The printing press is important for the fact that it created mobility for the written word. Sure papyrus paper made writing easier and even a little more mobile than before. But the printing pres made it possible to produce an endless amount of written text a t a time.
Before the printing press, when text was written that was the sole piece of evidence. A scribe only had that one piece of text, and if he wanted to make more copies he had to hand write them out. This process would take a ridiculously long time and if someone even attempted to do such a tedious and strenuous job they were limited in the amount of text they’d be able to produce. Once the printing press arrived not only was it smart but it became popular fast.
“Perfection was achieved “by the book.” Laws were compiled into official tomes, contracts were written down and nothing was valid unless put into words. Painting, music, architecture, dance were all important, but the heartbeat of Western culture was the turning pages of a book. By 1910 three-quarters of the towns in America with more than 2,500 residents had a public library. We became a people of the book.”(Kelly)
Because the book was a tangible object that people had to physically hold, it became a literal symbol of intelligence. If someone had an extensive book collection it made them look not only wise and worldly, it also meant they had a certain amount of money. Once the printing press became standard, the act of writing was no longer only for the royal or extremely rich. Regular people, those who didn’t have “status” were able to write about their lives. The sharing of life stories became easier. Once people were able to read and write and reproduce their stories easily, average people started re-writing history.
Enter the iPad. Although the computer and the internet made it even easier to share stories and reproduce writing, the iPad is creating an even bigger wave. Not only does it look extremely futuristic, but it brings together all media and almost all of the human senses to create a truly unique multimedia experience. Where the computer started a revolution in how humans relate to media the iPad is taking it to the next level. The iPad allows us to see, hear, and touch. (I’m sure they are in the works of incorporating smell and taste in to the experience) Where the computer put up a third wall of simply observing the iPad breaks it down with allowing our fingertips to touch the sacred screen and create, or destroy something we are watching.
“We live on screens of all sizes—from the IMAX to the iPhone. In the near future we will never be far from one. Screens will be the first place we’ll look for answers, for friends, for news, for meaning, for our sense of who we are and who we can be.”(Kelly)
The emergence of the iPad, brings the humans experience with communication and the ways we express ourselves full circle. We started out with tablets. They were made of stone or clay, but they where tablets none the less. Now we find ourselves right back at square one with the iPad tablet, although it’s made of much more sophisticated materials. It’s still a tablet which is much more easier to hold than a book. I see the book eventually become outdated, like VHS tapes and vinyl records. However, I think it will be a long time before that happens. The book still makes money, the creators and producers of e-books haven’t quite figured out how exactly to make money off these products. Because the internet is so open and access is so easy, they will be a few constraints placed on e-books, and it won’t be a central figure in society like the book is. But the e-book is a new invention and as much as I hate to say it is much more efficient than a book.
But, that does not mean they are better. The book has a classiness and aesthetic that the iPad or kindle will never be able to recreate. And the book as well as the printing press will go down in history as one of the most important inventions in the world.
Kelly, Kevin. 2010. “Reading in a Whole New Way” The Smithsonian.com Retrieved October 7, 2010. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/40th-anniversary/Reading-in-a-Whole-New-Way.html)
I like how you are pretty much putting how great everything new that is coming out is great and enhances our abilities to read and write. But, I would say that with every new era of technology that comes there is always bad that comes with it as well as the good. I agree with that we are always glued to the screen. Also, I feel like it cuts down on our imagination and our ability to think for our selves.
ReplyDelete