Madden “Obsolescence in/of Digital Writing Studies”

"The multiliteracies—functional, critical, rhetorical—StuartSelber (2004) suggested are necessary for student writers to navigate digital media are also required for writingteachers and scholars, but becoming multiliterate with a range of technologies becomes much more difficult whendigital tools are so quickly changed, redesigned, discontinued, and obsolesced" (30).

* Consider the materiality of technology and how quickly it becomes out of date

* A group of scholars decided to research Google Wave, and it was discontinued 13 months after its launch

* How do you lobby for digital writing pedagogies and teacher training, when the technology could soon be obsolete

* Underprivileged and minority populations are particularly effected by obsolescence because they may not have the funds for upgraded technologies and equipment

Cultural historian Slade (2006) defined:

• “technological obsolescence” as any innovation which replaces earlier machinery, such as how the electric car starterobsolesced all earlier hand-cranked automobiles (p. 4);

"• “psychological obsolescence” as branding and marketing tactics that encourage repetitive purchasing on the basisof style or fashion (p. 5); and

 • “planned obsolescence” as a blanket category for how products are designed not to be durable, or have mechanicalparts which are “made to break” (p. 5)."

* For example, when Apple releases a new iPhone, the iTunes platform does not need upgrading, but in some cases all of the accessories might require upgrading

* There are concerns about e-waste, recyclability of parts, and the rare earth materials that are necessary for production

"Additionally, writing teachers have long been interested in what constitutes ethical pedagogy in the context of social injustice, and it seems unethical to ignore questions of e-waste and sustainable sourcing when such questions have high stakes for human and environmental ecologies" (34).

* There is also market-based obsolescence- when you have the choice of paying to replace a part, when a whole new one is inexpensive

* A proposed study of obsolescence would help show how software and hardware changes effect writing practices

* Writing teachers can ask students to write about how their writing practices are effected by obsolescence 

"Technologies are blending into us. Our fingers glide over touchpads and smartscreens; computing glasses overlaythe “real” world with a digital display; we can give our phones commands or ask them questions, and they will respond without our touch. The purpose is not to feel technologies but to be synched with them. In the end, however, we cannot divorce our tools from their pasts and futures or from the social contexts surrounding their production and disposal.Writing scholars have gone a long way toward challenging disparities of privilege surrounding literacy technologies,and we also need to defend against research and pedagogy that focus on digital-ethical issues with respect to the use phase of product life only. Without consideration of the larger context for digital tools, we risk our own criticalobsolescence, we risk leaving global human and environmental problems unaddressed, and we risk leaving exploitativecorporate practices unchecked" (37).

SIDE NOTE:  I came across this article this week and would be interested to hear what people think about it if you are interested in reading it:  https://chroniclevitae.com/news/792-the-problem-with-learning-technology