College, Inc. Response

In watching College Inc., a segment provided by PBS, something that I found really interesting was that those who attend colleges such as University of Phoenix and ITT Tech tend to have a higher loan debt than those who attend regular colleges. Before watching this video I never really new anything about for-profit colleges and how they worked so I did not have any impression of them, I just knew they existed. Now that I have watched it I kind of know how they work and I will make sure that people whom I am close to do not attend those colleges because I do not want them to be in debt for the rest of their lives due to all of the loans they had to take out to attend. These colleges get a lot of applicants by spending a ridiculous amount of money on advertising their services. I would want to know how well these for profit colleges would do with little to no advertisement like regular non-profit colleges.

"Public Thinking" Essay

Advancements in technology have been a great addition to the lives of many people. On the other hand many people believe that due to all of this new technology, our culture is not the same as it was a couple of decades ago. Clive Thompson, who is the author of “Public Thinking”, looks at the advantages and disadvantages that advancements in technology has brought this generation to determine whether it is actually beneficial to us or not. Thompson is a renowned technology writer and a freelance contributor for newspapers such as The New York Times along with The Washington Post. He studied in order to determine how the Internet has had a positive impact on our lives. Even though many people believe that all of these new technologies are not doing any good to our society, Thompson writes in order to persuade the audience to believe that the Internet and other technological advancements can actually help us to become better writers and thinkers. In this paper I will explore Thompson’s main claims and the evidence he provides us with some of which include expert testimony, examples, and studies to establish a strong sense of ethos and logos and to show how technology is actually a great tool in allowing us to become better thinkers and writers. 

One of Thompson’s main claims is that an audience can have a huge impact on a writer. According to Thompson, things such as a post on Tumblr, Facebook or even a text message all involve writing for an audience which inadvertently improves the way we write, known as the “audience effect”. A study done by Stanford Professor Andrea Lunsford shows that back then most of the essays that were written by college freshmen were typically shorter than those of college freshmen now. In 2001, she began her study and convinced 189 of her students to give her copies of everything they had written all year. Five years later she had about fifteen thousand pieces of writing in all types of formats such as posts on blogs, text messages, emails, and many more (Smarter Than You Think 67). This is due to the fact that now people have access to social media and other forms of communication which they did not have back them, restraining the older generations to practice their writing as much as the newer generations do. Referring to the study done by Professor Lunsford, Thompson himself writes, “Because they [students] were often writing for other people…they were adept at reading the tempo of a thread, adapting their writing to people’s reactions” (Smarter Thank You Think 67). In other words, Thompson believes that if a person knows that whatever they are writing is going to be seen by either one person or a large group of people they will tend to be more careful about what they write and how they present their text. He organizes his evidence in a way that establishes a strong sense of ethos. Because Thompson uses the study done by a professor from a university as prestigious as Stanford to support his claim, it makes his overall argument a concrete one. 

Moreover, another claim that Thompson argues is that writing can help clarify our thinking. He states, “ Professional writers have long described the way that the act of writing forces them to distill their vague notions into clear ideas…This is why writers often find that it’s only when they start writing that they figure out what they want to say”(Smarter Than You Think 51). Thompson observes that when a person writes out what they are thinking onto a paper it helps them simplify the point that they are trying to get someone else to understand. As support for his argument Thompson mentions Cecil Day-Lewis, a poet, who said “I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind…If it were clear in my mind, I should shave no incentive or need to write about it…”(Smarter Than You Think 51). In other words, Cecil Day-Lewis helps support Thompson’s claim because like many he also writes “in order to understand not to be understood” (Smarter Than You Think 51), even though he is well-known writer. This claim that Thompson makes is very effective because it is very relatable. Many people who sit down to write something struggle with developing their thoughts and when they start to actually write it down it makes it easier for them to get their point across. Using Cecil Day-Lewis, a person whom has been known to write at an exceptional level, as an example worked as a great strategy in Thompson’s favor, it helps him creative a sort of logical appeal to the audience making him seem more credible. 

Another significant factor in the way the Internet has contributed in a positive manner to our society is because it allows us to make easier connections. According to Thompson, having the Internet allows people to be able communicate with one another in a simpler manner and it is easier for people to share their ideas now than it was back then. Having the internet allows people with the same ideas to come together and share their knowledge with one another, also known as the “theory of multiples”. Back then people did not have the Internet to quickly share their ideas so many times two people would  discover something simultaneously and never know that another person had also discovered the same thing. As an example Thompson uses the story of Ernest Duchesne who was the original discoverer of penicillin. He noticed that the stable boys would store saddles in a damp, dark room so that mold would heal the horses’ saddle sores. Intrigued, Duchesne decided to conduct an experiment on sick guinea pigs and treated them with a solution made from mold (penicillin) and found that they recovered completely. He then wrote up his findings in a PhD thesis but was ignored by the French Institut Pasteur because he was only twenty-three (Smarter Than You Think 60-61). Fifteen years later he died and his research disappeared and it took thirty-two years for, “… Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming to rediscover penicillin, independently with no idea that Duchesne had already done it” (Smarter Than You Think 61). Back then people did have the ability to communicate with one another but not as easily as we do now. If there was such thing as the internet at the time when Duchesne discovered penicillin, himself and Fleming could have worked together in figuring out how to make this medicine available to large groups of people and more effective. In other words advancements in technology, which birthed the Internet, allows for people to write more and in a more effective manner bringing together the ideas of many and resolving multiples. Thompson uses this historical example in his favor because it is full of facts which establishes logos in his argument making it more believable.

All in all, are the advancements in technology actually helping our society become better thinkers and writers, or is it doing the complete opposite? Thompson insist that the Internet has proven to be very beneficial in changing the way people write for the better. This is because of the effect of having an audience has on people, it helps clarify our thinking, and it encourages public thinking which makes people write more. One way Thompson could have made his argument stronger is by using studies which are more relatable to the common person, such as when he mentioned the study that Professor Lunsford did on her students at Stanford. Questions can be raised on whether or not students from Stanford are an equal representation of all students, because it is such a prestigious school. He could have used a different study that can relate to a broader audience and not just those students who attend such illustrious schools.  Other than that using all of these examples along with concrete evidence, Thompson does a great job in making the reader truly believe all of his points that he makes. 

"Public Thinking" Draft

Advancements in technology have been a great addition to the lives of many people. On the other hand many people believe that due to all of this new technology, our culture isn't the same as it was a couple of decades ago. Clive Thompson, who is the author of “Public Thinking”, looks at the advantages and disadvantages that advancements in technology has brought this generation to determine whether it is actually beneficial to us or not. Thompson is a renowned technology writer and a freelance contributor for newspapers such as The New York Times along with The Washington Post. He studied in order to determine whether the Internet has had a positive or a negative impact on our lives. Even though many people believe that all of these new technologies are not doing any good to our society, Thompson writes in order to persuade the audience to believe that the Internet and other technological advancements can actually help us to become better writers. In this paper I will explore Thompson’s main claims and overabundance of evidence some of which include expert testimony, examples, and studies to show how technology is actually a great tool in allowing us to become better thinkers and writers. 

One of Thompson’s main claims is that an audience can have a huge impact on a writer. According to Thompson, things such as a post on Tumblr, Facebook or even a text message all involve writing for an audience which inadvertently improves the way we write, known as the “audience effect”. A study done by Stanford Professor Andrea Lunsford shows that back then most of the essays that were written by college freshmen were typically shorter than those of college freshmen now. This is due to the fact that now people have access to social media and other forms of communication which they did not have back them, restraining the older generations to practice their writing as much as the newer generations do. Referring to the study done by Professor Lunsford, Thompson himself writes, “Because they [students] were often writing for other people…they were adept at reading the tempo of a thread, adapting their writing to people’s reactions.” (Smarter Thank You Think 67) What he means by this is that writing for an audience betters the way people write. In other words, Thompson believes that if a person knows that whatever they are writing is going to be seen by either one person or a large group of people they will tend to be more careful about what they write and how they present their text. He organizes his evidence in a way that establishes a strong sense of logos. Because Thompson uses the study done by a professor from a university as prestigious as Stanford to support his claim, it makes his overall argument a concrete one. 

Moreover, another claim that Thompson argues is that writing can help clarify our thinking. He states, “ Professional writers have long described the way that the act of writing forces them to distill their vague notions into clear ideas…This is why writers often find that it’s only when they start writing that they figure out what they want to say.”(Smarter Than You Think 51) Thompson observes that  when a person writes out what they are thinking onto a paper it helps them simplify the point that they are trying to get someone else to understand. As support for his argument Thompson mentions Cecil Day-Lewis, a poet, who said “I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind…If it were clear in my mind, I should shave no incentive or need to write about it…”(Smarter Than You Think 51) In other words, Cecil Day-Lewis helps support Thompson’s claim because like many he also writes in order to understand not to be understood even though he is well-known writer. This claim that Thompson makes is very effective because it is very relatable. Many people who sit down to write something struggle with developing their thoughts and when they start to actually write it down it makes it easier for them to get their point across. Using Cecil Day-Lewis as an example worked as a great strategy in Thompson’s favor, it helps him creative a sort of logical appeal to the audience making him seem more credible. 

Another, significant factor in the way the Internet has contributed in a positive manner to our society is because it allows us to make easier connections. According to Thompson, having the Internet allows for people to be able communicate with one another in a simpler manner and it is easier for people to share their ideas now than it was back then. Having the internet allows people with the same ideas to come together and share their knowledge with one another, also known as the theory of multiples. Back then people did not have the Internet to quickly share their ideas so many times two people would  discover something simultaneously and never know that another person had also discovered the same thing. As an example Thompson uses the story of Ernest Duchesne who was the original discoverer of penicillin. He noticed that the stable boys would store saddles in a damp, dark room so that mold would heal the horses’ saddle sores. Intrigued, Duchesne decided to conduct an experiment on sick guinea pigs and treated them with a solution made from mold (penicillin) and found that they recovered completely. He then wrote up his findings in a PhD thesis but was ignored by the French Institut Pasteur because he was only twenty-three. (Smarter Than You Think 60-61) Fifteen years later he died and his research disappeared and it took thirty-two years for, “… Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming to rediscover penicillin, independently with no idea that Duchesne had already done it.” (Smarter Than You Think 61) If Duchesne had some way of making his discovery public, Fleming and himself could have worked together in order to prevent the deaths of many people. In other words advancements in technology, which birthed the Internet, allows for people to write more and in a more effective manner bringing together the ideas of many and resolving multiples. Thompson uses this historical example in his favor because it is full of facts which establishes logos in his argument making it more believable.

All in all, are the advancements in technology actually helping our society become better thinkers and writers, or is it doing the complete opposite? Thompson insist that the Internet has proven to be very beneficial in changing the way people write for the better. This is because of the effect of having an audience has on people, it helps clarify our thinking, and it encourages public thinking which makes people write more. Using all of these examples along with concrete evidence, Thompson does a great job in making the reader truly believe all of his points that he makes.

 

Body Paragraph Revised

Thompson claims that writing can help clarify our thinking. According to Thompson, things such as a post on Tumblr, Facebook or even a text message all involve writing for an audience which inadvertently improves the way we write and think. A study done by Professor Andrea Lunsford shows that back then most of the essays that were written by college freshmen were typically shorter than those of college freshmen now. This is due to the fact that now people have access to social media and other forms of communication which they did not have back them, restraining the older generations to practice their writing as much as the newer generations do. Referring to the study done by Professor Lunsford Thompson himself writes, “Because they were often writing for other people…they were adept at reading the tempo of a thread, adapting their writing to people’s reactions.” (p. 67) What he means by this is that writing for an audience betters the way people write. In other words, Thompson believes that if a person knows that whatever they are writing is going to be seen by either one person or a large group of people they will tend to be more careful about what they write and how they present their text.

Draft Introduction & Body Paragraph Revised

​Technology, some might consider it to be beneficial to our society while others believe it is destroying it. “Public Thinking”written by Clive Thompson, a Canadian freelance journalist, blogger and science and technology writer, talks about how technology has changed the way we read, write, and think for the better. Thompson’s aim in writing this text is to inform his audience about the benefits technology has brought us. Additionally, he claims that writing for an audience can also help improve the way a person writes. In order for Thompson’s claims to be accepted as true he provides evidence to show how technology has actually made a large amount of people better writers and he supports his argument by using ethos as a rhetorical strategy. In this paper I will explore Thompson’s strategic use of evidence and ethos that he uses to inform his audience about the benefits technology has had on the way we write.

​In “Public Thinking” Thompson discusses how not many people in the United States are pushed to become better writers. Clive Thompson himself writes, “Literacy in North America had historically been focused on reading, not writing; consumption, not production…The advent of digital communications…,has upended that notion.” (Smarter Than You Think 50) Basically, Thompson is saying that in the past people have been encouraged to read a lot but not to write as much but luckily advancements in technology such as social media has changed this. Thompson 

uses historical comparisons to point out the differences between what people encouraged to do in the the 1980’s and 90’s to what they are pushed to do now.

Intro Paragraph and Body Paragraph Draft

Clive Thomson who is the author of Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds For the Better is a Canadian freelance journalist, blogger and science and technology writer. He writes to inform the public about the great benefits advancements in technology has given us by using real life examples and testimonies of people. Thompson does this to show people who might be skeptical about how the internet can actually benefit our society and not destroy it. In the portion of his book that we will be focusing on, “Public Thinking”, Thompson claims that the more a person writes the better they will become at writing over time. In this paper, I will examine Thompson’s claims and show the different types of strategies he uses to support his claims and possibly sway his audience.

Thompson begins his text with a story of a woman named Ory Okolloh whom is a perfect example for one of his main claims. While studying law she was encouraged to start a blog by some of her colleagues. At first she had no idea what to write but eventually the more she did it the easier it became. She says, “I became very disciplined,…Knowing I had these people reading me, I was very self-conscious to build my arguments, back up what I wanted to say.” (Smarter Than You Think 48) Her quote ties in perfectly with one of Thompson’s main claims which is, a person can become a better writer if they have an audience. A study done on students by professor Brenna Clarke Gray proves this. She assigned her students to create Wikipedia entries on Canadian writers to see if it would change the way they wrote and it did. Thompson writes, “ …the students explained to her, was that their audience—the Wikipedia community—…were harder “graders” than Gray herself.” (Smarter Than You Think 56) Thomson uses concrete evidence, a study, to show that the audience really does have a great affect on how careful people are when they write. 

Exploring Thompson

       In Clive Thompson’s “Public Thinking” he goes into detail about how having an audience improves the way we write by providing the reader with a lot of evidence such as studies and statistics. Some questions I have for Thompson about his text are, Do you Clive Thompson believe that everyone who has some sort of social media account can write better than someone who has never had one? and Is there ways to become a better writer without the presence of an audience or technology?

Thompson makes a lot of good claims in his text but one that stood out to me the most was when he talked about how an audience can make people better writers. He writes, “Audiences clarify the mind even more. Bloggers…think about he fact that someone’s going to read this as soon as it’s posted. And suddenly all the weak points in their argument, their clichés and lazy, autofill thinking, become painfully obvious.” (Smarter Than You Think 52) I found this claim to be very persuasive because he states something that everyone who has ever written something for the public to read has been through. In other words he makes his argument very relatable.

Another element from Thompson’s text that I found most persuasive was that he used a lot of evidence to support his claims. Such as, “Researchers have found similar effects with older students and adults. When asked to write for a real audience…students write essays that are substantially longer and have better organization…than when they're writing for their teacher.” (Smarter Than You Think 55) In the presence of an audience people tend to think more about what they write which in exchange turns out to be a better essay. 

Although Thompson does a great job of appealing to the reader by providing them with text that they can relate and with a substantial amount of evidence to support his claims he misses out on one thing. He does not provide any views from people on the opposing side. This was one big weakness in his text. Thompson persuades his audience but never includes counterarguments which he can rebuttal to. 

Other than that flaw in Thompson’s text he does a very god job at everything else. Such as when he introduced Kenyan-born Ory Okolloh at the beginning of “Public Thinking”. I believe Thomson does this to show as an example of how much the effect of an audience can have on a blogger which is also the main claim for his whole text. He uses Okolloh’s story as something that people can relate to because it’s something that actually happened. In sum, Thompson writes a very good and persuasive text that can sway the reader very easily.

Response to “Public Thinking” by Clive Thompson

In Clive Thompson’s “Public Thinking” he goes into detail about how much writing has changed over the years and what kind of impact it has had in many different aspects of life. Thompson has many questions throughout the text such as, How did the internet drastically change the amount of writing people do per day? or How can we improve the way we write using simple tactics?

I believe that the larger question Thompson is trying to answer in his text is, How has the internet been a great addition to not only writers but others? Thompson himself answers his question when he writes, “…the Internet, which encourages public thinking and resolves multiples on a much larger scale…It’s now the world’s most powerful engine…Failed networks kill ideas, but successful ones trigger them.” (Smarter Than You Think 61) In the citation Thompson is saying that the internet motivates the common man to want to have their voice/opinion be heard by posting their own opinions on the world wide web but it also allows people from around the world to come together and solve a certain issue that might be present.

Along with explaining how the internet has opened up a window for people to be able to express their own opinions freely, Thompson also includes other important information on how to become a better writer not only on paper but also on social media. In Smarter Than You Think, Thompson introduces a woman named Ory Okolloh whom is a blogger. Okolloh decided to make a blog in 2003 so she could talk about Kenyan politics. For seven years she had plenty to write about and became a better writer by updating her blog constantly.  Okolloh says, “I became very disciplined…Knowing I had these people reading me, I was very self-conscious to build my arguments, back up what I wanted to say…” (Smarter Than You Think 46) What helped Okolloh become a better writer was realizing that she had an audience. It allowed for her to make sure she had solid evidence to support all of the claims she made.

In addition to having an audience to help make someone a better writer, not knowing what to write is also a good thing. Cecil Day-Lewis once said, “I don't sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind…If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it…” (Smarter Than You Think 51) When a writer does not have a clear idea of what to write about it is a good thing because if it was clear then someone most likely already understands the topic enough to not have to read someone write about. This in change allows the writer to have more freedom on what to write about and how to present their text.

Moreover, the most obvious way to become a better writer is to write more. Studies have shown that the more people write the better writers they become as time goes on. For example, “..kids who message a lot appear to have have slightly better spelling and literacy abilities than those who don’t.” (Smarter Than You Think 67) It does not matter what type of writing or the length of a text, it all contributes to helping the individual improve on their writing skills.                                                                                                     In sum, Thompson used “Public Thinking” to not only show how the internet helped writers and others to a great extent in allowing them to exhibit their opinions but also to show the reader how to become a better writer. Having an audience has shown that it pushes the writer to write in a clear and straight forward manner. Knowing what not to write can also be beneficial, given that it allows the writer to have more liberty, and the more a person writes the more it allows them to practice which then improves their writing in the long run.