Reading through this week’s chosen texts, I was reminded of one of Albert Einstein’s (many) famous quotes … “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

I try to practice what I preach whereever possible, as much as I do enjoy learning new words – and sometimes dropping them gratuitously into discussions, just for intellectual lols.  Perspicacity.

It’s also a profesional habit that I’ve had to adopt in the exercise of script editing, where we (editors) have been known to viciously cut, condense and clarify anything which remotely verges on verbosity.  It’s a mandate of the medium.  Mind you, not all such actions necessarily produce better drama, but in a format as rigid as television programming, time and budget are ever-present standover men that often get in the way of the desire to create something of substantial quality and truth.

Anyhow – getting back to this week’s readings.  I found Adrian’s overview of print vs. network literacy very helpful because I find that the way that I learn, before I become practically competent, I have to sufficiently digest the concepts underpinning its use (something of an existential bent…).  Above all, it explained these terms simply, which I appreciated.

More generally, I reflected on the notion of literacy and culture, and how we tend to learn through adopting agreed, socially established, practices.  The advent of print media is now so long behind us that it can be harder to appreciate the historical contexts under which it formed – for what reasons, purposes, etc, etc.  We’re in an interesting time now because we’re still experiencing the rapid evolution of digital media and can track the events (political, economic) which shape its evolution, as they occur.  I suppose that last sentence proves I’m not much of a technological determinist, although it might also be argued by some that much of the technology (as ‘machinery/hardware’) is already formed, and that simply its applications are diversifying.  Ahh… I could argue with myself all day long.

I suppose it’s natural that literacy would be socially-taught because literacy represents the fundamental skill that enables us to interact or engage in social context.  For instance, on the topic of adult illiteracy, issues such as isolation and social exclusion are common themes which arise.

Meanwhile, I found Paul Graham’s reflection on the essay anything but concise.  There are some interesting insights and contexts which are raised, no doubt, but by the time I got to his section on ‘Meander’ and his own confession that “sometimes I tend to meander…” I thought had witnessed a brilliant moment of personal reflection and connection with the author.  And it was at that point, I must admit, that I stopped reading!