Agent C.A. has sent me this insightful commentary on the Typewriter Manifesto. In the Insurgency's spirit of individuality, I welcome all commentaries, variations, and fresh manifestos that further our glorious cause.
Very well said. All it takes is a cell phone or an email or any other on line account and we start our own digital footprint. Then all we need do is agree to a request from an employer, bank, doctor, etc. for them to copy something or enter our data into their system and we have a secret footprint. Then there is Equifax.
Bold words. As the manifesto itself, it points out the sum of all fears of the Digital Age. Today, on the brink of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, wireless communications and even wireless power transmission, total digitalization of all audiovisual and textual information and possibly - interpersonal relationships as well, we are the dinosaurs fighting against conscious alienation of mankind. In the age of face-books, you-tubs, twi-tters, insta-grams, snap-chats, pinte-rests and whats-ups a tsunami of useless information is sweeping away the remnants of sanity and sense of human species. Siris, cortanas and alexes are taking over our free will to unconstrained decisions and joy of trials and errors. I'm afraid, the hope is gone. There is no turning back to the "good-old-analog-times" of Pre-Information Age. We know the fate of dinosaurs. The only question remains - what price we are ready to pay to break the digital shackles of our personal freedom?
P.S. Nevertheless, I hope we will continue to use and enjoy the lighting-fast means of modern age communications instead of pigeon-post to spread the typewritten word over the globe.
There will be a general "turning back" if the entire structure of modern technological civilization collapses, which I consider to be unlikely but possible. Meanwhile, we can create little non-digital islands (as long as we don't invite Alexa and her ilk into our houses), and we can, as you say, spread the nondigital within the digital. That is what the typosphere is about.
I think he's right about people wanting to go back to things they can physically interact with. A typewriter is no longer just a work tool, it became a recreational item we use intentionally to stimulate multiple senses at once. This is a sensation that is becoming more rare these days, especially for younger 'digital natives'.
It's always a joy to see when a young person uses a typewriter for the first time. There's something about using a typewriter that touches everyone of us on a very personal level. Keeping this machine alive in the public consciousness seems like a noble task to me.
I’m afraid it's a bit of utopia to see the people willingly dropping all the digital gadgets in favor of physical ones. Especially within the young people. It is extremely difficult to maintain their interest and attention. As soon as they encounter the first physical difficulties, many of them losing interest completely. Probably, this physical interaction "thing" and tinkering around old typewriters coming together with aging. I hope I'm wrong.
Sure, Richard! I couldn't agree more! But I'm more worried about how fast people are losing their non-digital skills. As we all know, humans are lazy bastards, and with every step of the progress, it gets worse. Try to switch off the electricity in the apartment block for one hour people will get mad. They couldn't charge their precious mobile devices and use the wifi. You can hardly imagine millennial without the smartphone. Fiercest punishment to them is take away their devices. They have to be online 24/7. Truth or not but Maslow's pyramid needs to be updated. So obviously, I’m with both hands for these non-digital islands and troposphere! But how to convert back those who have been fully digitalizzzed?
Very well said. All it takes is a cell phone or an email or any other on line account and we start our own digital footprint. Then all we need do is agree to a request from an employer, bank, doctor, etc. for them to copy something or enter our data into their system and we have a secret footprint. Then there is Equifax.
ReplyDeleteTypewriters forever!
ReplyDeleteBold words.
As the manifesto itself, it points out the sum of all fears of the Digital Age. Today, on the brink of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, wireless communications and even wireless power transmission, total digitalization of all audiovisual and textual information and possibly - interpersonal relationships as well, we are the dinosaurs fighting against conscious alienation of mankind. In the age of face-books, you-tubs, twi-tters, insta-grams, snap-chats, pinte-rests and whats-ups a tsunami of useless information is sweeping away the remnants of sanity and sense of human species. Siris, cortanas and alexes are taking over our free will to unconstrained decisions and joy of trials and errors.
I'm afraid, the hope is gone. There is no turning back to the "good-old-analog-times" of Pre-Information Age. We know the fate of dinosaurs. The only question remains - what price we are ready to pay to break the digital shackles of our personal freedom?
P.S. Nevertheless, I hope we will continue to use and enjoy the lighting-fast means of modern age communications instead of pigeon-post to spread the typewritten word over the globe.
There will be a general "turning back" if the entire structure of modern technological civilization collapses, which I consider to be unlikely but possible. Meanwhile, we can create little non-digital islands (as long as we don't invite Alexa and her ilk into our houses), and we can, as you say, spread the nondigital within the digital. That is what the typosphere is about.
DeleteType on!
I think he's right about people wanting to go back to things they can physically interact with. A typewriter is no longer just a work tool, it became a recreational item we use intentionally to stimulate multiple senses at once. This is a sensation that is becoming more rare these days, especially for younger 'digital natives'.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a joy to see when a young person uses a typewriter for the first time. There's something about using a typewriter that touches everyone of us on a very personal level. Keeping this machine alive in the public consciousness seems like a noble task to me.
I’m afraid it's a bit of utopia to see the people willingly dropping all the digital gadgets in favor of physical ones. Especially within the young people. It is extremely difficult to maintain their interest and attention. As soon as they encounter the first physical difficulties, many of them losing interest completely. Probably, this physical interaction "thing" and tinkering around old typewriters coming together with aging. I hope I'm wrong.
DeleteSure, Richard! I couldn't agree more!
ReplyDeleteBut I'm more worried about how fast people are losing their non-digital skills. As we all know, humans are lazy bastards, and with every step of the progress, it gets worse. Try to switch off the electricity in the apartment block for one hour people will get mad. They couldn't charge their precious mobile devices and use the wifi. You can hardly imagine millennial without the smartphone. Fiercest punishment to them is take away their devices. They have to be online 24/7. Truth or not but Maslow's pyramid needs to be updated.
So obviously, I’m with both hands for these non-digital islands and troposphere!
But how to convert back those who have been fully digitalizzzed?