Friday, February 27, 2009

Oh Brave New Graffiti-free World!

Am I the last to notice this tectonic shift in literary production as a result of the internet--I mean the precipitous decline of graffiti, now that we all can trash our neighbors with impunity on the web?

I heard it in a podcast from Saul Levmore at the University of Chicago, but I can see he is right. Go into a stall at any good university a few years back and you could acquire a comprehensive intelligence report on the skill and quality of the faculty, and the rutting habits of at least some of the student body.

While I can't say I've made a comprehensive inquiry, I'd have to agree that the walls these days are a lot more pristine (is this why we have laid off so many custodians?). And it does indeed sound plausible to infer that the students are all back in their carrels, laptops humming.

1 comment:

they call me trouble said...

I guess this argues in favor of increasing US internet - er - penetration?