Writing Technology

Writing technology comprises of the technology we know today, such as computers, pencils/pens/paper, smartphones, etc. all the way back to clay-writing and typewriting. In his essay, "Why technology matters to writing: A cyberwriter’s tale", Jim Porter writes about these "writing technologies," and how they've evolved over time.

For instance, he talks about his handwriting days, which we know as 'calligraphy' or cursive. In Chapter 4 of Better Pencil, Baron refers to handwriting as one of the oldest, and understated, technologies in the world (50). People used to write with a quill (feather) and parchment paper in order to write down important documents (like the Declaration of Independence) or private letters. This is similar to how companies and organizations type and print-out contracts and proposals, but the only difference is that this information can be edited and saved on file. In addition, the keyboard had replaced the quill/stylus/pencil/pen (Baron 57).

Now, touchscreen computers have become the new 'norm' in stores, libraries, and other public places, mimicking the touch interfaces of smartphones. Even speech, which Aristotle and Plato lauded over writing as pointed out by Baron in Chapter 1, has become another popular "writing technology" as voice commands at Siri and Alexa can search (and even do) things for you. Having to retype is what sets typewriters and word-processors apart. it's like writing with a pencil without an eraser or pen without 'white-out'. Furthermore, word-processors "improved the speed of print-production". What really 'revolutionized' writing technologies was the way computers pushed print-production along with creating community with the birth of the internet (Porter 385).