The Writing Space
A progressive optimist and supporter of hypertext and electronic writing, Jay David Bolter, refers to our time as the late age of print. Although, according to Bolter, print is in its last stage, it does not mean the printed book will become obsolete, but the idea and the ideal of the book will change. It does not mean the end of literacy, but, Bolter indicates, literacy will no longer be tied to print.
Bolter discusses the term writing space, which he describes as the physical and visual field defined by the writing technology. Each technology gives us a different space. For early ancient writing, it was the inner surface of a continuous roll. For medieval handwriting and modern printing, it's the white surface of a page. According to Bolter for electronic writing, it's the computer's screen, which is the new writing space. (1991:11).
Print will no longer define the organization and presentaton of knowledge, as it has for the past five centuries.
