I was not surprised to read about the importance of paper even in an increasingly digital world. Human beings tend to be most comfortable with a concept when they can touch it, see it, even smell it. Paper affords us that luxury. In an era where most information is computerized or, at the very least, visualized, having a more concrete representation of whatever information we are trying to pass on helps with the comfort factor. It makes us feel just that much more in control of the situation, that much more actively influential and that leads to a sense of power that is all too elusive and all the more coveted because of it.
Paper = power?
I’m not necessarily saying that’s true but I do tend to see the parallels in certain situations. For instance, if I were to type a document on an unsecure network and leave it to be viewed by whoever may feel the urge, there is a chance someone may feel the need to alter or adjust said document; perhaps to adjust a fact or too, perhaps to add their own thoughts or ideas. Whatever the hypothetical reason may be, if that adjustment were to be made, there would be nearly no way of knowing where the other persons thought end and mine begin. It would be as though my very imprint of information, lo, my actual document in its original form, would be forever lost to the editing styles of one John P. Anonymous. But with paper, no matter how many times you erase or how good your white out may be or how similar my handwriting may be to someone else, it is impossible to remove all memory of one sentence or phrase and replace it with a completely different one. As soon as that pen or pencil touches the page, the author has permanently changed its purpose, its meaning, perhaps it’s very reason for existence. The once blank sheet is now the beginning of a short story, or a letter to friend, or a diary entry, or list of statistics from the latest stage in your most profound experiment to date. It has become something with just one simple movement of fingers.
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With all the proponents of new technological advances, I can't tell you how reassured I was after reading "The Social Life of Paper." I just recently spent a pretty penny on new software for record keeping for my business and have not brought myself to use it just yet. I use what maybe considered by some to be dinosaur technology of keeping a ledger using a notebook and collecting receipts and invoices in a folder month by month. The little bit about paper being a personal memory device in the article really got my attention because I hold that to be so true. I knew I was on to something by holding on to old technology but I am a bit curious about how this software is going to make my life easier. So in the spirit of advancement, starting in January at the start of a new tax year, my plan is to use both methods and compare which works best for me. It is very difficult to part with tradition. I guess I like to possess competence when it comes to both methods. Hey, at least we have that luxury. Future generations may be fluent in newer technology and older generations may have a hard time adopting this new technology. I think our generation is strategically positioned in the right place at the right time because this change is happening right now in the present. We get the best of both worlds.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of paper being so personal.
ReplyDelete"As soon as that pen or pencil touches the page, the author has permanently changed its purpose, its meaning, perhaps it’s very reason for existence." I never thought about the fact that I am actually changing the purpose of the paper. That paper becomes mine to do whatever
I wish to it, whether that be writing, drawing, or simply crumpling it up and throwing it away. I love the physical aspect of paper, because it becomes yours, much unlike digitalized writing. Once I post this comment I will not own the space on the page that this text takes up, but had this been on paper it would be mine for as long as I cared to keep it.
I think you're onto something here. There is the element of the personal about paper. It hearkens back to the privatization of reading and Chartier's "Practical Impact of Writing" - after all, when we say paper, we are essentially referring to writing (and reading) practices.
ReplyDeleteOh, and your "paper = power?" slogan rocked my socks off. I especially like the question mark. We feel this is true, though we know the situation is much more complex and requires a lot more thought. Regardless, awesome.