Don't laugh...I'm bringing a typewriter :-D

College Life
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>Not meaning to sound angry (although I probably will anyway), but I feel the need to declare that once I’m away in school and not essentially required to be looking things up via Google because no one in my family knows how to use the computer, I won’t be needing one of my own, and can do whatever’s necessary to avoid the Internet and all its many ills. I’ve made a personal vow never to sign up for Facebook and/or Twitter – aka Faceless Book-o-phobes and Bird Droppings.com. My focus of study is primarily Creative Writing, and as any writer can testify, the Internet is like “Twilight” in that it sucks…and drains all your life’s worth. (Ask any parent(s) who had to pay for the stupid book that their teenage daughter(s) didn’t even read.. And the pillowcase, the lunchbox, the limited-edition “Toothless Aggression” condoms with a British vampire on the front…doing exactly what they wish he’d do on the label). Seriously, is it any surprise that Stephenie Meyer is so popular with the Internet generation because of her blog and iTunes playlists and affinity for the whiny prepubescent Emo crowd…and that her stupid books are so bloody awful they make Wikipedia seem as though Tolstoy wrote it? (/Stephen Colbert-style eyebrow raise)</p>

<p>If I’m going to write something, I’ll do it on my trusty, rusty, dusty typewriter (but I’ll make sure to fix those last two factors before I start using it full-time :slight_smile: ). Neither Bill Gates (aka the devil) nor Mark Suckerbird (aka spawn of the devil) has anything on me; unless it’s an absolute mandate that I sign up for a stupid Facebook account, and printed (printed, mind you), on the syllabus, I’m not going to bother with any of this “social networking” bollocks, because the term really is a misnomer when you think about it. There are plenty of face-to-face, interpersonal opportunities I can go after that don’t involve being a “fan” or “follower” or (I could use another F-word to describe it, but Netiquette applies to the real world, too). If ever I do need the Internet, I’ll sign up for AOL or NetZero or something cheap dial-up that lets you access Google or Yahoo or (does CompuServe even exist anymore?), and not much else. Thankfully Emerson has a library full of all kinds of books that I can read without going on Wikipedia and finding all sorts of BS not worth my while. (Once, just for kicks, I read an article on John Tyler, the U.S. President…in which he was listed as the father of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Steven Tyler’s old, but seriously, come on!)</p>

<p>I realize this is a thread for “College Computers,” but unless you’re studying something related to medicine, engineering, or – God forbid – computer science, there’s no reason why a liberal arts major, much less an English major, really needs a computer for his/her studies at all. I might actually sell or trade in my laptop for the satisfying “click-click-ding” of the old standby. I have a netbook also, and I know the typewriter will be much more physically bulky, but actually, when you compare the burdens of “keeping up with the Confucians” (the American push to maintain industrial pace with China), and the perceived obligation of checking one’s messages every ten minutes or so, to the air of simplicity that involves nothing more than changing a ribbon versus bells and whistles and “an App for that too” (oh, my), the answer becomes clear of which is the lighter weight to carry.</p>

<p>“It ain’t heavy. It’s my…Brother.” </p>

<p>(And for all the British euphemisms I’ve included here, I’m actually a native of New England rather than the Cullen-airy Empire. Henry Thoreau for the win. :slight_smile: )</p>

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<p>I think thats a pretty cool idea. I have alot of respect for writers and what they do. It takes a lot of patience and skill to pump out as many works as are required of you. It will be much harder to get info if you ever need it, but I don’t think it would be totally impossible to get through school without the internet. I’m pretty sure you’ll catch alot of flack for this post from other posters who are more technologically inclined, but thats what anybody gets when they do something that is against the grain. I commend you for going old school. Its alot more interesting of a story than many you’ll hear these days and i’m very intrigued to see how it all plays out for you. good luck buddy.</p>

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<p>Having a computer does not obligate you to check your email or cruise Web sites. On the other hand, I should think that creative writers would benefit from typing away on a computer screen, then going back to revise and edit. Are you seriously inferring that you will write a 10-page paper, then re-type it on your trusty Underwood to fix a few typos? Also, my kids are commonly asked to submit their work via email, instead of handing in paper copies. So, by all means, lug in that typewriter, but I’d hold onto that laptop for awhile.</p>

<p>One might also ask why you have 11 posts on College Confidential if you intend to be such a troglodyte.</p>

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<p>@ ALF: The environment is going to change once I’m in a more independent atmosphere, so by the time I get to fall midterms, I might have about 15 posts here :slight_smile: Regarding “revising and editing” on the computer, well, did Hemingway or Salinger or Virginia Woolf, Stephen King (when he started out), Emily Dickinson, have MS Word or OpenOffice or WordPerfect? Were Upton Sinclair and Hunter Thompson bloggers when they started? No, they went back and did it “the hard way,” through time and effort, which I think is sadly lacking in today’s “oops, delete” generation (unfortunately my own). The ease of which we throw away emails and personal documents in the Microsoft Recycle Bin and delete “contacts” from our Yahoo and Gmail address books, says something about how we throw away people in this society today. There’s no consideration for integrity or the time-honored process approach, because there’s simply no time with which we can honor anything today. But, I do welcome your disagreement, because that’s a sign of an independent thinker, as I am too.</p>

<p>@Big Cat: Thanks, “buddy.” I appreciate your show of support, and no offense, but I’m wondering what the female equivalent is of “buddy” ;)</p>

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<p>not sure. I wouldn’t totally knock technology just because some of the better writers of the last couple centuries didn’t have a pc. I don’t think its totally fair to associate a medium (computers) with the death of whatever you find to be great writing just because editing your work is made easier. Not everything “Back Then” was unbelievable and full of artistic value. Remember that when you bash the present.
Also, you’re simplifying the work these authors did by saying that it was due to the way they actually wrote their works. Its obviously not that simple, you know that. Using a typewriter doesn’t make you any more tragic or artistic then someone using a computer. You sound like a pretty smart person, but I would advise being a little bit more humble when you post things, especially when people like ALF are trying to give you advice. No offense, but Nobody wants to help a “know it all.”
Again, I’m on your side if your just wanting to try something different. Its a neat idea to try and live without the technology we have become so attached to these days. When you bash everybody that uses a computer just because of the technology, you start coming off like a hipster though. No offense though. Just trying to give you some advice, because i tend to agree with some of your views.</p>

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<p>It’s a matter of practicality. You can write your rough drafts however the hell you want, but you aren’t going to want to spend countless hours fixing typos that take 2 seconds to fix on a computer.</p>

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<p>No it doesn’t, and more to the point the only thing resembling disagreement was the suggestion that a typewriter is much inferior to a modern computer for word processing.</p>

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<p>… until the time comes to sign up for classes …</p>

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<p>implying* :)</p>

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<p>I don’t want to sound like a jerk…</p>

<p>I don’t think you’ll make it with only a typewriter. What if a teacher emails you something important? What if you have to print out a paper that the teacher put on his/her website? What if your test for tomorrow is postponed? (social networking helps you get that info fast)</p>

<p>High speed internet if free at most colleges. Probably at Emerson too. Are you going to hunt for a slow computer in the library when you need one? Are you going to go back and retype that paper just to fix a few sentences and move stuff around? When you need to get that one urgent piece of information are you going to walk all the way to the library to use the internet? Then there’s social networking which you said that you will never touch. Most of my school notifications, events, and parties come through facebook.</p>

<p>Blahhh, that was a weak argument. Anyways, I don’t think you’ll last 4 years without bringing/using your own laptop. It’s like using horses as your main transportation. Or using leaves as toilet paper. Or using a quill instead of a pen/pencil. Sorry, but I have to doubt you. It’s ok to use a typewriter for fun but not for serious. Please buy/bring a laptop, it’s not a hindrance if you aren’t an addict (which you aren’t).</p>

<p>^_^ Going into engineering. No hate</p>

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<p>So, it seems like the real reason why you want a typewriter is to be free from the ills of getting distracted.</p>

<p>Well, I tell you what: if you configure your computer the right way, the same can also apply to computers. There’s a Wifi switch on your netbook for a reason, you can choose to not have any icons, and there’s nothing preventing you from typing up essays in Notepad (and autoformatting them) vs something more complicated, like Word.</p>

<p>Even as a CS major, I’ve often contemplated using something a simple as a typewriter. I mean, computers do a lot, but in terms of reliability, they’re extremely bad compared to everything else in life. It’s sad how many people learned to just tolerate this mediocrity.</p>

<p>Advantages of a typewriter:

  • No need to fuss about fonts, margins, and other word processing complexities.
  • No such thing as viruses or unexpected hardware failures <em>wiping out</em> your work.
  • Compared to a laptop, more comfortable keyboard.
  • Lots more haptic feedback compared to a computer.
  • You actually understand what’s going on.</p>

<p>It’s a shame how difficult it is to come across a typewriter these days.</p>

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<p>I don’t known why I’m being so critical. After all, I brought a typewriter to college, along with my slide rule and carbon paper. Of course, I was a Freshman in 1972.</p>

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<p>lol how stupid can you get</p>

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<p>It’s good that you want to try to stay away from the internet (it really is a huge waste of time) but you are seriously handicapping yourself by using a typewriter instead of a computer with a word processor or text editor. Apart from being free from distractions, there’s nothing to be gained by composing papers with a typewriter. </p>

<p>Maybe you could try not bringing a personal computer and instead do your work in the school computer labs. When I do work on a computer in a lab, I am more focused and there is less temptation to surf the web.</p>

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<p>All those writers you’ve mentioned are great because of what they wrote and not how they wrote it. A true artist would know that art can be channeled through any medium.</p>

<p>And I think it’s stupid to turn yourself away from the internet which is a useful as hell tool. If you are afraid of the trash on the net, the solution would be to control your use of the internet, not turn your back to it. What you manage to do by barricading yourself from the internet is cut yourself off from a vast database of information. </p>

<p>I don’t think it’s wrong of you to want to go old school, I just think it’s stupid of you to think that it’s the only way. Open your mind and realize that while you would like the world to stand still, it moves on regardless.</p>

<p>I think that you just suck with technology to begin with and are simply finding reasons to give up something you can’t understand.</p>

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<p>If you think you’ll get distracted by having a computer, then find some self-discipline and don’t get distracted. If you must handicap yourself this heavily to avoid these things, then you have more serious issues to deal with.</p>

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<p>lol how about a little thing called self-control</p>

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<p>If you do bring a typewriter and a computer, make sure that you don’t forget which one you are using:
[YouTube</a> - Blonde goes back to work after 30 years](<a href=“Blonde goes back to work after 30 years - YouTube”>Blonde goes back to work after 30 years - YouTube)</p>

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<p>You’re going to have to broaden your mind a bit to be a successful writer. Ever heard the phrase Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water?</p>

<p>No doubt the internet is filled with some real crap. However, you’re judging an entire entity on only a fraction of what it provides. Do you really think that each and every college student has a Facebook and Twitter account? Probably most do, but I don’t know of any university that requires them. </p>

<p>Tax forms, banking online, pertinent info from profs about their classes – all of this will be much harder for you to obtain, which means less time you’ll have for writing.</p>

<p>You’ll be like an old person who has to ask a grandchild to help them understand the modern world.</p>

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<p>Isn’t it a little bit ironic that you post about the “trash” of the internet ON the internet? </p>

<p>This is a “romantic” idea, but overall, a ridiculous one. I don’t know about you, but at both of the colleges I have attended, most of the business is done online. Papers are submitted online so they can be run through plagiarism programs, tuition is paid online, scheduling, etc. </p>

<p>Of course, I don’t really understand the concept of going to college to “learn” how to be a creative writer…</p>

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<p>I’m digging the social commentary in the OP’s post. What you’ve pretty much signed onto this forum to say is:</p>

<p>-You’re better than us, because you can avoid the Internet by means of a typewriter.
-Because you use a typewriter, you are a better writer than us.
-Or you don’t know if you can avoid the Internet, so you want to post about how hardcore you are in hopes that we offer you validation.</p>

<p>Or it could be something even more sinister… Regardless, good luck.</p>

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<p>I can tell already, your roommate is going to <em>love</em> you…</p>

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<p>I’ve been trying to avoid CC for the longest time but this post was just too ridiculous for me not to post.</p>

<p>Any artist with any talent knows that they can create regardless of the medium. Give me a DSLR, point and shoot, or a rangefinder and I’d still take great pictures with it. Great novelists didn’t become great because they used a typewriter. If Turing was born earlier or Babbage had the hardware necessary, I’d be willing to bet the great novels of our times would have been done on MS Word.</p>

<p>Furthermore, you have a choice to avoid those sites. It’s not as if the internet can reach out and force you to go on FB and Twitter. I’m on my PC for most of the day doing work and researching, and I hardly go on FB and don’t have a Twitter account at all. To imply that you can’t have one without the other is simply ludicrous. </p>

<p>Then of course you’re discounting the benefits of the internet. There’s trap sites like FB and Twitter, sure, but you have a choice to avoid them. By ignoring the internet entirely, you’re also ignoring many sites that can help you. Wiki, PubMed, SDN, and BBC are some of the sites I benefit majorly from. In fact, if you’ve ever taken advice from here and actively used it in your life, you’ve done the same as well.</p>

<p>I’m definitely siding with jazzpark on this one. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.</p>