The Pagination Nation, familiarly known as “PagiNation,” was
born in the 16th century, soon after Johannes Gutenberg invented the
printing press. As his new invention swept across Europe, printers had to find
a way to manage accumulating papers that sometimes spilled from shelves or were
scattered to the floor by breezes from an open window. But how to do this?
Somewhere in a French vineyard, a
monk, let’s imagine his name was “Jean,” is fastening grape vines by stakes to
form a trellis. Jean, who loves to
commune with nature after morning prayers, will return to the scriptorium to
illuminate manuscripts. He tends to run
hot, so he keeps an open window by his desk.
Last night, rushing to evening services, he forgot to shutter the
window. You can imagine how frustrating
it must have been for him to find his floor covered with papers. An unwelcome surge of anger swelled in him, a
feeling that he considered to be a sin. Once he painstakingly reshuffled the
scattered parchment, he prayed for a way to avoid this shattering of his
serenity again. He sat to his desk and
inscribed each page with consecutive numbers.
What shall he call this new invention?
Hm. Something that would remind
him of the peace he felt in the vineyard.
Ah, yes. A word that reminded him
of the grape vines, “pangere”—‘to fasten’—“page numbers.” It reminded him of the columns of writing on
a scroll (Etymology of the word "page").
The word “page,” meaning servant,
also applies here: page numbers are ever ready to tell us where we are, to let
us know where we have been, to show us how far we have to go in our
readings. Like good servants, page
numbers relay messages to others—this is where I have read, this is where I would
like you to read. The word “page” also
means ‘to call by name.’ When we give a
page a number, we offer it the dignity of a name. Of course, Jean might have named his pages “Maria,”
“Bartolome,” “Charles,” but he would have soon run out of names. Or he might have marked them with letters of
the alphabet, but, here, too, with only 26 letters on which to draw, he would
have had, eventually, too many letters that crowded out his main texts. No, it would have to be numbers, for they
were consecutive and easily referenced.
So page
numbers it was. And the act of writing
them was ‘to paginate,’ with its corollary forms of “paginating” and “pagination.”
And so, the PagiNation was born. It was and
is the most democratic of all social communities ever. From one end of the globe to the other, as
soon as people saw how useful page numbers were, they adopted them. Pagination was what fastened together not
only papers, like stakes are used to fasten vines, but also was a page, good
servant; but, as another use of the word “page” it summoned, called forth,
connected people across time and space.
And those who participate in this noble tradition can truly boast that
they belong to the PagiNation.
Page 3
What have
we now, in our digital age? Before the
internet, when research was done with hard copy documents and books, pagination
ruled. Either by hand or by type,
students and writers paginated, thus maintaining the PagiNation’s
integrity. They cited each other’s works
with page numbers either in footnotes or intertextually. But then, since we
were thrown back to the prehistory of books—scrolling without page numbers—we
had to write in long urls at the ends of sentences, thus making our paragraphs
chunky and cumbersome, as the following will do to this sentence, referencing our post on "Scrolling" (http://becauseicanteach.blogspot.com/search?q=scrolling). Although some new software, such as
Bootstrap, is being developed to insert page numbers into postings, there is
virtually no pagination on the internet.
Texting,
Twittering, Facebook postings, Instagramming, Snapchatting all have created a
rift where the PagiNation had created a community. Now those who are of The ConsterNation submit
papers to teachers, professors, editors, and more without taking the time to
paginate. They omit citing their sources
so that we might be able to enjoy full texts. Whereas the slogans of The
PagiNation are “Count on me,” “Call my number,” “Let me help you,” “Let me
connect you”—the slogans of The ConsterNation are “You figure it out,” “I can’t
be bothered,” “It’s all about me,” “I couldn’t wait to get it over with.”
With all of
our vast word processing technology, the various ways we can show respect for
our own writing and for our readers, it’s time to join the PagiNation. Insert those page numbers, celebrate those who paginate, rehabilitate non-paginators, recruit others to the PagiNation. For those of you who have been and are
faithful members—“Right on!” For those
who are prodigal or joining for the first time, “Write on!”
Dear Dr.Rich,
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting article.I have not quite catch on to the PagiNation phenomenon as yet.The reason for that is so many Professors tend to not make an issue of it.However,it makes all the sense in the world to do this one thing that will ultimately make a difference even though I do not sit near an open window to write or I do not have loose paper sitting on my desk.
It does help to create proper organization and I am so glad that this blog helped me to realize the importance of doing so.It is necessary to know where you are in a book without a marker or to follow along when a audio is being read.The emphasis is placed on the page number so that you will know exactly where the reader is,as it will help so that the material is not missed.Well stated and very relevant.
Thank you.
Maudry
At first reading your email, I was confused on what you meant in joining the PagiNation. But reading this article, it's interesting to see the historical context behind pages. It's something often overlooked, and when you pointed out "page numbers are ever ready to tell us where we are, to let us know where we have been, to show us how far we have to go in our readings. Like good servants, page numbers relay messages to others", it's interesting to look at something so small through a huge perspective. Though I'm not sure I understand enough to join this PagiNation, definitely cool to read about.
ReplyDeleteLatisa, joining the PagiNation means that you will insert page numbers into your papers.
DeleteDr Rich,
ReplyDeleteI definitely found the background story in the beginning very interesting. I honestly never thought anything of putting page numbers into my papers, but now I realize it is a big thing. I always did it in high school because my teacher told us to. I never had any idea there was a PagiNation that was related to the page numbers. I really liked how you laid out this post with the pictures and page one was the back story and so on, very clever! I also agree with your opinion on page 3 when you referred to social media today and how page numbers are irrelevant in most places. There have been numerous times when some of my classmates did not Paginate their papers and our professor was confused as to why there were no page numbers. Moving forward after reading this post, I am going to make a conscious effort to make sure I am part of the Pagination and always include page numbers in all of my papers!
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it made me realized how meaningful numbers to pages really are. While reading, I quickly thought of textbooks. They have numbers on pages and most textbooks have a lot of pages. I like that the word "Page" applies to "where we are, to let us know where we have been and to show us how far we have to go in the readings" according to the article. I really had no clue about PagiNation before reading this as far as it's meaning. I probably would not have a problem paginating papers, depending on how I feel. The reading really sparked my interest.I have gain more knowledge from the reading and understand the making of "PagiNation". I was also amazed how social media was influence by the term. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook all have been part of a community of PagiNation which really grabbed my attention.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThe background story to PagiNation is something we've all been through before. Its very frustrating to say the least. I like that you want us to put our last names as well as page numbers because to me it gives the papers we write a higher standard rather than just writing a typical essay like paper. It was nice to learn that pagination is an actual thing and that I can now give a name to the page numbers on my papers. Glad to be apart of the PagiNation.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the amount of effort and creativity that you must have dedicated to assembling such a unique story—or more specifically, a fable, I should call it. This fable helps to colorfully and imaginatively detail the supposed history of pagination. From now on when I write a piece, an animation will pop in my head and I will see the following: Jean, the monk, will show up like a Microsoft Office assistant character from the early 2000’s and point a finger at me, reminding me to paginate my work. Like the good writer I am, I will access the tools that will easily paginate my work for me and make sure that each and every page is marked with a number. In complying with his request, Jean, (now the animated monk) will be happy and so will my readers, who will now be able to easily reference my work.
As I have experienced writing in different fields, I have found that quite naturally, I have been inclined to paginate my own work, even if the professor has not mentioned it as a requirement. For the sake of my own sanity, I feel the need to keep track of my work—to see how much I have written and assess how much I still need to write. When I took the course Writing Literature for Children and Young Adults with Dr. Rich last semester, we were required to write manuscripts ranging from fifteen to thirty pages each. As I was writing the manuscripts, I found it quite difficult to follow along with my own work when it was not paginated because there were just too many pages involved. If it was hard for me to keep track of my own writing, as the author, then it would have been ten times harder for any reader (let alone Dr. Rich) to keep up with it. So naturally, I started paginating and this simple change worked wonders to help me keep track of what exactly I was writing.
Even in business writing, which usually involves more concise writing and typically fewer pages of said writing, I find it hard to not paginate. I am currently taking Business and Professional Writing as an elective, and I have written dozens of memos that are usually a page, but sometimes, they come out to be more than a page. In the cases where they are more than a page, I automatically find myself paginating the memos. Maybe I have just gotten used to paginating anything and everything that I write, but in the case of business writing, I feel paginating fits the format of professional writing where everything should be as clear and technical to the reader as possible.
I was not always this consistent with paginating; however, as I have written more and became an experienced writer, I have learned to mark each page with a number. I think of it as something like the cherry on top of my polished work. “When in doubt, just paginate,” I tell myself. It makes my life easier and it makes the lives of my readers easier too.
Nada Amer
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteWhen you first mentioned PagiNation I was concerned as to what it exactly was and I'm glad you made a blog post about it! I had a strange feeling that it had to deal something with pages because "pag" is literally in the word so what first came to my mind was pages. I agree with you that in the post it is important to put numbers on pages because the reader can find where they are in the page and find specific details on the page by just marking the page number. When we go over the readings in class we always say the page number first and we all turn our pages fast as lightening getting to where the speaker is on the page going over the details on the specific page.
Also with my manuscript I always had the page numbers on first. I know where the plot begins in my story by just telling you the page, I can tell you which page needs work on, and which page that I feel is perfect to me. I always felt it is necessary to number pages and mark them, that way I know which specific detail is on the page and I can always look back to them for more inspiration in my writing.
Kristen Calderoni
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have major OCD so things such as page numbers are crucial components of a paper that give me "closure" (if that makes sense). Pagination seems to make everything look more concise and well kept, something I am all about!
However, something you wrote about pagination is a statement I have always taken into consideration when writing a paper:
"The word “page” also means ‘to call by name.’ When we give a page a number, we offer it the dignity of a name."
In a statement of agreement, each page should 100% have its own identity; every page should address a different issue or idea which relates to human beings. We are all different, which is why we have different names. But, there are people with the same name but that doesn't mean that one Alyssa is the same as another Alyssa! Someone's "page 3" can and probably will always be different someone else's "page 3"!
Marygrace Piccolomini
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post because from a young age I always was taught to paginate to me is it very important. Even when I'm doing a paper the first thing I do is put page numbers because it is so much easier for the readers to follow (remember what was said on page 3). And it is always easier for the writer if you know that you need to go back to a page and put more information. In general page numbers are a useful tool when writing. And I do see that a lot of people do forget to use page numbers which to me can be confusing at times. But I think that everyone should get on board with paginating.
One of the most frustrating things I experienced in high school was having the rare teacher that asked for their own kind of special formatting for essays. Even though I had attended three different schools before reaching high school, there had always been a certain standard or expectation for writing guidelines. Then, when I went away to college, one of the things I was most excited about was having the opportunity to better my reading and writing skills. Imagine my surprise to find that in college EVERY professor has their own formatting and style guidelines that they request. Maybe for one professor double-spacing your work allows them to read it more easily, or allows the space for them to write notes. Maybe for another, single-spacing is best, as it leaves them with less papers to carry around or keep track of. Pagination was one thing I always thought would stick, but alas, there are professors who don't want to see that there either. How they sleep at night, I do not know. Through all of my frustration, I've actually taken a few lessons away from this. First, that there are different times and places that require different formatting and styles of writing. Being able to comply with these expectations is just a part of being actively involved in the professional and academic worlds. Second, that in order to improve on my writing skills I need to make it my own. I need to develop my own style and formatting, for my own reasons and validations. Above all else, I need to be sure that that will include paginating. Write on!
ReplyDeleteHonestly this article was intriguing to read, because it made me realize how much I overlook pagination. Pagination is not just an extra formatting request by your professor. Pagination is a form of respect being shown between the author and the audience. It shows how far both perspectives has come in the open discussion and how far both perspectives are willing to go. It was also satisfying to read some background information on pagination as well. In this day and age, the importance of acknowledging the fundamentals of any skills are more important than ever with technology in its prime. Learning something new and revising the fundamentals of writing are nothing to be ashamed of, because in the end you will leave the conversation a stronger author.
ReplyDeleteDr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this post! At first, I had no idea what PagiNation meant. I didn't know placing numbers on pages was a thing. I have been paginating my whole life without even noticing. I think it makes everyone's life much easier and less complicated. Imagine looking for a specific quote in a book without page numbers! It will drive me insane that's for sure. Paginating is important to the reader and also to the writer. I love how you touched upon what the actual word "page" means and where comes from. Great post!
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of Pageination until this article, and I did not know important it was for some people. For me, I got used to not putting a page number on my work unless instructed to and I think that’s the problem. Putting page numbers is always forgotten and only remembered when reminded to do so. It is unfortunate because it makes the paper look unorganized, and if the pages become messed up the reader will not know the order the pages were in. It keeps the paper clean and organized, and it also helps the writer keep track over have much they’ve written and remember where to revise later.
Ok so first of all, the attention to detail you pay to things is overwhelmingly incredible. I’d never think to research the significance of pages , the multiple meanings of the word, or how it started. Its crazy how I overlook the most common things like page numbers. This is another very insightful and informational post
ReplyDeleteIn response to:"The word “page” also means ‘to call by name.’ When we give a page a number, we offer it the dignity of a name."
When I was a kid ( in like 4th grade) my friend group and I decided to make our own books with construction paper and crayons. The first thing I would do was staple the pages together & number them from start to finish. I don’t know why as kids we pay the most attention to the seemingly smallest detail.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeletePrior to being in your class, I've never heard of pagination. I never realized how symbolic adding your last name and page number could be to your writing. You taught me in class that by doing this, you are making a statement that this is your work. To be proud of what you written and to let everyone know this is your work with each page they read.
I've officially joined the pagination. Not only do I find myself doing this in your class, but for all my other classes as well. Thank you for opening my mind yet again to something I have never seen/ learned before.
I couldn't agree more with what you had said on page 3. With all of the forms of social media available today, pagination is becoming less and less known as generations go on. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to learn this technique. I wonder if I hadn't learned it in your class if I ever would have.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how one must have felt living in a time period where pagination did not exist and having to deal with the frustration of papers that were out of order. I for one am not of fan of receiving lengthy documents that do not have page numbers for the sake of moments where a gust of wind may blow them away as you mentioned in your blog. However, I too am of the guilty pool of those who do not paginate their papers simply because I've never thought to do so on assignments requesting so few pages. It truly is an act of professionalism to paginate and help guide your reader rather then force them to figure things out on their own. Your class has taught me just that and I appreciate all the new things that I've learned and am continuing to learn that I have ignored in the past. I am now apart of the pagination and am proud to be one step closer to being an efficient student. It is a fact that social media has corrupted the course of pagination. The only numbers on social media sites that I see are the number of likes that someone gets on various pictures and videos.
I met a professor that did not like page numbers. This was a very long time ago, but you would of course have to staple your paper together, and if you didn’t you would have to write your paper in a way that the professor would understand the flow of your work. Page numbers are very beneficial considering the life others had to deal with before the creating of machines that do it for you. Though I did not know the full history of the word ‘page’ with each example and explanation, I could see just how the word stayed attached for so long. I will be honest with myself that I honestly have to do the page numbers first before starting my paper because I would honestly forget. In High School and Middle School, I was not asked to add page numbers, nor did I know how to place them on my paper. Once I learned how, in my first year English Composition class, I play page numbers on all my papers. It just a courtesy for someone who has to drag your papers to and from wherever they may be going. Like how it was mentioned in class, publishers do not like to bother with staples, which is a bigger reason to use page numbers.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very important and helpful post to read. I would remember being told to paginate back in high school for papers, yet in college most of my professors didn’t seem to require it. I became accustomed to not using it, although now I can see why it is important. Recently I had a class that assigned a 10 page essay, and once I printed it out I accidentally dropped and jumbled up the pages. Thankfully they were paginated which made it much easier to put it back together. I couldn’t imagine having to organize it without those numbers, had it been the 20 page paper I had as a final for a different class last semester it would have been especially difficult. It also makes it easier for me to keep track of how many pages I have written so far and how many more are needed to reach the required number of pages. I appreciate the numbers and will strive to always use them in my papers when applicable. I am glad to be a part of the PagiNation and will be sure to encourage other students and friends to paginate as well for their papers.
Thank you,
Stephen Corrales
As a person that pays attention to detail I can really appreciate this post because after discussions in class about page numbers and reading this post I noticed how much I did not pay attention to this small detail. When learning to type critical essays and term papers in high school most teachers would require page numbers and some did not. By the time of college professors were not as strict about the practice and caused me to become lazy and forget about what I was taught. When writing a paper and wanting to add my last name and page number I forgot how to insert it on to my paper and I was embarrassed by my own actions. I noticed how scholarly this small detail makes your paper, even to the eye before reading the contents of the paper it is very appealing and makes the reader want to read your paper. Pagination is just as important as having a title to your paper.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Tori White
Dear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI must say it is good to see a change of pace with technology and the internet being uses as an implement of our own success in the literature world instead of our downfall. This help illustrate why pagination is important in the professional world and that you're not looking like a lazy or unprofessional individual who doesn't care for their craft.
When it came to becoming part of PagiNation, I was already a part of it. I have been putting numbers on my papers for years and when it came time to putting numbers on paper to show order I thought I was fine. The historical aspect I like the most, because everything had to start somewhere and the example of the monk who was making a manuscript and when leaving the window open making his papers fly everywhere so he came up with idea from his grapevine. Then when looking at what page originally meaning servant, I thought back to all the books and articles I have read and it is essentially a guide that keeps us on the path and reminds the read of who we are. The concepts of where we are, how long have we been on the path of this story and where the original first page came from. I also like the fact that it kind of lets us show off and tells people look how far I have gotten.
ReplyDeleteI have been a loyal citizen of the PagiNation for seven years now. I am actually surprised that people are just now becoming a part of the tribe. Perhaps it was because I was in honors classes from a young age, I was taught early on. Starting in seventh grade, my teacher Ms. Amanazis, was extremely strict about proper MLA format. In fact, the only format I was taught was MLA. Every teacher that I have had since then has expected pagination when asking for this format. Therefore, by now, pagination is second nature to me. However, I was not taught why we paginate in the first place. I have to admit that it was intelligent for “Jean” to come up with this system. As a society, we take for granted the systems already put in place for our benefit. Yet, we give no credit to those who put them there in the first place. I was also unaware that there was a proper name for this action; I thought it was simply called, “numbering.” I’m not sure if I think social media has affected the art of pagination. Pagination should be taught and reinforced by teachers, regardless of the distractions society creates.
ReplyDeleteWritten by: Brianna Martinez
DeleteDr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis has been another facet of knowledge I was not aware of. Thank you for sharing, and allowing us to get a glimpse of your insight. Page numbers are quite important, and I've never thought of them as such back in high school, or even freshman year of college. I can see it is helpful when referring to certain parts of a paper, especially a long one.
Hey Dr. Rich
ReplyDeleteThe historical context for Pagination was actually really interesting to learn (and kind of funny, picturing poor Jean scrambling to pick up his papers is a humorous image). Typically, I add page numbers when encouraged (or required) by professors to do so, rather then do it on my own. This has caused myself and peers some trouble when organizing my works for peer review; it causes me trouble when I print something hastily and don't organize it correctly, and it causes my peers trouble when they skip around the story because they don't have the correct order of the piece. Similarly to the blog about prompts, students tend to do add parts of paper when asked of them by their professor, rather then actively doing them on their own. By encouraging students to number their pages (something so simple, either in a word processor or manually) we can reduce the number of "I'm confused" statements, and keep papers in order.
- John P.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of PagiNation, yet I feel as if I have belonged to it since I first learned how to write. I always feel like pages are separates that unify as a whole to an entire piece, whether it be a novel, short story, manuscript, or ongoing poem. Even in my personal writings, I am inclined to always write the page number. There are times when, rather than numbers, I do use letters for sections. Maybe it's just me being a millennial and trying anything to set myself apart from anyone else. I do it to separate each passage or section from one another.
Pages give me direction. Think of each page as a person. The finished piece is a community. And each person (page) has its role and moments of significance within the community (literary work). Although some digital media remains loyal to pages, some use one long scrollbar on the side o the screen that may equate to the size of an ant's cerebral cortex in the brain; so miniscule yet one never-ending page. There is no distinctions in that, no separati9on from one passage to the next. There is no identity in that, and I find that to be a loss of necessary separation from one section to the rest.
I had never payed much attention or valued what a page number represents and how useful tool it is for everyone who writes. I am glad that it has been brought to my attention. It is common sense to put page numbers on an essay even though sometimes I forget to page my work, to learn about “pagination” now I know the importance of it and have an educated discussion about it. Simply by putting page numbers, organizes the author’s train of thought, in making sense of the story when children who are in kindergarten learning that there is always a beginning, a middle, and the end, with page numbers, facilitates the order of the story. If there is no organization, nothing will ever make sense. Now that I am processing this information in my brain, I imagine if the Bible that has many books combined as one, did not had page numbers, the faith that many Christians have and follow would it be same? The order and how it goes it totally makes sense to me, because of the organization, and the order it goes. Without numbers this world would have been very chaotic. Even though we all take for granted numbers are so present in our lives. It help us function, like a GPS, it lead us where to go, without it we would be lost and very confused. I am learning so much to appreciate the little things that just make sense in our lives.
ReplyDeletedr.rich,
ReplyDeletethis was an interesting blog topic. never really thought of the importance of it or really cared for that matter. Interesting how it ties to technology today and how it inst really used much now. I guess it's time to become a part of pagnation.
daniel kohl
I never knew how important it was to number the pages of any written work. I never knew that there was even a term for it. Some professors never mention it, so I thought it was not a requirement and I would not bother numbering the pages. Ironically, I have had issues where I drop my papers and then the order in which they are supposed to go was messed up. Then, I had to go through each page and figure out how it was originally set up. Of course this took up my time and could have been completely avoided had my pages been numbered. Even after that, I did not learn my lesson. After reading this blog post I will make sure to never make that mistake again. It is very helpful to paginate. When reading in class for example, when we are referring to a certain play it would be difficult to find it without numbered pages. The first thing students ask is, “What page?”. Even finding a specific line in a play would be hard. We would need to state which character is speaking, where can we find it on the page, for example, half way down on the right side, and then start reading the line. I truly did not realize how important paginating is and just how helpful it is daily. I think it is just something that is simply overlooked, but if and when it is missing, it would probably be the first thing people would ask about.
ReplyDelete- Madeline Romero
Nadia Radwan
ReplyDeleteBefore your class Dr. Rich I never really gave pagination much thought. I only inserted page numbers on my essays when my professors and teachers asked for them. I didn't even know what pagination was, I kind of thought it meant spacing out your paragraphs better. So this blog post was definitely helpful. I also really like how you go over the many definitions of the word, like it meaning servant. When I saw that it's actually traditionally what you're supposed to do on your essays whether or not the professor or teacher asks for it I took a mental note to always do this in the future. I also think that if social media posts were numbered, like if each insta post you scrolled past was numbered it would be much better. Because it's not numbered we just keep endlessly scrolling without really knowing how long its been. That's kind of unhealthy. We should have some sort of concept of how long we've been on there. As it is now, it's a bottomless pit that we fall into and without an idea of how long its been we just keep falling. I also think page numbers can sometimes be intimidating. If you have a book with 700 pages you may become stuck on the mass amount pages it has rather than the content. I kind of like page numbers in a book though because they give me an idea of how much I have to read. If I have been assigned to read a few chapters by a few classes I will use the page numbers to get an idea of which one to read first. I would most likely read a chapter that is 70 pages at a different time than a chapter that is 12 for example.
In most of my English classes I was never really asked to put page numbers at the top unless it was a super important research paper that was very lengthy. For my first paper in your class it was the day it was due when you announced we needed page numbers and it never crossed my mind to put them because no other professors had asked for them but now looking at it from a teachers perspective it does make reading a paper so much easier. You always have students who "don't know what a stapler is" and then its the teachers job to read your mind and figure out the page order of your paper. Having the page numbers at the top make it easier for the reader or grader to know what comes next without losing their train of thought. Page numbers are especially useful when you are handing in a paper that is over 10 pages. Although personally I do like the idea of any length paper you are writing to have page numbers but the longer papers get the more chances the teacher or professor has to get lost in the pages or "lose" a page and just having them in the top or bottom corners makes it much easier. Also you as the grader can refer back to certain pages, as well as the writer can. if they are on page 8 and want to refer to a quote on page 6 they don't need to constantly re-write the quote out they can just refer to that page making everything much easier. Something as simple as a professor telling us to include page numbers will make them happier and it doesn't take much effort at all for us as students to include them.
ReplyDelete-Melanie Azevedo
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeletePagiNation never occurred to me at all. I never heard the term, “pagination”, before but now it is something to really look in to. Page numbers are very useful Honestly, having page numbers on my papers were always second nature to me that I never thought about it. I would always put page numbers on my papers and never gave it a second thought. It was something I would unconsciously do. Pages really do organize your thoughts and help to keep everything in order. Without the organization that pages offer, a poem or story really would not make sense if it were to start in the middle. But it also depends on the type of story that is being told. It’s also to have page numbers because what if you are referring to a specific sentence and the reader wants to know what page they should refer to. If there is no page number, then they will be turning countless pages trying to find the answer. Not many us think about the relevance of this topic, but it is very important that we pay attention to these details no matter how minute they might be. In the past, I never had professors discuss pagination, so I never gave it a second thought. Now, I understand the significance of pages and their numbers how extremely helpful they are.
I never really thought about it till your class. No teacher really pointed this out to me or even cared to have this as a requirement. Now learning about this i can move foward and use this in future classes. It is really helpful especiually if your trying to find key points in the paper or if you want to go back and refer to somthing in it. I personally never really thought about it but now knowing this i really do enjoy using it . I have found it very helpful for other papers and i don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I have never heard of the PagiNation until I read this blog post. So I really liked that you gave a little history about it in the very beginning before you really started to talk about it. It something so small page numbers, just like that plastic thing at the end of our sole laces, but still very important and beneficial to our daily lives. Just writing I remember a show called Cyberspace (it was a show about math) that had an episode one time about how the number zero was feeling left out and felt like that he was not important enough that people would not really miss him if he was gone. And by the end of the episode, he realized that the other numbers did not have their same value since he was gone so he was very important! Anyways, just to relate to this, is page numbers (although seem small) are very important in our lives. How would we know where we left off in a good book if we forgot our bookmark? How would teachers know what page they were reading if they dropped them? They would have to start all over again! Page numbers are sooo important and I am very glad that you brought that to our attention Professor Rich. I think we should always remember even the little things in our lives are actually very important, and are not so little at all.
ReplyDeleteGrace Carranza
Well I learned something new, "PagiNation", something I would have never thought of the meaning behind. It seems like common sense to me to number pages but of course there was a time where no one did that. I'm surprised we know who actually first started that. I look at page numbers all the time when reading my books but don't relate the internet to page numbers. It doesn't seem necessary to have page numbers online there's no open window and stacks of loose paper. I want to know more about the image at the bottom, no more page three, what is that about? Page three, so random that the girl even has a shirt about that. The only time I write page numbers is handing in assignments at school. For your class just yesterday I hand wrote page numbers on all my blog posts. Written or typed it's still numbered and at the beginning of pagination they were all handwritten so I don't feel so bad now scribbling them in. I'm trying to think how the title, A Fable and Meditation, works into the blog it makes me think that the backstory was a fable. We take page numbers for granted today but do we really know the history of how they came to be.
ReplyDeleteI like the fable. Very funny. In my mind though, the monk is an English professor and she is hunched over a pile of loose papers that have fallen on the floor. As she bends to pick them up, her multicolored, tiered, voluminous folk-dancing skirt brushes the pages of my latest paper even further out of order. In her frustration, the professor gives up and sits down to write this blog post. Sorry, Dr. Rich! I will include page numbers on my papers going forward. I honestly don’t know why it took reading this post to understand something so obvious. It seems common courtesy to your reader to include page numbers. I think I must have relied too much on the staple at the top left hand corner. The reality, however, is that even then those little slivers of metal can fall off, or pages can come loose or rip apart. Pagination is the difference between being self-centered and being considerate of others. Or in my case, just plain old lazy. I remember trying this one in class “I can’t figure out how to do it on the computer.” Dr. Rich shot back with “That’s what a pen is for. Write it in.” It made me chuckle. So obvi.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about the history of pagination, so this was a very interesting read. Thank you, Dr.Rich. I am very used to paginating because it shows me where i am and where I am going with my papers. When writing papers, especially research papers, it has been ingrained in me to put page numbers as part of the MLA or APA format. By putting page numbers, readers do not get lost when papers become a mess like our friend Jean. It is disrespect to the audience if I do not paginate because it is like I am telling them to navigate themselves. Page numbers navigate readers where to go. Giving someone your work to read without page numbers is like leaving them in a dense forest and telling them to find their way out.
ReplyDeletePriscilla B.
This blog I found extremely interesting. I never knew the background of pagination was so impactful and was this important. Page numbers were always just page numbers. I opened a book to whatever page a professor told me and ended whenever we stopped. The numbers were just numbers. Not did I ever think this much importance was behind those numbers. Being able to realize how much comes from those numbers really makes a difference in the way I view books and writing papers. Seeing numbers like you said helps keep pages in order, helps you get to where you need to be right away. Not only do page numbers hold a page number but an importance in what is on that page. It’s sad to see the internet taking away those traditional aspects of literature and other forms of writing including page numbers. Researching might be easier to look up, but being able to have a hard copy and going through pages is way more satisfactory. Losing that sense of paper and pen just makes me so sad. Not only is my child hood of racing my friends to the library to get that certain book every one wanted, but technology isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. I could never stare at a screen for hours reading. I would get distracted wanting to do something else and starring at a screen for hours would give me a headache.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mind-blowing theory behind such a simple concept. Being that I typically write scholarly research papers, it is required of the MLA format, to include page numbers. It is so easy to forget to bestow your hard work with a form of honor, signifying the location and creator of any form of written text. Due to the concept of in-text citations, including the page number for the reader, allows them, when interested, to find the exact page where the writer found meaning or inspiration. What if the reader were to examine the same text and find new meaning and an alternative perspective, leading them to find personal joy? There would be no greater honor than to be able to shed light on the brilliant works of many phenomenal scholars, deepening people's knowledge in all areas of life. The PagiNation is fascinating and profound. I wish I knew this was an actual group, belief system, prior to coming to Kean. In the modern age of technology today, with all pages on social media blending into each other, there is nothing making it unique. When I try to find the exact page that I saw an article that I want to show a friend, sometimes, I have to scroll and click on numerous links and pages. Just to find the one article, it can take up to 15 minutes, wasting my precious time that I can use living for myself and not for my screen. Let’s apply the pagination concept to online media, making it even easier to access information. Page numbers not only help organize the often-confusing collection of words and concepts on the page, it gives them a purpose.
ReplyDeleteI always knew page numbers were important, but I never really needed to use them until college. Even then, only half of the papers I've written these past 4 years have used page numbers. I also forgot about them in my Romance paper. Anyway, page numbers are important because they help you keep track of where you are. But I think my favorite use of page numbers is in textbooks when whomever was using them last has little notes that say "Turn to p. 37" and then "Turn to the glossary" because then I get to go on a scavenger hunt for a secret message across the whole book. It might just be me, but sometimes, I turn to a page they tell me to turn to, and then something in the text catches my eye, and I might read it later to look into it. Never would've went to that page in the textbook without that little page number scavenger hunt.
ReplyDeleteI am a one foot in the door member of the Pagination group. All my professors require a minimum age requirement but only 2 have asked for them to be numbered (you and another). I guess they're fine with the licking of their fingers to flick across my pages to see how many I turned in.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of the Pagination and I am sure that now with your well detailed explanations and imagery I won't forget it! I like page numbers - the first thing I do when I am assigned a book from college is turn to see how many pages there are. It allows me to prepare myself mentally for a long read ahead. Especially if it's a book I am dreading to read. Knowing how many pages are left allows me to count down with the every page I turn and it eases me that "I'm almost done
What really grinds my gears is when they start counting with roman numerals and then it starts back at 1! Here I thought I was making progress and bam, back to the beginning! I'm a crime reader so for those books I honestly don't even know if those have numbers! I don't bother to check because I love the genre.
So though I understand the importance of paginating it is definitely something that I forget all the time. The concept of numbering your pages makes complete sense don’t get me wrong. But I think the advancement in technology has kind of pushed it to the side or made it forgotten. For example right now I am writing in word and as I am writing I am being told what page I am on. So when we are reading virtual documents it is very easy to find the page number because it is right in front of us at all times. I feel like this might be where the faulting in paginating is coming from because as students who are born in and grew up in the digital age we have grown so accustomed to just looking at the bottom right corner when we are typing on Word and it telling us the page number, the word count, and even how fast we are typing. Yet paginating is still all around us, specifically if you read book. Page numbers on books is something that his been around as long as I’ve been living yet they are apparently ignored because I still always forget to paginate my papers. Perhaps its because we learn about paginating so late in school. A students starts producing written work around the 5 grade yet we are not taught about paginating until we have to do our first research paper our junior years of high school. I feel the earlier we become familiar with paginating the better.
ReplyDeleteI was confused at first about what was going on in “PagiNation: A Fable and Meditation”, however, I was very fascinated by the story in the beginning. The story caught my attention. I feel it is hard to stay focused and keep my attention, but I did not have an issue when reading this post. I did not know that page meant “to call by name”, that is a fun little fact. Page numbers are so essential when it comes to literature. Have you ever tried reading something with no page numbers? Well let me tell you, FRUSTRATING; I absolutely can not stand it when a poem, novel, etc. does not have page numbers. It is ridiculous trying to keep one's spot or find a page. One of my necessary books has not arrived in the mail yet (super anxiety inducing) so I have been reading, “The Rape of Lucere” by William Shakspeare online. The pdf I have found does not have line numbers or page numbers. I want to pull my hair out when trying to get my work done. I think I have read up to line 937, but I will not know for sure until I count them myself. “...The slogans The PagiNation are “Count on me,” “Call my number,” “Let me help you,” “Let me connect you”(Susanna Rich). These slogans most definitely make me want to be part of the PagiNation; although, I believe I have been a member this whole time and just did not know it.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Ortiz
For certain assignments, I often forget to add page numbers. Even though these assignments may be two pages long, I should insert page numbers. I assume this habit derived from high school, where most of my essays were handwritten timed writing assignments. I would race against the clock, focusing on what I was writing, that I never paid attention to assigning page numbers to the slips of paper. I know understand the importance of page numbers due to this blogpost. It is a symbol of respect, not only to the reader, but to the paper itself. It makes the work I have produced so much more professional to look at!
ReplyDelete-
Jessica DeLuca
All throughout High School they instilled into my head the importance of page numbers and how college professors would rip me apart if I did not put page numbers. So reading this blog post just reinforced everything that I had already remembered in High School. Putting page numbers just shows respect to the reader and to the paper itself.
ReplyDeleteDavid Rivera, Jr.