I start with Plato's critique of writing where he says that if we depend on writing, we will lose the ability to remember things. Our memory will become weak. And he also criticizes writing because the written text is not interactive in the way spoken communication is. He also says that written words are essentially shadows of the things they represent. They're not the thing itself. Of course we remember all this because Plato wrote it down -- the ultimate irony.

We hear a thousand objections of this sort throughout history: Thoreau objecting to the telegraph, because even though it speeds things up, people won't have anything to say to one another. Then we have Samuel Morse, who invents the telegraph, objecting to the telephone because nothing important is ever going to be done over the telephone because there's no way to preserve or record a phone conversation.

http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/F7BB46AF-AB3B-4D71-B444-E676B215E380/

The flip side of the coin, perhaps?

Not sure it is a two sided thing. The new communication technologies - writing, printing, telegraph, telephone, cinema, radio, television etc - all brought immense changes to the way we live, many 'good', many 'bad', many fiercely argued over as to whether they are/were good or bad. One thing in relation to the LA piece on Harris is that I note an extremely unusual usage of the word 'public' which used to, and I hope still does, refer to communal (see root, communicate, community) interaction, rather than the phenomenon of obsessively deaf and deafening extension of an unrooted ego into emptiness.

Heck,

I don't believe it is a either or situation with the good or the bad, especially with something as complex as the ability to share information or misinformation. Civilization has definitely been impacted by communication.

I hope still does, refer to communal (see root, communicate, community)
interaction, rather than the phenomenon of obsessively deaf and
deafening extension of an unrooted ego into emptiness.

I find social interaction fascinating and the need to connect at any level even more interesting.

Its not the technology its how u use it

Lovely!
It has to be agreed that if we are not careful we get saturated and spend too much time in front of screens, yes?
However, I am sure that we are stimulated and enriched if we are reading and learning all the time. My dad is 89 and quite frail but never stops reading (good old books, I hasten to add).
I think the greatest sadness is that many have lost the art of sitting back and reflecting, RESTING from our labours, and enjoying a bit of Nature, a Park, a river, a flower, some nice music.

Good points all, photocards4all

otium

"otium", a lover of Latin I presume

Or a Latin lover, if you prefer.

I find the interaction with the internet works best when there is a balance of activity and time in the 'offline' world.
So many opportunities for travel, events, and of course..political related updates and detail have all come to me via the internet. Expanded and changed my life for the better 100 fold--no question
Had I not taken any further action however, what value would all that data have been to me?

No, television does that.

Very good. I like that.

Ab imo pectore

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.