Well this is a........an interesting take, let's just say
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/fashion/the-demise-of-the-pen.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/fashion/the-demise-of-the-pen.html?_r=0
Article from the New York Times
- Thread starter Allegrabene
- Start date
interesting read; thanks for the link.
Interesting read. I can see it as the future for most folks, but I look to that future with a sense of dread. When digital became the norm it was almost immediately followed by the desire to analyze what was input. When the PC became the norm it was heralded as a way to free the user from the oppressive hand of IT. There was a sense of privacy because it was all self-contained. Then Lans and Wans became the norm. Privacy went away and now everything is being searched, cataloged and analyzed. Soon the Cloud will be the norm and your data will no longer be yours. You will be allowed access by permission. You may pay for the right, but ultimately it will still be by permission. So what happens if you become someone who is no longer desired? What happens if, in an act of war or terrorism the cloud is damaged, destroyed or cut-off?
Pen and paper, however, are still individual. Created, stored and disseminated by the individual. No matter how digital I become there are still somethings that will be read from a book, written on paper and stored in my home. Maybe I'm old, but I hope this is more a sign of wisdom than old age.
Pen and paper, however, are still individual. Created, stored and disseminated by the individual. No matter how digital I become there are still somethings that will be read from a book, written on paper and stored in my home. Maybe I'm old, but I hope this is more a sign of wisdom than old age.
Reminds me of the predictions that go back at least 20 years that we are soon going to be a paperless society. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. Paper (and ink and the tools to apply it) are going to be around for a long, long time. If you think paper is disappearing, you should have a look at my recycle bin every week!
True Dat!
After reading that article, two thoughts occurred to me:
1) Evidently, brains are becoming obsolete, at least with some people; and
2) Print media (like the NYT) is becoming obsolete, and now I know why.
1) Evidently, brains are becoming obsolete, at least with some people; and
2) Print media (like the NYT) is becoming obsolete, and now I know why.
A depressing read. Long Live The Fountain Pen!
+1 for this. That guy is an idiot and I don't believe for one minute that he can't find a pen in his house. Total BS.
Balderdash!
A quote from the article;
Translation;
A quote from the article;
Translation;
I use pens every day. I'd say there are at least 50 pens scattered around my house. And I use a fountain pen nearly every day. I don't think this is happening any time too soon.
- Thread starter
- #11
I've had multiple computers crash on me and take all my information with them. I've never had a pen and paper crash on me as of yet
I skimmed through that article. Utter nonsense.
Pens and pencils and paper have been on every single school supply list since the beginning of school supply lists. I've worked in retail for 15 years, specifically Office Depot/Max. You think they would have 24ft of writing instruments if the pen was fading out? You think they would have 32ft of paper if digital was taking over?
You know what's two of the top 5 shrink (theft/loss) in every store I've worked at (7 different stores)?
Writing instruments and printer ink
doesn't make sense if no one uses pens anymore? Why they stealing them?
Doesn't make sense if people don't use paper anymore?? Why steal ink?
And oh yeah....take a guess at how many people still send/receive faxes. I can tell you it's a lot.
Pens and pencils and paper have been on every single school supply list since the beginning of school supply lists. I've worked in retail for 15 years, specifically Office Depot/Max. You think they would have 24ft of writing instruments if the pen was fading out? You think they would have 32ft of paper if digital was taking over?
You know what's two of the top 5 shrink (theft/loss) in every store I've worked at (7 different stores)?
Writing instruments and printer ink
doesn't make sense if no one uses pens anymore? Why they stealing them?
Doesn't make sense if people don't use paper anymore?? Why steal ink?
And oh yeah....take a guess at how many people still send/receive faxes. I can tell you it's a lot.
Deadspin put a pretty severe beat down on that article...
(Sorry for the possibly offensive title)
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/*******-cannot-find-pen-makes-entire-nyt-trend-piece-f-1610134466
(Sorry for the possibly offensive title)
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/*******-cannot-find-pen-makes-entire-nyt-trend-piece-f-1610134466
Great article from Deadspin!
Here's a quote from the original NYT article: "Rumors of the pens demise have been around for almost two decades."
He is soooo wrong there. In fact, rumors of the demise of the pen have been around since the invention of the typewriter. Really!
Here's a quote from the original NYT article: "Rumors of the pens demise have been around for almost two decades."
He is soooo wrong there. In fact, rumors of the demise of the pen have been around since the invention of the typewriter. Really!
I appreciate the sentiment of the NYT author. I also wonder how young he is, or better yet how thoughtful he is.
Although I am sympathetic to the fine pen movement here on the nib, time constraints limit my hobby time to wet shaving and a couple of other things that I enjoy other than fountain pens. My involvement in collecting pens is not what I'm writing about.
In a nutshell, here are the issues with digital writing.
Although I am sympathetic to the fine pen movement here on the nib, time constraints limit my hobby time to wet shaving and a couple of other things that I enjoy other than fountain pens. My involvement in collecting pens is not what I'm writing about.
In a nutshell, here are the issues with digital writing.
- Even with advanced search capability, there is no substitute for browsing. The fact is that there is no digital way of browsing that is effective as simply flipping through the pages of a book, magazine or notebook (the paper kind) to refresh my memory about a particular definition or to simply read critically.
- The process of typing in front of a screen makes it very difficult to not look at the screen as you type. This pulls our minds deeper into what we're writing rather than paying attention to the speaker/teacher that we are taking notes from.
- Digital information is ubiquitous and therefore cheap. Think back to when we had to buy film for our cameras and pay to have someone develop it. Photos had a value, and were carefully saved. In today's digital age we now can take 100's of photos for the cost of new batteries. How many times have we honestly shot these photos and no longer really look at them.
- When information is digitized it becomes too much for the human mind to catalog. When people read and wrote on paper, they were exposed to less information, but retained more of it. With digital information, people take in more information, but retain less. Hence the internet has made us stupid.
- Frankly if i have to make a short note, say to write down a temporary password, it's dumb to use a several hundred dollar device rather than a pen and paper.
When you think about all the products associated with Pen & Paper it's completely asinine to think that the pen will ever be replaced by your finger and anything digital will ever replace paper.
Notebooks, memo pads, legal pads, etc. which then you can add portfolios, report covers, binders - oh wait also 3 hole punches, sheet protectors, 5 tab dividers, alphabetical dividers, monthly dividers and so on.
file folders, expandable files, coupon folders
file cabinets that hold the files that are stuffed with paper
desk accessories - pen/pencil cups, letter trays, magazine files
paper clips? hmmmm also add binder clips. oh wait...staplers and staples for all that paper
sketch pads, graph paper, easels and easel pads.
It's virtually an endless list of products, companies, retailers and so on that at the root of them all is the PEN AND PAPER.
Post-it Notes for goodness sake!
Notebooks, memo pads, legal pads, etc. which then you can add portfolios, report covers, binders - oh wait also 3 hole punches, sheet protectors, 5 tab dividers, alphabetical dividers, monthly dividers and so on.
file folders, expandable files, coupon folders
file cabinets that hold the files that are stuffed with paper
desk accessories - pen/pencil cups, letter trays, magazine files
paper clips? hmmmm also add binder clips. oh wait...staplers and staples for all that paper
sketch pads, graph paper, easels and easel pads.
It's virtually an endless list of products, companies, retailers and so on that at the root of them all is the PEN AND PAPER.
Post-it Notes for goodness sake!
Well now this man has not been to my house.
there is the over flowing pencil jar, next to the overflowing Pen cup, next to the over flowing mechanical pencil cup, even the the technical pens cup is stuffed.
can you take notes and talk on the same phone at the same time ?
I don't know.
my check list and note books are all paper because they don't crash or run out of power.
there is the over flowing pencil jar, next to the overflowing Pen cup, next to the over flowing mechanical pencil cup, even the the technical pens cup is stuffed.
can you take notes and talk on the same phone at the same time ?
I don't know.
my check list and note books are all paper because they don't crash or run out of power.
Hey, if I want to leave a note for someone tucked under the windshield wiper of their car in a mall parking lot (ooooh look, a NYT article that claims malls, parking lots, windshields and'or their wipers are now obsolete too...) I'm not leaving my smartphone there.
Keep in mind, when the first computer was developed the so called "experts" said that the United States would never need more than THREE of them.
Agile software development processes would blow that author's mind. In our version, write down the user stories on 3x5 Post-It notes and stick them up on a white board under the appropriate category. User interface designs are sketched out on paper and taped to a wall. Move objects around as needed and throw them away when done. It's a lot faster than trying to do it electronically.
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