I saw you from over there. I didn't know you came to this club a lot.The Social Network · 2010 — Chapter 13 of 23 · 2'22" · B2
Erica Confronts Mark Over the Internet, Explained: written in ink
Erica comes to the club not to forgive Mark but to make him hear it: what he wrote is permanent. "The Internet's not written in pencil," she tells him, "it's written in ink." He tries to move the conversation somewhere private; she refuses, tells him off, and leaves. The meeting that follows shows him already expanding.
What happens
At a club, Erica confronts Mark about what he wrote online and refuses his attempts to move the conversation somewhere private. Then the team meets, and Mark lays out an expansion to Yale, Columbia and Stanford, handing out jobs to Dustin and Chris.
Listen for
written in inkin charge ofend upvideo game
00:00 / 02:22Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
written in ink
Permanent and impossible to undo
Erica 在酒吧对 Mark 说 The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink，把他发出去的话判成收不回的账。
Once you put it in the group chat, it's written in ink.
Also in this scene
- in charge of
Responsible for something
- end up
Finally arrive at a result or place
- video game
A farewell that belittles the whole project
Everything marked in this scene
30 notes across 54 lines
Could I talk to you alone for a second?Could I talk to you alone for a second?liaison
Could I talk to you alone for a second?I don't know if you heard about this new website I launched.- The Facebook? - You called me a bitch on the Internet, Mark.weak form
- The Facebook? - You called me a bitch on the Internet, Mark.- The Facebook? - You called me a bitch on the Internet, Mark.I didn't end up doing that.It didn't stop you from writing it.verb + object + from + gerund: The structure pins the person and the blocked act together.
It didn't stop you from writing it.As if every thought that tumbles through your head was so cleveras if clause: As if plus past tense marks the comparison as false.
As if every thought that tumbles through your head was so cleverit would be a crime for it not to be shared.Permanent and impossible to undo
The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink,liaison
The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink,right before you made some ignorant crack about my family's name, my bra size,before time clause: The time clause fixes the order of the two insults.
right before you made some ignorant crack about my family's name, my bra size,and then rated women based on their hotness.You write your snide bullshit from a dark room because that's what the angry do nowadays.You write your snide bullshit from a dark room because that's what the angry do nowadays.I was nice to you. Don't torture me for it.I don't wanna be rude to my friends.elision
I don't wanna be rude to my friends.Good luck with your video game.Responsible for something
Chris, you're gonna be in charge of publicity and outreach,and you could start by getting a story in the BU student newspaper.Chris is director of publicity, and his compensation will depend on how much work he ends up doing.embedded question clause: The clause keeps question order but works as an object.
Chris is director of publicity, and his compensation will depend on how much work he ends up doing.It's time for them to see this in Palo Alto.Erica Confronts Mark Over the Internet, explained
What's really going on
The scene is built on one contrast: Erica treats words as permanent, and Mark treats them as negotiable. She will not let him relocate the conversation or apologize his way out, and her line — "The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink" — is the film's cleanest statement of consequences. What he published cannot be unsaid, and she will not pretend otherwise. The meeting that follows makes the point again from the other side: Mark turns the same certainty into empire building, assigning titles and expanding to new campuses. He is most in control when he stops explaining and starts issuing orders, which is exactly what makes him hard to like.
Theme
LiesErica forces Mark to face what he published, insisting that online words cannot be taken back.
PowerIn the meeting, Mark rewards loyalty with titles and expands the site to new campuses, treating people as roles to assign.
Listen for
- talk to you — liaison
- on the Internet — weak form
- written in ink — liaison
- wanna — elision
The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink,Erica's thesis about consequences: what goes online is recorded and permanent, unlike a private remark that can be smoothed over.
I was nice to you. Don't torture me for it.She refuses to be punished for having been kind, turning his rudeness back on him as an accusation.
It didn't stop you from writing it.A precise distinction: not posting the worst version does not excuse having written it at all.
You write your snide bullshit from a dark room because that's what the angry do nowadays.Her summary of his habits: cruelty typed in private, presented as cleverness, which is what anger looks like online.
Questions about this scene
Why does Erica confront Mark at the club?
Because of what he published about her online. She is not there to reconcile; she wants him to understand that the words are permanent and that he cannot talk his way out of them.
What does "written in ink" mean in this scene?
It means something that cannot be erased or taken back. Erica contrasts ink with pencil to say that online words are recorded and final, no matter how casually they were written.
Why does Mark want to expand to Yale and Columbia?
The site is working, and he wants it to spread to other campuses rather than stay a Harvard project. The expansion is also a way to keep control, since he assigns every role himself.
Why does Erica refuse to go somewhere private?
She does not want to make it easy for him. Staying among her friends keeps her in control, and it denies Mark the chance to smooth things over without really answering her.
The Social Network · 23 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 14the shoe's on the other footSean Parker Wakes Up at Stanford
Chapter 1speak in codeErica Dumps Mark at the Bar
Chapter 2take my mind offMark Builds Facemash
Chapter 3an awful lot ofMark Crashes Harvard's Network
Chapter 4make an example out ofZuckerberg Faces the Ad Board
Chapter 5a no-brainerWinklevoss Twins Pitch Their Site
Chapter 6in a stampedeMark Pitches the Facebook Idea
Chapter 7off the recordEduardo's Deposition Turns on Emails
Chapter 8bounce aroundFacebook Launches Relationship Status
Chapter 9give someone the fingerThe Winklevosses Debate Suing Mark
Chapter 10Facebook meEduardo Recalls Facebook's Launch
Chapter 11monetizeMark and Eduardo Argue About Money
Chapter 12the minimum amountMark Answers with Minimum Attention
Watching · Chapter 13written in inkErica Confronts Mark Over the Internet
Chapter 14the shoe's on the other footSean Parker Wakes Up at Stanford
Chapter 15make that callThe Winklevosses Meet President Summers
Chapter 16a dog in this fightSean Parker Wins Over Mark
Chapter 17stir the potEduardo's Chicken Deposition Story
Chapter 18once-in-a-generationSean Parker Meets Mark in Palo Alto
Chapter 19at our disposalThe Winklevosses Decide to Sue Mark
Chapter 20get left behindEduardo Confronts Mark Over Sean
Chapter 21let bygones be bygonesEduardo Freezes the Company Account
Chapter 22in all honestyEduardo Signs Away His Shares
Chapter 23lawyer upMark Dismantles Eduardo at FacebookChapter 13 of 23 · about 35 min to go