Small blotches of text dot the page and the ink bleeds slightly. Words are formed meticulously. You struggle to precisely spell each word and shape each sentence, referring back to your outline every so often.

As the tab dings and releases, the beginning of the next sentence is marked by the orange of the type guide.

As you review your masterpiece, you notice an error, two-thirds down the page. You rip the paper out to begin typing again – what other choice do you have?

This was reality for writers using a typewriter before the invention of the computer, before simple creation and before immediate revision.

“[I make my students] work out of the book,” says Deanne Gilman, a senior history major and teacher of ACT prep for the Poudre and St. Raine school districts, among others. “Writing by hand, students are forced to interact with the page.”

However, in a technology-driven world, the original definition of literacy no longer applies. A quick outline on paper and the primal, physical act of writing have changed.

Rather than a simple ability to read and write, “literacy” must now shape and develop to encompass new forms of writing, new ways to communicate and a new influx of information into the previously simple world of print.

Mike Palmquist, associate vice provost for The Institute for Learning and Teaching at Colorado State University, says the belief that technology is ruining literacy and the process of writing is a myth.

“[People] have an idea of this glorious past before the Internet,” Palmquist says. “But before that it was television, it was radio, it was reading horrible dime novels in the 1920s. But if you look at the writing of a fourth, eighth or twelfth grader, they write like a fourth, eighth or twelfth grader. People have been writing badly for a long time.”

With the invention of the computer, writing processes have been affected, especially revision. Palmquist says there is a lack of knowledge about where education was before technology; some may be blaming technology for the perceived lack of literacy now.

“I began writing on a computer in 1981,” Palmquist says. “I was typing a novel in college [on a typewriter] and if I made one mistake, I’d have to retype the whole page. But for revision [technology has] made a huge difference.”

But Gilman combats this revision process, claiming that technology may be harming the ability to revise because we “don’t have to be accountable for our mistakes. [Spell check] fixes things, but we don’t understand how it’s a problem.”

When teaching the process of writing, elementary school students begin pen to paper, planning with outlines and notes. But they are still required to learn the actual process of writing as well as the basics of grammar and spelling.

In the “Past and Present of the Verbs to Read and to Write,” Emilia Ferreiro writes, “Technology in and of itself will not simplify the cognitive difficulties of the process of learning to read and write.”

Evolving from the paper outline, the writing process has developed into typing immediately and returning to revise.

“As soon as you start writing, the planning is over,” Palmquist says.

However, Gilman says, “The physical connection [between pen and paper] drives [the writing process] home. Writing it themselves, writing with their hands, makes them connect easier.”

The support system of spell check is nice to have since it catches initial grammar and spelling mistakes, Gilman says.

“But you can’t sit next to a computer and gain from it,” she says. “You still have to learn how to use it appropriately.”

The implementation of word processors may also affect the product of writing, as writers may rely too much on spell check to catch mistakes that those using typewriters may have caught and fixed before creation.

“On my own computer, I turn off the grammar functions,” says Tobi Jacobi, co-director of the Community Literacy Center in Fort Collins. “Spell check is not always right and Dictionary.com is not the end all, be all.”

Palmquist says technologies can be seen as a positive influx, helpful for teaching or at least catching the initial mistakes.

“I don’t know that people are losing the ability to spell,” Palmquist says. “It may even be getting better because of the tools.”

Beyond spell check or word processors, the Internet has been changing information gathering rather than just spelling. A lot of options are available online, allowing writers to access information immediately rather than waiting days for the return of a library book. But with this access comes responsibility in how writing is done and how it may be perceived.

“Everything is a more public forum,” Jacobi says. “[Writers] have to think about audience and form more because it’s public – not just for the classroom.”

Jacobi also emphasizes how access has expanded, how writers can post research that can then be cross-referenced immediately.

The Internet’s amount of information has also changed reading practices as information is being presented differently.

“Reading is quicker in chunks,” Palmquist says. “There is anecdotal evidence that people spend less time reading extended articles, instead they’re scanning information. In a news article on the Web there are links now.”

Students can access some textbooks online, while classrooms and class discussions can be held in chat rooms, such as the chat function on RamCT at CSU.

“The Internet has expanded our forms of literacy,” says Pember Hedger, a junior health and exercise science major. “I don’t read books – I don’t like them. But I don’t like reading on a computer so I print everything out.”

But Jacobi reminds us that the ease of access to these materials online comes with the responsibility to be aware of where the information comes from.

“There are more mature uses of literacy practices [now], and technology is enabling some of that,” Jacobi says. “But we still have to check the origins of sources we don’t know – and Google doesn’t take us all the places we need to go.”

Photo Illustration by Chelsea Dunfee

Going about her everyday chores, Amber Smith has found a way to turn what used to be mundane into racy and provocative through the help of her cell phone. Whether it is doing the dishes or cramming for a test, Smith keeps the passion alive with her boyfriend by sending him creative photos and text messages while he is at work.

According to the 25-year-old Fort Collins local, Smith and her boyfriend share fantasies, photos and detailed evening plans, something she sees as a fun way of keeping his attention.

“It keeps the excitement going and it is fun,” Smith said. “He gets really into [what I’m sending] and I might just be doing dishes or folding laundry.”

Although many may not be willing to admit it, couples, friends and strangers share sexual photos and messages more often than students may think. What Smith sees as a way to keep a spark in her relationship is most commonly referred to as “sexting” – the act of sending picture and text messages of a sexual nature to someone.

Based on a survey on sexting conducted by the Associated Press in conjunction with MTV released in December, Smith and her boyfriend are far from alone. Out of 1,247 young adults between the ages of 14 to 24, 30 percent admitted to sending or receiving nude or semi-nude sexting photos, and 10 percent had sent naked pictures of themselves to someone else via their cell phone.

What is surprising is that although a majority of those surveyed sent their pictures and sexual messages to a significant other, 29 percent had sent a message to someone they knew online and not in person.

Even if some think sexting is all in good fun, Detective Darrel King, a forensic analyst for Fort Collins Police Services, said it’s not so simple. King investigates cases involving computers, online networks and cell phones on a daily basis. And he can find messages and files on a cell phone many believe they had deleted.

So what happens next? Once information is put onto the web or shared via phone, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to get it back.

“There’s no such thing as temporary, so don’t send anything you don’t want to have absolute control over,” King said. “You can be brought up on charges for distributing explicit material, especially if the subject of the photo is a minor. In that instance, you can be charged with distribution of child pornography.”

King investigates cases of all natures, but when it comes to sexting, the legal implications of one simple photo or message can have bigger ramifications that many people may be unaware of. As the MTV and AP survey found, nearly 20 percent of the people who received a provocative photo or message forwarded it to someone else.

According to King, the problem areas surround the age of the sender and receiver, and if a sexual picture or message is sent to the wrong person, both can get you in serious legal trouble.

“If an adult sends messages to a juvenile encouraging them to send pictures, meet, have a sexual conversation or encourage sexual behavior, that is a felony known as Internet Exploitation of Children,” said King, who added if the subject of a photo is under the age of 18, it’s considered child pornography, even if both the sender and the receiver are minors.

In regards to the potential harm and legal issues of the photos and messages she sends to her boyfriend, Smith calmly said she wasn’t concerned.

“I never worry about the messages,” she said. “I know he deletes them when we’re done. Anytime he asks for a photo, I’ll send him another one.”

Technology is constantly advancing, and sexting is just one aspect of the growing phenomenon that is the rise of communication technologies, where smart phones and other devices with Internet browsing capabilities, as well as the popularity of social media Web sites, it has become easier than ever to share and spread information.

“We see people with hundreds of friends listed on Facebook. How can you possibly truly know all of those people and trust them with your information? People can give away a lot of information without even realizing it – names, birthdays, basketball practice, where they work or where they are going tonight, it’s all there on the page” King said. “Be careful with what you put out there, it’s difficult to remove it. Don’t do anything online you wouldn’t do in public.”

King said the information you send to others or put online can be found easier than you think.

“Employers are checking Facebook pages, conducting Google searches and background checks,” he added. “Anyone can pay a small fee to do the same type of background check I’m able to do with the department.”

Ashley Hamm, a sophomore art and photography major, has over 200 friends on her Facebook page.

“I keep it pretty private,” Hamm said. “I don’t know everyone on there personally. Some just sent me a friend request and I realized after the fact I didn’t know them and didn’t bother to take them off.”

Hamm said that she has chatted with strangers, but isn’t worried because they live in other states.

“Social networking – Facebook or MySpace – are the biggest opportunities for exploitation of kids or adults,” King said. “People don’t manage who has access to their page and it can provide a lot of information to someone. Juveniles, especially, are naïve enough to think nobody will hurt them.”

Katelyn Cefalo, a sophomore natural science major, said she’s really careful about what information, pictures and messages she shares with others.

“My parents never had an actual talk with me about all of this, but they don’t feel I would make a decision that would hurt me or my career,” Cefalo said. She added that because she did not use Facebook or send text messages in high school, maintaining an appropriate image online is more important to her than it may be to younger teens today.

The Mac vs. PC debate is an embittered battle with ardent supporters on each side. Operating system warriors fight each other with facts about features, but it’s also one of the greatest flame wars of all time. We are here to try and settle the score without emotions running high and give you, the buyer, the necessary facts to make a fair decision about what type of system you would be happy with. So let’s check our biases at the door and start cutting through the B.S.!

the right mindset

Before we begin, the importance of going into this discussion with the right mindset must be reiterated. We do not have enough space to cover every aspect of the user experience of Macs or PCs. We will be giving an honest assessment of each system, from the perspective of two students – one of whom is primarily a Mac user and the other primarily a PC user. We are trying to clarify the issue, not insult the other system. Linux users please note: This is not a Mac vs. PC vs. Linux debate.

mac

Apple has put together quite a brand for its line of sleek computers. It has garnered a reputation as being the go-to machine for artists, musicians and creative types. Many people consider the image of a student toting a Mac around campus to be “hip.”

So what is it about these expensive, well-designed machines that cause their owners to rave about them so much?

Hardware aside, Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X, currently known as Snow Leopard, is an innovative and easy-to-use system. Mac OS X is very intuitive because it works the way you expect it to. If you wanted to open a file in a program other than the default, you can just drag the file to the icon of the desired program and it will open. The whole system is tricked out like that, but try doing that in Windows!

Apple programs aren’t short on features either. Leopard introduced Quick Look, which allows files to be viewed or heard without opening it in a program. It has a built-in video screen capture function, and a built-in hard drive backup program called Time Machine. The system is constantly defragmenting your hard drive to keep it clean and smooth running.

Leopard has a streamlined suite of programs built in, including iLife, which includes iPhoto, Garageband, iMovie and iWeb. Even better is what it doesn’t come with – a whole bunch of promos and free trials of programs that Windows hardware manufacturers include.

Apple’s market share is also an advantage. It only just topped 10 percent this year, while Windows holds about 88 percent. What does this mean for the Mac owner? It means that it isn’t worth spammers’ time to write viruses for the Mac, which is an inherent natural defense system. The idea of viruses is to gain access to as many computers as possible, so it makes sense to target computers running Windows. It isn’t that Macs are more protected. It’s just that there are thousands more viruses out there for Windows.

Another benefit of the Mac is one not often thought of – the same company develops both the hardware and the software! Apple has full control over both aspects and is able to develop the two in unison. This is the reason why Macs generally boot up faster than PCs. Windows generally has to perform hardware checks to ensure compatibility with the system as it boots, while the Mac can bypass most of that.

pc

Merriam-Webster defines the word “vista” as “a distant view through or along an avenue or opening.” Ask anyone on campus for a definition and you’ll likely hear things like, “fail,” “headache,” “waste of time,” or just uncontrollable laughter.

Having said that, it looks like Microsoft may have learned its lesson. As this magazine hits the racks, Microsoft will be shipping Windows 7, which looks to be Vista minus the headaches. So what is it that compels buyers toward a PC purchase?

If you walk into nearly any computer lab on campus, odds are you’ll find Windows computers staring back at you. Sure, Macs are used in many businesses, but the standard is PC. This means somewhere down the road, it may be quite advantageous for your career goals to be well versed in Windows.

For gaming needs, the answer is usually Windows. Most computer games run exclusively on Windows. Sure, you can play Guitar Hero, Spore and even World of Warcraft on a Mac, but more games are PC-only. Mac OS X usually comes second when developers are doing their thing. As the number of Mac users continues to rise that trend could change.

Third-party hardware favors PCs as well. Just like viruses and games, most manufacturers choose compatibility with Windows first and Mac second. It’s simple economics. When you add hardware to your Mac you’ll usually find less frequent driver updates and limited tech support for your system.

It’s a cliché that any video or graphic artist needs a Mac to get the job done. A Mac is no more optimized for such projects than a Windows computer, but it all comes down to software, and that’s where the industry is split. Quark and Adobe both run on Windows and Mac and each system has a top-of-the-line video editing system in Final Cut Studio and Avid.

Windows wins in customizability as well. Sure, when you order your Mac you can choose how much RAM or how big your hard drive is, but on Windows the possibilities are virtually endless. That means you get to take advantage of things such as TV tuners, which allow you to watch and record cable TV. Many people, including ourselves, have built their own PCs from scratch and these hand built computers aren’t Mac friendly. While Apple can avoid bad user experiences due to poor hardware, they’ve also shut the door on many exotic features.

Viruses are undoubtedly the biggest downside of the PC, and avoiding them is no cakewalk. You’ll have to have antivirus and antispyware software and be conscious of what you do on the Internet. In many hacking competitions, (Yes, they exist. Yes, we pay attention to them) the Mac has been compromised before the PC. Unfortunately, you just have to work harder to keep your Windows safe.

verdict

As with any decision to buy anything, this one may come down to your budget. Of course, Macs are notoriously expensive, but some PCs cost a pretty penny to get the same specs. The difference is that PCs offer cheaper, low-end computers and Apple does not. So if money is your No. 1 priority, PC may be the way to go. If not, consider carefully what we have discussed, and focus on what you will be using your computer for now and in your future employment. Happy computing!