Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Technology-related blog (#7)

I want to say a few words about my favorite technology in the world: paper.

Yes, it is a technology, and for many tasks, it is the BEST technology. Kindles and books on CD can be awesome, but printed words on paper -- i.e. books -- will always be the best way to read for depth and understanding.

Furthermore, there are so many physical notes and cards and letters that I treasure... emails? Not so much. But I love going through old stuff and finding a birthday card from my late grandmother -- seeing her handwriting, reading her messages can bring me to tears. So paper is the best technology for remembering dead relatives. For me, anyway.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote a brilliant article in The New Yorker about ten years ago on this topic (the technology of paper), so I won't bore the biblio-blogosphere with any more thoughts.

Oh, and as for a more traditional technology, I also loves me my iPod. It makes running on the treadmill less excruciatingly boring. Nothing better than rediscovering Journey and some of my other favorite 80s bands while I sweat and curse my way to better fitness.

1 comment:

  1. Oh, you Luddite you!

    But, you know, people certainly develop emotional attachments to some electronic formats - movies, music, etc. Just as you jog along on your sentimental Journey, I think they can be sentimental about e-mail, too.

    ReplyDelete