Themes and Digital Culture (take two)

Ad Fontes- After I pressed publish on my post “Digital Libraries” it quickly became clear that I completed this assignment incorrectly. In my first post I spoke entirely about Ad Fontes in my digital culture.

Brave New Worlds- Recently I have been tempted to take the view that the digital culture is diminishing our ability to be in awe. Take one look at buzzfeed or related pop culture sites and you see a cultural pull to that. Every title is “the craziest thing you have ever seen” or the “most shocking event.” Nothing is as shocking or crazy as advertised, but they seem to be marketing to a community hungry for wonder.

What a Piece of Work is Man- I have been thinking about this a lot in relation to the Internet phenomenon, Humans of New York. Currently he is highlighting the stories of refugees arriving in Greece. I am familiar with the refugee problem and have read a few articles detailing the situation but nothing has effected me the way this series is affecting me. I think the key to his success is highlighting the humanity of the situation. The subjects tell their own story and represent themselves and their experiences as they see fit. The emotional connection achieved is incredibly powerful. This one project has caused me to contemplate my place in humanity and the magnificence and resilience of man.

Plough Boys and Bibles- I have recently done some research on BYU Idaho’s online courses for a family member and I am incredibly impressed. I have read articles and heard the frustrations about online education and how universities relying on the digital classroom exploit their students and value profit over education. This is a sad deception for those who have the hope of the ploughboy. BYU Idaho, however is tapping into the efficiency of online education and celebrating the cost efficiency instead of exploiting it.

Typographia Conservatrix- My previous post about digital libraries has interesting implications about the function of print in our society. The loudest complaint against digital literature in my own experience and in the article is the loss of atmosphere. "Without the books, you kind of lose the feel of a library." "It's a great study place, but I don't feel like I could read here anymore." “It's not really quiet anymore like a usual library is” (Antolini).  I also feel this loss but the digital revolution marches on.

Sprezzatura- Aside from social media I have seen the digital culture increase the expectation for a person with Sprezzatura. With information on current events and virtually any field of study or interest readily available you are expected to know a lot more. Due to the ease of access, the necessity of casual delivery is paramount.