It's not that I'm anti-technology. Not to tell my age, but I remember electric typewriters replacing old manual Remington ones--and the introduction of the then 'new-fangled' word processor. They were not like the modern software versions of today with spell check and the bane to some of us fantasy writers, auto-correct. The word processors were not much more than electric typewriters outfitted with either a magnetic tape reader/writer or a card reader/writer.
Now that might not seem that groundbreaking an invention, but consider this. Not having to retype an entire page of manuscript because of a mis-spelled word or two, or to change a phrase. Secretaries fought over the machines, especially at review time. Despite having taken hours to type (no corrections were allowed), each step in the chain of command always changed something. Even something as simple as a word here or a sentence there meant more hours typing to get the 20 plus pages of the 8-carbon form ready for the next review. With a mag-tape machine, you could correct the one or two pages that needed it, and reprint out the entire form in minutes rather than hours or sometimes even days.
I'll get a tablet someday. Until then I'll read ebooks (both my own and those of other authors) using apps on my laptop. One thing I don't see in the foreseeable future? Getting rid of my shelves of to be read, read but want to read again, and reference books.
Till next time, Helen And be sure to visit the other authors in the hop.
I feel like I just traveled back in time, remembering carbon paper (shudder) and how hot I thought I was when I bought a correcting typewriter. And the first one I used with a teeeeeeny bit of memory? Oh, man, we were flying high! Enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteI remember the days of typing a page/pages over because of one or a few errors. When I got my first computer with word processing, I was in Heaven. I'll never get rid of my paperbacks, but today I prefer to read on a Kindle or iPad.
ReplyDeleteI remember typing classes in school. You got graded for how fast you could type as well as how few mistakes you made. All were on the typewriter.
ReplyDeleteNow you brought back a memory. A requirement of my first "professional job", having to type 80 words a minute with no more than 3 typos. Had never used an electric typewriter before the test so it was interesting. Oh yeah. I passed and got the job. At least for as long as we were stationed there.
DeleteI remember the typing classes well, and the correction tape. I can't even imagine typing a book and having to endure those corrections, wow! I'd never get one finished.
ReplyDeleteI remember the days of carbon paper and retyping pages for the umpteenth time (and how your fingers turned blue from handling the carbon paper. Heaven forbid if you smeared it!). Remember when NCR (no carbon paper required) paper came out? I thought I was living then, just because I didn't need all that carbon paper, lol.
ReplyDeleteNever had much experience with NCR paper for typing. Used it later for handwritten receipts and invoices though. Still do because you don't have to worry about the carbon running out.
DeleteThat brought back memories! I wouldn't be writing if we still had to go through all that rigamarole with retyping pages. The thought gives me new respect for the authors who persevered and kept going under those conditions, not to mention the ones who wrote it all by hand! That's what I call dedication.
ReplyDeleteI remember at work having to type legal papers that had to be perfect. What a pain!
ReplyDeleteAh, another old fogey like me!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for stopping by. Glad to have brought back some fond (or not so) memories. There were tricks to making a near-invisible change to one carbon, but when you had more than two copies lining them up just so was near impossible.
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