Wednesday, January 10, 2018

History and Communications #T

While systems of writing predated the first known coherent texts by decades, or a couple of centuries, it is generally accepted that recorded history had its inception about 4600 years ago.  For the next 4000 years all of mankind's written records were inscribed by hand with chisel, wedge, quill, or pen.  Long-distance communication was accomplished by courier, messages traveling on foot of man or beast.

Then in 1439 or 1440 the printing press made its debut and everything was changed.  Communications proliferated, the masses were eventually inundated with information. In a mere 440 years more there came the development of hot-metal typesetting, the rotary press, off-set printing, and there was no stopping the flow of both fact and opinion.  Another century saw the introduction of digital printing, and the mind reels.

But between the introduction of the rotary press and the digital press the world saw the development of the telegraph, the radio, the introduction of television to the masses.  Kaboom!  Minds blown.  Most literally, for some, this writer included, suspect that no one has been able to think straight ever since.

By the 1980s the personal computer was no longer a dream, but such machines were being introduced to the public, puny as they were in their "computing" power.  But soon enough, too soon, the capacity for whatever the machines are capable of doing expanded exponentially and "every" home saw the need to possess one of them.  Email developed and became the standard of communication, almost instant in its capacity to transmit documents from point A to point B.

So we all adapted to email.  The art of letter writing faded into the mists of history along with cuneiform tablets.  But now the development of technology has accelerated to such a pace that almost before some of us with a set of aging brain cells fail in adaptability to be able to keep up with change as rapidly as it occurs have not time to master one style of communication before another must-have, be-all-and-end-all (before it is replaced day-after-tomorrow with something else) has been dangled before us, adapted by many and shoved down the throats of the rest who wish to "remain connected."

Email?  Forget it.  No one opens his email anymore as his address lies unused in the ether.  I know this because I still attempt to use it, but many tell me, "Oh, I don't look at email anymore."  What do they do?  They "text message," or simply, "text" on their teeny-tiny hand-held devices, one of which would disappear in the palm of my hand, six or eight buttons of which I can cover with the tip of my index finger.

I am being obsoleted out of the world of communication.

I have more, but this has rambled on sufficiently and recorded history no longer has merit, for there is entirely too much of it to absorb, and too little of it which has any redeeming virtue.

7 comments:

Grace said...

I've always loved technology and a lot of it did not move fast enough for me. (Instant gratification is not fast enough was my personal motto for many years). But there are some bits that I wish I had 20/25 years ago but now have no use for at all. Cell phones and internet available everywhere would be two of those things I wish I had way back when (when I actually had a life.) Texting eludes me - my cell phone sits idly in a desk drawer. The phone itself must be at least 7 years old I had the data function turned off because we didn't/don't use it. I am also way behind on acronyms and the meaning of most, if not all, emoticons/emojis. Someone replied to one of my posts on FB with emojis/emoticons - haven't a clue what she 'said' *sigh*

vanilla said...

Grace, "Different strokes for different folks." And yet while technology and stuff did not move fast enough for you in you youth, I note that you are laying some of it aside in these more recent years, right? Sidebar: Youth is notoriously impatient.

Lin said...

I don't mind going with the new "improvements" of technology, but mastering it is another story. Nothing comes with a manual anymore...you have to just "know" how to use that new phone with all of the gadgets. For the life of me, I don't know how I would "just know" half of it if I didn't have the kids to roll their eyes at me, suck their breath...and then show me.

I like texting for the quickness and accessibility that it offers. It is nice to get a message immediately that the train is going to be late--hold dinner...or did I want this or that from the store. I still email though.

Hey...on another note...I saw that you lost the web address to the blog. It is "www.ducketc.com" It stands for Duck, etc. if that helps.

Sharkbytes said...

I happily text short stuff, but complicated communication needs still require email. I will not type long messages with one finger. period.

vanilla said...

Lin, perhaps one of the "benefits" of newer technology is that it was designed to be intuitive. Doesn't work that way for me, though. (I haven't lost the address-- I think that may have been the lady from Ludington.)

Sharkey, anything more than four words: nope.

Vee said...

Whatever it takes to stay connected with my kids and grandkids is what I learn to do. Like it or not, I text almost every day. The nice part is that my iPhone gives me word suggestions, so I rarely have to type an entire word. Much of the time a word suggestion comes up based on what might appropriately fit next in the sentence. What else do I need to be doing? The answer to that is, "Not much."

vanilla said...

Vee, which is great for those who can "keep up." This old bird, not so much.