Things that amuse me vol. 2.
A U.K. company intends to start texting extremely compressed synopses of favourite literature works, purely for educational purposes of course.
"The scheme, which will be available from January 2006 offers dot subscribers concise summaries of classic works of literature in text format. The new service has been specifically designed to aid English students in both their choices of books to study and to serve as a valuable revision tool for exams.
The texts which are sent directly to subscribers handsets have been developed in consultation with Professor John Sutherland and his students exclusively for dot mobile and succeed in translating complex plots and quotes into easy to digest messages or little more than three or four lines of text."
Don't believe it? Check out some of these classics...
William Golding, Lord Of The Flies
NuclearWar-2boysRalph&PigyFormGrup2reviveOldCultr.Jack-oposnLeadrTaksR'sSuportersAway. MystryBeastOnIslandCauzsPanicBtSimonFindsOutTisOnlyAParachute.Jtries2kilRbtR's savd ByShipDat c's emergncySmoke.
John Milton, Paradise Lost
devl kikd outa hevn coz jelus of jesus&strts war. pd'off wiv god so corupts man(md by god) wiv apel. devl stays serpnt 4hole life&man ruind. Woe un2mnkind.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
5SistrsWntngHsbnds.NwMenInTwn-Bingly&Darcy Fit&Loadd. BigSisJaneFals4B,2ndSisLizH8sDCozHesProud.SlimySoljrWikamSysDHsShadyPast. TrnsOutHesActulyARlyNysGuy&RlyFancysLiz.SheDecydsSheLyksHim.Evry1GtsMaryd.
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2 comments:
This concept is patently ridiculous in my opinion. What sort of revision requires you to know merely the synopsis of a work of literature? And who in their right mind would consult their mobile phone for this type of information?
More importantly, true literature is not about the capsule summary of a work. It is about the craft of words - expression, construction, their flow. Turning the words themselves into a 'txtmsg' undermines the value of the words themselves. It might be hilarious to turn Hamlet's most famous line into the shortened logic statement of "(2b)OR!(2b)=>Q?", but ask a theatre worker what's so important about those particular eleven syllables and how rich Shakespeare's wordplay really is. Truncate it, and you're missing a great deal.
Need I even say "Go read a book" to people who are interested in this form of shortened study? And if you're not interested in learning it properly, then don't take the subject, or just fail it and move on to something that you are interested in. Don't waste your time and others'.
Sorry. Ranting. I'll move on.
No need to move on. Your comments on this subject are informed and worth pointing out. Comment to your heart's content.
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