Monday, September 8, 2014

Corey Smith Blog Post 3

According to the definition that our class came up with, a remix is when you are presented with an idea, transform the idea, and combine with another tangible idea or perspective to create something that has yet to be thought of.  Instead of referring to what the rest of the world calls a remix, Johnson-Eilola and Selber take the remix notion one-step further and apply the assemblage component.  Johnson-Eilola and Selber define assemblage as “texts built primarily and explicitly from existing texts in order to solve a writing or communication problem in a new context.” 
Assemblage can range anywhere from Patchwriting to web design templates.  However, society deems assemblage as practicality a remix of plagiarism.  You are taking multiple sources of information, changing a few elements of each source, and claiming that it is your own.  A remix and assemblage, although both vaguely similar, are close to polar opposites on the originality spectrum, given their current definitions.  Society accepts a remix more willing than they do with assemblage.  The vehicle for which a remix or assemblage is also an important factor.  People will be more willing to accept remixes for music and more willing to accept assemblages for web designs and Parchwriting. 
After reading the article, the line between plagiarism and originality is porous.  When your sources are concealed, all of your writing is copied word for word and you are not doing it as part of Patchwriting, your idea does not have originality and is plagiarism.  Yet originality can be plagiarized by means of assemblage.  The entire gambit of remix and assemblage is all a matter of perspective and should be used based on the audience you are trying to communicate with.

The only part of the article that was rather confusing was the times the authors went in depth with their examples of remix and assemblages.  The authors jumped around a lot and made it difficult to follow along at parts.

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