the results of many factors. One photographer may want her audience to have to look at each of her pictures at in sequence, while another may offer more efficient organization for a viewer looking at his work as a whole. It will be interesting to analyze their sites; looking at how a person chooses to present their work gives insight to their personality and taste, in addition to their actual photographs.

The following are three sites I plan to include in my analysis.

http://trevorparkphotography.wordpress.com/  
            This is the website of the former president of WSU's Art Club. In addition to his own work, he publishes information (interviews, pictures) about other artists as well.

http://www.chasejarvis.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=7&p=-1&a=-1&at=0
            Chase Jarvis is one of my favorite photographers. His recent projects have been incredible, and his site tells volumes about him with very few words.

http://www.larajade.co.uk/
             I found Lara Jade's photographs beautiful and her site simplistic. I'll have to look more closely before I decide whether or not I'll include her in my analysis.

Emphasis, Contrast, Organization, Alignment, and Proximity

Emphasis

1. My attention is immediately drawn to the notepad. Although it can't compete with the colors of the other objects in the shot, it is in the center of the screen and it is the only thing moving. The words and drawings also stand out because they are organic and cartoony in the midst of hard, real-life shapes. The author of this clip constructed the scene to emphasize the creation of the words and effectively introduces the title.

2. Having the woman in pink jump out of the scene gives the viewer time to pause and soak in the words on the page. Doing so puts emphasis on the title, as if to say, "Hey! I finished writing this important phrase. Pause, and read it!" (in a more subtle way, of course).

3. (a) I don't think the sound helps to emphasize anything specific in this clip. The rhythm of the stop-motion doesn't match up to the beat a noticeable way, and the end of the clip doesn't fall at a good stopping point in the song (although this may be just a small clip of a longer piece).

    (b) The sound influences the tone of the clip, giving it a home-made feel; it is simple, rhythmic, and repetitive. The speed and pitch make a difference, too -- the tone would completely change if it was higher-pitched and faster, or visa versa.

Contrast 

1. There are a few contrasting elements in this segment. The gray background contrasts with the yellow-white letters, making them stand out against the moving pictures in the background. The background moves from left to right, and the words move from the bottom to the top. The directions are opposite but not opposing, making it possible to notice both, separately. However, the words stand out more than the pictures in the background, signifying that they are most important. Lastly, the sounds -- the narrator and the soundtrack -- contrast with the cartoon style; her electronic voice and the futuristic chimes don’t seem to match the older, more simple animation from an older genre. These contrasts draw attention to important aspects of the video. 

2. The colors of the background and the text still contrast nicely to make the words pop out. The cartoons were probably removed from the background to emphasize the importance of these words in particular; they give instructions crucial to the success of the viewer in the advertised program

3. My poster to advertise TheJUMP would include a picture of Dan, smiling as he does at 0:21 in the video. The title, “TheJUMP” would stand out in white against a dark gray/green background in a font bigger than the rest of the words on the poster. In smaller type with black letters, I would include a small blurb about Dan and how happy and successful he is thanks to TheJUMP. Without sound, it will be hard to convey the futuristic tone as the video does, so I will mention at the bottom of the flyer that the program has great potential to positively impact viewers’ futures in a modern direction, perhaps with a slogan like “Let TheJUMP boost your modern career into success!”

Organization

1. My picture sequence is as follows: 

(1) dairy aisle (2) cheering crowd

(3) woman opening door

(4) wedding cake topper

(5) woman painting

My pictures tell a story of choices, relationships, self, and growing up. The sequence is somewhat chronological, starting with easy transitions and working up to more weighty decisions. The shift from teenager to adult, high school to college, is full of light and heavy opportunities for flux.

The first picture shows many options in a grocery store aisle. Various factors play into one’s choice between nonfat and low fat milk, margarine or butter; budget, health, and taste represent a few. However, these choices are relatively simply and affect correspondingly few people. Still, as one gets older and takes on more self-responsibility, these small choices bind to form a composite that runs as a consequence of the interconnecting parts.

In the second picture, many people have gathered to celebrate in a unified group. It displays a moment of joyful togetherness. The people one chooses to include in her life affect her emotions, schedule, and happiness more than most other life factors. The introduction of new friends or the loss of old ones create an undulation in life that is never completely under a single person’s control. Social choices are often the most complicated but rewarding, and take experience to manage effectively.

As important as friends and relationships are, it is important to maintain strength in solitude. Learning how to spend time alone without feeling lonely is a difficult skill to master. The woman in this third picture may not be there yet -- she displays a longing that many people feel when alone.

However, balancing between time spent with others and alone helps foster healthy relationships with others and with one’s self. One’s choices seem to become more major with age, but easier with the knowledge gained by life experience. For some, this maturity helps one choose a spouse. The fourth picture shows this option -- just one of many important life decisions that have influence over the happiness of more than just one’s self.

The final picture shows a woman painting; it may be a long-time hobby of hers. I chose to put it at the end of the sequence to leave the viewer with the impression that even with the numerous factors mentioned, the individual is still the most important. Food, friends, and other significant relationships all compile in the life of a healthy (or unhealthy) person. The painting woman is alone, but her work will probably be seen by others. Her ‘product’ is an intentional reflection of self, but she cannot be completely separated from the influences that formed her.

2. Organizing these pictures in a different order would definitely put a spin on my message. I ordered them as if they were separate priorities, starting with the one I think is least important and ending with the most important. If I had started with the wedding topper and ended with the cheering crowd, the list of priorities that the pictures represent would give the impression of a completely different person.

3. Color could be an influential element. Since the series is somewhat chronological and ordered from least to most important, I could make the starting picture black and white to signify its simplicity, and work the saturation in more for the subsequent pictures. The last picture would be the most vibrant; the range of bright colors would communicate energy and give the final picture a happy, multidimensional tone. 

The arrangement and proximity would also be important. I would space out the pictures in a horizontal composition to go with my linear order, but if I picked to line them up vertically or diagonally, or without space between the pictures, the viewer would read the series differently.

Alignment

1. The word “murmuring” drops from the top of the screen and only align in a horizontal line for a moment, and “insects” is born out of its predecessor in the text by using the last 3 letters of “murmuring” to morph into the first 3 letters of the next. The moving letters and organic spacing contribute to the nature theme.

2. The falling words align with the center of the crescent shape in the bottom right of the screen, and the letters in the word “murmuring” that align with the bottom tips of the shape linger closer to the crescent as the rest of the letters fall into a horizontal line around them. Then, as  the word “insects” appears, the beginning of the word lines up with the end of the crescent shape, and also fall into a horizontal line.

3. The alignments of the words are different between the Earth and Air scenes because air and earth are different -- in shape, color, and content. The earth contains insects while the air contains flying geese, so it makes sense that the earth segment would line up horizontally (as the ground does) and that the sky segment fails to reach such a rigid orientation (as few things in the sky do). 

As for the audio track, the woman’s phrases end the moment that the lines of text become readable. This encourages the viewer to interpret the vocal words and written words as a whole, giving the message, “And then we saw the people jumping in the sky. We saw what we thought was debris and saw it was people jumping (like) flocks of departing geese.” The oriental music behind the words is sad and slow, matching the sadness associated with the tragic events of September 11. The “flying geese” seem to be a metaphor for the victims of the crash who jumped to escape from the towers.

4. It is difficult to discern his exact words, but it is clear by his voice inflection and his sniffle that the man speaking is mourning. He mentions tears, and the words align with the eye in the background, falling into place with the crescent as an actual tear drop would fall from a crying eye.

5. The lack of alignment communicates that there is no particular order to view the separate parts. It gives equality to all parts -- none seem more emphasized than another because they are all the same size and color. The purpose is subdued and commemorative of the sadness of the event, but the experience is free-flowing; the lack of alignment offers more room for interpretation because different viewers will navigate the piece in their own sequence.

Proximity

1. I grouped the title of the book and the subtitle next to each other in the top right corner; the title is bigger and appears above the subtitle, showing that it is to be read first and it is more important. The seagull picture went slightly below the title, more to the left of the page; the image is obviously related to the title. For the author’s name, I used the same font as the title, showing that it is important, but it is at the bottom left of the screen (opposite the title) and smaller. The font repetition makes the page feel cohesive, while the font size establishes hierarchy. 

2. The title is largest and most important. It is placed at the top of the page to ensure that it is read first. The size of the font dictates how important words are as well (larger = more important). The author’s name is significant, so it gets its own special place at the bottom of the page. The empty space around it makes it noticeable, compensating for the fact that the font is smaller.

3. I am limited by many things! I cannot change the font or size or color of text, or the background color and texture, and I only have two images to choose from. I could make the background a beach picture including a seagull, with the title occupying the sky and the author’s name occupying the sand, for example. Physically, I could emboss or engrave the letters of text to make them stand out further.