Sock it to me, Wysoki!

When I began to read this day's reading, Opening to New Media, the mention of the five material components of composition did not make immediate sense, but as I continued to read, this essay synced up with Daniel Pink's book, A whole new mind, as well as Ren Gen by Patricia Martin--both of whom believe that we are undergoing a cultural revolution. The difference between their assessments of this revolution is that Wysocki goes into considerably more detail, with an emphasis on the factors behind composition. I'm reminded of Louise Rosenblatt's text, The reader, the text, and the poem: and her assertion that the reader, the writer and the text interact, within the context of what "material" each item or person brings to the process. I had never considered in the exquisite detail expressed in Wysocki's essay the infinite variables present in every communicative transaction. I knew that communicating while conveying pure meaning was a complex transaction, but when I started to think of all the elements involved, I think it is a miracle that we humans communicate as well as we do. The idea that transfering in between modes changed the meaning and the form of the text became especially fascinating when I was asked to consider one text in several different forms, and if my reaction and interaction would alter the meaning of the text. So, if the same words and images presented in different ways evoke different meaning, is there ever any hope for future understanding? If words and images are entered into a computer, and become a series of zeros and ones, does the form change their meaning? Wysocki's loving, intricate examination of this topic reminds me of Boice's minute examination of the writing process, which makes me eager to read more.