IFs, MUDs, Blogs, Hypertext and Video games, who could resist such a combination, even though I only recognised the latter three terms it was enough to spark my interest in English 242. Working in Christchurch’s central library the computer has become part of my working life. Filling out spreadsheets, reading and sending emails, searching catalogues, googling the world, this is what I do on a daily basis. Yet until I began this course I had never personally experienced the frustration, pleasure and amusement of digital text. Up until now my only real contact with digital texts has been the knowledge that their popularity has not lived up to expectation. It was once believed that digital texts’ would supersede the printed word which was a major consideration when the Central library was built. But this has not happened and the printed collections have continued to increase in size. As a result the building has had major alterations carried out on its interior over recent years in an effort to rectify the initial oversight. Despite this there continues to be a realisation throughout the organisation that young people are not the only ones who find enjoyment in new media such as video and computer games, just as the enjoyment of the printed word is not restricted to the older readers. It is therefore easy to see why the Libraries now place emphasis on accommodating both computer and print mediums, acknowledging that both printed and digital texts’ have a place in the lives of their readers and that they are likely to continue to share this role for sometime to come.

On a more personal note I now know why Wikipedia it is not a good reference for an academic essay. I never realised that the 'edit' marked an area where any self proclaimed expert could add additional information. I have also learnt that 'Blog' stands for Web log something that I was previously oblivious too and I have decided not to become addicted to World of Warcraft as I lack the time needed to devote to its quests.