Once upon a time there was a "club" called The Lead Pencil Club. The members of this club swore off the electronic revolution as latter day Luddites. This book, published in 1996, contains some of their views. It is interesting reading today more than 10 years later.
It was still possible in 1996 to "refuse it," like literary critic Sven Birkerts says. Today we cannot refuse it unless we wish to be completely out of touch and ill-informed. I cannot conceive of a life without the internet to keep up with what is going on in the world, without blogs like this one to record my views, and a cell phone for personal AND business use. You cannot avoid voice mail. You cannot not have a computer and use it. You CAN turn off the TV, which I do frequently. You CAN avoid Blackberries and iPhones. But I DO flip thru multiple websites each day to keep with politics and culture. I cannot do without this access.
The key is to find a balance between print and digital. For someone of my age, born in print and still dedicated to print, but conversant in digital, using digital, this is certainly possible. Perhaps it is not possible for people on the extreme sides of my age category. I really don't know.
And so I like to think that I am balanced, still reading books, not ebooks, but active in keeping up with the world on the internet.
9 comments:
Fred, you said it all for me. Yes, I was once one who eschewed the computer, but was forced to learn how to use one at work.
Now I too still read books which is how I found out about The Lead Pencil Cub, (Minutes of the Lead pencil club. But I can also use email, and I have a cell phone which has help me avoid numerous aggravations in my life thru missed meetings with my husband. Come to think of it, it's help him avoid numerous aggravations with me!
All the other electronic gizmos, I've managed to avoid, although I still can't resist the temptation of an old movie on TV late during a sleepless night.
-Gina Westbrook
I lent my Lead Pencil Club Minutes to an old friend who was started to feel the pull to Luddism. I was a hard core Luddite from 1988-1999 when I finally caved and bought a Mac ... at first I only used the Internet to communicate with the small number of people I was still working with (Luddism was career suicide for a graphic designer ... I even threw out my Letraset and a useable photostat camera). In 2002 I became a ronin designer and started spending way too much time on message boards and eventually Facebook ... never was much of a blogger though. I inherited a cellphone from my wife (she now has an iPhone but has never touched a computer ... seems to not need it in her line of work) but I got rid of my landline and my dedicated fax number ... and now I'm rereading Bill Henderson's book. I sent him a handwritten letter but I guess he thought I'd crossed over to the Dark Side. As Timbuk 3 sang, "Maybe you had it right the first time. I will NEVER read an e-book and I pretty much gave up on television (thank you Jerry Mander and the late Neil Postman). And I don't think I'll be replacing my two computers when they are ready for the knackers. Sigh.
I have been struggling for years to write a critique of technology that is insightful, relevant, and worth publishing. I keep going back to the "Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club". I both love and hate the book. It fails, I think, to look at how the internet is changing us as a culture, though of course, it was published at the dawn of the internet. It seems at times, both silly and nostalgic. Books like Nicholas Carr's "The Shallows" do a somewhat better job, and I keep coming back to Ivan Illich and his "Tools for Conviviality." I WANT to go back to a more convivial time, but perhaps we're stuck in some Hegelian progression we can't back away from, and my book on technology is doomed from the start.
I do write more letters than I used to, though I don't receive as many. I am very fond of my pencils, my notebook, and my datebook. I toy with abandoning my financial software and going back to a ledger. Would I miss a lot if I backed out of the digital age altogether? I don't feel I would, but my freelance editing and proofreading would definitely suffer, and the little bit of writing I get published would probably be less.
I'm not even sure Pushcart Press would accept a typescript these days. I know the magazines I've written for won't.
And the strangest thing is, if I turned off the internet, quit using email, I shudder to think no one would know about it. It would be a grand gesture that may as well take place in a vacuum once you take away the possibility to tweet about it.
Every weekend i used to pay a visit this site, for the reason that i want enjoyment, for
the reason that this this web site conations in
fact pleasant funny information too.
Here is my webpage 55445
It's awesome to visit this web site and reading the views of all mates regarding this paragraph, while I am also keen of getting knowledge.
Look into my site: kenwarren
Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
I'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not seeing very good success.
If you know of any please share. Kudos!
My web page ... kronor
Greetings, I'm Tristan and I've гесently begun to gеt іnto ωhаt yоu're posting about. I don't know whеrе you’re finԁing уοuг facts, but sοlid ϳob regardlesѕ.
Ӏ ought tо commit sоme tіmе leаrning and underѕtаnding much mοre.
Τhanks for the post: this іѕ just what I was lοoking
for for my misѕion.
Μy weblog :: mediafree.org
But the better choice would have been the Grizzlies' Lionel Hollins, who not only helped his team persevere despite the midseason loss of Rudy Gay but actually become more cohesive and smarter about its remaining talent. Hollins re-emphasized the Grizzlies' strength in the post and let it carry his team to a surprisingly strong finish without Gay, who had been their leading scorer.
Memphis has become one of the most efficient, hardest-working teams in the NBA. The Grizzlies can largely thank the coach who pulled them together and put them in the position to be their best.
Karl deserved it
Chicago Tribune
The media got it right. It doesn't always happen some NBA coaches [url=http://www.agoshow.net/Rays-13-Carl-Crawford-Home-Cool-Base-White-2010-All-Star-Jerseys-81/]Rays 13 Carl Crawford Home Cool Base White 2010 All Star Jerseys[/url] may say never but George Karl deserved the NBA Coach of the Year award the media voted him.
First of all, the Nuggets had a magical season, overcoming injuries and a tough early schedule to win 57 games. They maximized their inherent advantage of playing at altitude by going a league-best 38-3 at the Pepsi Center. And they played an unselfish style in which different heroes emerged regularly.
Karl oversaw it all. Plus, there's nothing wrong using the category that annually poses the most legitimate candidates to occasionally offer up the lifetime achievement award. Karl has been great for a long time. It's good he got his due.
Voters got it right
Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel
The voters got it right when they selected George Karl as the 2012-13 NBA [url=http://www.agoshow.net/Rockies-38-Troy-Jimemez-blue-2010-All-Star-Jerseys-59/]Rockies 38 Troy Jimemez blue 2010 All Star Jerseys[/url] Coach of the Year.
I voted for Karl because his Nuggets went 57-25, improving as the season went on.
And let's not forget that the Nuggets still don't have a go-to guy a superstar-level talent [url=http://www.agoshow.net/Florida-Marlins-2-Hanley-Ramirez-blue-2010-All-Star-Jerseys-74/]Florida Marlins 2 Hanley Ramirez blue 2010 All Star Jerseys[/url] who can singlehandedly dominate [url=http://www.agoshow.net/Rangers-27-Vladimir-Guerrero-red-2010-All-Star-Jerseys-73/]Rangers 27 Vladimir Guerrero red 2010 All Star Jerseys[/url] a game. Karl made the Nuggets into one of the most cohesive teams in [url=http://www.agoshow.net/Giants-55-Tim-Lincecum-bule-2010-All-Star-Jersey-50/]Giants 55 Tim Lincecum bule 2010 All Star Jersey[/url] the league.
Remember, the award was for the regular season only.
I strongly considered the Pacers' Frank Vogel because they were the league's top defensive team and won 49 games despite Danny Granger's knee injury.
Take playoffs into account
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel
As the selection of George Karl showed, the regular season is only part of the process. And the approach Karl took, of playing a star-less system, ultimately failed the Nuggets in the playoffs.
Coach of the Year should take the playoffs into account, because that's where true coaching excellence is on display.
No one had the Grizzlies' Lionel Hollins as Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season. Right now, he might be the favorite.
It could be as simple as making the NBA champ's skipper Coach of the Year. But at least consider the playoffs, because Hollins and Frank Vogel certainly deserve notice at the moment.
[url=http://weashumanrocks.com/member.php?u=12014]more[/url]
smokeless cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, smokeless cigarettes, e cig forum, electronic cigarette, e cigarette reviews
Post a Comment