I find it challenging to even think of an answer for the question I have asked in the title. There are so many things to consider. What might the future hold that would influence the use and storage of all things written and saved today.
There is a tremendous increase in writing volume today compared to any time in our history. In the 1950's when I was a little kid I would write two or three letters a year to my friends and maybe one to my Grandma. Today I write a blog that is nearing 400 posts. If conditions had remained as 1950 I would have written very little.
Today there are thousands of blogs and the common man and woman are able to write an exponential amount because of the use of computer technology. If one browses blogs for a few minutes you can find an endless variety of well written blogs which would never have been written before this time. Some blogs are made up of endless beautiful photographs which record our life. Digital cameras and computers have made it possible for almost anybody to take photos and post them for all to see .
About 700 AD the quill pen and powdered ink was invented. A very limited amount of writing could be done. I would think that only a fraction of this writing would have survived. The common man did not write. The primitive printing press was invented about 1500. This not only allowed for more writing but more readers. The first fountain pens were developed in about 900. This allowed more people to write and more writing survived. In the 1930's the ball point was developed and refined in the 1940's so pilots could use it during the war instead of fountain pens which did not do well with great altitude changes. Even with these developments few people wrote and little was kept.
My Dad was born in 1912. I do not know of any of his writing that has survived. We did find a letter he had written to our Mom before they were married. My brother found this letter in a stove where Dad was disposing of papers. Dad had just filled the stove but had not lit a fire. I'm not sure if this letter survives.
I do not have an answer for the question I asked in the title. I can only assume that by the exponential increase in writing we will leave a vast amount of information about how we lived a this time. Archaeologists should not have to dig carefully around in the soil to find small bits of garbage to see how we lived.
Interesting. But most of what we are writing today would not survive a loss of electricity, of the Internet, or a vast computer crash. It would all be just as gone as the letters burned in the stove. Just a thought. "=_
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that much would be lost. Stuff is backed up today. A vast computer crash would certainly cause a loss.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to know how much of the writing that is done today will survive. We have examples of ancient writing because they were carved into stone. Computer generated writing doesn't stand much of a chance for survival.
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas of ancient writings being carved in stone.
DeleteStephen I like your statement of ancient writings were carved in stone.
DeleteStephen , the writing in stone certainly survived but my point was that there was very little of it done. What little there was is extremely important. Thanks for the nudge to consider something else. And thanks for getting other readers to make comments on your comments. Cool!
DeleteCharlotte , there is an incorrect statement that I quite often use, "Nothing is carved in stone." I like the statement because it refers to decisions taken now where we have to compromise.
DeleteThinking about all the obscure dirt they dig up on politicians I'm not sure much disappears. Whether it will stay that way or not I'm not sure. Sounds like you've given me some homework!!
ReplyDeleteand they say that once something hits the web, it's accessible forever. kinda scary to think about that, but yes, we've gotten used to our instant communications and easy-breezy conveniences. if i was hand-writing letters like i did 30 years ago, maybe my handwriting would be legible, however. :)
ReplyDeletethank you for your kind visits and comments! i so appreciate them! blessings to you, red!
Yes we've gotten used to the electronic devices. The interesting part is what's next? What's around the corner in new devices?
DeleteMy handwriting only goes one way and it's not good!
DJan and Stephen have good points. Computer-generated writing sure has its roots firmly planted today but the future is impossible to predict and comprehend (just as our present seemed so unlikely in the 1950s)and something could well evolve in such a way that makes what seems like a secure system by our standards become significantly damaged or obliterated. You just never know. Fine, thought-provoking post, Red.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm obsessively optimistic , I think about what may be in the pipeline for new devices. The genie is out of the bottle there's much more to come.
DeleteI think it depends on how our civilization survives. If one is positive and believes it will continue to be more and more inventive, then once something is out on the internet it is always there. If one subscribes to doomsday, then ... who knows. I like the idea of Stephen saying ancient writings were carved in stone.
ReplyDeleteWe may well have some down periods where advance is slow or maybe even negative but I don't see doomsday. I'm an optimistic type to a fault.
DeleteWhat I'm thinking here is that we leave trails of information everywhere. Off in the future, where technology will have tremendously advanced light years from now, the people? at that time will make a discovery of a memory stick and figure out how to extract info from it. That is what I see folks. Then they will search for more memory sticks and have great pleasure reading all OUR posts :)
ReplyDeleteA very cool prediction. I'm sure that something like this will happen.
DeleteInteresting post Red. No idea what the future might bring but I cant imagine doomsday too soon in any case. We have a long way to go and several stunning inventions before it all ends. Cheers, Ruby
ReplyDeleteYes there will be stunning inventions. There are many more Steve Jobs around the world.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post.....I know that if I didn't have a camera and computer I probably wouldn't be writing a thing.
ReplyDeleteI would be the same way. I think blogs like yours that give an account of daily life are not only interesting but valuable.
Deleteall our writing and photos will only be available to future generations...IF the servers still survive that contain this vast amount of information AND if computers and software exist that can access the information. I think of some episodes of Stargate SG1...their message was profound...the humans who come after us may not be able to access the info we leave...and might not understand it even if they can access it!
ReplyDeleteI guess our feeble minds cannot feature what things will be like 10000 years from now. We look back at 10000 year old stuff now and it's extremely difficult to figure out what it means.
DeleteI love to write and was overjoyed when I figured out how to blog! Add in the computer (YEA) and my camera...I'm in heaven.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
What you are saying is that for now being able to write is awesome and who cares what happens later. Enjoy the moment!
ReplyDeleteLately, I've been wondering if I tell my daughter to trash my blogs when I do or no!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, thoughtful, as always!
Interesting question. I thought I could close my blog but the material would stay on the server.
ReplyDeleteI guess you're the typical teacher and can't stop giving people homework! I will have to check on this. Many people think that delete means it's gone but not so.
I sometimes worry that the very quantity of information which will be available will somehow make it more difficult to discover the actual lives of people. For anyone looking at old documents, postcards or images from the past, the restricted amount of material available means that you have to dig carefully - like the archaeologists you mention. The digger of the future will find things easier, but perhaps more boring.
ReplyDeleteAlan, you make me think of something else related to volume. There were very few people on earth even 10000 years ago. The future digger I hope will use electronic shovels rather than metal.
ReplyDeleteI was in the process of printing out my blogs just in case..but I got too far behind..it will take me forever to catch up..I hate the thought of it all being lost.
ReplyDeleteI think reading blogs has opened up a whole new world to me..there are so many interesting people that I have never really met but whom I admire. Someday I am sure someone will study bloggers:)
I think printing a blog would use up an enormous number of trees.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with your point that blogging opens up a whole new world. I had no idea what i was getting in to when I started.
Interesting points in your post, Red, and some interesting comments too :)
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say that you can make a book of you blog at Blog2Print (don't like to leave links on other people's blogs) Haven't tried it myself. Mo