It’s interesting how much less physically enjoyable it is to use a computer than to use a pen or typewriter, and that is not seen as a loss, in a collective sense. I’m not sure it’s even noticed. Carpal tunnel is the price we pay for the ability to edit in-line, or click away on a whim to ESPN.
It’s funny, though, that QWERTY was very much about bending our hands awkwardly to accommodate a mechanical necessity. But the physical limitations of that mechanical action and the muscle exertions required to make it work probably also prevented us from typing fast enough and/or long enough to get carpal tunnel. Taking the mechanical aspect away without changing the basic layout created new kinds of pain. Talk about unintended consequences . . .
The experience is different, and all of it, muscle memory, sound, even smell, evokes an earlier time of which we have some fond memory. If the memory were not a pleasant one, I very much doubt the activity would continue. The big tradeoff, of course, is convenience and access to the web. Even typewritten artifacts have at least a bit more resonance simply because they reach a larger audience once scanned and uploaded.
I love typewriters, but I wouldn’t give up the internet for them. Cool thing is, I don’t have to make that choice–I can have both.
Indeed, Matt, you’re right — it’s the best of both. A lot of the pleasure for me is the “me too!” I get when I read other people’s descriptions of why they enjoy typewriters and fountain pens, classic Star Trek, b&w movies and TV, anything made out of Bakelite, kitbashing spaceships out of styrene plastic model kits, etc.
For those brief few moments, I feel connected to an extended family. I can imagine us all sitting around having a beer, swapping stories and laughing. Oh, and passing our favorite things around to admire.
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It’s interesting how much less physically enjoyable it is to use a computer than to use a pen or typewriter, and that is not seen as a loss, in a collective sense. I’m not sure it’s even noticed. Carpal tunnel is the price we pay for the ability to edit in-line, or click away on a whim to ESPN.
It’s funny, though, that QWERTY was very much about bending our hands awkwardly to accommodate a mechanical necessity. But the physical limitations of that mechanical action and the muscle exertions required to make it work probably also prevented us from typing fast enough and/or long enough to get carpal tunnel. Taking the mechanical aspect away without changing the basic layout created new kinds of pain. Talk about unintended consequences . . .
Oh, and by the way, that should have been “aurochs.” I guess I had Margaret Atwood on the brain while typing this.
The experience is different, and all of it, muscle memory, sound, even smell, evokes an earlier time of which we have some fond memory. If the memory were not a pleasant one, I very much doubt the activity would continue. The big tradeoff, of course, is convenience and access to the web. Even typewritten artifacts have at least a bit more resonance simply because they reach a larger audience once scanned and uploaded.
I love typewriters, but I wouldn’t give up the internet for them. Cool thing is, I don’t have to make that choice–I can have both.
Indeed, Matt, you’re right — it’s the best of both. A lot of the pleasure for me is the “me too!” I get when I read other people’s descriptions of why they enjoy typewriters and fountain pens, classic Star Trek, b&w movies and TV, anything made out of Bakelite, kitbashing spaceships out of styrene plastic model kits, etc.
For those brief few moments, I feel connected to an extended family. I can imagine us all sitting around having a beer, swapping stories and laughing. Oh, and passing our favorite things around to admire.