ABSTRACT
Serving as an introduction to the book’s key concepts, this chapter discusses what it means to write in a technological world, specifically defining the terms technology and writing from the past to the present. The word technology is derived from the ancient Greek techné and logia. Ancient Greeks thought of techné as an art or craft that involved action (the making and doing of something). Today, when we think of technology, we often think of something new, digital, and/or electronic, like a computer or smartphone. Yet, not all technologies are new, digital, and/or electronic. When writing, a technology itself, was first developed, it was a system of markings for commercial purposes. People made marks on clay surfaces to record the amount of goods they wanted to sell. However, over time, humans have developed other ways of writing to do much more than trade goods; they have used it to record history, to share knowledge, to build communities, to create laws, to save lives, and to develop cultural traditions. As readers move through this chapter, contemplating how both writing and technology have evolved, they will think critically and rhetorically about how we use each to communicate our ideas to others.
