Is Updike Obsolete?

Ok, the technology has changed, but, the craft and art of writing has not. Updike likes the old way of doing things, and that's fine, but to say that that the technology has diminished the craft, is like saying that visual art produced with the aid of technology is inferior to that which was produced before... In a word 'hogwash'. It's just different.

The other, and perhaps more important, issue with this article is that I kinda expected 'Updike's short essay' rather than Ms Newitz's inane attempt at a 'review'... I Might have been more convinced by the original.

metro active indeed...

jimf:

I actually had you in mind when I posted that article. :)

(It doesn't have much to do with FOSS, other than attitude).

> I actually had you in mind when I posted that article. :)

Ouch... already he knows how to yank my chain.

I wasn't trying to yank yer chain. It's just that I know you create art using techno-tools and this guy seems to want to turn back the clock a century or so.

The article is probably more directly related to helios and devnet with their blogs. Updike would have us wait for the tale of Alice and the Jolly Roger to appear under the logo of some established publisher, in the quiet stacks of some quaint little bookstore. That would not improve the story one bit. The barbs on devnet's jabs at Ubuntu would be no sharper if his writing appeared under the banner of a printed newspaper, instead of being where there can be instant interaction between author and readers.

> I wasn't trying to yank yer chain

I know... just kidding you :).

> no sharper if his writing appeared under the banner of a printed newspaper, instead of being where there can be instant interaction between author and readers.

Absolutely. In that case the 'only' real difference is the response speed. Yellow Journalism is a long standing American tradition, as is the public's response to it.