Manifestos and Ranting About File Mangement

Two readings we took a deep look into this week were the Lofi Manifesto (Karl Stolley) and File not found (Monica Chin). When I first saw these on the line-up for this week I was intimated, but let me break them down for y’all…

Lofi Manifesto composed by Karl Stolley

In this manifesto, Stolley splits the process of digital writing into six fundamental elements. Those six elements of writing, that cannot be ignored, are:

1. Software is a poor organizing principle for digital production.
2.  Expression should not be trapped by production technologies.
3. Value research and learning over intuition and reflex.
4. Design first for the most constrained users and devices.
5. If a hi-fi element seems necessary, keep researching until you conclude that it isn’t.
6. Version control. Always. Everywhere. For everything.

You might be thinking, “Okay, what else?” or if you are like me, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck does that even mean? Am I supposed to know this?”

Freight not. What Stolley is trying to say in this manifesto is that learning how to write digitally and in the digital age should be widely taught and a foundational aspect of writing upbringings and courses in schools and colleges. Stolley is pushing for a wider generational shift to digital writing, which he strongly suggests is the new future for writers. Because of this Stolley believes that lo-fi technology should be accessible to everyone.

To make things simple, lo-fi technology is a limited set of production technologies that are made to help writers navigate the internet easier. This could be like the software Markdown, HTML, or even CSS and JavaScript. All these languages help writers with writing digitally.

File not found by Monica Chin

When it comes to things that should help writer’s lives easier the queen of file management, Monica Chin, wants to inform you on some things.

Now if you were like me, and never organize your files on your PC, you might have taken this article by Chin as an extremely long and drawn-out rant about how students don’t know anything about organization, and you might even think it’s a little redundant, but what Chin discusses is extremely important and should be discussed.

Regardless of if you only organize your files on an iCloud or a Google Drive, you should always organize your files in your main PC hub. This is important for not only your personal usage, but also if you ever need to collaborate with other people.

The importance of file management in retrospect to collaboration is what changed my mind about Chin’s piece being a rant to something of value (that sounds harsh, but I swear I don’t mean it in a rude way). When collaborating with other people you will have to download their work into your PC hub, and you will need to know where the information is and where it’s being stored. You can’t always save their work into your iCloud or Google Drive, so it’s important to have a neat and organized series of files and folders. It makes your life easier when things are clearly organized, so important files don’t get lost in the void of random files from years ago.

Overall, the two biggest takeaways from Stolley and Chin’s pieces were in regard to lo-fi technology/ resources and to the importance of file management. Even though these things seem basic and at times tedious, they are there to make your life easier. So, go start learning to write digitally, and while you’re at it organize those files!

Best of luck,

Sunburned Cowgirl