New York City has some wonderful parks and I have to admit, the recent improvements in Washington Square Park have made it much more comfortable. Saturday was a crisp, sunny day and I wandered into the park and heard the notes of a grand piano. A guy was playing to an enthralled crowd. I sat and experienced a great mini-concert and left a dollar in a black plastic bucket on my way out of the park. There is absolutely no way this could be the same in a digital world. I guess you could record video of the event, and it might be interesting, but how could you simulate the rays of the Sun falling on your cheeks, the breeze, the crisp chill in the air, and feel of the stone bench?
Now let's fast forward to today's New York Times, it seems that the city officials have fined the outdoor piano player several times for playing too close to a monument. It is a sad day when an artist bringing joy to so many people is committing a crime.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Keep a handwritten journal
It is ironic that I am writing this using my laptop and Blogger. Most of us can benefit greatly from regular old-fashioned hand-writing. Writing is part of my job and I have adopted the latest technology and use it regularly, however I do find some big problems with using computers to write.
One big problem is the "one-screen dilemma". If I am working on a long paper, the computer really cripples my favorite writing style, being able to flip through papers, to shuffle them around, to jot down notes, circling and underlining. I can really only do this with paper, pencil and pen. It is very inconvenient to scroll back and forth trying to find out what you have already written. Maybe if there were multiple pieces of digital paper that might help. I also find that writing is physically too easy on a computer and as a result it is very easy for garbage to spew out without much thought.
One way to counteract some of the negative aspects of writing on a computer is to continue to do the analog things that come more naturally to humans. Writing with a pen or pencil on paper is a much richer sensory experience. It also forces more thoughtful consideration of what you want to write. You have to slow down and think more deliberately so that the physical effort you put forth is not wasted. I find that the more I write by hand, the more productive I am with my computer assisted writing. It does take awhile to get used to writing by hand. It is shocking that the muscles used and clarity of the handwriting can deteriorate so much.
I wonder what the future holds, with Apple's attempt to eliminate keyboards and the promotion of voice input, and gestural control of computers. Will future generations lose the ability to write by hand and with a keyboard? What would happen to our language if people stop writing? It could turn out that only a select few scholars will retain these skills that we take for granted.
I have a feeling that humans will not be content with a digital, virtual world, and that there will be a new age, probably far in the future where humans will move beyond bits and bytes. Maybe qubits will be the next revolution but it will probably be something we haven't even yet imagined.
One big problem is the "one-screen dilemma". If I am working on a long paper, the computer really cripples my favorite writing style, being able to flip through papers, to shuffle them around, to jot down notes, circling and underlining. I can really only do this with paper, pencil and pen. It is very inconvenient to scroll back and forth trying to find out what you have already written. Maybe if there were multiple pieces of digital paper that might help. I also find that writing is physically too easy on a computer and as a result it is very easy for garbage to spew out without much thought.
One way to counteract some of the negative aspects of writing on a computer is to continue to do the analog things that come more naturally to humans. Writing with a pen or pencil on paper is a much richer sensory experience. It also forces more thoughtful consideration of what you want to write. You have to slow down and think more deliberately so that the physical effort you put forth is not wasted. I find that the more I write by hand, the more productive I am with my computer assisted writing. It does take awhile to get used to writing by hand. It is shocking that the muscles used and clarity of the handwriting can deteriorate so much.
I wonder what the future holds, with Apple's attempt to eliminate keyboards and the promotion of voice input, and gestural control of computers. Will future generations lose the ability to write by hand and with a keyboard? What would happen to our language if people stop writing? It could turn out that only a select few scholars will retain these skills that we take for granted.
I have a feeling that humans will not be content with a digital, virtual world, and that there will be a new age, probably far in the future where humans will move beyond bits and bytes. Maybe qubits will be the next revolution but it will probably be something we haven't even yet imagined.
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