#writing technology

[lingthusiasm]

Lingthusiasm Episode 88: No such thing as the oldest language

It's easy to find claims that certain languages are old or even the oldest, but which one is actually true? Fortunately, there's an easy (though unsatisfying) answer: none of them! Like how humans are all descended from other humans, even though some of us may have longer or shorter family trees found in written records, all human languages are shaped by contact with other languages. We don't even know whether the oldest language(s) was/were spoken or signed, or even whether there was a singular common ancestor language or several.

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about what people mean when we talk about a language as being old. We talk about how classifying languages as old or classical is often a political or cultural decision, how the materials that are used to write a language influence whether it gets preserved (from clay to bark), and how people talk about creoles and signed languages in terms of oldness and newness. And finally, how a language doesn't need to be justified in terms of its age for whether it's interesting or worthy of respect.

Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.

Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

Lingthusiasm episode 'Tracing languages back before recorded history'

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding- Give me any word and I show you the Greek root' on YouTube

Glottolog entry for 'classical'

Wikipedia entry for 'Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir'

Wikipedia entry for 'Bath curse tablets'

Wikipedia entry for 'Cuneiform'

Wikipedia entry for 'Mesopotamian writing systems'

Wikipedia entry for 'Home Sign'

Lingthusiasm episode 'Villages, gifs, and children: Researching signed languages in real-world contexts with Lynn Hou'

Wikipedia entry for 'Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language'

Wikipedia entry for 'Kata Kolok' (also known as Benkala Sign Language)

True Biz by Sara Nović on Goodreads

Gretchen's thread about reading True Biz

You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening.

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Lingthusiasm is on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, and Tumblr. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com

Gretchen is on Bluesky as @GretchenMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.

Lauren is on Bluesky as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.

Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins, and our editorial assistant is Jon Kruk. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.

This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA).

[sjstone-author]

Absolutely. And this tidbit, if you will to do with your own writing flow and rhythm. Your writing needs to flow, but so do you as the writer. If you have one, it's more likely you'll have the other IMHO.

Authors are constantly told to read back their work out loud, primarily when editing, which I wholeheartedly agree with. The point here, however, is to catch typos and mistakes, not so much rhythm or flow. Still, it's doable. The problem is that you can still miss things if you aren't deliberate and focused. And it's boring.

Try something else that will solve both issues -- a) it will help you with writing flow because you'll literally hear the words you've written and b) you will also hear all the errors you've made.

Use a text-to-speech app like Speechify, which is a Google Extension (and you can use it on your phone). I'm sure there are some others out there, like ElevenLabs, which I also use (but not for this purpose).

The point being, and I've just developed this technique, and I absolutely love it, is that you can write a few paragraphs, and instead of reading back through for flow, you can let an AI voice read it back to you. And not some shitty, robot voice either. You can pick a voice that you think is a great narrator voice, or a voice that you think could sound like your character.

I do this all the time now.

I write out a few paragraphs, maybe even a page, and then I let a Speechify voice I chose read it back to me. I can do a wee bit of editing in the moment when I catch a typo, and I can feel the rhythm and flow of the words, which helps me go on writing.

Write. Listen and read. Edit a bit. Write some more. Listen and read some more. Edit a bit more. Rinse. Repeat.

This is without a doubt my go-to forever method now, and I've written so much in the last month since I've been doing this.

Speechify is free, but you won't get much mileage out of it for free. So, you'll need to spend a few dollars -- a little over $100, if I recall, for an annual subscription, but you never run out of voice assistance, and there are not only a bunch of English voices, there are voices that speak over a dozen other languages.

And you can even have President Obama or Snoop Dogg read your writing back to you. It's fantastic. Try it if you want.

Tips: Writing Flow

Good writing flow makes for an effortless reading experience and is essential to the quality of academic and creative writing. The best writers pay close attention to flow throughout their writing process.

Writing flow - the pace, cadence, or rhythm of a piece of writing.

Good writing flow allows a reader to ease into the text without expending much mental energy—it has a natural feel that makes reading a breeze.

Texts without good flow feel choppy and lack cohesion.

The best way to establish good writing flow is to focus on word choice, varied sentence structure, and ensure solid coherence between your main points.

Good writing flow results from care and attention at both the sentence and paragraph levels. Consider these tips to improve the flow of a piece of writing:

Ensure that paragraphs have a clear organizational structure. Solid paragraph structure is crucial in academic writing. The first sentence of every body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that tells the reader the paragraph's main point. Specific examples should then support the topic sentence. If necessary, end the paragraph with a transition sentence leading to the proceeding paragraph.

Link sentences with pronouns. Clear pronoun references can create cohesion in your writing. Pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” and “they” refer to previously mentioned nouns (aka antecedents). For example, “The writing center provides helpful tools for first-time writers. It can also help experienced writers overcome writer’s block.” In this case, the pronoun “it” helps these two sentences flow together.

Use transition words. Transition words—known as “signposts”—create a coherent train of thought by signaling to the reader that the next sentence is in some way related to the previous sentence. Some common signposts include “for example,“ “furthermore,” “therefore,” “however,” and “as a result.” Make sure that not every sentence begins with the same transition word. For example, if you start one sentence with “therefore,” use another word when starting the following sentences.

Use varied sentence lengths. A combination of short and long sentences gives a piece of writing rhythm. In fiction writing, short sentences create forward movement. In academic writing, varied sentence lengths improve the flow of information by making the text easy to digest.

Use varied sentence structures. Break up the monotony of a text by using different types of sentence structures. Good sentence flow makes use of simple, compound, and complex sentences. Simple sentences have a single independent clause: “I chopped the carrots.“ Compound sentences have two or more independent clauses: “I chopped the carrots, and Karen peeled the potatoes.“ Complex sentence structures have a single independent clause and one or more dependent clauses: “I added the vegetables to the pot after the water came to a boil.”

Source ⚜ Pacing ⚜ Avoiding Word Repetition ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[nyancrimew]

[cozylittleartblog]

Columbo and the Knight (1984)

put me in the universe where Columbo ran through the 1980s and had a crossover episode with Knight Rider. I think they deserved it, and I am not just saying that because they're my two favorite Old Shows. @telebeast wrote a little fanfic blurb about it and I HAD to visualize it into a comic (which is also the longest comic I have finished thus far at five pages...), so writing credit goes to them.

Autism W!

[talos-stims]

the computer blade | source

[penig]

Google docs is not a word processor and Word is a crappy one that wants you to do everything its way, rather than your way. As a touch typist, I use Word Perfect by preference; all indications are that it was developed by and for touch typists and has never abandoned that demographic. Also, I can look at the damn code and see where I accidentally inserted the invisible box that's messing everything up and delete it with a single stroke, then hide the codes again, with no argument from the program. I'm sure there's other programs that would also suit me, but I've been using Word Perfect for most of my adult life and see no reason to change now. Its document statistics also serve my particular needs very well - I don't know any other program that tells you what your longest sentence is, and I really need to know so I can hunt it down and split it up.

Anyway, copy/paste works across most platforms. For AO3 specifically I open the New Work, change the format to RTF, copy/paste into it, and then do my final final revision while going through and putting in minimal formatting, mostly italicizing things. I can work in html if I have to, but it clutters things up so and detracts from the words, makes my mistakes harder to spot. Other platforms involve similar procedures, adapted to the mechanics of the platform.

Longhand drafting also happens, but that's primarily for noodling around while I'm trying to work things out. Composing directly is so much more efficient than transcribing, and doesn't require that I puzzle out my own handwriting.

Reblog for sample size!

[loserlvrss]

｡ ｡ 𝐍𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ( 이.𝐌𝐇 )─────엔시티

( 六月 ). ──one thing about your boyfriend, mark, is that he would always take care of you 이민형 &fem!rea. ⟡ one shot, fluff warn. ment. of being drunk, kiss wc : 1000THOU ++( ��𝓈𝓉. 𝓇𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 )

노트 my bf btw

It’s a good thing the elevator in your apartment hadn’t gone out yet, otherwise the man on your arm would’ve been upset—though he’d never let you know that.

He just loved you too much for that. And, you kept telling him about how much of a good night it was for you. Seeing old friends and getting drinks. He’d never dream of ruining that.

“Baby,” He stated quietly, pulling your arm around his waist higher, as it kept slipping. “Hold on, just a little longer…why’d you have to live on the 10th floor? Thank God the elevator isn’t out. Is the view really worth it though?” He watched the numbers climb, illuminated electronically above the door.

Your eyebrows furrowed, and though you were hunched against him, you willed your head up.

Deadpanning, you replied, “duh.” To which he just laughed at, “You just don’t get it, Mark! Have you seen it? It’s beautiful! Not more than you but, you know.”

“Many times—actually, I helped you move in, baby.”

You giggled, head falling into his side, “Y-yeah, you did…do you remember haechan falling up the stairs? He wasn’t even carrying anything heavy! Oh my god, it was so funny, I swear I peed my pants!”

Mark thought that, for a drunk girl, you were very good at not sounding slurred with your words. However, standing or walking in a straight line were two very different tasks for you to accomplish in this state. But, he thought it was cute that you thought of him to pick you up and make sure you got home safely. He loved that you loved him so much; shared so many memories with him and were still willing to make them.

And truthfully, he loved you more.

The elevator dinged, the voice telling you that the doors were now opening. Mark braced his arm around you tighter, hiking you up to be, at least a little, straighter.

You trudged along, holding back his attempts to keep a steady pace. You knew it was difficult to move on your own accord in your current state but, honestly you could’ve just fallen asleep on the floor if you fell.

“Work—with—me—here, y/n. Please,” He gritted, practically dragging your giggling figure, “Do you even want to sleep in your own bed?”

Your eyes narrowed soberly, “Are you staying?”

“Will that make you walk faster?”

As if possessed, the thought alone was enough to make you straighten your back and begin willing your legs to move—clumsily, of course, but you knew your boyfriend was still a crutch to make sure you didn’t hit the floor.

He laughed in disbelief, then relief once you two finally had made it to your numbered door. Mark put in the passcode and it chimed with satisfaction.

“You scare me sometimes, baby.”

You hopped in place, the door swinging open with the length of his arm. You slumped against the wall, unhooking the strap of your heels and kicking them off.

“Let’s go to bed!” And when you were about take off down the hall, a hand grabbed yours and stopped you—your feet comically still stomping in place. Your eyebrows furrowed, and you looked over your shoulder in confusion.

“First,” he started, leading you down the hall; for a moment you thought he just didn’t want you to run but, he turned off into your bathroom. Mark hit the switch and illuminated the room, your eyes shutting instinctively. “Your makeup.”

As if it was a daunting statement, you whined, trying to get out of his grip. “No.”

“You’ll kill me in the morning, babe,” He grabbed your waist, hoisting you onto the counter and trapping you with his body, “It won’t take long.”

Your pinky swung from the porcelain and into his view, “Promise.” You weren’t asking, and that made him laugh.

His pinky connected with yours, “Promise.” He replied adamantly, mimicking your movement and kissing the end of his balled fist.

He got to work, grabbing the remover and a couple cotton rounds. He gently swiped your skin, and you swear your head kept drifting to the side with tiredness. You couldn’t help that your boyfriend was the sole reason you could get a good-nights sleep.

Instead of trying to keep you up, he grabbed it, huffing out another laugh at your antics but, letting you fully fall asleep in his hand.

Mark admired you as he tried his best to get the mascara off, smudging it and making you look a little foolish. He thought you were cute; the way your lips were parted, small snores leaving them. The slight crease of your brows as he put your moisturizer and serums on. He swears he could feel his heart swell, knowing you were just that comfortable around him—so adamant to have him by your side—to have him love you.

And, he did.

He loved you so fucking much. His future was you. If he was your world, you were his sun. You were his lifeline. You were the one person he knew he could rely on without contest. If he was a producer, you were his muse. Everything revolved around you. Even if his thoughts weren’t originally for you, they’d eventually make their way back to you. He was excited to talk to you about anything and everything. He was blindsided by a love as strong as this mutual one.

He’d die for you, and that’s why he lives.

Honestly, he was so embarrassingly emotional right now for you, he could practically feel the tears welling up.

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat, grabbing the other side of your head and watching as you blinked yourself conscious.

You smiled sleepily, “When’d you get here, baby?”

He could feel your arms climb to be around his neck, pulling him and simultaneously pushing yourself to get body-to-body. You always craved the warmth (even subconscious) like you were cold-blooded.

“I’m always here.” He kissed the side of your mouth, whispering against your lips, “Now, let’s go to bed?”

© loserlvrss 2024 / 25. 𝗿���𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱.

networks : @kstrucknet

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back to masterlist!

[luguangs]

@animangacreators challenge ⟡ spring 2024

↳ WIND BREAKER

You haven't given up on others yet. And you don't need to give up. At the least I'm looking your way, Sakura. So why don't you look this way as well? If you do, I'm sure… you'll become what you want to be.

[starry-songs-canvas]

Red Robin and the Undead Earpiece.

Back again with another prompt! Although, I might start branching out to a couple of different fandoms in the future, idk.

Tim, when he was going on his Lazarus pit destruction crusade, accidentally drops his comm link in said pit. He was able to fish it out, and aside from the slight glowing, still works fine. Yay for durability!

Things are normal, and apparently Lazarus water encrypts his comm, who knew. But then he starts hearing teenagers voices over it, going on about ghosts, avoiding the government, and even their parents hunting them down.

Unfortunately, the Lazarus waters encryption work both ways, so Tim is having difficulty pinning down where the signal is coming from. At least he can give a few friendly tips to these young heroes.

Tl:dr, Tim drops his earpiece into Lazarus waters and can now hear everything team phantom is saying over the radio.

[nightmaretour]

Anti-technology people who insist they're not ableist crack me up. What about people who rely on machines to breathe, eat, keep their heart functioning, or otherwise stay alive? "Well not that technology, obviously!" Ok what about AAC users, people who use hearing aids, or otherwise use technology to interact with the world in ways they otherwise couldn't? "Not that technology, obviously." Okay, my mobile phone is my memory, my sense of time, my sense of direction when I get lost, my ability to contact someone when I need help. It is my personal freedom because without it I would need full time care and supervision. But yes, that technology, right?

I hate how technology is made and utilised under capitalism as much as the next guy, but to pretend that technology doesn't greatly improve the lives of countless people, or even allow them to continue being alive, is to be willfully ignorant to the existence of disabled people. A world without technology is a world where a lot of disabled people don't get to survive. Capitalism is the problem, not the technology. Technology can (and should) exist just fine without capitalism.

[dirtbagcore]

the brainrot is extreme. heres another silly doodle (ノ≧▽≦)ノΞ●~*

+ obligatory close up of the cute little faces lol

[mad-girlslove-song]

the shittiest human art will always be leagues better than the best ai "art". a child's finger paintings and macaroni crafts will always be better than a computer's subpar attempt at recreating the starry night. your stick figures and smiley faces will always surpass an algorithm's bastardized boticelli painting. the most mediocre hallmark movie will always be better than whatever bullshit sora churns out. the most cringeworthy "i'm 14 and this is deep" notes app poetry will always be better than whatever chatgpt can come up with. always

[stromblessed]

I’ve hit that point where there’s so much about Arcane that I want to discuss and level-set about for my own sanity

only to realize that it doesn’t really matter because season 2 was so noncommittal and so defanged, it unravels season 1 too. Like you really just have to discuss season 1 as its own entity. Looping season 2 into deeper discussions actively makes season 1 crumble into something just as derivative and just as thematically lost. Just imagining that season 2 was what the writers were angling for even in the final drafts of season 1 makes me so sad

[1000rh]

In the twentieth century, few would have ever defined a truck driver as a ‘cognitive worker’, an intellectual. In the early twenty-first, however, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in self-driving vehicles, among other artefacts, has changed the perception of manual skills such as driving, revealing how the most valuable component of work in general has never been just manual, but has always been cognitive and cooperative as well. Thanks to AI research – we must acknowledge it – truck drivers have reached the pantheon of intelligentsia. It is a paradox – a bitter political revelation – that the most zealous development of automation has shown how much ‘intelligence’ is expressed by activities and jobs that are usually deemed manual and unskilled, an aspect that has often been neglected by labour organisation as much as critical theory.

– Matteo Pasquinelli, The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence (2023)

[galactichoneybee92]

Not to sound like a boomer on main, because I love my phone- I do. But I really miss the day when I could hang out in public without having to hear everyone else's phones. I don't care if there are babies crying (because babies cry sometimes) or if other people are having conversations (because that's what people come to cafes and such to do) but hearing tinny little phone sounds blasting out loud out of their speakers drives me insane. I'm only in my 30's, why are you making me complain about how things were "back in my day" like I'm 80? Public phone noise is prematurely aging me. Send help.

[life-spire]