The future of writing

[vienna]

I learned cursive writing in school through the Palmer Method. Over the years, my handwriting has deteriorated from legible to a scrawl that would make a doctor look at my writing and say "What does this say?" The keyboard has eroded whatever dexterity I had for longhand writing. I have given serious thought to getting hold of a Palmer method book and trying to re-learn my handwriting skills...

There is an intersting possibility a sort of resurgence of the art and occupation of "scribe" may come out of the dependence on the keyboard. Much as the then new field of typist came out of the invention of the typewriter, people, having lost or diminished their own handwriting abilities, may seek out someone else with the "gift" of clear cursive handwriting to produce those documents that seem to be all the better for the "human touch". It could be a sort of full circle: the scribe displaced by the typist displaced by the scribe...

The far worse loss and potential problem comes from the dependence on automatic spell checking and grammar correction. The degree to which the simple abiltity to spell and use correct grammar (Hi, Steve) has fallen among the most educated of professional people of the younger years is startling. In past years, I have found younger co-workers, some educated by some very prestigious colleges and universities, in wonder and awe at my seemingly "magic" ability to use language and the likewise abilities of others my age. I guess when one is soley strivng to be the next MBA to become a multi-millionaire, the simple chores of a well-rounded education are a drudgery...

I once read a novel where it became necessary to "turn off" all the GPS satellite systems worldwide in order to thwart a terrorist attack. The unexpected side-effect was to cause the running aground of several commercial ships due to the ships officers not being able to navigate in the old manner since they had become totally dependent on GPS navigation systems. There may be likewise shoals and reefs ahead for those who become dependent of machines to do everyday tasks...


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