Assignment 2 - Jonathan Patterson
The chapter from this book that caught my eye was Chapter 6, purely because I have the argument of whether computer-produced papers or handwritten works are better.
Stephen Krantz goes into painstaking detail about the benefits and drawbacks of writing on a computer. Most of these benefits are purely conveniences that would otherwise be accepted as simple logic. Things such as multiple documents being open at one time, the benefits of a cloud drive, and a spell check. He even points out the most simple of improvements over the typewriter: the automatic line change when the text reaches the end of the paper. He also mentions the advancements of graphics and their ability to be integrated into papers as well as hypertexts. These are both just more examples of the convenient nature of computers. Among the drawbacks, he mainly mentions personal critique and reliance of the previously mentioned spell check. Because everything is so neat in word processors, people have a tendency to become lazy in reviewing their own work. Additionally, even with the advanced nature of spell checks, they will occasionally have errors with mistaking words that could be otherwise avoided by scribe of hand.
Krantz spends the other part of the chapter going into text editors and TeX. This, in particular, interested me, because I worked with TeX somewhat when I was younger. Text editors are mainly used by programmers. They take basic text and format it into an acceptable file for running as a program. TeX is a "versatile tool... specifically for the creation of mathematical documents" (Krantz, 207). Essentially, TeX is a portable and extremely optimized platform for mathematicians to write. While it can be difficult to learn, it is an invaluable tool.
It is clear that Krantz is biased in his writing about the power of word processors. However, every point he brings up is valid. He culminates this chapter with implication that computers bring the mathematical world together, no matter the country or language. Word processors, like Word, and typesetting programs, such as TeX, are simply devices that are used to better communicate.
Stephen Krantz goes into painstaking detail about the benefits and drawbacks of writing on a computer. Most of these benefits are purely conveniences that would otherwise be accepted as simple logic. Things such as multiple documents being open at one time, the benefits of a cloud drive, and a spell check. He even points out the most simple of improvements over the typewriter: the automatic line change when the text reaches the end of the paper. He also mentions the advancements of graphics and their ability to be integrated into papers as well as hypertexts. These are both just more examples of the convenient nature of computers. Among the drawbacks, he mainly mentions personal critique and reliance of the previously mentioned spell check. Because everything is so neat in word processors, people have a tendency to become lazy in reviewing their own work. Additionally, even with the advanced nature of spell checks, they will occasionally have errors with mistaking words that could be otherwise avoided by scribe of hand.
Krantz spends the other part of the chapter going into text editors and TeX. This, in particular, interested me, because I worked with TeX somewhat when I was younger. Text editors are mainly used by programmers. They take basic text and format it into an acceptable file for running as a program. TeX is a "versatile tool... specifically for the creation of mathematical documents" (Krantz, 207). Essentially, TeX is a portable and extremely optimized platform for mathematicians to write. While it can be difficult to learn, it is an invaluable tool.
It is clear that Krantz is biased in his writing about the power of word processors. However, every point he brings up is valid. He culminates this chapter with implication that computers bring the mathematical world together, no matter the country or language. Word processors, like Word, and typesetting programs, such as TeX, are simply devices that are used to better communicate.
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