In Search of Harmony Between the Digital and Analogue Worlds

Recently, I have experienced once again that the blessings of today have failed me. I have been troubled by the problems that have taken away my favourite activity, reading and writing. I entered a period of reviewing the situation and thinking about what I could do.

For some reason this situation reminded me of the concept of planned obsolescence. While it is faster, easier and preferable to reach and deliver to people, it is also fragile. Although I like the analogue structure in a romantic context, its durable and reliable style is overshadowed by its clumsiness. Think of your now outdated sweater, but its strength is what makes new brands stand out.

So I thought back. "How did writers deal with this kind of situation in the past?"

Photo by Isaac Chou on Unsplash

Strangely enough, the first thing that came to mind was not how they kept their writings or how they communicated them to people. Because in the past, with paper and pens not in abundance, they had limited space to write; they could not write everything they wanted to, or they would want to read and think a lot first.

Note-taking is an essential act, I think it would drive me mad if I thought I couldn't do it. My long edits are always overflowing with notes that are more than themselves. After all, aren't novels the result of the most meaningful structure we reveal with the chains we make between our notes, which we think of from time to time and scatter left and right?

Apart from the lack of material, the typewriter comes into play, if we take the old epochs that have survived to the present day. To be honest, it is difficult to estimate how much they cost and how many writers had them and were able to use them to the full. What is certain, however, is that typewriters have been made in unimaginable numbers and styles throughout history.

Nowadays, typewriters that have lost their function due to the efficiency of today's technology are more like ornamental tools that can be seen in some cafés. What a shame. I hope one day to own one and write a book on it. (And I hope the fatigue of the process does not drive me mad).

We have enough material, we can sit at the typewriter whenever we want and write all day long until our heads are swollen. But where are we going to store the tonnes of paper that will turn pale at any moment? I think this is where, from a maximalist point of view, the heart of old-fashioned archiving comes into play, the huge files. I've read that some prolific writers who are constantly producing have rooms and even houses just to store their work. It seems we've come a long way.

Photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash

When, for the second time, I was expelled against my will from the platform on which I was writing, I had no desire to rewind. Fortunately, I had already written, discussed and taken precautions on the subject I had mentioned. In my opinion, humanity will gradually witness areas where the need to return to the old analogue structure will return. Although this idea seems to challenge an ever-evolving structure, it is important to realise that not all technological developments come and are adopted at the right time, nor can they provide adequacy in terms of use.

In other words, the balance between the two should not be confused. At the moment we are in a structure that is dominated by one side, and from a human point of view I see every day that this is not a quality situation. Perhaps it seemed that I cared more than ever because it was reflected on me individually, but that is not the case. Over time, my articles have always touched on change in different areas. Although change is always taking place, it may not be at the right time or in the way it should be.

So what is the relevant point I want to make here? From the past to the present there have been, and continue to be, books, then newspapers and magazines of all sorts dealing with different styles. Yes, for the reasons mentioned at the beginning of this article, they may be less popular than ever. But that does not mean they will disappear altogether. Because the main thing has never been the dominance of technology, but always the preference of humanity. In particular, technological structures that are in everyday use by the public can be quickly adopted, but can also be counterproductive.

This is why we have never been able to fully embrace electronic books. The romantic and human feeling of physical touch has always been with us. Feeling the pages with the text on them, hearing the sound of them turning, gave us a sense of ownership and time spent with them. I don't think that will change, even in the long term.

Although the irony is that I am delivering these words digitally, it does not mean that I am rejecting physical preference altogether. Even if I now use the technology that allows me to take notes, deliver them and archive them, I will still buy a physical copy when I buy a book tomorrow, and I will not present it as readable on online platforms when I publish my book.

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I think the balance I am talking about "must" work in this way. It is therefore necessary to choose the most appropriate form for ourselves, while continuing to write and read. It would not be advantageous to swing completely to one side.